Everything I Need to Know About Business I Learned From My Nametag
So there I was sitting in the audience of an on-campus seminar. Surrounding me sat hundreds of fellow students; each of us wearing one of those little, handwritten, adhesive nametags. When the event was over, we all filed toward the exit. I approached the door and noticed a small trashcan filled to the brim with ripped up, used nametags.
And that gave me an idea. A crazy idea. Maybe I should keep my nametag on all night!
I wondered what would happen if I threw myself out there. And I wondered how that would affect my approachability.
Sure enough, I walked out of that seminar with Scott stuck on my chest. About 10 minutes later I met up with a friend of mine at a local ice cream shop. And thats when it all started. Thats when the silence was broken.
People began to say hello. Random students walked up to me and started conversations. Even complete strangers yelled Hey Scott! from across the room! I noticed an astonishing increase in both my own and other peoples willingness to communicate all because of a nametag!
Later that night I returned home. I looked in the mirror at that little red and white nametag. And then, I made the most important decision of my entire life:
I vow to wear this nametag all day, every day for the rest of my life.
That fateful day was November 2nd, 2000. And since then, my entire life has changed. On January 1st, 2003, my first book entitled HELLO, my name is Scott: Wearing Nametags for a Friendlier Society, was released. At the same time, my company, Front Porch Productions was created.
But with every passing day of wearing a nametag I was forced to look deeper. I knew there was something bigger at work. And now after three years of business and five years of wearing a nametag all day, every day its time to go from experimental to experiential. The following are seven valuable business lessons I learned from wearing a nametag.
Repetition
\r Like a large percentage of the world, I didnt learn much in college. Or maybe I just dont remember much from college. Either way, I did take away a few key concepts from my marketing studies. The main one was called The Three Rs of Marketing, which are:
1) Repetition
\r 2) Repetition
\r 3) Repetition
I know it sounds incredibly obvious. But with every single day that I wore that little nametag, people were more and more likely to think Hes still wearing that nametag! Hey look, theres Scott again Why in the hell does that guy always wear a nametag?
It was catching on. People not only noticed me, but they remembered me. And now they were starting to tell other people too.
LET ME ASK YA THIS
What new action could you repeat on a daily basis?
Combine Vocation with Values
\r I often remind people that what I do as a person and businessperson is not about nametags. The nametag is merely a symbol that represents several core values I hold close to my heart. The truth is; my nametag and my values are one in the same. You see, my nametag represents friendliness, approachability, fun, creativity, uniqueness and casualness. And I, as a person, believe in friendliness, approachability, fun, creativity, uniqueness and casualness.
This reminds me of my friend Ed. Hes a financial planner, and a damn good one at that. But the reason hes so successful is because his values (planning ahead, setting goals, organization) are manifested through his job. And I think the greatest businesspeople in the world are those who do just that: combine vocation with values.
LET ME ASK YA THIS
Which values are manifested through your work?
You Cant Make Everybody Happy
\r Youd be amazed how much hate mail Ive received over the years. (Yeah, I know hate mail addressed to a guy trying to make the world friendlier? Go figure.) But I actually value it tremendously. After all, as customer service experts say, A complaint is a blessing! First of all, its hilarious. And as you read in the last section, Im a fun guy. Secondly, there were a few emails that gave me a much needed kick in the butt, making me aware of certain inconsistencies I didnt see.
Lastly, as much as I dont want to admit it, not everybody agrees with me on this whole nametag thing. And hey, thats cool. Ive come to terms with it over the past 1,635 days. But Ive still stood my ground, even in the face of embarrassment, staring, humiliation or physically harm (yes, Ive been beat up for wearing a nametag.) Why? Because I believe in what I do and it makes a difference in others lives. Ultimately, it makes me realize that Peter Montoya, author of The Brand Called You, was right when he said, If everyone agrees with you, youre doing something wrong.
LET ME ASK YA THIS
What values or practices do you apply that receive criticism from others?
Its Not Who You Know, It\'s Who Knows You
\r Lets face it: if you wear a nametag all day, every day, wherever you go you will stand out. And people will notice. I figured that out in the first few months. But I had no idea it would evolve into a writing, speaking and publishing business until after the first two years. And thats when my accumulated visibility started working to my advantage.
Because once the company was up and running in 2003, it wasnt just that people noticed me people knew me. Whether it was someone in my community, a fellow member of an association or even a random stranger, it appeared that a lot of people knew I was the guy with the nametag. They knew I wanted to make the world friendlier. And now, they knew I had a book. It was all coming full circle! So, its like my friend Jeffery Gitomer says, Its not who you know its who knows you. Amen to that, brother!
LET ME ASK YA THIS
In your industry, community or company do a lot of people know you?
Angels Unaware
\r Ive always held the belief that everyone can teach you something. That everyone has a story to tell. And that everyone can affect you in some way. So, by far the greatest advantage to wearing a nametag all the time was the opportunity to meet new people. People I wouldnt have met otherwise. People that, often times, became friends of mine! It almost became addicting!
But one evening while riding the bus home from work, I met an angel. I met one of the most important persons in my entire business life. It was justsome guy. A regular dude who was sitting right next to me. We got to talking and eventually exchanged business cards after our brief conversation. He wished me luck on my upcoming book, and I wished him a Happy Holiday Season.
I had no idea his girlfriend was the editor of a local newspaper.
A week later she called to set up an interview, the result of which was a 4 page article that came out two days prior to the release of my first book!
Once that article came out, media outlets from around the globe called for interviews! I spent the next 6 months on a whirlwind media blitz, sharing my ideas and my business with the world! That 6 month period eventually led to the forming of my company, which is now in its third year.
And all because I said hello to a stranger. An angel of whom I was unaware. (See Hebrews 13:2.)
LET ME ASK YA THIS
Have you ever met one person who created the tipping point for your business?
Word Ownership
\r When I think of self-help, I think of Dr. Phil. When I think of customer service, I think of Nordstrom. When I think of marketing, I think of Seth Godin. And when I think of The Yellow Pages, I think of my brother, Steve.
Why?
Its because each of those people are individuals who, in mind, have the most expertise about, and most association with that particular word. Thats called Top of Mind Awareness or as I like to call it, Word Ownership.
With me, the word is obvious: nametag. If you Google the word nametag, Im the first page that shows up. If you hear someone say the word nametag, you think of me. And after knowing me, reading my work or hearing me speak, you will never think about the word nametag the same way again. Thats Word Ownership. Sure, its not a word used as often as marketing or customer service, but its mine. I own it.
LET ME ASK YA THIS
What word do you own?
Be Remarkable
\r Now, as I have progressed as a businessperson, Seth Godin (ibid) has become one of my favorite authors. His most famous book, Purple Cow, changed the face of marketing as we know it. If you havent read it yet, heres the concept: in order to differentiate yourself in business, you must be remarkable. Remarkable is something worth making a remark about. And if you or your company can achieve remarkable status, people will do your marketing for you.
Its so simple, its ridiculous.
And as it turned out, wearing a nametag, all day, every day for five years, was in fact, remarkable. But not according to me. It was according to CNN, USA Today, The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Paul Harvey, Headline News and The CBS Early show. Those were just a few of the international media outlets that did stories on it!
Now, I didnt include that list to brag. I included that list because honestly, I have no idea how in the hell it happened. I spent a long time shaking my head, thinking to myself, I cant believe it. But in the end, serendipity, luck and acts of God notwithstanding, maybe it happened simply because my idea was remarkable.
LET ME ASK YA THIS
What facet of you or your business is remarkable?
The crazy thing is; all I did was put on a silly little nametag. And here I am; author, speaker, publisher and small business owner. Now, trust me, I ask myself that same question almost every day: How in the hell did all of this happen?
Maybe it was an accident. \r Maybe it was smart marketing.\r Maybe it was luck.
Or maybe it was the right idea, for the right person, at the right time, in the right place.
You can pick whichever answer makes the most sense to you. But I hope these business lessons Ive learned from wearing a nametag will help you make your mark and do something unforgettable!
2005 All Rights Reserved.
Scott Ginsberg is a professional speaker, \"The World\'s Foremost Expert on Nametags\" and the author of HELLO my name is Scott and The Power of Approachability. He helps people MAXIMIZE their approachability and become UNFORGETTABLE communicators - one conversation at a time. For more information contact Front Porch Productions at http://www.hellomynameisscott.com.
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