< P > Y o u n o l o n g e r h a v e y o u r n a m e - y o u h a v e y o u r n a m e , P L U S , w h a t p e o p l e s a y a f t e r i t . < / P > < P > I r e a l i z e d t h i s a x i o m y e a r s a g o d u r i n g t h e f i r s t f e w y e a r s o f w e a r i n g a n a m e t a g 2 4 - 7 . S e e , w h i l e t h a t t i m e w a s n ' t t h e m o s t c o m f o r t a b l e o r p r o d u c t i v e , i t w a s c e r t a i n l y t h e m o s t i n t e r e s t i n g a n d e n l i g h t e n i n g . P r o b a b l y b e c a u s e t h e i d e a w a s s t i l l e v o l v i n g ; a n d w e a r i n g a n a m e t a g w a s s t i l l S O o r g a n i c t h a t e v e r y d a y b r o u g h t a b o u t e x c i t i n g n e w m o m e n t s i t s e v o l u t i o n . < / P > < P > B y t h e t i m e I g r a d u a t e d c o l l e g e , s t r a n g e r s b e g a n t o a p p r o a c h m e n o t o n l y t o a s k w h y I w a s w e a r i n g a n a m e t a g ; b u t a l s o t o a s k i f I w a s , i n f a c t , T h a t G u y W h o W o r e t h e N a m e t a g . < / P > < P > U m , y e a h . Y e a h I a m , I d s a y . M e a n w h i l e I d b e t h i n k i n g , W o w ! T h e y a l r e a d y k n o w w h o I a m ! C o o l . < / P > < P > B u t i t w a s n t u n t i l J a n u a r y 1 5 t h , 2 0 0 3 t h a t i t a l l c a m e c l e a r . T h a t w a s t h e d a y C N N i n t e r v i e w e d m e a b o u t m y f i r s t b o o k H E L L O , m y n a m e i s S c o t t . T h a t w a s t h e d a y I o f f i c i a l l y t o o k o w n e r s h i p o f m y u n i q u e , p o w e r f u l a n d U N F O R G E T T A B L E p e r s o n a l b r a n d - w h e t h e r I l i k e d i t o r n o t . < / P > < P > I g u e s s I j u s t n e v e r t h o u g h t t h a t s o m e o n e w o u l d b e C N N . < / P > < P > Y o u s e e , w h e t h e r o r n o t y o u r e a n e w s b u f f , a l l t e l e v i s i o n i n t e r v i e w s a r e t h e s a m e : t h e s c r e e n w i l l d i s p l a y t h e p e r s o n i n q u e s t i o n , h i s o r h e r f u l l n a m e ; t h e n b e l o w i s a o n e - l i n e d e s c r i p t i o n o f t h a t p e r s o n s j o b t i t l e , p o s i t i o n o r r o l e i n t h e f e a t u r e d s t o r y . < / P > < P > S o , h e r e s w h a t C N N w r o t e a b o u t m e : < / P > < P > < B > S C O T T G I N S B E R G : N A M E T A G W E A R E R < / B > < / P > < P > I t w a s t h e h a r d e s t I e v e r l a u g h e d i n m y l i f e . N a m e t a g W e a r e r ? H a ! Y o u c a n t m a k e t h i s s t u f f u p ! < / P > < P > W h i c h b r i n g s u p a n i n t e r e s t i n g p o i n t a b o u t b r a n d i n g , u n i q u e n e s s a n d m a k i n g y o u r i d e a U N F O R G E T T A B L E . < / P > < P > P I C T U R E T H I S : y o u r e s i t t i n g a t t h e C N N s t u d i o , r e a d y t o b e i n t e r v i e w e d a b o u t y o u r c o o l n e w i d e a , c o m p a n y o r p r o d u c t . A f t e r g i v i n g t h e p r o d u c e r t h e c o r r e c t s p e l l i n g o f y o u r f u l l n a m e , s h e a s k s y o u , O h , a n d o n e l a s t t h i n g b e f o r e y o u g o o n t h e a i r i n f i v e m i n u t e s : w h a t t w o o r t h r e e w o r d s d o y o u w a n t w r i t t e n u n d e r n e a t h y o u r n a m e ? < / P > < P > T w o o r t h r e e w o r d s . T h a t s h o w f a s t y o u r p e r s o n a l b r a n d m u s t b e c o m m u n i c a t e d . N o t j u s t w i t h t h e m e d i a , b u t w i t h p e r s o n a l i n t r o d u c t i o n s , m a r k e t i n g m a t e r i a l s , b u s i n e s s c a r d s , w e b s i t e s a n d t h e l i k e . I t s a s a d b u t t r u e f a c t w h i c h r e f l e c t s t h e r a p i d a c c e l e r a t i o n o f o u r c u l t u r e . < / P > < P > W h a t s m o r e , i f y o u c a n t c o n c i s e l y a n d i m m e d i a t e l y a r t i c u l a t e w h o y o u a r e a n d w h a t y o u r e a l l a b o u t , o n e o f t w o t h i n g s w i l l h a p p e n : < / P > < P > 1 ) S o m e o n e e l s e w i l l c o m m u n i c a t e t h e i r p e r s o n a l b r a n d a n d s t e a l t h e s h o w , a c c o r d i n g t o P e t e r M o n t o y a . < / P > < P > 2 ) S o m e o n e e l s e w i l l t a k e t h e l i b e r t y o f c o m m u n i c a t i n g y o u r b r a n d f o r y o u . A n d i t m i g h t n o t b e t h e o n e y o u w a n t . < / P > < P > F o r e x a m p l e , I w a s o n c e i n t r o d u c e d b e f o r e g i v i n g s p e e c h i n t h e f o l l o w i n g w a y : < / P > < P > L a d i e s a n d g e n t l e m a n , I h a v e t h e h o n o r o f i n t r o d u c i n g t o d a y s s p e a k e r . S c o t t G i n s b e r g u h d o e s n t h a v e a n y c r e d e n t i a l s b u t u h I m s u r e y o u l l b e a m a z e d b y h i s y o u t h ! P l e a s e w e l c o m e , S c o t t G i n s b e r g . < / P > < P > I c o u l d a c t u a l l y h e a r t h e s o u n d o f m y h e a r t b r e a k i n g a s I w a l k e d o n s t a g e . < / P > < P > A t l e a s t , I t h i n k i t w a s m y h e a r t b r e a k i n g . T h e n a g a i n , i t m i g h t h a v e b e e n t h e s o u n d o f m y c r e d i b i l i t y b e i n g c r u s h e d b e f o r e a n a u d i e n c e o f 1 0 0 s t r a n g e r s , o r p e r h a p s i t w a s t h e s o u n d o f t h e l a u n c h i n g s e q u e n c e o f a s p e e c h I w a s a b o u t t o t o t a l l y b o m b , w h i c h I d i d . < / P > < P > T h i s i s w h a t C O U L D h a p p e n t o y o u i f y o u r e n o t p r e p a r e d t o a r t i c u l a t e y o u r b r a n d . I t r e m i n d s m e o f t h e f a m o u s q u e s t i o n f r o m W i l l i a m S h a k e s p e a r e ' s < I > R o m e o & a m p ; J u l i e t < / I > : " W h a t ' s i n a n a m e ? " < / P > < P > B u t a l s o r e m i n d s m e o f a m o r e i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n : " W h a t ' s A F T E R a n a m e ? " < / P >
Author: Scott Ginsberg
Author Bio:
Scott Ginsberg
Scott Ginsberg is the only person in the world who wears a nametag 24-7-365 to encourage people to become friendlier and more approachable. He is the author of three books including "HELLO, my name is Scott," "The Power of Approachability" and "How To Be That Guy." As a speaker, Scott works with companies and professionals worldwide on how to be approachable, become unforgettable and make a name for yourself. Scott has also been recognized by CNN, USA, Cosmopolitan and The Wall Street Journal as "The Authority on Approachability" & "The World's Foremost Expert on Nametags." And, he has recently been inducted into the Hall of Fame of Ripley’s Believe it Or Not.
