More Than WE Know

I just devoured Scott Ginsberg’s 220 page book Make a Name for Yourself in a single setting and now I’m starting to read it a second time - and I am sure I will be re-reading it again and again.  The book is chock full of valuable ideas and insights that I can’t wait to share with you over the coming weeks.  The hardest part will be deciding which gem to write about first!

I’ve recently become a fan of Scott’s after hearing his story.  You may have heard of Scott already - he’s known as “that guy with the nametag”.  He’s been wearing a nametag 24×7 for the past 2544 days.  (He can claim 24×7 because he even tattooed a nametag on his chest!) 

Scott’s motivation for wearing a nametag is that it made him more approachable. He found that by wearing a nametag, even strangers would start conversations with him!

I’m fascinated by Scott for a couple of reasons.  First, this is such a great Public Relations strategy.  It’s unbelievably low cost (even 2544 nametags can’t cost that much!!), it’s memorable and it’s well-intended. In other words, it’s aligned with the MoreThanWeKnow value of doing well by doing good.  

Scott has been featured in hundreds of outlets such as 20/20, CNN, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, The Associated Press, REDBOOK, FastCompany, The Washington Post, Paul Harvey, The CBS Early Show and Headline News. He even wrote “The Quiz” on approachability for COSMO!

In the nearly 7 years that Scott has been wearing a nametag, he has managed to build an entire career out of it.  At 27, he’s one of the youngest members of the National Speakers Association. 

He’s known as an expert on “approachability” and has written books, online and offline magazine columns, and developed training programs that he has delivered to major corporations such as STAPLES, VERIZON Wireless, Boeing, Prudential Financial, UniGroup, Coldwell Banker, Gundaker Realty, Leo Burnett, Manpower and Hyatt Regency as well as many non-profits.

The second reason that Scott fascinates me is that he has got to be as opposite of an introvert as they come!! The idea of wanting all people, any people to connect with you any time, any where is incomprehensible to an introvert. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, introverts need to pace the amount of time spent interacting with other people because it can be physically draining. 

On the other hand, Scott’s actions and philosophy are fascinating to me, an introvert. I find myself wondering if they can be adapted to suit the needs of the less socially inclined among us.  I’m going to ponder this some more and write some ideas in my next post.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Is he brilliant or crazy? How approachable are you? How approachable do you want to be?

For more fascinating reading by Scott, check out his blog.

For more info on the challenges of networking for the less extroverted among us, read:

 Four Survival Tips for the Introverted Entrepreneur

How to Go From Shy Networker to Brilliant Conversationalist

Six Tips to Successful Networking for Shy Entrepreneurs

Challenging Advice for the Shy Entrepreneur

Situational Shyness and the Aspiring Entrepreneur

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