All of us desire to be respected — and, it just makes sense to show our colleagues and customers respect in our dealings with them. Why, then, do we often see examples of pushy salespersons, disinterested employees, or haughty customers? In part, because they haven’t learned and applied the topic of today’s PROJECT DISTINCT: the six steps to respect. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 19, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 574
In this episode, Scott takes a look at the specific reasons WHY your business is a “show business” — and offers specific ideas on what you can do to enhance the customer experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 18, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 573
A remarkable event created Scott McKain’s unique business philosophy: “ALL Business is Show Business.” In today’s Project Distinct, he relates the story of how it happened, and why it’s important to you and your efforts. (If you’d like to hear the entire audiobook of “ALL Business is STILL Show Business,” it’s available on Audible.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 17, 2020•9 min•Season 2Ep. 572
There’s a $55 million house involved — a real estate agent — and a prospect who won’t buy ANYTHING because of a pushy approach. That’s today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, where Scott McKain discusses how one salesperson’s choice not to listen might have spoiled a potential sale. Is that a mistake you’ve ever made? Probably, we ALL have — and today’s episode shows us what to do about it…and why aggressive sales tactics are like an unexamined drug. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...
Nov 16, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 571
Based on his recent blog post that stirred controversy, Scott McKain explodes the myth that being a “sales badass” is what will help you close deals and convert customers. Today’s PROJECT DISTINCT provides the three points that you must know if you are going to serve customers and grow sales. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 15, 2020•8 min•Ep. 570
In today’s hyper-competitive marketplace, it’s natural that commoditization is a magnet that pulls businesses and professionals back to the pack. In today’s episode, Scott McKain relates the story of how commoditization impacted his industry of professional speaking — and reveals the aspect of business that can help you prevent being a commodity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 14, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 569
Everyone seeks an advantage — however, we often fail to understand that what we perceive as a strength may not be compelling to customers in our market. In today’s Project Distinct, Scott McKain offers three questions we should all be asking to make our competitive advantage enough to motivate our customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 13, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 568
If differentiation was easy — let’s face it, more organizations (and professionals) would be standing out and moving up! On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain identifies four specific areas where you might encounter difficulty — and explains WHY it’s so critical to separate ourselves from the competition. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 12, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 567
We all place a value on differentiation — but, it should NEVER be “just to be different.” On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain will outline four critical points to consider as you plan your strategy to differentiate your products and services to help create distinction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 11, 2020•9 min•Season 2Ep. 566
According to a new study from Accenture Consulting, many of the problems experienced by businesses are not because of changes in the market, competition, or technology. It’s the way that leaders THINK. What if the way that you’ve been educated — or trained yourself — to think about business isn’t valid in today’s world of change? It’s one of the most important topics we could cover on PROJECT DISTINCT, and Scott McKain will challenge YOUR thinking today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Nov 10, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 565
Today, Scott McKain relates the time that the worst portion of his customer experience was the hassle about completing the survey to grade the experience. Could that be happening to your customers? Could your sincere desire to evaluate and improve be viewed as a hassle by the very people/companies you seek to serve? On this episode of PROJECT DISTINCT, learn how to create more engaging surveys — and customers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Nov 09, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 564
How is your current customer experience different from what it was a year ago? If you can’t think of any specific ways — you might be sowing the seeds of customer disconnection! In today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, we’ll discuss how to keep your customers engaged so you don’t create “loyalty fatigue.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 08, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 563
Are your employees bored with their jobs? Guess what? Bored employees create bored, disinterested customers who take their business someplace else. On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain discusses why it’s important to keep our teams engaged — and how to do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 07, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 562
It’s hard to be in a relationship when only one party is engaged in it! Unfortunately, many professionals — and the organizations they represent — want customer loyalty…yet, fail to demonstrate reciprocal loyalty in return. On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain will reveal the three steps to ensuring we demonstrate our loyalty TO our customers, so we receive higher degrees of engagement FROM our customers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Nov 06, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 561
If you want to improve your delivery of customer service — and who doesn’t? — it’s sometimes hard to know where to start. On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain will reveal three strategies that many organizations can launch today,..two of which any business of any size could start on immediately. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 05, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 560
Currently in Denver with his colleagues and pals, today’s PROJECT DISTINCT has Scott McKain sharing the importance of personal connections and friendships to help us be more creative and productive. AND, it has the critical component of also making life more worthwhile, too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 04, 2020•8 min•Season 2Ep. 559
According to Scott McKain, it’s important that we know our competition — but, it’s critical that we don’t focus on them. Instead, we need to create a winning game plan that plays to the natural strengths of our organization and our people. That’s the topic of today’s PROJECT DISTINCT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 03, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 558
Every sports fan knows the cliche: “Defense wins championships!” Since we also hear so many analogies relating sports to business…should we lead, sell, and serve from a defensive posture? That’s the issue that Scott McKain will…tackle…on today’s PROJECT DISTINCT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 02, 2020•8 min•Season 2Ep. 557
Have you ever had a team member that you weren’t expecting to leave…quit? Have you ever left a position and your boss was surprised you were looking elsewhere? It begs the question: why do good people leave when you anticipate they’re happy with you and your organization? Today’s PROJECT DISTINCT will look at why leaders are sometimes caught unaware — and, from a post by Mike Myatt on Forbes.com — reveal a few failures that many of us are guilty of committing. Learn more about your ad choices. V...
Nov 01, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 556
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the hottest topics in all areas of business. Yet, as Scott McKain points out on this episode of PROJECT DISTINCT, we’d be naive to assume that AI is only going to be in the hands of organizations and not accessible to our customers, as well. Given that, how will AI change the way in which your team delivers the customer experience? And, what can we do to prepare? You’ll learn three important steps on this edition of the podcast! Learn more about your ad cho...
Oct 14, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 555
None of us have 100% customer retention, despite our best efforts. So, today’s PROJECT DISTINCT asks, WHY do customers leave? Scott McKain reveals some shocking statistics that could change your perspective on customer erosion — so you can fix the problem and retain more customers! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 13, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 554
Today’s episode of PROJECT DISTINCT is a message from Scott McKain that reflects on Memorial Day being observed today in the United States — and what it means to changing times and our growth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 12, 2020•7 min•Season 2Ep. 553
Scott McKain’s great friend, Skip Prichard ( http://SkipPrichard.com ) recently interviewed the author of a new book who claims, "most workplaces are unfit for human life.” On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, we’ll take a look at why that’s the case, why it’s critical for you and your organization to fix, and how to accomplish this critical task. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Oct 11, 2020•13 min•Season 2Ep. 552
For those of us who make a living working on the customer experience, for a team member to totally reject that effort is sometimes hard to understand. On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain looks at five reasons your colleagues may literally hate working in customer service - and what you can do as a leader to help them become better employees…and your organization deliver a higher level of experience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Oct 10, 2020•13 min•Season 2Ep. 551
Through his personal experience, Scott McKain has learned that all good leaders have a particular trait in common. And, a recent article in Harvard Business Review suggests that research displays this quality as a requirement for effective and improving leadership. Learn what it is on today’s PROJECT DISTINCT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 09, 2020•8 min•Season 2Ep. 550
In this episode, Scott McKain answers one of the questions he’s asked most: How can I improve my speaking skills. With research published by Harvard, combined with his own wealth of experience, here are tips to help you attain the speaking skills you desire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 08, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 549
What if a particular type of service could improve customer satisfaction anywhere from 33% to 73%? Would you be willing to give it a try? Would it make sense to invest in doing what it takes to make customers so pleased that they repeat their business and refer you to their friends and colleagues? On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain will reveal the latest research that determined exactly what type of service that almost 80% of customers said that they prefer. Learn more about your ad choic...
Oct 07, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 548
It seems as though the terms “customer service” and “customer experience” are frequently used interchangeably. Should they be? Or, are there critical differences between the two terms — especially in how you deliver them to YOUR customers? On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain discusses why they aren’t the same — and what you need to understand…and the action you need to take…to engage your customers with BOTH “service” and “experience.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/a...
Oct 06, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 547
We hear so much about improving the quality of our product or service — but, Scott McKain cautions us that is not the only area where quality is critical. On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, he relates a story that happened to his close friend, speaker and humorist Mark Mayfield, that teaches an important lesson about where customers REALLY value quality. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 05, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 546
We’ve all worked for bad bosses — however, few of us want to admit that sometimes WE may be the one who is guilty! On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain does just that. By letting you know of his managerial failures in the past, he can relate to the five awful management styles that your employees may be encountering. This episode is a look at bad management — so that we can all get better at leading others! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Oct 04, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 545
