Project Distinct Podcast

On yesterday’s episode, Scott McKain discussed the problems that organizations and professionals create when they focus obsessively on their products and not on their customers. Today’s PROJECT DISTINCT discusses an all-important step: a customer focus in every phase of your business. Whether you’re a solopreneur or in a large corporation, this message can play an important insight for your success! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You’ve probably had it happen to you — a sales professional that tells you more about the product than you want to know, while ignoring your needs. Why does that happen? Why do we often fall into the same trap with our customers? That’s the topic of today’s PROJECT DISTINCT with Scott McKain. We’ll take a look at the two major reasons that we often are so focused on our products that we don’t center our approach on our customers. It’s a revealing insight for you on today’s episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following up on yesterday’s episode, Scott McKain dives deeper into the importance of storytelling, why you can never start as the hero, and why it’s so critical that you tell the story of your company, department, or team. In fact — you should be telling YOUR personal or professional story, too! That’s the subject for today’s PROJECT DISTINCT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What’s the most important skill a business or professional can possess in the 21st Century? The ability to tell stories, according to “The Futurist” journal. Do you identify more with the airline started by two guys in a bar writing on a cocktail napkin — or a conglomeration of smaller brands you don’t remember with no narrative that’s told? Learn the importance of your story from Scott McKain on today’s PROJECT DISTINCT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain reports on a new study by FreshBooks (https://www.freshbooks.com/press/annualreport) on the latest trends in small business ownership. Who does better — those entrepreneurs with…or without…a college degree? Who does better…those with or without multiple streams of income? All that and more on today’s episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a recent conversation with an Australian businessman, Scott McKain was surprised to learn of an American-based company that is rapidly losing marketshare. “They forgot who they are,” was the reason offered by the business leader. On today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott discusses the importance of clarity — and why it’s critical to deliver to customers what they expect that we are…even as we grow and change for their benefit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every human being has made a mistake of some kind. Yet, some handle them well and turn them into learning experiences, others deny, delay, and — even worse — never let it go. Today’s PROJECT DISTINCT with Scott McKain looks at what you should do after you’ve made a mistake to ensure that you not only learn from your mistake, but grow from it to help create distinction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We know that we’re more profitable and productive when our teams are engaged in their work. So, how do we hire and keep engaged employees? Today from Hong Kong, Scott McKain shows two different approaches — and provides insight on why one way is superior to the other. Which one describes your efforts? It’s today’s episode on PROJECT DISTINCT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While working on the road this week, Scott McKain attended a rugby tournament — Hong Kong Sevens. A special version of the game of rugby — of which Scott freely admits he knows nothing about — gave him ideas for three specific steps we can take to make our businesses stand out: 1) Make your efforts smaller and more intensive; 2) Make it faster for your customer; 3) Make it more compelling to do business with you. It’s the formula that attracts tens of thousands of fans to the Sevens tournaments from around the world. It's today’s episode of PROJECT DISTINCT! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the world’s largest annual sporting events was recently held — although it’s technical classified as “sports entertainment.” It’s Wrestlemania! If you are a WWE fan — and especially if you aren’t — here are three serious business lessons that you can learn from the success of Wrestlemania 2019. It’s a “no hold barred” edition of PROJECT DISTINCT from the man in that corner, Scott McKain! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When you make your conversations with customers and colleagues about them, you grow loyalty and expand your leadership abilities. In today’s episode, Scott McKain explains why this is such a critical factor — and gives you specific tactics to make this concept work for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s “experience economy,” perhaps the most important aspect is the connection you have with your customers. In today’s episode, Scott reminds us we should make our customers the star of our organization’s “show” — and gives three specific ways we can make that happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You can’t be distinctive unless you’re delivering an Ultimate Customer Experience ® to those who are doing business with you. In today’s PROJECT DISTINCT, recorded from Hong Kong, Scott McKain (whose company owns the Federally registered trademark on the term “Ultimate Customer Experience”) reveals the initial steps required to get started. It’s an important topic for every professional because it gets you closer to your customer so you can enhance retention and referrals. A vital message is waiting for you in today’s episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Creating a “customer journey map” is all the rage among customer experience professionals. And, whether you work for a large organization — or you’re a solopreneur working out of a back bedroom — you need to work on enhancing the experience that your customer has at every touchpoint with you. However, there is a singular problem with this approach that goes against the grain of the relationships we desire with our clients — and that’s the topic of today’s episode. Scott McKain will reveal the basic problem that's wrong with the customer journey map. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Scott McKain and friends visited a winery in Hunter Valley, Australia, they were denied the chance to sample one of the wines on the vineyard's menu because they were told, “We aren’t tasting reds today.” As they left without purchasing any of the wines they were selling, Scott was reminded of the great customer service story from Bob Farrell of the old Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlours: “Give ‘em the pickle!” That powerful story is at the center of today’s episode of Project Distinct. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The statistic caught Scott McKain’s eyes: “53% of sales professionals had not been to any type of sales training for five years!” In today’s Project Distinct, Scott looks at the importance of sales training — and how it has to change in the rapidly evolving world of selling. The movement from subscription to transaction means that sales professionals need training more than ever before. Yet, few look for what they really need — and scant organizations provide it. Today is a controversial and compelling edition of Project Distinct! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it really better to be different? Scott McKain says, “Maybe not.” The distinctive professional or organization finds unique approaches that creates more traction and higher engagement with customers. So, where do you find the best ideas on how you accomplish that difficult task? On today’s Project Distinct, Scott reveals that — as counterintuitive as it sounds — the way to be distinctive is to be derivative…and he shows you how. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For today’s Project Distinct, Scott McKain researched several resources looking for the answer to the question: “What is the single most important skill required to deliver excellent customer service?” While many experts offered complex answers, today’s episode will reveal one from a post on CustomerThink.com that captured the essence of service and the one skill that will never fail to enhance any touchpoint with a customer. Do you have it — use it — and provide to your customers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When a movie is presented to a test audience, directors then have choices to make before they finish the product for the potential audience. As Scott McKain reveals in today’s Project Distinct, those same three options can help you connected with your customers at a higher level. Perhaps you need to “re-shoot, re-cast, or re-edit” at your business! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Salesforce reports that customer expectations are changing! That means the time is right for you to deliver what Scott McKain has trademarked as the “Ultimate Customer Experience.” In today’s Project Distinct, he’ll reveal the first step to the UCE —it’s just considering what one would be for YOUR customer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices