Project Distinct Podcast

You should never close the sale. Get ready — this will be a controversial episode of PROJECT DISTINCT.  Scott McKain reveals why he HATES the term, “closing the sale” — and why you and your team should have a totally different perspective in these rapidly changing time.

We hear so much about the importance of hiring “A” players for our organization’s team. Is that truly the superior strategy? Inspired by a blog post on fs.blog, Scott McKain relates that sometimes in business — as in sports — the best players don’t always combine their efforts to produce the superior team. How we need to hire and work with one another is the important topic of today’s PROJECT DISTINCT.

Dr. Ken Blanchard — a former member of Speakers Roundtable, the mastermind group that has also been a part of Scott McKain’s career for two decades — is one of the world’s authorities on customer service, leadership, and organizational management. Blanchard’s companies teach a specific four-step approach to attaining a high level of customer service.  On today’s episode of PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott takes a look at Blanchard’s approach and helps us understand what we need to do to keep customers coming back for life.

Training is a critical function for every organization — and each professional. To achieve maximum results, how frequently should we conduct training sessions? How often should training initiatives be launched? How quickly should attendees put the new information to use to be certain they take action? A surprising answer is in store for you from Scott McKain on today’s PROJECT DISTINCT!

We all want the services we sell and the products we market to stand out from the competition. So, how do we incorporate distinction into the way we design our products and services? On today’s episode of PROJECT DISTINCT, Scott McKain reveals the four factors required to ensure that we are creating work that moves us to the front of a hyper-competitive market.

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!