Business Distinction | Scott McKain

You cannot FORCE someone to care…just because YOU do!

Nov 12, 2020 | Business Distinction

This is NOT intended to be a political post. However, there could be a political…or business…or personal impact for you because of what is discussed here.

How many political protests — peaceful or otherwise — are we observing right now?
How many emphatic and forceful posts on social media are you observing that are aggressively asserting that the position the author holds is the “right” one — and everyone who disagrees is an idiot?

Protesters and posters alike are not only attempting to establish the primacy of their position — they’re also implying that all of us should care about it with as much fervor as they possess.

That never works.

You cannot force someone to care…just because you do.

Ever tried to MAKE someone love you? How did that relationship work out? (My guess…not well.)
Ever tried to MAKE someone else be more motivated or inspired? How did that work out — long term? (My guess…they maintained about the same level of motivation and inspiration as before your attempt to change them.)

And, that’s the point. When you try to make someone else care about your position, love you, or change their attitude, a closer examination might prove that you’re initiating that effort more to benefit you than to assist them.

The same is true in business.

If I was protesting something right now, I would stop and ask how my actions would serve to change anyone’s mind. If all you’re doing is becoming so assertive that you are repellent — how does that do anything but ensure that you’re going to lose favor with the public again?

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not saying that you shouldn’t voice your convictions! I am suggesting that how you do it is of critical importance.

So, what does this mean to your business?

While any professional success is dependent upon persistence, you must also possess enough self-awareness to recognize when your tenacity has unintentionally planted seeds of alienation.

Don’t work on making others see your point.
Instead, strive to be so distinctive that others become attracted to it.

Companies that Create Distinction by Delivering the Ultimate Customer Experience®

Aug 8, 2020 | Business Distinction, Customer Experience

What is the purpose of delivering the Ultimate Customer Experience®?

For many, the primary goal is become distinctive from the competition. There have been numerous companies that have built themselves up by filling the niche of delivering excellent customer service. The Ritz Carlton, for example, famously authorizes every staff member to spend up to $2,000 per day to give each guest an exceptional experience. And the Ritz Carlton stands apart even in the world of luxury hotel chains as delivering truly exemplary customer service.

However, outpacing the competition in offering the Ultimate Customer Experience® is not limited to major hotel chains – or even big business. Plenty of smaller and supposedly “less glamorous” companies employ customer experience techniques that set them apart from the pack.

Using the Customer Experience to Conquer the Marketplace

Unless you’ve been traveling by train in France, you likely haven’t heard of the company Captain Train. Prior to its purchase for $187 million by Trainline Europe, it was a small travel website used to buy cheap French train tickets. What’s more, the market for selling cheap train tickets in France was already dominated by Voyages-sncf.com.

Captain Train saw an opportunity to offer something that consumers weren’t used to getting with their train tickets: an excellent customer experience. CEO Jean-Daniel Guyot created a policy where the company pledged to not only answer but also solve all customer inquiries withing 2 hours. When Captain Train actually delivered on that promise, they were able to achieve a whole new level within their industry.

(If you’ve read my latest book, “ICONIC,” you know how critical I believe it is that your PROMISE is congruent with your PERFORMANCE!)

Replacing Lost Items

One example of the Ritz-Carlton’s over the top customer service includes the hotel overnighting a laptop charger to a guest who had left it behind — along with an extra charger!

Smaller companies can also make up for the little disappointments in life. Kinsa Health manufactures thermometers that come with a small plastic cap to protect the tip. This is not sold as a stand-alone item. However when customers contact the company to request a new one, the company sends a replacement — without charge — along with a handwritten note.

Win Over Critics

A large part of the customer experience in a luxury brand hotel is making sure that no one is having a bad time. This should also be a concern for everyone seeking to deliver the Ultimate Customer Experience®!

Making certain that critics are taken seriously is especially important in the food industry — a lesson which Julia Baldwin, the CEO of After Dark Cookies has taken to heart.

Using the NPS score (Net Promoter Score), the company reaches out to their harshest critics, asking what went wrong. When people were truly dissatisfied, they are refunded AND given an additional free order, in the hopes they will have a more positive experience. Sometimes the most valuable feedback has come from these encounters…not to mention new raving fans!

Finding Strength in Small Size

Sometimes the solution for a growing organization to delivering the Ultimate Customer Experience® comes from realizing that your expanding size might mean that you need to do things differently from the traditional norms of customer service.

Wistia, a video hosting, creation and analytics company realized that they were not able to deliver quality customer service to scale via phones. Yet a large part of their success was based on the customer service they offered — especially going above and beyond throughout the set-up process.

They made the difficult decision to remove their phone number from their website. They switched instead to a robust online system of support. This included personalized welcome material such as emails and videos that help guide new customers through the set-up process. It has helped Wistia to continue being greatly admired for their customer service.

All too often, the examples of companies setting themselves apart with their customer experience come from the major players. We’ve probably heard enough stories about Apple, Amazon, Southwest, Nordstrom and the usual suspects.

It’s critical that small businesses – and even entrepreneurs and solopreneurs – discover that they should not be afraid to invest their resources to make themselves shine by delivering the Ultimate Customer Experience®

Are your employees an asset — or an expense?

Feb 1, 2020 | ALL Business is STILL Show Business, Business Distinction, Sales & Retail

What’s your initial, gut-level reaction to this question: Are your employees primarily an asset…or an expense…to your business?

The critically important aspect is this: If you see your people as primarily an expense — then, that expenditure becomes something we need to minimize. In other words, we’re taught in business that profit comes from, in part, reducing expenses. The more we keep our expenses in check, this basic theory of business goes, the greater the likelihood we will become more profitable.

However, the more we think about it, that’s simply not the total picture.

Assets are vital points in our business that we seek to amplify and make more valuable. When you see your employees as assets to be cultivated and enhanced — as opposed to expenses you need to reduce and minimize — you discover those assets becoming more productive…and, therefore, more profitable for your business.

Treat your colleagues like the assets they are, and they’ll provide Ultimate Customer Experiences ® for your customers and prospects and maximize sales opportunities that will help you create distinction and grow your business.

For more information on employee training and development options designed for custom outcomes, contact our office at 800-838-6980 x2, or email shelley@scottmckain.com.

Three questions to drive a better customer experience

Jan 25, 2020 | Business Distinction, Customer Experience, Sales & Retail

After a recent seminar, I was asked to come up with three questions the organization could ask internally that would help them understand what is necessary to drive the delivery of an enhanced customer experience.

Tough question, right? And, I admit, I have had to work on it for a bit. Here’s the best I can come up with — and I’d appreciate if you have additional and/or better questions!

1) Do customers want it?

Gourmet quality lattes are certainly wonderful. But, would it add to the customer experience to serve them if you’re running a funeral home? Doubt it. There are other aspects that would probably be more desired by those at your business.

This isn’t to suggest that we shouldn’t be innovative in what we deliver; however, if there is a disconnection between our idea for the experience and our core purpose, it’s not going to enhance the loyalty we desire from our customers.

2) Can we provide it?

Note, this isn’t necessarily “can we provide it” based upon our current team or our current structure. However, we do have to ask ourselves if we have the bandwidth to do what it takes to provide the experience that customers are seeking. If we don’t have it immediately available, we should start thinking of the specific steps that we will need to execute to make it happen in the future.

3) Is it worth it?

In my first book, I wrote: “The purpose of any business is to profitably create experiences so compelling to customers that their loyalty becomes assured.”

While it’s reasonable to focus upon the importance of the word “experience,” it is also easy to overlook the critical term, “profitably.”

There are several aspects your organization must confront on a daily basis. This simply asks, “Is it worth doing this instead of other projects?” You only have a finite amount of time and scarce resources. The question also insists that you project how the effort you’re making will enhance the profitability of your organization in the future.

Just because it won’t drive immediate income doesn’t mean it isn’t immensely important.

If you confront these three questions, you’re taking the right steps to develop what customers REALLY want in today’s hyper-competitive market in order to grow your business.

A story cannot be well told until it is first well written

Jan 11, 2020 | Business Distinction

When we think of ancient humans, we often picture them around a campfire, telling stories.
When we were kids, we asked a parent to read us a bedtime story.
When we examine the fastest growing companies of the past decade, one at the top is Netflix – which enables us to view stories at any time, on demand.
- So why would we ever presume that facts and figures about our products or services would be more compelling to a customer or colleague than a well-crafted story?

One aspect of my business that has rapidly expanded over the past year is helping organizations and professionals develop and relate stories. It enables them to illustrate their advantages and connect emotionally at a level that is deeper and more significant.

It occurred to me that I’m likely the only business author and professional speaker who has talked about how to write a story with Quentin Tarantino, how to develop characters with James Cameron, and how to move an audience emotionally with Oliver Stone.

And, therein lies one of our biggest challenges in creating our own stories: we don’t recognize our own uniqueness. Frankly, I failed to recognize how my work as a movie reviewer for a decade and the opportunities it brought me to study storytelling would have impact in a business environment.

We quickly grasp the stories that others should be telling – and fail to see it in our own lives and careers. We drop the ball when it comes to recognizing the stories in our own experiences, even when we are enthralled by the narrative others relate to us. I see it all the time.

An important point to remember is this: a story cannot be well told until it is first well written.

A great goal for this week is to develop a single story that you could tell. Start by jotting down the beginning of the story, which will describe the problem that had to be solved; the middle of the story, which relates the search for a solution; and the conclusion of the story, which is the satisfying ending.

Then, start telling your story to family and friends to get their feedback. Look for ways you can tighten the story to tell it more quickly and powerfully.

Finally, remember this: it’s been said forever that a confused prospect never becomes and customer.

Relating a powerful story enhances your ability to eliminate confusion, turn prospects into customers, and engage them so they are more connected to your customer experience.

So…tell me a story!

Should you be “social selling”?

Dec 20, 2019 | Business Distinction

“Social awareness selling” — using a good cause to move customers to buy from you — is growing. But, it is right for you and your business? Do customers buy your “why”?’

The answer may NOT be what you’re thinking — and it could be costing you and your business!

Watch the video to learn more — and don’t forget to visit Just10Speakers.com!

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