“The Power of Leadership”

Reading a great book; the Collapse of Distinction by Scott McKain.  Will share some insights and thoughts about it here, but you may want to go pick up a copy yourself, there is a link below…

“My old-timer friend continued, “Anymore, our fast food is the same as the fast food up the road.  Our McDonald’s is the same as their McDonald’s.  In fact, they’re all the same from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine.  I guess consistency is a good thing, but haven’t we reached a point where we’ve gone overboard?

My insurance agent sells the same stuff as yours, no matter what companies they work for.  One has a screaming duck to represent it another has a caveman.  I’m in ‘good hands’ one place, another is ‘on my side,’ and that one is ‘like a good neighbor.’ But the problem is, I can’t tell one from the next.  So how do I know why one company is a better neighbor or more ‘on my side’ than the other?”

Can your customers really tell the difference between you and your competition?

“If you have any professional responsibilities whatsoever – From CEO to small business owner – home office administrator to front line salesperson, this question should keep you tossing and turning at night.  How can your customers distinguish you from your competition?”

The criteria by which the old-timer in the book made his determination should terrify you:  “It’s just price, I guess!”  “I sure don’t notice any difference between them with service.  And I don’t know enough about insurance, for example, to really understand the differences with their products.  These days, every tree in the forest seems to be exactly alike.  It’s not just bland,” he said.  “It’s all become the same!”

This collapse of distinction is a cultural phenomenon of epic proportions and a nightmare for business.  We may be approaching the end of faster and cheaper and it may be causing a customer revolt.  Tomorrow we’ll look at some of Scott’s questions to help you determine how you can develop a service offering of perceptibly higher value for your customers.

“You can never change a habit until you are aware of what you are doing now.” – Paul J. Meyer

Have a great day!

Shawn
Performance Institute – A Global Leader in Human Capital and Business Development

Russ M. Miller, LLIF – Chairman & CEO

Sunny Hong Zhang – Managing Partner – China

Shawn M. Miller – Managing Partner – USA

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