A Key Secret To Achieve Success

April 21, 2009
Interview with Scott McKain, author of Collapse of Distinction: Stand out and move up while your competition fails

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Mike Carruthers:
Have you noticed how every place looks like every other place?

Scott McKain:
It used to be in your community you would have a different store, a different place to shop - there was a different feel about your community. And now as I travel throughout the country giving speeches; the Wal-Mart, the Best Buy, the Olive Garden - it's all the same everywhere.

Scott McKain, author of the book Collapse of Distinction

When I was a kid, the interstate highway was built through my hometown and along with it came McDonald's and then Wendy's and the local restaurants all of a sudden had competition that they weren't prepared for. Well in today's world it's not the interstate, it's the Internet that's bringing competitors right to your customers' desktops that weren't there just a few years ago.

But Scott says, that by being different, being distinct you can compete with anyone on any level - price is not always the issue.

Southwest Airlines is no longer the cheapest but we still get on there because we have fun on the flight - they take care of us like people whereas most airlines seem like they're more concerned about moving the plane than the people inside them.

And Scott says, distinction works no matter what you're selling.

I was on the phone with my sister in southern Indiana and they heat their house with heating oil (with fuel oil) and she told me who she picked to supply their heating oil and it wasn't the cheapest - it's the guy that will come out in the middle of the night and fix their furnace if there's a problem. So what's she's really buying is an experience to make sure that they don't get cold in the winter, where what he's actually selling is simply a commodity.

To hear part 2 of A Key Scecret To Achieve Sucsess, click here.