Transcription
****Please forgive any and all transcription errors as this was transcribed by Otter.ai.****

[intro music]
Shark 0:16
Welcome back and thank you for joining A Shark's Perspective. I am Kenneth "Shark" Kinney, your host and Chief Shark Officer.

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Shark 1:13
Thank you to Invoca and Drips. And now back to the show.

Shark 1:16
What makes you distinctive, whether it's your corporate brand or even personal brand says a speaker coach or similar? Knowing that consumers have choices? What is your process for creating an iconic and distinctive experience that helps someone choose your brand over that of someone else? It's a question we should all ask, especially post pandemic to know if we're not only distinctive, iconic provide a great customer experience. But even now for still relevant. Scott mccain is a keynote speaker CSP, a member of the professional speakers Hall of Fame, a member of the sales and marketing Hall of Fame, and the author of seven books including iconic how organizations leaders attain sustained and regain the ultimate level of distinction. And on this episode, we'll discuss iconic organizations and creating distinction both as a corporate brand and as a speaker, creating the ultimate customer experience two big principles promise and performance. Taxi Terry and Uber Steve, Werner Herzog movies for German television beloved by Roger Ebert, john Cougar Mellencamp, the FFA. So God made a farmer, the kindness of Zig, distinctive sharks, Colts quarterbacks, that radio voice, and a lot, lot more. So let's tune into an iconic Hall of Fame speaker with an iconic shark, who's probably already in the shark Hall of Fame anyway, on this episode of A Shark's Perspective.

Shark 2:39
Scott, thank you so much for joining us today on A Shark's Perspective. I've known of you and followed you read some of your books before but tell us a little bit about your background and your career to date.

Scott McKain 2:49
Kenneth, I appreciate you asking. I love talking about my hometown. I'm from a little tiny town, just north of Louisville, Kentucky, it's on the Indiana side crothersville, Indiana, and I'm so grateful to have a chance to spread the word about crothersville. And to have been from there because one of the one of the great things is you know, one of the great things about growing up in a small town. You know, when you grew up in a big city, you kind of got to pick one thing to do at crothersville you had to be in sports and a member of FFA and working in your dad's grocery store and doing chores on the home farm you were expected to do so many things. And there are advantages both ways but I think there's something about growing up in a small town that gives you the chance to pursue more diverse activities and also your you're you're expected to deal with and know how to deal with adults from from an early age. And and so that that got me on my way. I was a national and state president national officer and State President of FFA, which back then was Future Farmers of America. Now because now it's changed. It's just FFA because there's so many urban programs, but in all the aspects of agribusiness but it gave me the opportunity to speak and to travel and to meet some amazing people. And it changed my life. I mean until this happened I didn't know much of the world beyond you know southern Indiana and Louisville in Indianapolis in and man just a privilege that it was to do that and change my career goals and, and that and so I would college graduated college, the college hired me to work. I realized from the compensation that higher education was not the place what it's been the rest of my life that got involved in broadcasting. But

Shark 4:37
to deliver a speech

Scott McKain 4:38
Yes, yes, exactly. It Again, it's it's part of what I know we'll talk about is that you know, repetition, and just just putting in the reps is is everybody's looking for the hack today. And I get it. I mean, everybody wants to hack this and hack that as a shortcut. And there is something to be said for that. But on the other hand, you know, I don't want I wouldn't want my cardiologist to have hacked his way to my bypass, you know, I don't want to think that they, you know, they didn't just watch it on YouTube. Yeah, exactly. I did a weekend boot camp, watch a bunch of videos in YouTube. But man, I hacked this and I'm ready to go. I mean, there are certain things that at the end of the day, you have to put in your reps, you have to pay your dues. And you know, I don't mean that to sound like a, you know, old guy saying, Hey, you know, my day, I think there is something that can't replace repetition and experience and it doesn't mean that you can't, you know, used to be called Opie other people's experiences. I think you shorten your learning curve, but I don't think you can eliminate it. And, and that's, that was it. So anyway, along the way, I married a wonderful woman. And unfortunately, as we were talking before, we went out here she passed away from from cancer, and my business was in the toilet. You know, I taken time off to be a caregiver. I had no bookings. It was just a tough time. And I thought I got it. And I was way in debt from the medical bills that were left over and, and I just thought, Man, I gotta, I gotta pull on my big pants and get to work here. And I thought, How do I? What can I do? How do I stand out? I called speakers bureaus. write the book, folks like you and me for speeches. And I said, Hey, when you recommend me, what do you say? Just be so said, your brand is what people say about you. When you're not in the room. Like, obviously, you can't be in the room and hear it. But the second best thing is to say, when you recommend me, what do you say? And their number one answer was a good speaker and a nice guy. Look, I work hard to be a good speaker, I want to be a nice guy, I choose to be a nice guy. But but no meeting professional is going to set their note, no customer or prospect is going to say, let's do business with a really nice guy. Let's Let's book a really nice gal, right? They want something, yeah, they have to buy something. That's my content. So I started looking about how I could make my business distinctive, it was really hard at that point to find material. And the blinding flash of the obvious was, if I can't find this, that must mean it's true for other businesses as well. And so I devoted the rest of my life to studying it, for lack of a better way to put it the process of selection, the process of standing out, you know, when someone when someone chooses to listen, this podcast can or when someone chooses you awry to speak. It's not that they just choose us, they choose us instead of all these other alternatives that are out there in the marketplace. Amen. So if we don't stand out, why would they choose us? And that's what I got fascinated about what did what was the process that it took to create the ability to stand out?

Shark 8:00
Well, you live in a great town now for speeches, as evidenced by the Vegas background there. When you became a speaker, how long have you speaking now, as a professional speaker, how many years?

Scott McKain 8:10
Well, I went full time, way back in 1981. And then I shut the business down for a while to be, you know, the caregiver for my wife, but I've been involved in in the business since then.

Shark 8:22
I haven't been that long. But I completely get the stories because I've run through the same thing twice. Now and you know, the importance of family. But at what point do you think you became a distinctive speaker? I know from at least what I know of your career, it was the taxi Terry story, because it's such a great story that I've heard, but was there something about you that became more distinctive as a speaker, specifically a story that elevated your game and recognition in the speaking world?

Scott McKain 8:48
Well, I appreciate what you said. KENNETH? Yeah. People you know, the old the old business question is what keeps you awake at night? Part of what keeps me awake at night is if I'd been standing one person behind a taxi, Terry would have kept

Shark 9:01
up the Uber, Steve is not quite as good.

Scott McKain 9:05
Exactly. Um, but I think for me, it was a speaker's bureau call. And and this is not a speech story. But the speaker's bureau called and said, We don't get any calls. This is several years back. But they said we don't get any calls about distinction. We don't get any calls about speakers for differentiation. For goodness sakes, could Scott go give this this speech on sales and goals? You know, the real generic thing? And I said no. And that, to me, looking back was one of the most pivotal moments in my career. Because all of my career before had been I was a good speaker, nice guy, right? If you needed a speech about time management, I don't know anything about time management, but I figure I'll have to learn about it between now and when you want me to give the speech. I was a mile wide and an inch deep. And focusing on one thing. And being willing to say that I don't, I don't do that anymore. That moment was the single most important because you can't differentiate what you can't define. If you can't say this is who I am, whilst, which also means I've got to say, this is what I am not, then you can't create enough clarity in the marketplace to be known for anything. And it wasn't, you know, and the other thing, can I say, the end? What a great question you asked, because the other thing is, when you say, was there a moment where there was a moment, then, but part of what you have to continue to do is maintain your relevancy. And I don't ever want to, I don't ever want anybody in an audience to say, Man, you should have heard Scott 10 years ago, he was really good, then, you know, I work at it constantly. Because I want to be I, I've got so much room to grow.

Shark 11:04
We all do. That's a question for everybody right now, coming out of the pandemic, is what they were talking about up to march of 2020. still relevant. I think it's interesting, though, because the seven tenants of taxi Terry was your fourth book. And so I've known of you as a top notch speaker in this business for what seems like four or five decades. But that is interesting to me that that was your fourth book, you just sort of you don't think about the times when Zig Ziglar was struggling like everybody else to get a story that resonated.

Scott McKain 11:32
It's funny you say that my one of my mentors, I had two mentors in the speaking business, and one was guy named Charlie, Willie. And Charlie, old time speaker. I mean, he was one of the first full time professional speakers, you know, out there. And he used to talk about that he and zig and Jim Rohn did a tour of Australia together the three of them. And just, you know, the three a minute rental car and standard bad hotel, it just blows your mind to think about Zig, you know, driving a rental car through Australia to get through a motel six to do a thing in front of 20 people. But yeah, I mean, all I mean, and that's, you know, it's just like, it's kind of funny, it's I did movie reviews for a number of years, and it's speaking is a lot like that, and I think I but I think this applies to all businesses, I'm not just talking about speakers, is that our customers only see the best. You know, we were talking about music before we went on here, and I've got some friends in the music business. And when their fans see them are the best moments, it's when they're on stage and their hair is perfect. And the you know, the show is on and lights are on. And they don't see you riding the bus for 12 hours to get there. And you know, all of us in the family upset at them because they're on the road all the time, or all that kind of thing. And that's as it should be, our customers shouldn't have to see all of the things that we do to get to that finished product. But yet, we can never forget that the only way that we have a very finished and polished product, is to go through all that stuff that the customer should never see.

Shark 13:13
Well, another thing better background before we get a little more into iconic and distinction. But obviously your voice resonates with a lot of people, it's a little bit of an unfair advantage for me, especially when I've got sinus issues right now. Other than the voice, how did you get involved with straw zyk? Oh, wow, this show that Roger? Roger, you get involved in this show of how an alcoholic man recently released from prison, joins his elderly friend and a prostitute and a determined dream to leave Germany and seek a better life in Wisconsin. Like I don't know what when they come to you with that idea. You know, if you're wanting to get your to be on a show, it sounds great. But how did you get involved with that?

Scott McKain 13:56
Oh, that was a good a good question. Okay, so I I was the banquet speaker at the awards program for the world livestock auctioneer championship. Wow. They had a they had a contest for the best livestock auctioneer. And then they have the awards banquet, right. So they asked me to be the speaker that night. And you know, I'm still in college. I mean, it was it was great, right to go do this Hershey, Pennsylvania, they put me up. I had a summer job. I took two of my buddies. We went to Hershey with real rode the roller goes through the whole bit. So I get there. And they said, hey, there's this German guy, and he's doing a documentary about our group. So you're gonna see this guy run around cameras. So I've always been fascinated by that. So I introduced myself and it's a guy named Werner Herzog. Well, at that point, he was, you know, I didn't know who he was. But we really hit it off we had but we ended up going out and get the beer you know, after the banquets over everything. So I go back to college. Never thought another thing about it. You know, it was gonna be a documentary For German television, I get a call in my dorm room how they tracked me down. I got no, I did get a call in my dorm room and it was a bad connection. And I hear this voice in German, you know, very thickly accented saying, I want to know if you want to come to Wisconsin and play the villain in a movie. I got a buddy in Wisconsin, who is a great friend, and one of the great practical jokers of all time. Naturally, I assume. This is Garrett De Bruyne calling me. I didn't hear the name. So my response is, wouldn't it be easier to come to Ghana, Ghana and kiss my right rear? And you can tell this is typical movie director. It was like, take two. He just started over. He didn't laugh. He didn't say Why did you say that? He didn't say that. It just started over. This is Verner, Hertzog and I bought that. Oh my gosh, right. So I go to Wisconsin, and that's where we filmed it. And I play the guy in this movie. And I said later, how did how did you? I don't act? How did you do? And he said, Well, he said, speaking, you know, the difference in speaking is you wrote your speech, you practice your speech, you deliver your speech, you're the director, I figured if you could do all of those roles, you can certainly come up here and just say what I tell you to say. And I never really thought about that before. And it was interesting to the Boston Globe named my scene, the most memorable moment in film for the entire year. And Roger Ebert said was one of the 50 great movies in the history of the cinema and all that, but it's so weird that something I did as a colleagues do, not, cannot not a week goes by that I don't get an email from somebody somewhere in the world saying, Are you the banker? In strophic, it's used in film schools. My God son went to film school. And they, you know, they showed it as an example of how you can make a great movie on a low budget and, and that it was it was just a thrill. And I had the chance, Ebert reunited, Herzog herzogin me not long before Ebert passed away. And it was just I told him how much the film had changed my life. And the cool thing was, and my wife Tammy was there. He started crying, he said, and it changed my life, too. So it was, it was really cool. It was available on amazon prime. So yeah, it is yeah. In the TMC, Turner Classic Movies had it on the other night, which was, that was weird, too, you know, because there are certain movies for me, like tombstone is a movie, I'm flipping channel tombstones on, I've done it, I've done go. So it's weird. We sitting there as a guy, typical guy flipping channels, and all of a sudden, you surreal, but it was a great experience. Well, then let's,

Shark 17:51
let's shift over then and talk a little bit about distinction. So back in 2018, you wrote this outstanding book iconic, that I think had a real impact on a lot of people. I know, you've carried that out in your conversations as well, when you look at where we are today, several years later, especially when you think about where customer experience and distinction and making a brand iconic has changed, especially because of the digital era in the e commerce channels that people embrace during the pandemic? How does somebody you know, really make their brand iconic? Now? How do leaders create that as well in their employees? Now that we're coming out of the pandemic? And it's a new mindset, if you will, not necessarily saying rethink your marketing or brand are distinct from everything else. But there are some real things that are challenges today that didn't exist two years ago, when it was already challenging enough? You

Scott McKain 18:44
don't kidding. I think other people would be better at responding to that than I because you certainly blinders I would have on is as the author but one of the things that I've heard from a lot of folks about it is, it's like everything is more amplified. One of the things I think that happens, as times change is that some of the principles that we needed to be executing, then become more important. Now, look, there's certain things that, you know, for example, there's certain things that are as valuable as still having a page on my space. You don't need to be doing that anymore. But there are other things. I mean, when you look at the five factors of iconic performance, if I was starting today, the write the book, I wouldn't change a single one of those factors. But I would say that some of those factors are certainly amplified. Let me give you one example. Right point. One of one of the things I say in the book, is that the only two factors that a customer will judge you on is promising performance. Now it really goes deeper than that. It's what's the perceived promise, how do they evaluate your performance? There's a lot of nuance to that. But But basically, what did you promise and then how Did you deliver on the promise that you've made? I think what's happened is that customers coming out of the pandemic, their their sensitivity is heightened. Some places failed them. During this time, they wouldn't do what it would take to serve their customers. And so they were still making the same promise, but the performance drop. There are others that raised their promise and couldn't deliver. And they got burned by that. So I think what's happened is, those principles have become even more important that you know, the principle there, one of the one of the ones that really shocked me was that iconic professionals and iconic organizations go negative doesn't mean they're negative people doesn't mean they have a negative philosophy. But they aren't afraid of bad news, because the only way they realize they get better is to fix the process. Look, I've made this mistake, I think we all have in certain business customers got a problem, what do we do, we do whatever it takes to make that customer happy, then we move on, you know, we just keep moving on. Not thinking that for that customer, that complaint, there might be 20 more that didn't say anything to us, we got a process problem we got to solve, we got to really go negative and drill deep into what's wrong. And most businesses aren't willing to do that most individuals aren't willing to look themselves in the in the mirror and say, Man, I got I got I gotta fix this. We just want to put the bandaid on it. And iconic organizations don't do that. They're willing to listen to the bad news and figure out what's wrong and go deep. And and I think that's, that's even more critical. Now in a post pandemic marketplace, than it has been before.

Shark 21:47
You said you've thought other people could articulate that better. I'm trying to think of one who could have said it any better than that.

Scott McKain 21:54
guy. I, I find it hard sometimes. You know, it's kind of like, it's like an actor would say after a movie when they when, you know, what do you think of your performance? Yeah, it'd be like me saying to? I don't know, pick an actor Michael Keaton, you know, what did you think your performance in Batman does it stand up? And and I think as a performer would say, Well, I think that's for the audience to decide. Yeah, one of the things I'm a big believer on Kenneth is the marketplace decides. And I've learned this the hard way. Because there there have been books I've written in speeches I've prepared. And I thought, Man, this has got to be the biggest thing ever. And you get crickets in response. And then you have like the taxi Terry story. I, I honestly gonna start. It's a good story. It's okay. And man, I told it and the audience went crazy. And people are coming up afterwards and asking questions and stuff and and I never imagined I would continue to be telling that that story. And I do and you know why? Because the marketplace decides. There are certain things you know, I mean, you've had that happen, there are certain things you think you may have looked at, this is gonna set the world on fire. And there's other things just kind of come along and you know, it takes up.

Shark 23:12
Yeah, those....you just can't get away from and you're worried that like, it's gonna be on your tombstone? Here's the guy that told the taxi Terry story.

Scott McKain 23:19
Yeah, you know, I'm okay with that. I'm fine with that, you know, but, but, uh, where I grew up in southern Indiana john Mellencamp used to play our dances at school and all that kind of thing. And John's pretty well known back home saying, he just couldn't believe that jack and Diane was a hit. You know, he and George green had worked on hurts so good for months to make that a perfect rock song. And they just wrote jack Diane and afternoon and it was almost like he was upset that some he had worked so hard on was a hit, but some he hadn't worked on at all would became an anthem. And then I think he got it. Yeah, he got his first couple of royalty checks and changed his mind. But at the end of the day, I mean, the marketplace decided, you know, and, and that's, that's something we have to understand we pursue distinction and put it out there and do the best we can and differentiate ourselves in the marketplace. And and then we need to listen to the marketplace and and respond to what what they find important.

Shark 24:19
So as someone who is as well known as you are in the speaking business, and for delivering some ailis speeches across the world, how do you hope to educate the people in your audience to take what you've written out, again, what we were talking about prior to getting started, you have a real focus on the speech, not just the packaging and delivery of it. But when you have that right knowledge that you're trying to educate people with? How do you go about translating that into a speech that somebody will go back, take to their office, motivate their team and change the world went inside the house of their brand? What How do you basically go about attempting to make that work for the audience.

Scott McKain 24:59
That's a really insightful question, and

Shark 25:01
I bet I did not articulate? Well, no, you did. I mean, you got you got it. I mean, that's that's, you know,

Scott McKain 25:11
one of the things I believe is there are different roles for different presentations. If I have a 45 minute keynote, my job is to make you think, you know, I've always resisted the term motivational speaker. Because I believe that motivation is an is an inside job as Zig used to say, you know, motivation starts within. So if the speaker was motivational, then everybody be motivated, when we know that's not the case, the speaker is the catalyst that that gets somebody's thinking gets somebody motivated, it doesn't happen to everybody in the audience, it doesn't last forever, but it gets you thinking. So I've always thought my job with with a 45 minute 60 minute keynote speech, is to really get you thinking, to the point that you will pursue more information. Now look, as a business person, I hope the information that you pursue, comes from our company comes from our organization, you know, you sign up for our kind of inner circle, you buy a book, I mean, that's, that's the business but but sincerely, I really want you to, to look for something, you know, to take that next step and to get your thinking. Now, if I have a seminar, you know, of half day, that's to educate you. It's, it's to get you to understand deeper, the principles that we're talking about, if it's a training session, is to change behavior. But that we're going to go through role plays, and that we're going to really dig deeper into and we're going to look at, you know where you are, and where you want to be, and we're really, it's more prescriptive. But at the end of the day, I don't know that you change behavior in a keynote speech. But what you can do is become the catalyst so that people change their own. And so what at least I believe from, from my research, and from my experience, and from my passionate belief, is that the key to success in business is to stand out in the marketplace. And I want to give you some, some information based on the research of how you can do that. But my, my real goal is to get you when you walk out of the room thinking, no, maybe I am like every other salesperson, how do I stand out? You know, I need to think about this a little more. Or maybe, rather than tell you the features and benefits of my product, maybe I need to tell you a story about it. If I can get you thinking in that way, then hopefully, you will release the inner resources in your own motivation. It's going to move you to do what it takes to reach that level of success. That's a long answer to a short question. But But I hope that

Shark 27:55
it does is we mentioned beforehand, I had, I've spoken at several events in 2021, coming out of the pandemic, these were not stages of 1000s these were smaller events, as we start to emerge out of this and started really thinking about the audience and how that's changed, have watched sort of a student of human behavior, just watching how the audience reacts to the speaker that we may have not ignored, but may not have paid as much attention to during times we're good and we had you know, crowds of 1000s How do you regain the distinction, if you will, for your own speaking career granted, most of the people that are well known in this space that you know, that have known you for decades, they're gonna employ you and put you in the seats. A lot of the major companies, you know, they're still gonna, they're gonna know who Scott mccain is. And these large brands are still going to pull in great keynote speakers like you, but to where you resonate with your own audience to recapture what it is that makes you iconic. How are you looking at that to make certain that you're relevant to this new audience, post pandemic?

Scott McKain 29:02
I think that is an important question for every speaker to ask themselves and for every business. I mean, that is not just limited to speaking you know, in that is you hit the word relevancy. I mean, I my buddy Joe Calloway says success means you know what, you still work? Right? Because it got you to this point, but it doesn't ensure that you got to know what's what's what's great in the future. I used to give you a quick example. I used to walk on stage the music of small town by john Mellencamp, right classic song I would have in the last year before pandemic, I'd have people come up to me go, Man, that was a good song. Well, what song was that? Alright mentioned that I grew up the same small town as john Mellencamp, the small town but who's, who's john Mellencamp. Now, it blows my mind that there is a segment of my audience that doesn't know because I take that for granted. But that's the That's part of relevancy. I mean, it's it's part of relevancy. And I have to ask, am I saying not not only am I making the right points? But am I saying it in the right language that the vast majority of my audience will know. I mean, I give you one more. Do

Scott McKain 30:16
we have time for one more?

Shark 30:18
Yeah. Now, john Cougar Mellencamp was in BTS, right. As a Kpop guy. Yeah,

Scott McKain 30:25
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's an unusual name for for us. Yeah. But it's, yeah. I was speaking, that long before the pandemic shut everything down. And it was a group of realtors, I don't know 1500 realtors. And there was a young guy in the front row, who did not take his nose off the screen of his iPhone, the entire time. I mean, he's just doing this the I mean, the my entire talk. And, you know, I was always I always thought eye contact is important. Or, you know, if you look down the audience's taking notes, man, that's what you want. But this guy's What's he playing on his phone? You know? And I, I almost I almost stopped and went, Hey, man, can you put that up? You know, just because everybody else has got great, okay. But I thought women, I remember standing on the stage thinking, why would I waste everybody else's time? Just so one guy puts down their phone, right? So I didn't say anything. So I go back up to the room and put my jeans on to fly back home. And I get on Twitter for a minute. And there were 18 tweets that were close on my speech. Yeah. And that young man's picture next to it. And then about four tweets about Oh, man, I love this guy's speech. He spoke to me fantastic story. And I thought, Oh, my gosh, you know, I mean, for me taking notes was always, you know, this for him. Not only did he take notes like this,

Scott McKain 31:55
he shared it with with everybody he knew. So

Scott McKain 32:00
the other aha to me is, how do I think my ways better, because, you know, I take notes of the meeting that I come home, and I put it in, man, he shared it with everybody, if it benefited more than if, if I'm in a meeting, and you speaking and I write it down and I take it home, I may not, maybe nobody else gets that from me in the ideas, the concepts he shared with everybody. And I realized, hey, just just because it's the old way of doing things doesn't make it better. And just because it's the new way doesn't make it wrong. And I have to constantly be questioning that about myself. Because I believe in reverse mentors, I have a 28 year old mentor. Mentor always was the older guy, or gal would teach us how to do things. I've got a mentor that's, that's 28 years old, keeping me in touch with, you know, with, with what's going on. And I just think it's awesome. I love it. I get so excited about what's happening, where we're going and what we can do and and I crave to continue to be a part of that. Well,

Shark 33:08
so what do you have on the horizon for new books? What what's your big idea coming,

Scott McKain 33:13
the book that is completed and is going to be coming out, hopefully in about three months is called the ultimate customer experience. I'm kind of going back to that For this reason, I am going to promise you there is nothing in the book that you don't know. But it is the thing that every CEO needs to make sure that every employee needs to know. And somewhere along the way, there is this gap between what the chief customer officer and the Chief Executive Officer believe about the customer experience, and how they are educating and teaching the people on the frontline. And as hiring gets more difficult and gets more challenging. We got to make certain that the people that we're bringing on our team, don't turn our customers off or turn them away. And so it's every book I've written before, has been for entrepreneurs and leaders, right? I mean, that's who iconic is geared for. If you were running a bank, you might buy iconic and give to the branch managers maybe but you're not going to give it to every teller but publisher said what if you wrote a book that a small short book that they would hand to the tellers or that you'd give to the frontline people so it's a departure for what I've done, but I truly believe you can't be distinctive unless your frontline people are delivering that so it is congrat what

Shark 34:36
we're gonna have to do this again in three months so I'd love to wait well Scott, you do at least have shark reef aquarium there in Vegas at the Mandalay Bay we do yes. But is is of everybody's been on my show. What is your favorite kind of shark and why?

Scott McKain 34:51
Wow. Um, first off, I have gone diving before and a buddy of mine Tom Hicks has a dive shop Back home in Indianapolis. And he he got me in the bottom of a swimming pool and took me on a dive trip to Turks and Caicos. And now Pete a fan. I am telling you what it is just if you haven't done it, people, I mean, you know what? diving may be the hardest thing for me to describe to somebody that hasn't had the experience? Yeah. Oh, yeah. You know what I mean? I mean, I make my living with words, but I can't capture just, it's it to me, to me, it was like going to space. It's like a

Shark 35:31
place to get away from world. It's got to be I mean, it's just, it's just so

Scott McKain 35:38
I would say just off the top, my head, my favorite shark is the Hammerhead. Because, because it is distinctive. And it also, you know, I mean, I've had people say I've kind of a Hammerhead that, you know, you just keep going, you just keep driving, you know. And so the Hammerhead to me is the most distinctive of the sharks. And that's probably why I would pick it as my favorite.

Shark 36:01
Yeah, believe it or not, they certify a lot of diverse or you do some of your certification not that far from crothersville. But mermaid springs. Oh, yeah.

Scott McKain 36:09
Yeah. So I didn't know that. No, I did mine in Indianapolis at the at his shop up there. So well,

Shark 36:19
Scott, it's a special time in the show. Are you ready for the five most interesting and important questions that you're going to be asked today? Here we go. I'm ready. Number one, iconic companies, your preference, Apple or Starbucks?

Scott McKain 36:33
I would say apple. And the reason I'm going to say Apple is I was an apple fan when Apple was down for the count. And, and Starbucks has had a progressive growth. Part of what I love about Apple is they kind of lost their distinction. And then Steve Jobs is able to get it back. And it's harder to reposition than it is to position. Right To reposition. I got to get you to forget what you used to think about me and the start start, you know, thinking something new Starbucks was able to establish a brand and build it and grow it progressively. So I love them both.

Shark 37:12
But I would pick up alright as an Indiana guy with an appreciation for history, Peyton Manning, or Johnny Unitas

Scott McKain 37:20
Well, he The other problem is Johnny Unitas plays college football and Louisville. Okay, so, you know Louisville is 30 miles from home. But I would still go with paid. I know that's gonna upset it's funnier than Johnny Unitas he his commercials are much better. And, and the thing that Unitas did is extraordinary. But you got to remember that Indianapolis was a basketball town. I mean football. I mean you kind of we liked having an NFL team. But but then Annapolis wasn't a football town. Until Peyton Manning and I there's a case that could be made that Payton not only saved the Colts from moving out of Indy. He also made sure that the Pacers did because it just elevated sports in the city. So I you know, I think Indianapolis owes a huge that to Peyton. I mean, you know united as a career is phenomenal. But of the two i'd lean

Shark 38:20
to paid. Alright, number three, you're famously known for the taxi Terry story, but graduating to a few years later, which is more iconic to you Uber or Lyft.

Scott McKain 38:30
Uber because they I mentioned in iconic that Uber. We talked about promising performance earlier. Uber advances their promise and accelerates their performance. There isn't lift eats. There isn't lift health. You know, Uber is doing some things now experimenting, saying it was senior citizens. One of the hardest things is getting to the doctor's appointments, but yet many senior citizens don't have smartphones. So Uber is working about how do you use a regular telephone to connect with Uber? And how do you get Medicare and Medicaid to pay for the transportation to get you to the appointment to see your your your doctor in a safe and efficient manner. I I just think that they have you know, as I said, advanced their promise and accelerated performance to a greater degree than lift has.

Shark 39:23
Alright, number four, you're also known for your voice but another two great speakers with great voices. Take your pick between Paul Harvey or Zig Ziglar Oh, man. And I know why this hits home. Because Paul Harvey was famous for if God had a farmer, and

Scott McKain 39:39
that and I was in the audience when that was recorded. Really? Yeah, that was a

Shark 39:44
Yeah, that was one of the greatest Superbowl commercials of all time is always great, but I remember God had a farmer like it was yesterday.

Scott McKain 39:53
And that was recorded that that at the National FFA convention and I happen to be a kid in the audience. Paul Harvey,

Shark 40:01
That probably motivated you heavily to become a speaker?

Scott McKain 40:04
It did. And however, I have to go with Zig. And here's the reason why. FFA asked me to come back and speak several years after I got out and I'm, I'm up and coming speaker, you know, but not. Yeah, I'm kind of working my way up the food chain and check in the hotel and there's a message at the front desk and it said Scott report to room 1400 it or call room 1400. And I'm like, and I asked at the front desk, well, am I supposed to call 14 have they said oh, that's Mr. Ziegler's room, he'd like for you to call it. You know, I feel like a little league shortstop that gets a message called Derek Jeter, you know? What? So I call and he answers the phone and that voice that you just describe in, he said, Hey, I saw you were speaking here. And I know your NSA National Speakers Association member. And, hey, just want to know if you and your wife wanted to go to dinner tonight. Yeah, you know, so we go to dinner. And Zig says, Hey, Scott, I was also checking. I did, I couldn't find your book. Where's your book? And I said, Well, zigga I haven't. I haven't written any books. And he said, Yeah, I know what you mean. I haven't written any books either. Well, my wife and I looked at each other. Like, we have seven on the shelf, you know what? He said, But you know what? I get up every morning and I write three pages. And after about six months, somebody comes to me and says, You know what, Zig you got a book. And then he just smiled. And I got up the next morning, and I wrote three pages. And it was the first three pages my first book. And he taught me that he just taught me so much when my first wife passed away. About two weeks after she she died. I walked to the mailbox, and there was a little box said Ziggler Corporation. And I thought, Oh, man, how cool somebody sent me one of six books. And I opened it up and and there was a handwritten letter from Zig. Now look, I've got I wasn't on Zig speed dial. I don't mean to sound like we were you know, but that's the kind of person that he was the best.

Shark 42:24
Number five and the most important question that you're gonna be asked today is biscuits or cornbread. Oh, man, I'm a biscuits guy. Even though you're from corn country?

Scott McKain 42:36
Yeah. Okay, I'm probably gonna have to revoke my Indiana card. It's gonna be about who's your cards got to be taken, taken back but I guess I grew up close enough to Louisville the biscuits and gravy. Man, that's that's that Southern? Let me tell you how bad we are. My first wife was from Jeffersonville, Indiana, which is right on the on the border. Yeah, right on the river. And when we first moved here to Las Vegas, the closest Cracker Barrel was a two and a half hour drive away. And we made that drive about Cracker Barrel biscuits and gravy. They're fantastic.

Shark 43:12
Well, thank god somebody appreciates that, that context. Very few people appreciate the value of Cracker Barrel. Or you can get a dolly parton CD, a T shirt and some damn good biscuits. Absolutely. It's the trifecta. It is it is indeed it is indeed. Well Scott where can people find out more about you grab copies of the books see on stages and more.

Scott McKain 43:34
It's very good to be asked gonna appreciate it. Just go to Scott McCain calm and it's it's spelled a little differently. It's MC k i n. But it's got McCain calm. There's everything from folks who are looking for a speaker to we have a we have a group called the iconic inner circle. They can learn more about that. Links to getting the books on Amazon or books a million Barnes noble, wherever you prefer. It's all right there. Just go to Scott mccain.com.

Shark 43:59
Scott honored again for your time and so much for joining us on A Shark's Perspective.

Scott McKain 44:03
Thank you for the great questions you've made my day. Man. This has been fantastic. I truly appreciate it and I look forward to our future time together.

Shark 44:16
So there was my conversation with Scott McCain a keynote speaker CSP, a member of the professional speakers Hall of Fame, a member of the sales and marketing Hall of Fame, and the author of seven books, including iconic how organizations and leaders attain sustained and regain the ultimate level of distinction. Let's take a look at three key takeaways from a conversation with him.

Shark 44:36
First, great reminder that I've heard Scott speak to before, but it's always worth another reminder even more so today. As he said, if we don't stand out, then why would they choose us? It's a great question to ask even when choosing a podcast. we're choosing something instead of something else. In a big thank you to everyone for choosing this podcast.

Shark 44:56
Second, another thing Scott said and I'll quote you can't differentiate what you can't define. If you can't say this is who I am, which also means that I've got to say what I am not, then you can't create enough clarity in the marketplace to be known for anything for him. At one point, he was a mile wide and an inch deep. But then he learned to focus more closely, and then make certain that focus is more relevant to your customers and your audience.

Shark 45:22
Third, the principles of iconic performance are the two factors that Scott say people will judge you on, which are one promise and two performance. Those that did well during an after the pandemic adhered to and followed through on those principles. Iconic organizations continue to get better by fixing the process and not just applying a band aid to the problem. Most businesses are willing to do this. Shark 45:47
And a rare fourth go Google Scott McCain in the taxi Terry story, it's a fantastic tale that you'll remember about delivering the ultimate customer experience, it should easily be worth your time. Shark 45:58
Got a question? Send me an email to Kenneth at a shark's perspective dot com. Thank you again for the privilege of your time. And I am so thankful to everyone who listens. Thank you to the amazing sponsors Invoca and Drips. If you would then please consider writing a review and letting me know your thoughts on the show. So it's time to be iconic, be distinctive. Please join us on the next episode of A Shark's Perspective.
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