Create Distinction

Have you taken your business from good to great, only to find that “great” still isn’t cutting it? Are you making all the right moves in your career and still not receiving the recognition you have earned? Why do companies like Apple get all the attention, when you have difficulty getting anyone to focus on your efforts? In our homogenized world, companies in every sector—from big-box retail to financial services; from fast food to entrepreneurs—appear more and more alike, as do the tweets and LinkedIn pages of professionals across the country. But if people see you or your company as nothing more than a carbon copy of the competition, how can you expect to attract attention? Scott McKain’s original approach to this problem, first captured in his book Collapse of Distinction, was conceived and written in the direct aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown. His forceful case for the importance of distinction—finding success by setting yourself apart from the crowd—resonated with thousands of readers. To reflect the changing reality since that book’s publication—and to incorporate new research and up-to-date examples—McKain, an internationally recognized expert on business distinction, has retitled and revised it as Create Distinction. Within these updated pages (including one entirely new chapter) you’ll find a potent cure for similarity and uniformity—the primary killers of businesses and careers. In engaging, story-filled prose, McKain lays out the cornerstones of distinction and equips you with the specific tools and knowledge you need to stand out. Whether you’re in the “C-suite” of a multinational company or just vying for your next promotion, you’ll learn how to rise above the fray and make your work unmistakable. With this practical advice, you’ll feel confident stepping up from the competition—and toward success.

Free your book! Buying a product tagged "NelsonFree" means you get more than just the hardback book. You also get a free ebook and a free audiobook. Three formats for the price of one! And the freedom to experience your book in more ways than ever before. Can your customers tell the difference between you and the competition? It's not that we can't see the forest for the trees, it's just that these days, every tree looks exactly alike. From big box retail to fast food to insurance-no one stands out. Distinction has collapsed into beige uniformity. And in today's tough economic times, this copycat uniformity is resulting in the death of businesses in every industry, says author Scott McKain. If a business is going to thrive, it has to rise above the fray. In The Collapse of Distinction, McKain will help you understand the reasons behind the current quagmire of stifling sameness, and will give you the tools your company needs to step away from the competition. Endorsements "In challenging economic times, this is the one book every business owner MUST read. Collapse of Distinction is further evidence that Scott McKain is the premiere business communicator of our time. Not only has Scott produced extraordinary results in his own businesses by adhering to these principles, but he makes it simple for you to do so as well. By following the easily applied concepts from Collapse of Distinction, you will set the standard of excellence for your industry and make your competition irrelevant." -- Joseph Michelli, PhD, speaker, consultant, and author of The Starbucks Experience, The New Gold Standard, and When Fish Fly "Differentiation is not an option in business. In a world where the word 'commodity' has become the norm, Scott McKain clarifies the all-important (and all-profitable) strategy to become different, become distinct, and become dominant in your marketplace. Buy this book. Read it. And put it into practice." -- Jeffrey Gitomer, author of The Little Red Book of Selling "The primary need today is to constantly present ourselves as different from-and better than-those we compete with! Scott McKain's latest book, Collapse of Distinction, is a must-read for any professional or organization attempting to creatively differentiate from the competition. I predict this book will be a massive hit!" -- Don Hutson, co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The One Minute Entrepreneur, and CEO of U. S. Learning "In these uncertain economic times, we need new and refreshing ideas about how to move forward. Scott McKain's Collapse of Distinction may just save our sanity and common sense with his positive approach to business and life itself." -- Joe Bonsall, thirty-five year member of legendary music group, The Oak Ridge Boys, and author of the best-selling book G.I. Joe and Lillie "I could not stop reading...making notes...writing our staff and our suppliers...about the ideas I've learned! (And this was just by the end of Chapter One!) With superb style, storytelling, and rationale, Collapse of Distinction is a distinctive piece of business and personal literature." --Ty Boyd, Founder and Chairman, Executive Learning Systems "If I can't tell the difference between you and your competitor, why should I spend my money with you? The answer to that question is the key to your survival and success. Scott McKain's new book teaches how to answer that question-the right way!" --Larry Winget, television personality and New York Times best-selling author of People Are Idiots and I Can Prove It

The must-read summary of Scott McKain's book: "Collapse of Distinction: Stand Out and Move Up While Your Competition Fails". This complete summary of the ideas from Scott McKain's book "Collapse of Distinction" shows that instead of standardised products, customers crave distinction. They want products that stand out for all the right reasons because they are delivered by companies which are fanatical about creating a great customer experience. And this is especially true when the economy is down. If you can create distinction, you lift yourself above your competition and create the conditions which will allow you to charge more for your products and services.This summary teaches how to differentiate from the competition, even in tough economic times. Added-value of this summary: • Save time • Understand the key concepts • Increase your business knowledge To learn more, read "Collapse of Distinction" and discover how to differentiate from the competition.

This book challenges the binary distinction of developed and underdeveloped in the categorization of any country while proposing to erase this binary with a yardstick of parity. Through a sample comparative historical study focusing on the question of the emergence of the large-scale steel industry (1880-1914) of four chosen countries, two considered "developed" (Imperial UK and Post-colonial Imperial USA) and two considered "underdeveloped" (Imperial Russia and Colonial India), it is shown how this yardstick of parity can be applied without the categorization of societies as either developed or underdeveloped. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan or Bhutan)

This pioneering collection brings together an international group of scholars to explore the Vietnamese middle class. From the leisure pursuits of the colonial middle class to the impact of the new urban rich on landscape of the countryside, this interdisciplinary volume explores the ways in which middle classness has been practiced in a wide range of contexts throughout the 20th century and into the 21st. In addition to offering insights into how middle classness was and is constituted and negotiated, this collection illuminates the cultural and social conditions of two distinctive periods in Vietnamese history. Three historical chapters consider how middle class status was experienced and displayed under French colonialism and in 1960s republican. These chapters offer examinations of middle classness through recreation, consumption, and associational life. Six contemporary studies examine the modes of experimentation and practice within middle class urban Vietnam. Still a sensitive topic politically, the contemporary middle class, nascent but increasingly powerful, is exerting a strong impact on the shape of contemporary society and culture, as well as on urban and rural landscapes. This volume offers a series of studies which critically interrogate the practices of those who engage in or aspire to urban middle-class lifestyles in Vietnam both in the past and in the present.

An assessment of Trinitarian thought in the two-hundred-year-old Stone-Campbell Movement, including suggestions for ways in which the renewal of Trinitarian doctrine can revitalize the church's life and mission. Throughout its history the Stone-Campbell Movement has noticeably neglected Trinitarian doctrine, prohibiting a biblical understanding of God as Trinity from significantly impacting the movement's churches. This book attempts to rectify this weakness in three ways. First, a focus on the Trinitarian positions of Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone sheds new light on the early shapers of the movement. Second, the book lays out specific ways in which the movement would benefit by a biblically grounded Trinitarianism and the contributions of contemporary trinitarian theologians. And third, it presents a plan for the advancement of biblical Trinitarian doctrine among Stone-Campbell churches. Significant contributions of this study include the most thorough examination to date of Trinitarian doctrine in Stone-Campbell thought, an original presentation of the historical theology that stands behind the Trinitarian positions of Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, and Barton W. Stone, and a fresh proposal regarding the roots of Barton Stone's quasi-Arianism.

In this intriguing blend of branding how-to and business memoir, an industry pioneer presents the thought process and tools to create a successful Ecommerce business by developing a distinct emotional attraction to a brand, beyond individual product offerings. Leveraging her 26 years of experience in online marketing and branding, Joan Abraham reveals the thought process behind successfully addressing today’s marketing challenge: clearly defining the business’s brand essence using its owned social media channels to personalize the full character of the brand. Creating Brand Cool addresses the importance of developing a unique state of being that personally resonates with today’s consumer. Abraham energizes the creative and strategic thinking for attracting and maintaining brand loyalty when the competition is a click away. Appealing to branding and social media marketing professionals, as well as students in these fields, this book is a primer for building an online community and distinguishing a brand from the competition. It is relevant to all types of business, from small businesses to globally recognized brands.