Every now and again a book comes along with a message so clear and an approach so common sense that the reader can't help but wonder, "That seems so obvious; why didn't I think of it?" Scott McKain's Collapse of Distinction is just such a book.

His message is that businesses, in order to thrive in the marketplace, must find ways to offer 'uncommonly excellent' customer service. His approach is to outline the four steps to discovering and implementing those areas of differentiation that will position a business ahead of its competition in the minds of its customers:

1. Be clear on whom you are and what you offer
2. Be creative in exploiting potential points of differentation
3. Effectively and consistently communicate your unique story
4. Focus on the customer experience

He makes effective use of stories and examples, both from the business world at large (Have you ever wondered why Circuit City collapsed while Best Buy thrived?) and from his own experiences in small town Indiana (Pay close attention to the effect McDonalds had on two competing local restaurants), to drive home the power of distinction in building a strong business.

Another effective technique that McKain employs is to end each chapter with an executive summary in outline format, making it easy to go back and capture specific points at a later time.

As a side note, it's probably not a coincidence that Collapse of Distinction is one of the first two titles in Thomas Nelson Publishing's NelsonFree program.  Purchase of a NelsonFree title provides a physical copy of the book along with easy access to both audio book and e-book versions; all for one price. It's a unique program that, if it strikes a chord with buyers, has the potential to cause a fundamental change in the way all publishers market their titles.

I can't help but wonder, though, if a need or desire to cut the production cost of the physical book in support of the NelsonFree initiative is responsible for the decision to publish it as a casebound book and use dull grey illustrations and pull quotes; decisions more appropriate to a textbook than a quality business book.

But those are minor irritants, and if they're the cost of obtaining access to audio and digital versions of this important text I'm happy to pay them. Because in the final analyis Collapse of Distinction is an important book that has already impacted the way that I run my own business. I feel safe in saying that it will take its rightful place in the rare collection of business texts that are as applicable to the sole proprietor as they are to the multi-national corporation.