Listen to “161. Video Is About Who, Not About What w/ Adam Contos” on Spreaker.
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon
Human beings make purchases based on hope. Hope that whatever they’re buying will enhance their lives on some level. That it will help them enjoy something, make them more efficient, feel good, solve a problem — or deliver another personal or professional benefit. In this context, hope isn’t just an abstract concept, but rather it’s an energy, an emotion. People want to love something.
Regardless of what business or industry you’re in, this hope means all of us are in the human fulfillment business. Business has become about who, not what. And because of this, every person, in every role, must ask themselves, “Who am I serving?”
Today’s guest is Adam Contos. Adam is the CEO at RE/MAX, where he’s held seven positions — working his way up within the business for 17 years. Adam believes strongly that to get better at something, you can’t just do it once, twice, or even five times. You have to do it repetitively — and that goes for creating videos, too.
During the pandemic, Adam created one video per week for 41 weeks. And not only did he do this to improve himself, but he also had a genuine desire to help his employees and customers overcome challenges and fulfill dreams. His videos weren’t about what; they were about who.
In addition to his role leading RE/MAX, Adam is the author of the forthcoming book Start with a Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success and host of the Start with a Win podcast.
Today, Adam also spoke with us about his view on industry disruption. At its heart, disruption is a reality check for us. It’s an opportunity to consider whether we’re doing our best for people. Rather than invoking fear, disruption should inspire us to improve our businesses. Whatever your role in an organization, you should be looking out for the customer’s best interests instead of worrying about the disruption itself. During times of disruption, Adam suggests that we all ask ourselves: How can I serve my customers better?
Adam joined us on the podcast as part of a special series we’ve been running since early July. He’s one of 11 experts that Steve Pacinelli and I interviewed in-depth in the process of writing our second book, Human-Centered Communication: A Business Case Against Digital Pollution (Fast Company Press, October 2021).
Throughout this series, we’re back in conversation with each expert in a way that adds to their philosophies, strategies, and tactics delivered in the book.
In our discussion today, Adam shares with you:
• What the three categories of customers are for Adam
• Why your organization needs a value statement
• What it was like to rise through the ranks of RE/MAX
• Where you should be looking in a time of disruption
• What Adam learned after making 41 weekly videos
Video Is About Who, Not About What
Hear Episode 161 and any other episode of The Customer Experience Podcast in your preferred podcast player …
Once you’re there, please make one extra click to rate the show. It helps other people find these conversations. Thank you!
We also embed the full conversation in a playable and searchable format right here in these blog posts. The recording with Adam Contos, CEO at RE/MAX is right here …
Listen to “161. Video Is About Who, Not About What w/ Adam Contos” on Spreaker.
Video Highlights: Video Is About Who, Not About What
Check out the top five video highlights from the discussion with Adam Contos, CEO at RE/MAX…
1. Customer Experience is the Emotional Response
2. It All Starts with Your Values
3. Distraction or Disruption?
4. Business is About Who, Not What
5. Human-Centered Communication and Deliberate Practice
Links Related to This Conversation:
- Adam Contos on LinkedIn
- Start with a Win: Tools and Lessons to Create Personal and Business Success
- RE/MAX
More in Our Human-Centered Communication Series:
- Episode 148 with Dan Tyre, “Video Messaging and The Next Normal”
- Episode 152 with Morgan J. Ingram, “Creating an Environment of Continuous Coaching”
- Episode 153 with Dan Hill, Ph.D., “Emotional Intelligence and Human-Centered Connection“
- Episode 156 with Julie Hansen, “An Actor’s Guide to Authentic Videos“
- Episode 159 with Viveka von Rosen, “Sending Videos for Greater Sales Visibility“
Something Else You Might Enjoy:
- Episode 160 Featuring Shep Hyken and Dan Tyre with Ethan Beute, “B2B Sales with Human-Centered Communication“
Subscribe, Listen, Rate, and Review The Customer Experience Podcast:
