| This is not another story about my UPS man, but | | | | It is evident that they strive for differentiating |
| it is related. (See Signature Selling) I had the | | | | their lodge from the other lodges across South |
| privilege of going Pheasant Hunting in Kimball, | | | | Dakota as well as the rest of the country. The |
| South Dakota. I traveled with my father-in-law | | | | overall experience is packaged as a spectacular |
| and brother-in-law, and a few others for a total | | | | Pheasant Hunt. |
| of eight. Now there are more than hundred lodges | | | | Ok now, here are a few important questions |
| across America from which to choose, and I | | | | that will require an answer by the time you finish |
| happened upon this place called Wings of Thunder | | | | reading this. What distinguishes YOUR business |
| while surfing the internet. The plane travel would | | | | from everybody else in the financial services |
| be somewhat easy and the daily price seemed | | | | industry? How do you package your business that |
| right. After speaking with the proprietors on the | | | | has people talking about you for weeks after |
| phone, our date was set. We would hunt three | | | | they do business with you? And what makes |
| days and spend four nights - in February in South | | | | people want to do business with you over and |
| Dakota. Cold!The accommodations were | | | | over again? If you can respond to those TODAY |
| comfortable and fun. We had a pool table, big | | | | - you're set. If you don't have an immediate |
| screen TV, card tables and a restaurant style | | | | answer, then there is a lot of room for |
| cooler for our beverages. The staff was | | | | improvement in your practice. The neat thing is |
| courteous each and every day. They told us how | | | | that making those improvements will pay |
| things were and there were no changes. Each | | | | immeasurable dividends in the long run. You just |
| wonderful meal was served promptly whether | | | | have to take the time to develop, communicate, |
| you were there or not. Hunting each morning and | | | | package and deliver your distinguishing |
| afternoon was fun because the birds were | | | | characteristics.The best place to start is by calling |
| plentiful. And during the times we didn't want to | | | | your top five clients (who bought more than two |
| shoot birds, we could skeet shoot on a challenging | | | | times from you, not just earned you a big pay |
| course. The overall experience had us talking | | | | day) and asking why they do business with you. |
| about the place for weeks. In short, we had fun | | | | Take the time to listen and write down the |
| and we will return. | | | | answers they give you. Compile the answers |
| Upon reflecting on the trip, it wasn't that they | | | | from all five and there you have a foundation of |
| blew us away with customer service, fed us good | | | | why people like doing business with you, and no |
| food or put us on thousands of birds. What made | | | | one else. Now you can start telling that story to |
| the trip a memorable experience was that they | | | | prospects.It is painfully obvious that what you |
| chose to do CERTAIN things extremely well, and | | | | offer in this wonderful financial service industry is |
| others they didn't do at all! We were on our own | | | | a commodity - we can all buy insurance and |
| getting to the place - no help there. If you | | | | invest our money with any licensed individual. |
| wanted to skip a tasty meal, you waited until the | | | | What you MUST do is differentiate yourself. |
| next feeding time to eat. The staff was | | | | Wings of Thunder did. So much so that I wrote |
| courteous, but they run a hunting lodge and | | | | about it and will make it a priority to go |
| expected the rules to be followed. Therefore, | | | | back.About Jay StubbsJay Stubbs is an |
| they were not very flexible, and not your best | | | | experienced Financial Services Sales Director and |
| friends. After all, you're supposed to bring your | | | | Qualifying Member of the Milion Dollar Round |
| friends with you. And the pricing was a bit high if | | | | Table.Jay offers FREE Consulting and Speaking for |
| you went over your daily limit of three birds. But | | | | Financial Service ProfessionalsFor more |
| we didn't travel 1,000 miles to shoot three birds, | | | | information, sales ideas, advice and free consumer |
| and they knew that.Now this is not a commercial | | | | articles, visit Jay's website. |
| for Wings of Thunder, but more of a case study. | | | | |