"It's the Difference...That Makes the Difference"

Growing up, I loved watching Jack Niklaus on the television set golfing with such greats as Lee Trevino, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Gary Player and Tom Weiskopf to name a few. He was great to watch. My father idolized him; calling him the greatest golfer that ever lived. Now Tiger Woods, with his current list of titles notwithstanding, still has some work to do in order to assume the crown from Niklaus as greatest golfer ever.

In any event, at his peak, Jack Niklaus is to have reportedly earned approximately $400,000 in the 1960s while on the PGA tour; an extraordinary amount of winnings particularly for that era.

There was another golfer, a contemporary of Nicklaus' by the name of Bob Charles. Although a good golfer by anyone’s standard; good enough to have achieved professional status as a golfer and a place on the the PGA tour, he was not as successful as Nicklaus. In fact, during that same timeframe, Charles made about $40,000 while on tour compared to Niklaus’ $400,000…a difference of about ten-times less. That’s a huge difference in income and an amazing contrast between two men who played the game of golf professionally.

But even more incredible than the difference in their respective incomes is the level of play, or performances on the golf course, between the two men that earned them their individual incomes and the differences in the two. You see, Jack Nicklaus’ actual performance per round of golf was less than half-a-stroke better on average than that of Bob Charles’. Wow! The difference between the greatest golfer of all time and his high income and a very good golfer without nearly the income was less than one half stroke per round; really amazing when compared to the small difference in their actual performance.

What does this tell us about ourselves; our profession and the noble pursuit we as insurance agents and financial services providers work towards everyday? Better said, what should it tell us about ourselves and our profession and the pursuit of excellence and the honor of being the best professionals we can be?

Oftentimes, the difference between good and great is a small thing; an extra call to a customer about life insurance, a handwritten note to comfort someone who was in an automobile accident or that one more appointment set in order to achieve your production goal for the month.
Whatever that little “extra” is, just do it. “Up your game” just one half stroke more each day so you can get the advantage over the competition that you deserve; so you can be happier and enjoy an income that your rivals will envy.

It’s true…It really is the little things that we do that make the biggest difference in our lives and in the lives of our insureds.

It’s the Difference…that makes us Different.