If you are a producer or advisor in the financial industry, you probably have a keen sense about what consumers want. Those are the people you deal with on a daily basis, right? In my day-to-day dealing, I learn what financial professionals want.

I use the general term "financial professionals" because the people who call us come from all over the financial spectrum. That includes life insurance agents, P&C agents, bankers, fee-only advisors, stock jocks, RIAs, wirehouses, institutional wholesalers – you name it, they call us. Because we get the opportunity to talk with all of them on a daily basis, I can share with you a perspective that you might not otherwise get to see. And, believe me – this is competitive recon at its best!

Why are these observations important? Because they show you what your competition is doing. And, if you overlook what your competitors are doing, you could easily find yourself looking up-close and personal into the eyes of failure. They also give you a feel for opportunities you might not know about, yet.