MDRT President James D Pittman was at the inaugural Singapore MDRT Day where he shared "Our Future's so Bright We Gotta Wear Shades - Ideas to Take You to the Top". Here's a list of seven ideas I walked away with.
1. Tiny gestures matter
“Success is made up of many factors. Sometimes, it starts even with the smallest details,” said the 43-year MDRT member with 16 Court of the Table and 5 Top of the Table qualifications.
He shared how tiny gestures such as an email follow up after a meeting can be very important. By running through the main points again, you build up the confidence your client has in you, and they will find you more reliable and capable to protect their needs and interests.
2. People love to buy
He shared his experience at a retail store where he had feared being sold the most expensive item on the shelf.
But the salesman engaged him in small talk to make him feel comfortable before delving into serious fact-finding. Instead of being sold the most expensive item, he was recommended a less pricey but more suitable product and was told the reasons why.
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At that moment, he felt listened to and was thrilled with his purchase. As a result, he had sent many referrals to the salesman. He summed up that “people love to buy stuff, but they hate to feel like they’ve been sold.”
3. Seek out achievers
Seek out other achievers and learn what their secrets to success are. The more achievers
you meet, the more information on success you collect, the better your odds to
succeeding.
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Change your habit. Hang out with people who share your passion and ambition to be Top of the Table. You will naturally commit to performing and doing as well as the others.
4. Plant seeds in their minds
Newsletters serve as seeds planted in clients’ and prospects’ mind and should be professionally done. These newsletters containing information of yourself and your firm should out on a regular basis to keep your name on top of their mind.
Be sure to contact your clients at least twice a year- once on their birthday and 6 months later for a review. At some point, these clients would be referring friends to you as you were always relevant and fresh in their minds with the mailers and voicemails.
5. Track your progress
Another idea to ensure you succeed is “setting goals and tracking your progress”, said
the President.
“Write down your MDRT goal by month. Carry forward shortfalls to the next month so you get to stay on track. If a month’s goal seem too big, break them down to weeks. If a week is still too big, break them down by days.”
At this point, he flashed a point system on the screen and explained how targets and goals could be measured using points. “5 points a day, 25 points a week, 100 a month, and you’ll naturally meet your goals and targets. It helps you to keep score and not lag behind.”
6. Emotional responsiveness
Touching on the function of awareness, he advised to “understand your clients psychologically”.
Not everyone you meet have the same personality styles as you. Manoeuvre around the clients who are different from you with "emotional responsiveness”.
By correctly categorising their personality, you’ll be able to deliver information to them according to how they digest information.
If your client has a direct personality, deliver information straight to the point. “Meet their needs, and you’ll be more successful”, he said.
7. How to get out of a slump
He notes that everyone gets into slumps from time to time. The idea is to snap out
of the negativity and start a “Gratefulness Journal” by writing down 3 items
you’re grateful for.
He said, “Write it down on days you’re feeling down. It also serves as a reminder when you start to forget about all the things you that are going well in your life.”
Stay tuned for more in-depth updates and coverage of Singapore MDRT Day.
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