#MunchwithJenandBen - Ep 5 - is this year "lost"?

| 17 Apr 2020

Produced by Jensen Siaw International.

As swift as COVID-19 circuit breaker measures were implemented, we too at #MunchwithJenandBen were swift with making adjustments to the live talk show. This is our fifth episode but second time we've produced online within the comforts and safety of our homes and for the first time ever, hosted in the night.

That’s right. We held a poll online and the majority of the votes requested the new timeslot to be 9pm-10pm SGT.

A collaboration amongst Asia Advisers Network, Jensen Siaw International and Munch Munch, the trio will continue to bring positivity and inspiration to the community as they had set out to do at the beginning of the conception of #MunchwithJenandBen.

Has this crossed your mind, “Is 2020 is a lost cause?” But is it really lost? Are you still able to achieve MDRT this year?

COVID-19 has impacted everybody’s lives. And for Ken, boss of Munch Munch, although he has the option to keep his shop running, he chose to close it. Why? “It’s a chicken and egg situation. If I keep my shop open, it’ll attract customers to leave their home and come shop at our place,” he said. In order to adapt to the current climate, Munch Munch now has an online store and will deliver or post their sweets and snacks to you.

As for Ben, Editor of Asia Advisers Network, the C-virus is like a wrench thrown into a whole clockwork of gears for 2020 plans. “The goal remains the same for us, but the way we do things has to change. In fact, it’s getting busier since we are moving projects online,” he said, whilst highlighting the silver lining. 

Bringing you great content regardless of the situation, this week’s featured guests were Delia Wong, Country Chair of MDRT Singapore, Eric Seah, Inspirational Leader of the Year finalist, and MDRT Qualifying Member Helen Goo & her daughter Annabel, both ardent supporters of #MunchwithJenandBen.  These veteran practitioners shared their tips and best practises on how to tide over this pandemic in the best and productive way ever!

 Here are the takeaway lessons from each featured guests:

Timestamp: 14m 10s 

Delia Wong (MDRT Country Chair, MDRT MCC Singapore, MDRT Qualifying Member):

“I’m taking this opportunity to encourage all of you. I’m sure many of you agree with me that since COVID situation began it has caused a lot of inconvenience to the work that you do and I’m sure the challenges are real. In fact, certain things that you’ve planned for have come to a standstill. Yet I always also believe that even in tough moments, one can also experience golden nuggets and golden opportunities if he or she continues to embrace positivity.

How would you be able to achieve MDRT even in tough times like this? Even as we’re going through this stay-home period in this month, is it also an opportunity for you to take stock of the things that you could do. I’m so thankful even right now with all the digitalisation that every insurance companies have put in place swiftly for us. That this could be the moment where you could use these platforms to better reach out to your clients. And in fact, I would encourage many of you to really learn the ropes of digitalisation.

MDRT always believes in efficiency and excellence. What more can moments like this where digitalisation is so easily available to all of us? I’m sure many of you would have known by now about the new announcements about the MDRT Productivity action plan? And in fact many of the qualifiers who had done MDRT in the years 2019/ 2020 would have known that they would be waived from the production requirements this year.

Personally, I see this as a mental relief package but it will not deter me from continuing to reach for the MDRT production requirements. The mental relief package will allow us to focus on the real needs and anxieties, as well as the challenges our clients are facing, as such, job security, whether they are able to finance their premiums in times like this.

We can continue to do the good work that we’ve been doing. But let’s not let this leniency in the productivity package prevent us from even continuing to have the attitude to strive for the full production requirements.

For all my peers here, at this time, it is even more important for us to stay united as an industry. I feel so encouraged by fellow peers who text encouraging messages to everyone. I feel that this is a beautiful industry. Despite the many changes, there are many robust and good-hearted people that we can continue to work together with.

Let the community see the good work that we do. Let the community see the great love that we have for one another. Let the community see how we have been supporting each other all because we really want to contribute positively to our clients and to provide security to their loved ones.

All the best, friends. Stay safe, stay healthy and take good care of yourself. So you can run the race much further, and I hope to see you at MDRT. “

 

Timestamp: 21m 05s

Eric Seah (Inspirational Leader of the Year finalist, MDRT Qualifying member):

“I would like to share with you my slide on “How to still achieve MDRT this year”. What’s the difference between now and previously?

Previously, for prospecting, you are “Asking” and “Attracting”. With the current situation, you’ll need to do a lot of target prospecting. You need to ask, and you must ask people who have a stable job/income despite the current situation.

Moving away from offline appointments to online appointments, a reasonable number of “seen” appointments online would be 15 per week. That’s roughly three appointments a day.

While doing your online advisory process, you do not have the luxury of time. You’ll need to keep your online discussion to about 45 mins per session. First appointment should always be fact finding on your client. Second appointment would be on product recommendation. Third appointment, you’d have to close your client online.

Be prepared with the current situation, there would be more objections and you’d need to be able to handle these objections. E.G. Job not stable, retrenchment, etc. Which is why target prospecting is important to help you mitigate or reduce online objection.

Nothing has changed other than once you were closing offline, now you’re closing online. You just have to do more and get into the habits of doing your cases online.

Thank you very much. I hope this is useful for you, and I hope you have a great year this year.”

 

Timestamp: 39m 15s

MDRT Qualifying member Helen Goo with her Daughter Annabel:

Coming to you from their homes dressed ready for baking, the mother and daughter duo are as worried as the rest of the world regarding the COVID-19 situation. However, instead of worrying and doing nothing, they decided to put on their calm baking pants and start baking for their clients, friends and family.

The lovely duo has made pandan chiffon cakes, as well as popiahs (Asian vegetable wrap- healthy dish) and shared it around their neighbourhood.

Helming a donation drive, the mother-daughter combo reached out to everyone they know and have received multiple donations in the form of tables, chairs, groceries, as well as money, to help the needy families in Singapore.

They’re also encouraging everyone to keep a lookout for each other in such dire times like this.

 

Find us interesting and want to watch more? Here are the past episodes:

#MunchwithJenandBen - episode 4 - Rolling with the punches with co-hosts International Motivational Speaker Jensen Siaw, Asia Advisers Network Editor Benjamin Ang and Munch Munch boss Ken Kish

#MunchwithJenandBen - episode 3 - Creating magic in your life with Jaslyn Ng, Asia's Top 5 Rookie Insurance Agent 2019, a high-flying HR Director-turned-COT producer, and Edmund Khong, one of only four World Master Clowns in the world

#MunchwithJenandBen- episode 2- Cooking up a Storm! with Joshua Luke, an award winning entrepreneur and celebrity master branding consultant, and Leslie Koh a financial practitioner who has a strong culinary passion and has had many of his cooking recipes gone viral online.

Munch with Jen & Ben - Episode 1 with Jason Tan, Leads Generation Architect and Tay Kah Lok, Executive Financial Consultant.

 

Join co-hosts Jensen, Benjamin and Ken for our next episode at 9pm (Sg time) on 21 Apr (Tue).

#MunchwithJenandBen is produced by Jensen Siaw International in collaboration with Asia Advisers Network and Munch Munch.
 

For those who would like to make a special guest appearance on the talk show, reach out to Connect@AsiaAdvisersNetwork.com or Gladys@AsiaInsuranceReview.com to find out how!