The three-day congress with the theme “RESILIENCE: Braving the future together” is organised by the Life Underwriters Association of the Philippines (LUAP) and the Million Dollar Round Table Membership and Communication Committee Philippines, with Asia Advisers Network as the official media partner.
Face Everything And Rise
Christine Duran
Christine Duran, LUAP 1st Vice-President, said in her opening remarks: “We do experience fears especially in these uncertain times, but I believe that fear also helps us to become more resilient in whatever we face in our lives. Fear means Face Everything And Rise.
“The ultimate goal is to help each other for the betterment of our industry. Let us all apply our learning immediately and definitely you will reach your goal for 2020.”
A Resilient Industry, A Brighter Future
Benedict Sison
Benedict Sison, CEO and Country Head, Sun Life Financial Philippines, shared his mantra “Kakayanin Ko Ito” that has pushed him to overcome and find ways to increase knowledge.
These are difficult times everywhere. It can be easy to get discouraged, but “we have to tough it out”. He stressed, “If we are to make through this challenge, we have to draw upon our grit and persist.”
What is grit and why is it so important today? He described grit as the enduring courage in the face of hardship and an acronym GRIT: Growth, Resilience, Instinct and Tenacity.
As challenging as the situation may be, there are still many opportunities to leverage today. He highlighted the heightened interest in health insurance that has become an important element in financial planning and the heightened appreciation for financial security.
To leverage these opportunities and prepare for the new normal, focus on accelerating digital adoption, and the changing needs and behaviours of clients. One notable change is the increasing need for reliable financial advice. Also, pay close attention to the unprecedented economic uncertainty due to fluid geopolitical structure.
“It will not be easy but we can get through this pandemic if we commit to two things: first is to commit to our mission to help Filipinos secure their future, and second to commit to the values that our industry espouses,” he added.
Sharing of Best Practices
Brian Heckert, MDRT Past President, 32-year MDRT Member with 11 TOT and 7 COT honours, was asked at a panel: what has helped make him the icon he is today? He answered, “think big, dream big and work hard”.
Using the term “balcony people vs basement people”, he asked the audience to associate with people who will help lift them up.
Set big goals and other than just writing on a piece of paper, “read it time and time again so that it became ingrained in my mind and then kept setting them bigger.”
Together at the panel were his sons Michael Heckert, a 1-year MDRT Member, and Brandon Heckert, a 3-year MDRT Member. Brandon works closely with younger clients. Michael finds that “it is much more gratifying to have a goal of how many people you have helped or how many problems you have solved”. The easy matrix is to count and keep track of cases, one has to evolve to focus on the quality of meetings and issues solved rather than just the number.
My True Northstar
Antonina Anover
Celebrating her 25th year in the industry, Antonina Anover, Unit Manager, AIA Philam Life, shared her start-up journey and one thing worth mention to her: “there was never a month with zero account, it was a decision for me from the very start”.
Thinking of what it takes to achieve MDRT, she described it stands for:
Mindset: What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve.
Drive: A clear vision of where you want to go. A mission embedded in the heart and the mind is like a mantra that gives direction to everything you do.
Resilience: Toughness and the capacity to recover from difficulties.
Teamwork: Teamwork makes the dream work. Take pride in your team.
It takes consistency and persistency to be disciplined and the leader plays a crucial role to make it happen. “Being a leader is a divine calling,” she said.
The Secret Door to Dream Clients in the Brave New World
Benjamin Ang
Benjamin Ang, Asia Advisers Network Founding Editor, shared his secret door to dream clients in the brave new world, how to bypass gatekeepers and get direct access to C-level executives, professionals and HNW individuals.
The vehicle that he uses to connect with key stakeholders and dream clients: CEOs, senior executives, top agents and agency leaders and even famous personalities, is none other than LinkedIn.
A speaker, behavioural coach, and insurance industry advocate, he guided the audience through his three secrets:
#1 secret- You can search for your dream clients by simply doing a simple search on the profiles of who you would like to connect with on LinkedIn. Doctors, accountants, teachers, he showed the simple steps of looking for these professionals who are based in the Philippines.
#2 secret- WIT framework: the 3-stage framework to building up your presence and profile on LinkedIn for maximum impact.
Who you are on LinkedIn. Make use of the “prime real estate” by maximising the use of pictures and filling up all available fields.
Interactions to build familiarity and connections through engagement and posts.
Thought leadership – Then give insights, share expertise and offer thought leadership articles and posts.
For those who worry about not being able to write or create content, he shared:
#3 secret - 3H framework for content creation: Hook, heart and head.
Hook- Headline to grab attention.
Heart- Emotions sell, connect on an emotional level
Head- Logic with facts, followed by Call to action (CTA).
“Build your own secret door to dream clients. Let’s be resilient and brave the future together,” he said.
Bridge over troubled financial waters
Solomon Hicks
Solomon Hicks, Speaker, Career Coach and Consultant, spurred the financial professionals to “keep on doing good, and keep on serving. That’s what we do. That’s who we are”.
“We are servants, we serve people, we take care of people. This is what I have done in my 50 years in this business.” Be a guide and help people see their future and build a bridge over troubled financial waters.
Help connect people to the products that will give them hope. It is a great business to be in as long as it is driven by love. “Because love is the one. Love makes you resilient. When you want to give up, love makes you get up. When you have a setback, love will make you bounce back,” he said. If you are good, you can get better. If you are great, you can give back.
These are special times, “everywhere you go, make your light shine,” he sang.
Learn business strategies and solutions
Katrina Louise Yap
In closing, Katrina Louise Yap, MDRT MCC Immediate Past Philippines Country Chair, encouraged participants to take advantage of the great opportunity to learn about business strategies and solutions from these world-class speakers.
“We hope that this congress will equip you with the skills and knowledge to help you navigate and succeed in our rapidly changing world,” she concluded.
The first-ever online Philippine Life Insurance Congress and MDRT Day 2020, organised by the Life Underwriters Association of the Philippines (LUAP) and the Million Dollar Round Table Membership and Communication Committee Philippines, lined-up 30 renowned local and international speakers for 3 full days of learning and inspiration.
Watch Day 1, Watch Day 2.
More on MDRT 2020:
#Resilience2020 Day 1: Together We Can Make It Through
#Resilience2020 Day 2: Being Resilient - Ride the Storm, Paint Your Rainbow
Resilience to Brave the Future Together - LUAP President
#MDRTDAYSG2020 Day 1: Stronger Together
#MDRTDAYSG2020 Day 2: Better and Further Together
MDRT Virtual Event 2020 Highlights
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