The 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting, held from 13–17 June in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, lived up to its promise with five days of world class programs and events filled with inspiration, ideas and solutions that will sustain attendees throughout the year.



Members who attended the Annual Meeting can obtain e-copies of the available Focus Session handouts till the end of July. Click here to download your copy today.

In addition, capture those special moments at the 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting by purchasing photos taken at the Annual Meeting. Browse and purchase your photos by following 3 simple steps:

1. Visit www.thephotogroup.com
2. Click on the tab - Online Images (you will be directed to a page which requires you to key in an access code)
3. Enter mdrtgallery in the space provided

For more information about post 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting follow-ups, read the July/August Round the Table (RTT) magazine.

If you could not attend this year’s MDRT Annual Meeting, you don’t have to wait until next June to attend your next MDRT event. In February 2011, MDRT is once again coming to Asia! The MDRT Experience meeting will be returning to Singapore. To be held from 24-26 February 2011, the meeting is opened to both MDRT members and non-members. Mark your calendar for the 2011 MDRT Experience and prepare to join like-minded peers, colleagues and industry veterans to:

1. Discover how MDRT can make a positive impact in your professional and personal life
2. Challenge your mindset and rethink possibilities and strategies to achieve higher levels of success in your insurance career
3. Be inspired and re-energised by real-life stories of how some of our renowned speakers overcame life’s numerous challenges

Take the next step towards professional and personal excellence by registering for the 2011 MDRT Experience today!

Visit the 2011 MDRT Experience website for more information or to register.

Early bird rate expires on 31 October 2010.

Group registrations are entitled to additional discounts, so contact the Event Secretariat at +65-6496-5500 or mdrt-experience@mci-group.com for more information.

2010 Zone Chair for China Qi Bin was interviewed by the China Insurance News on her role as an MDRT zone chair and also her views of the China insurance industry. Below is an excerpt of the media interview:

As 2010 MDRT Zone Chair for China, what are your goals and challenges?

Qi Bin: As the 2010 Zone Chair for China, my primary goal is to increase the awareness of MDRT amongst producers in my country. There are three million insurance professionals in China. If only 1% joins MDRT, there would already be 30,000 Chinese MDRT members. That is almost the sum of MDRT members in North America and Asia. I hope to raise the profile of MDRT as the premier association for financial professionals that all industry peers in China should know about and would desire to be a part of. There is huge potential in the China market, but I know it will take time to build the MDRT branding and entrench the MDRT culture in all insurance professionals. The most urgent task at hand is to find the most effective way to promote MDRT in China. Insurance professionals here must be educated on who MDRT is and the values that MDRT represent, and that through continual professional development, service excellence and ethical behavior can one earn the trust and loyalty of clients and ultimately, increase productivity. MDRT must be recognised as an esteemed brand and should be the benchmark of outstanding insurance and financial services.

As a veteran MDRT member, how do you think MDRT has changed your life?

Qi Bin: To me, MDRT is more than an organisation. It is like a spiritual establishment that embodies the merits and virtues that constantly inspire me to strive harder to become a better person, cherish the people around me and give back to society.  MDRT has made me view life quite differently. It has opened my heart and provided me with a wider horizon, so now the world seems filled with endless possibilities and unlimited creativity. I feel that there is always room for me to improve and wisdom for me to acquire. MDRT has given me many opportunities to meet wonderful and great people, to feed my desire to continue learning, and to help me grow and become a better person so that I am able to lead a happy and harmonious life.

What’s your opinion about the current insurance industry in China and also its future development? What kind of producer can benefit from the current market?

Qi Bin: The insurance industry in China is developing very quickly, but the social status of an insurance professional in China will require more time to improve. Insurance professionals in my country must collectively put in effort to try to alter the business landscape in our environment and change the public’s perception of our profession. It may take many years of relentless effort to try to make the change—20, 30 years or even longer. Do you know why I encourage my daughter to become an insurance agent? It is because I’m very optimistic about the future of the insurance profession. I believe the industry will flourish. China embarked on its economic reform only about 30 years ago. The insurance industry in China is still young and growing. If you look at our neighbours in Asia, you will see that Malaysia’s insurance industry has a history of 70 years; Hong Kong has more than 60 years and Taiwan about 40 to 50 years. Perhaps 20 or 30 years later, our insurance professionals in China will be able to proudly stand on the same stage with international producers. 

As a producer in China, the best thing to do now is to adopt the right attitude to pursue professional and personal growth. Be prepared to weather any storm that may come your way, and take advantage of any opportunity to enrich your life experience.  Become more self-disciplined and never lose the positive attitude so you will continue to work hard, serve your clients’ needs whole-heartedly and grow. China’s economy is developing very fast. The public is also becoming more informed about financial management and is showing greater interest in understanding the benefits of insurance. There has never been a better time for us to be in the insurance profession.

Our clients may remain a little doubtful about how beneficial or critical insurance really is for them. We can change our clients’ behavior and thinking through our professionalism, exceptional knowledge of financial products and services and outstanding service levels. At present, our industry is in need of qualified and highly professional insurance agents. I urge all insurance agents in China to work hard at upgrading themselves and improving their professionalism. Always bear in mind that our mission is to help our clients. Only by doing so can we build client confidence in us and alter their mindset about our profession.

The 2010 MDRT Day in Hong Kong, held on 1 June, was a huge success with an unexpected turnout of over 2,000 participants. The one-day event, attended by both MDRT members and non-members, saw illuminating presentations by more than 20 high profile speakers. The knowledge-packed event saw participants inspired and enriched by practical sales ideas and creative motivational concepts to help them increase productivity and work towards MDRT membership next year.

After selling insurance for 10 years, I have identified what types of policies are suitable for which types of people in general.

Firstly for prospects that are single, I would usually recommend them to purchase term life insurance, term health insurance and accident coverage insurance.

Secondly, for prospects that have a family but without kids, I would advise them to purchase the following insurance policies; term life insurance, permanent health insurance and accident coverage insurance.

Next, for prospects that have a family with kids, I would suggest to them to purchase term life insurance, permanent health insurance, accident coverage insurance and educational and health insurance for their family.

Lastly, for prospects that are above 40 years old and are financially secure, I would urge them to consider purchasing financial and investment policies, retirement insurance polices and accident coverage insurance.

Allow me to share with you how I would sell a policy to a prospect who is single.

When prospecting to clients who are singles, I would angle my sales pitch with the intention of arousing their love and care for their parents. I start by reminding them of the efforts that their parents went through to bring them up and how it is their responsibility to be filial, and repay their parents when they start earning their own income. I usually ask my prospects whether they give a certain amount of money each month to their parents. If yes, I would praise them. When they say otherwise, I would take this opportunity to advise them to consider allotting a certain amount of money from salary each month to invest in insurance and designate their parents as the sole beneficiary.

Li Hong
Five-year MDRT member from Shenzhen, China

I have been in the insurance industry for more than 30 years and throughout my career, I have been focusing my efforts on selling to physicians. Many things have changed over the years but I observed that the one thing that all physicians are interested in, regardless of the economic outlook, is taxes (particularly inheritance tax) and annuity.

Before I deliver my recommendations to my prospect, I complete the fact finding modular form, which helps me assess my client’s current financial health and his financial concerns. This is done with the help of my client’s wife as she typically has 80% of all the answers to my questions. Once I have a good idea of my client’s needs, I organise a short but concise presentation and propose my recommendations during the meeting. Physicians are busy people and I respect their schedule, so I ensure my presentation is succinct and my appointments are always in the morning, before my clients start their “business day.”

I must admit that it takes time to build a relationship and to do business with physicians but once you earn their trust, the number of referrals you will receive will be unlimited.

Setsuko Ayukawa
21-year MDRT member from Tokyo, Japan

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Do you have an interesting sales idea or a proven strategy to share with fellow MDRT members? We are keen to hear from you if your ideas are based on the following themes: How to Approach Customers How to Recruit Staff How to Sell Multiple Products

We are also interested in ideas relating to Whole Person Concept, challenges facing the financial services industry, and also case studies that can inspire other members to overcome challenges to win over a client or sell a particular product. You can send your article or content outline to MDRT Asia Pacific at asiaconnect@mdrt.org.

MDRT Asia Pacific Office

Tel: +65 6496 5505
Fax: +65 6336 6449
Email: asiapacific@mdrt.org
Web site: www.mdrt.org