Issue No. 07 - January/February 2010

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MAKING HEADLINES

Looking Ahead to 2010: New Year Resolutions

The beginning of a new year is a time where people are inspired to make changes or do things differently. Let us hear what New Year resolutions some of our MDRT members have made and how they plan to fulfil them.

	“My resolution for the New Year is to become the best Zone Chair I can be, and I hope to propel India into the No. 1 spot in terms of membership growth. The membership drive in India has kick-started and extensive campaigns promoting the membership benefits are well underway.  Through all these efforts, I hope to make India the next destination choice for the MDRT Experience meeting and maybe even for the Annual Meeting!” Anand A. Jathan 2010 Zone Chair of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka 13-year MDRT member from Mumbai, India
	“My aim is to achieve the Court of the Table qualification and, if I do qualify, it will be my first Court of the Table. I plan to reach my goal by attending the 2010 Annual Meeting in Vancouver because I believe that I will be able to learn new sales ideas and perspectives to help in my professional development. I also believe in upgrading my expertise and knowledge through certification, and working hard on getting more referrals from my existing clients.” Esra Manurung Four-year MDRT member from Jakarta, Indonesia
	“As the Zone Chair of Japan, I would like to build a stronger brand awareness of MDRT in Japan. After the 2008 Experience meeting in Chiba, MDRT is increasingly gaining attention from people in the industry, and I want to leverage MDRT’s rising popularity to promote and increase MDRT membership. I envision that through the various seminars and workshops, which we are in the midst of organising this year, it will attract an estimated 10,000 participants to our events.” Akihiko Yamada 2010 Zone Chair of Japan 11-year MDRT member from Tokyo, Japan
	"After being a five-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table qualifications and obtaining the status of ING Executive Lion, I want to challenge myself to achieve more. This year I aim to qualify for both Top of the Table and the status of ING Royal Lion. I plan to realise my goals by calling and meeting both my existing customers and new prospects more often and target to secure more contracts within the month. Most importantly I want to dedicate more leisure time with my family. I believe that if I continue to challenge and discipline myself to follow the routine I propose I will reach my goals." Chung, In Taek Five-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table qualifications from Seoul, Korea
	"I would like to adhere to a weekly learning experience by reading past Annual Meeting "Proceedings”. My strategy to achieve this can be summed up in one word: discipline. I believe that by cultivating the discipline to read the Annual Meeting “Proceedings” regularly is my way of re-living the experience, bringing back the energy and learning new workable ideas. It is as though I am attending a weekly Annual Meeting." Cristine Tan, LUTCF, RFC Six-year MDRT member from Manila, Philippines

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FEATURES

Register for the 2010 MDRT Experience - Early Bird Rate has been extended to 29 January 2010!

Were you one of the 7,000 financial services professionals who attended the fourth MDRT Experience meeting in Chiba, Japan, last year? If you were, you would probably understand how revitalising it was to attend the meeting. And if that is not enough, our research has revealed that the many learning and networking opportunities available during the 2008 Experience translated into immediate tangible results–research has shown that MDRT members from Korea who attended the 2008 Experience achieved an average of 13 percent increase in their 2009 production in commissions.

For those of you who did not manage to attend the 2008 MDRT Experience, here is your chance! The 2010 MDRT Experience is just around the corner, and if you sign up before 28 February 2010 you can still enjoy registration at a discounted rate. So hurry and sign up NOW!

For those who have already signed up, prepare yourself for three days of motivational and educational sessions, as well as plenty of opportunities for networking. The new and improved line-up of programs is set to incite your mind and invigorate your spirit.

Be an MDRT Member

The MDRT membership is a coveted career milestone that is only available to the best and the brightest in the financial services profession and only less than 1 percent of producers worldwide qualify for MDRT membership each year. So continue your relationship with MDRT and receive the recognition that you deserve.

Applications for the 2010 MDRT membership have been sent to all 2008 and 2009 members. If you wish to avoid incurring an additional fee of USD 200, you should submit your MDRT membership applications on or before 1 March 2010. Do note that faxed and emailed applications will NOT be accepted, so send in your application forms via the MAILING OPTION only.

There are four simple steps to apply for your 2010 MDRT membership:

Step 1:	Click here to make an online request or to download your 2010 membership application form.
Step 2:	Complete the application form, ensuring all questions are answered completely.
Step 3:	Send the certifying letter(s) to your company (ies) to have your eligible commission or premium production verified. You may make copies of the certifying letter form if you need to send it to more than one company. Click here to obtain your certifying letters.
Step 4:	Finally, return the completed application, certifying letters, and dues payment to MDRT in the envelope we provide. Send in your applications by 1 March 2010 to avoid paying the late fee of USD 200. Membership fees can be paid online via MDRT’s secure payment site.

Once you have submitted your application, you can check the status of your application by clicking here. Simply enter your MDRT ID number (available from your copy of the application sent to you) and your birth date to check.

If you happen to know an aspiring MDRT member, let them know that they can request a membership application form by phone, fax or by clicking here.

The sooner you send in your application, the faster you can receive approval and enjoy the benefits from your membership. Our friendly advisers from the Membership and International Services Department are always ready to assist you. For further information about applying for MDRT membership, you may contact us at +1 847.692.6378 or email membership@mdrt.org.

Mark Your Calendar for the 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The date has been set for the prestigious 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting. This year, the Annual Meeting will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, from 13–17 June 2010.

Registration for the 2010 Annual Meeting will open to approved 2010 members in February. To find out more information, visit the 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting Web site.

Based on the feedback gathered from past attendees of the MDRT Annual Meeting, the Annual Meeting Program Development Committee has specially designed a new meeting schedule for members this year. Rest assured, you will get nothing less from the MDRT Annual Meeting in Vancouver, so watch this space for more details on what to expect from the 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting.

Country News Bytes

Japan Metro Study Group of Japan, Tokyo, held its sixth meeting on 30 November 2009 at Roppongi Academy Hills Mori Tower. A total of 150 members and non-members attended the two-hour event. The speaker for the event was Seiichiro Kamata, a 10-year MDRT member with three Court of the Table qualifications. He provided practical tips on how to earn referrals and shared his personal success story with the participants.

Korea MDRT Volunteer Day On 31 October 2009, both members and employees of MDRT Korea participated in the bi-annual MDRT Volunteer Day. They visited and rendered their help — physically and monetarily — to welfare facilities. Zone Chair of Korea, Sung-ho Shin, and the management donated approximately 1,000,000 ₩ (equivalent of USD 1,000) worth of rice and clothes to these various welfare facilities. MDRT Workshop in Honam The MDRT Workshop in Honam was held on 17 November 2009. This annual workshop was organised in three different locations to cater specially for MDRT members who were unable to participate in the MDRT Workshop held in Seoul. The workshop was opened to both MDRT members and non-members. Three speakers from the October MDRT workshop — Jae-beom Park, a captain from Overseas Emergency Relief; Sae-don Shin, a professor at Sookmyung Women’s University; and Dong-yeon Kim, a six-year MDRT member — attended the event and shared valuable information and experiences with the participants.

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IDEA BANK

I Send Something About Myself

At least once a year, in order for my friends and potential clients to remember me, I send them something about myself. The contents should include:

1.	An up-to-date message of my company. This will definitely strengthen their confidence in my company, and their feelings about the company being progressive.
2.	My latest awards and achievements.
3.	Any information from newspapers or magazines about financial planning. This will deepen their understanding in financial planning, and at the same time increase my friends’ interest in financial planning.
4.	Stories about the beneficiary of the insured or any claim cases that can be seen on the newspaper.
5.	The outlook of the investment portfolio commented by a professional investor.

Most importantly, the contents I send to them must demonstrate that I am keen to assist them in fulfilling their expectations of having a relaxing lifestyle after retirement.

The relationship between my clients and I can be summed up in one word: Simplicity. It does not matter how long we have known each other; rather, what matters is what blessing and happy memories we have shared. To maintain this relationship, I have the following tips:

1.	There are many special festivals in China such as Mid-Autumn Festival and the Dragon Boat Festival. I handpick the moon cakes and special candies for my clients. Most of the time, I notice my clients would keep the package for a few years because the packaging is unique.
2.	I buy ice cream, stationeries or story books for my clients' children and sometimes the children even call me the “ice cream auntie”.
3.	On my clients' birthdays, I send a greeting or a cake.
4.	When the weather suddenly turns bad, I remind my clients to take caution.

Shirby Chan Sui Ling
15-year MDRT member from Quarry Bay, Hong Kong

Your Time Is a Precious Asset

My advice is to secure your time before you make appointments. Some time ago, I did not prioritise my time and accepted every appointment I could possibly take. As you can imagine, instead of managing my appointments, I was being managed by my appointments. I was not in control of my own time.

MDRT taught me that it is important to manage my time. I decided to classify my time into several categories such as (1) Time to study, (2) Time for long-term planning and strategic planning, (3) Time for new business (appointments with prospects), (4) Time for my family & myself and (5)Time to stay healthy.

When planning for a new year, I set aside time to attend the MDRT Annual Meeting, time for company convention trips and vacation with my family, as those are my top priorities. Then I plan my monthly goals and break them down to weekly goals. Before I set up any appointments for the week, I dedicate Tuesday (early) mornings for planning, Monday mornings to making phone calls and Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings for myself (to study). I also save small pieces of job that can be accomplished within 10 to 20 minutes and process them only when I have some time to spare.

Organising my time has helped me improve my productivity.

Hidenori Miki, TLC
11-year MDRT member from Tokyo, Japan

One of the most important things to understand and master is the idea that people are different. We have to learn to quickly identify what makes others different, and then change our own style to accommodate theirs. The science of understanding human behaviour — neurolinguistic programming — tells us that people are generally one of three types: visual, auditory or kinaesthetic. To keep it simple, visual people tend to look at things, auditory people prefer to listen or read, and kinaesthetic people prefer to touch and feel things.

Language is one of the clues which reveals a person’s dominant, or preferred, style. When describing their attitude toward something, visual people tend to use visual language, auditory people tend to use auditory language and words, and kinaesthetic people tend to use ‘touchy-feely’ words and phrases. For example, if you make a proposition to a client and ask, “So, what do you think about that?” visual people will say, “I like the look of that” or “I see what you mean”. Auditory people will say, “I like the sound of that” or “I hear what you say”. Kinaesthetic people will say things like, “That feels good to me” or “I can get a handle on that”.

Start listening to people and you will begin to notice that people use languages according to their preferred styles. For example, asking an auditory person if he likes the look of something gets you nowhere compared to asking him how it sounds to him. Similarly, asking a kinaesthetic person, “How do you feel about that?” is a lot stronger than “How does that sound to you?”

You should look for clues and modify your approach accordingly as in this way you will develop stronger contact with your prospects.

Bhupinder S. Anand, ACII, DipPFS
13-year MDRT member with eight Top of the Table qualifications from London, UK

How to get referrals

Here's a quick sales idea. When prospecting, ask your current client three questions:

1.	What is the name of your best friend?
2.	Do you have any brothers or sisters?
3.	Who is the richest person you know and are friends with?

If the answer to the first question and the last question are the same, you have a hot prospect!

The second quick sales idea — once you have the above names, ask your client if you can have the mobile telephone numbers of these contacts. The client should then pull out his or her mobile phone and scroll through the address list to give you the appropriate numbers. The trick is to then ask the client if there is anyone else on the mobile telephone list that could benefit from using your services.

You will be surprised how many names and numbers people have listed on their mobile telephone!

In conclusion, the first exercise usually gives me three names on average, which means I replace each person I see with three new contacts, thus ensuring I always have plenty of people to call. The second exercise above yields on average an additional five or 10 names; my best ever was 37 names! Try these ideas and see how they work for you.

Greg Pogonowski, DipPFS, CII(MP)
16-year MDRT member with three Top of the Table and 12 Court of the Table qualifications from UK

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GET INVOLVED

Ask MDRT

“Ask MDRT” is a new initiative to enable MDRT members in Asia Pacific to stay connected by facilitating greater interaction and knowledge transfer. Ever had a burning question relating to the insurance industry or profession but did not know who to seek advice from? Now you can finally dispel those doubts by sending your questions to MDRT.* Questions submitted will (if selected) be answered by an MDRT Country or Zone Chair and published in future issues of the MDRT Asia Connect e-newsletter. If your question is published, MDRT will present you with a token of appreciation to thank you for your contribution. What types of questions can be asked: • How to deal with rejections and remain motivated?  • How to overcome a certain challenging work situation or client (providing as much details about the situation as much as possible) • How to qualify to be an MDRT member in 100 days? • Questions relating to general industry trends within your country or the Asia Pacific region • Enquiries pertaining to a certain sales idea or concept that had been featured in previous issues of the Asia Connect What to take note of when submitting a question: • Send your questions (no more than 20 words) with your membership #ID to asiaconnect@mdrt.org.

*By submitting a question, you agree that: a. Publication of any question you submit to MDRT Asia Pacific Office will be at MDRT Asia Pacific Office’s sole discretion. b. MDRT Asia Pacific Office reserves the right to make edits, additions or deletions to the text prior to publication, or to refuse publication. c. You grant MDRT Asia Pacific Office a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide licence to republish any question(s) you submit without limitation, including print, electronic and in any other format. d. Your full name and years of MDRT membership will be published should MDRT Asia Pacific Office choose to publish any question submitted by you.     Questions submitted on behalf of another MDRT member and/or joint submission of questions will not be accepted. MDRT Asia Pacific Office will not be responsible if questions received are incomplete, lost, delayed or misdirected due to any technical reason or other reasons. The token of appreciation is non-exchangeable, non-transferable, and is not redeemable for cash or other items. MDRT reserves the right to substitute the token of appreciation with another item of similar value without prior notice.

Call for Contribution

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, viewpoint on 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.

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DID YOU KNOW?

The MDRT Annual Meeting “Proceedings” is available online

The Annual Meeting “Proceedings” dating from 2002 to 2009 is now available in an online archive. Members can view the repertoire of ideas and new perspectives that were presented by inspirational and educational speakers during past MDRT Annual Meetings by logging on at the Members Only section of the MDRT web site.

Additionally, to cater to MDRT’s Asia Pacific members, the Annual Meeting “Proceedings” is now available in four different languages: Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Japanese and Korean.

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Pay Your Membership Dues Online!

MDRT members can now pay their membership dues online. This new scheme was developed by MDRT to help expedite the payment process for its members.

You can now pay your dues anytime and anywhere with just an effortless click of your mouse.

Click here and start paying your 2010 membership dues online.

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USEFUL LINKS		CALENDAR OF EVENTS
• Click here for more details and to register for the various MDRT Days in India • Register for the 2010 MDRT Experience • Find out more about MDRT Japan Chapter’s 40th Annual Meeting • Find out more details about the 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting   • Be an MDRT Speaker • Contact MDRT Asia Pacific Office • Find out more about MDRT’s mentoring programme • Pay your membership dues online • Refer your colleague to MDRT • Submit an article for MDRT Asia Connect • View the English edition of Round the Table (RTT) magazine online		8 February 2010 MDRT Day Delhi, India 10 February 2010 MDRT Day Bangalore, India 11 February 2010 MDRT Day Kolkata, India 13–14 February 2010 MDRT Day Mumbai, India 11–13 March 2010 2010 MDRT Experience, Seoul, Korea 8–9 April 2010 MDRT Japan Chapter's 40th Annual Meeting, Okinawa, Japan 13–17 June 2010 2010 MDRT Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada 9 September 2010 MDRT Day Taipei, Taiwan

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CONTACT INFORMATION

MDRT Asia Pacific Office

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

Please do not reply to this email. If you would like to contact MDRT, visit http://www.mdrt.org/contact or email asiapacific@mdrt.org.

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About MDRT
The Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), The Premier Association of Financial Professionals, is an international, independent association of more than 39,000 members, or less than 1 percent, of the world's most successful life insurance and financial services professionals from 491 companies in 87 nations and territories. MDRT members demonstrate exceptional professional knowledge, strict ethical conduct and outstanding client service. MDRT membership is recognised internationally as the standard of sales excellence in the life insurance and financial services business.

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