Know one thing: You can groom yourself well but nothing beats a beautiful megawatt smile. “Smiling especially over the virtual platform is really important for people to know how you are like, the energy level and the kind of ambience you are projecting,” said Joshua Luke, an award-winning entrepreneur and celebrity master branding consultant, who gave useful tips on checking your smiles in his presentation on creating a positive virtual impression.
Joshua, from Jensen Siaw International, explained virtual impression refers to the image that you project online when communicating with your prospects, clients or even public, whether for discussion, meeting or sales pitch.
He provided an ABCD guide. To Ace virtual impression, take note of BCD that include Branding - personal branding, Connection and Distractions – eliminating distractions, during online meetings.
Conference chairman Benjamin Ang and founding editor of Asia Advisers Network, gave a dynamic speech on uncovering your personality for success in career and life.
He also shared that on the journey to success “don’t just ask why, don’t just ask how”, remember to also “ask who”. Who is able to help you get there? Something that is often overlooked. To achieve the success that you want to reach, there is someone who has done it before, and someone you are able to learn from, he gathered.
He introduced the MACDOER spectrum personality profiling to help the audience identify their personality types: mediator, abider, challenger, diverger, opportunist, engager and relaxer.
Because it is all about successful relationship management. And the first thing to do is to understand yourself, understand your strengths and weaknesses, leverage on your strengths, and work on your shortcomings to improve your relationship and communication with others, he said.
How do you define a successful business? A profitable commercial enterprise that works “without you”, emphasised Calvin Lee, winner of digital agency leader of the year 2019, who spoke on how the best agency leaders use LinkedIn effectively.
He urged everyone to embrace digital technology. It is not a choice, he said. He said financial practitioners should make use of target groups already available on social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube and LinkedIn, that will literally provide an unlimited number of leads.
The key to success is consistency, he said, providing a winning 10-step system on using Linkedin. He also reminded that insurance is a high touch business and recommended using LinkedIn to complement the business, as well as other different channels for sales and recruitment, rather than replace it.
“The people we meet shape our future in the next five years and beyond” - a timeless doctrine applicable to all situation regardless of old normal or new normal, said Rotha Chan, winner of young leader of the year 2018, from Cambodia. One fact about life is, what matters is “what we do in between”.
“Among those people we want to meet, they share three wants as we do,” he noted. People want a better future, choices in life and to leave a good legacy. He hopes that by highlighting these wants, they will help reinforce financial advisers’ confidence to go out there. He encouraged the participants to do whatever it takes to meet people they want daily and build the habit by implementing a 21-day-chain exercise, to do so consecutively for 21 days. Positive habits will transform lives, he said.
Dato’ Irene Gan, Rookie Agency Leader of the Year 2016, talked about transformation to a new normal with a renewed mindset that can be transferrable to clients, agency members and friends in a positive way. She added that we should embrace adversity for new opportunities. During the movement control (MCO) in Malaysia, the use of digital technology has helped her break through the normal ways of doing business.
Practice mindset change with 3Rs: rebound and grow, reconnect with clients and recharge with energy, she said. Focus on your career and clients and continue to provide excellent service; understand that customers’ needs are changing and recommend relatable products and solutions. She also gave suggestions to leverage the business market and segment the ideal clients to expand the business.
During this critical time, she adopts a powerful strategy RCC “refer client to client” to grow her business and that has also made her become a preferred adviser to clients.
Anchor address speaker Azran Osman Rani, CEO of Naluri and former CEO of AirAsia X Malaysia, took the audience through his amazing journey as a serial entrepreneur building businesses that challenge the status quo across multiple sectors, from highly regulated and capital intensive industries to fast-moving internet ventures.
He said the process of being innovative is not to focus on just using the latest technology or changing for the sake of changing but on solving problems that clients face in a way that no one else is doing. Keep trying different ideas until good ones emerge, and finally discover the breakthrough ones, he shared.
“What this COVID-19 pandemic has shown is that we must all be more resilient in mindset but also more willing to challenge the traditional ways of doing work,” he said. “If you are not willing to change, then someone else may be lurking to try new things and discover new ways to serve your customers better.” Stay curious, move fast!
The inaugural Insurance Inspired - Winning in the New Normal virtual summit, organised by Asia Advisers Network, together with co-organiser Jensen Siaw International, and sponsor GoalsMapper, assembled a full three-day programme power-packed with 18 top names from the insurance industry in Asia.
Check out highlights of Day 2 and Day 1.
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