Punctunity earns respect and trust.

Most Malaysian have a bad habit, we are always not punctual with appointments. Every time we are late, we have reasons like, traffic jam, bus break down or our cars can't start, accident or not feeling well. We have forgotten, the more excuses we give, the more it reflexes on our characters. Being not punctual, relates that one isn't responsible. If the person is fully a committed one, he will be serious to plan right to be on time for each appointment. No matter how far the location or how heavy is the traffic, he will plan to reach his destination perfectly.

In my 40 years of selling, I have earned respect to be a serious and responsible person. My punctuality is almost 99.9% perfect. I will always start and plan early to reach my appointments without letting any obstacles to delay my time. I try not to fix the time too near of two meetings in between, cause time can be a constraint to meet up later. As time management is a factor, I have to be careful in planning to meet my clients. I rather fix lesser appointments than to be late in all my meetings. Most of the time, I prefer to be early to wait for my clients, rather than they be waiting for me instead. By doing so, I then hold a upper hand to my clients. Through the many years of dealing business with my clients who know my punctuality, I have created my creditability and trust with them. Doing business with them is so much easier because they know I will never fail them in any way. My punctuality has reveal my true identity. What about you?

Quote of the day; "Respect and trust cannot be given. They have to be earned one step a time."

Be proud to be a salesperson.

Although I had met many insurance colleagues, not many were proud to introduce themselves as Life Insurance Agents. Their call cards were written as consultant or financial advisor or agency manager. Not one name himself as agent. If they were not proud to be an agent, how could they be able to sell themselves to the public. Whenever I introduced myself, I called myself as a salesman who sells Life Insurance.

No one will respect us, if we ourselves are not proud to be one. All insurance agents like to make money but they do not like to be named as insurance agent. Without them realising, they are like telling the consumers that they are selling for their own interest and not for the interest of their clients. Don't forget, when you are looking at your prospects and clients, they are also smart to be observing your move too.

I feel great to be a super salesperson selling life insurance. Without the miracle of our products, the world will be living in uncertainties. Life insurances create protection and offer peace of mind. We provide comfort, security, hopes, dreams, needed fund, medical attention and a better future for our clients. Selling life insurance needs dedication and devotion. Selling in this career is a professional one with total commitment. If you are not proud to be a salesperson selling this product, I don't think you can last very long in this profession. Liking the income and liking the career are two different things. Unless you are going to be truthful to yourself, you will not succeed easily. Be honest!

Quote of the day, "I don't like work - no man does - but I like what is in work - the chance to find yourself." Spoken by Joseph Conrad.

The one minute sale.

Have you ever heard of the one minute sale? Yes! All my successful sales start first with the "One Minute sale." My experience tells me, if my one minute sale isn't catchy and interesting, I will not be able to conclude the final sales. Most salesperson lost their sales because they do not have the one minute sale to start the actual selling. Or perhaps they don't even know what is the one minute sale. To them, they can't sell with just one minute of time. One minute is too short a time to explain and illustrate your products. That isn't true, if you know the art of selling.

Let me explain what is the one minute sale. Don't forget most people don't like to be sold but they like to buy. Explaining any products or services, certainly requires time. When prospects know you are explaining and illustrating your products, they also know you are trying to sell. Even they offer you the opportunity to present your sale, they may not whole heartily listen to your words and explanation. A lot of times, sales were lost mainly because the prospects never understood your presentation. They actually didn't listen attentively.

The next question is, how could you not be selling but yet prospects are eagerly wanting to listen. That is the catch, if you could overcome this obstacle when your presentation is ideally heard and understood, most likely prospects will buy. To overcome this first hurdle, you have to create a need or to arouse an interest, which prospects cannot resist not to listen. I termed this creation and interest as the one minute sale.

If you had intention to sell a program of one million, you should create a question like,"Mr Prospect, have you got a million cash in your bank account at this moment?" His reply may be, "No! I don't have such a big amount." Next question to excite him, "If there is somebody who can deposit this one million cash to your account soonest, would you believe?" He is stunned with a nope on his head. Final question, "I will show you the possibility, if only you can spare me half an hour or more to explain. Provided you have the time and keen to listen." If your prospect is attracted to your proposal, he will definitely offer you the solid half an hour presentation as require. The above three questions will not take more than a minute to ask. They will open an opportunity to create a better and favourable situation for you to sell later. This is what I meant as the one minute sale. With some practises, you can master the art of selling.

Quote of the day, "Successful selling is to sell when your clients do not know that you are selling."

What your handwriting reveals

Many believe in palm reading, cards reading or even facial reading to determine your future and character of a person. However I fancy more on handwriting. Like a candid photograph snapped in an unguarded moment, your handwriting can say more about you than you may think. No matter how you are taught to write at school, your handwriting will eventually take on your own personal style and become a unique guide to your character. This is called Graphology.

I picked up this interest while selling insurance in the early days. All those who effected insurances with me, had to complete and sign our application forms for proposing their respective plans. In order to understand the character of each client, I took the trouble to study their writing and signing. Each feature of handwriting will reveal something about the writer's character. All features have to be examined and the meanings put together like a jig-saw puzzle. Small writing usually indicates modesty, but other features, such as the width or slant of the letters, may suggest that a person with small writing is also outgoing and friendly. I find the understanding of graphology is very useful because I would know more about my new clients better. Examples like their personalities, sociability, working qualities and responsibilities.

Looks like talking alone isn't enough to handle selling. You have to know by reading the handwriting of your prospects mind and thinking. Then you are truly a professional salesperson to compete with the rests.

Quote of the day, "You can hold your speech but not lie your handwriting."

Being good naughtiness understands life better.

Its always nice to be admired by others. Yesterday I received a text message from Amy, a pretty colleague from our company. She wrote, "Si Fu (master), you are always in my mind. Do you know something, I want to be like you. An ever green performer in our career." My reply to her was short, "To be an ever green in our business, you have to be good naughty!" She was puzzled, "What do you mean? Good naughtiness?"

Amy, it is not easy to explain on text messages through our mobile phone. I think writing and sharing on my blog here, allows you to read with some understanding, and at the same time will benefit many as well.

To be a life insurance agent, one has to be good in personality, manner and character. Understanding the good way of living. On the other hand, 'good' isn't enough cause to be good is much easier, when most people tend to behave good. Do you know and understand the bad part of life too? 'Bad' is even more difficult to understand and to encounter. We were all brought up by the good sense from childhood to adult. Not forgetting, we were never shown to behave 'bad' in the first place.

Suffering is bad part of life. Do you know when those have no money or income, the fear and feeling are terrible in them. Cheating and corrupting are equally bad. When one has no money, he might even turn to cheat or to rob. Being not responsible in life is considered as bad in character. If one isn't responsible, he and his family might suffer later in life. Amy, if you are only a person of goodness, you might not understand why these people behave these manners. As a good person like you, you will not feel comfortable to associate with the suffering of the bad. However, if you do have some good naughtiness feeling in you, perhaps you will take some effort to understand them.

I had spoken many a time, life is not just all roses alone, because it has thorns in between too. Not only we should understand the good part of life, cause the bad part of life is equally important to know. The funny thing is, when you are good, you do not like to mix with the bad. At the same time, the naughty one will not like to be related to the good too. Good is most acceptable by all but if you have the good and naughtiness combine together, most likely you would have the both worlds in your hand. The good and naughtiness cannot be taught or transferred. Amy, you have to develop and cultivate them by yourself. To understand goodness is easy but to understand naughtiness, you have to be courageous and farsighted. These are not knowledge but wisdom of life. Conclusion; in life we have to be good but also understand the bad as well.

Amy, if you want to be different, follow this quote spoken by George Washington Carver, "When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, that is when you command the attention of the world."

A True Friend.

We have many friends but isn't easy to have true friends. I read a poem while on holiday, written by Sister Felicidad Lipio from Bulacan of The Philippine. Like to share with my readers.

A True Friend...

A true friend is Always loyal and true:

One who is always There to be with you.

In "thick & thin" You can count on him,

He'll forever love you Till the end...

I wish to have such friends but you rest assure I will always be a true friend to all I know.

The magical charm of woman's beauty

Some women said that men are cheeky. They stare at us and try to be naughty with us. Deep down in my heart, I wonder whether they like us not to be cheeky or naughty. Just imagine, all ladies love to look pretty and attractive and if no man looks at them and to admire them, would they be happier. After all, men are always attracted by the beauty of women and they really can't stop men not to be cheeky with them.

On the other hand, if women are not interested to be attractive, men might not be cheeky and naughty too. When that happened, the world might be less progressive and productive. Remember the day, when you were young, you saw a pretty girl who drew so much of your attention. You tried so much to court and tackle her with sincerity. Out of your sheer effort, she said, "Young man, how can you date me when you don't even have a car?" That sentence was great enough to make you work harder without turning back. Her encouragement made you to do well and both were dating and romancing as lover. Came a day when you tried to propose to marry her. Surprisingly she spoke, "Dear we can't marry without a house!" Your parents words might not even be better but that simple statement again spurred you to work harder than ever. For the sake of your woman, nothing could stop you from achieving whatever you had in mind.

The beauty of woman can boost the moral of man to a higher level of esteem. Or if not properly taken, it can also destroy the self esteem of man. I think the creation of man and woman is to let woman leads and man to follow. Woman to be attractive and man to be cheeky and naughty. They are not wrong and neither are we. We need both to survive in this world of feeling for each other. Accept it or not, this is the true fact of life.

Love quote from J.E. Buckrose, "Happiness comes more from loving than being loved; and often when our affection seems wounded it is only our vanity bleeding. To love, and to be hurted often, and to love again--this is the brave and happy life."