Saturday, October 30, 2010
the rookie blogger: What Do You Expect of An Insurance Marketer
the rookie blogger: What Do You Expect of An Insurance Marketer: "What Do You Expect of An Insurance Marketer Some persons with political clout are trying to prevent people wearing WWE merchandise (T-shi..."
What Do You Expect of An Insurance Marketer
What Do You Expect of An Insurance Marketer
Some persons with political clout are trying to prevent people wearing WWE merchandise (T-shirts, headbands, sweatbands and the likes) from exercising their right to vote in the state of Connecticut, USA. What sort of politician is scared of Wrestling fans and folks? Regardless of their political ideologies or leanings, why and who are they afraid of anyway? They had better be wary of the NEXUS though, those guys who 'bumrush' and ambush anybody, I mean, they would literarily 'whup' any politician; trash 'em bad! Google the NEXUS folks, the results would scare you. Enough of the 'ad' for wrestling, let's come back home.
The EFCC is trying to prevent persons who have 'allegedly' dipped their hands in the public till from exercising their 'God-given' rights to be voted for. These blacklisted individuals (who happen to be past governors mostly) swung into action straight. They got court injunctions (wonder what those mean these days since anyone can't get one for the slightest reasons) and 'big mummy' in glasses to denounce putting up such a list in the first place. Now, people, this is where the law is the proverbial 'donkey' (trying to be polite, this after all is a business blog.) Innocent until proven guilty, right, Lagos? Tune in to NTA news for that, to me, personally,
it's sad news when the has to take its course in the favour of the EFCC blacklisted politicians. Forgive the sad and boring digression, Lagos.
Why are Lagosians afraid of purchasing insurance? Seriously, why are we afraid of buying into insurance right now? Unfortunately, it's the level of professionalism portrayed on the part of us, the insurance marketers! I'm not talking about all of us (please take it easy guys, read on) but some of us. Most people are afraid of the guys who knock their doors and ask for their cash, cheques and signatures on their forms. Lagosians, in fact, I'm talking about Nigerians in general, are afraid of us insurance marketers, financial and investment planners and whatever names we call ourselves these days. Buy, why? Why, Lagos, why?
How many of us, insurance marketers, are credible? How many of us are trustworthy? Stories abound out there of how many a young, dashing, sweet-talking insurance marketer worm his way into the heart of an unsuspecting prospective buyer or investor, fill the form and 'bolt' with the cash! Oh! I'm lying? In the course of prospecting, I've heard countless accounts of how people have been swindled of their hard-earned money by these fraudulent guys. Ask yourself, Mr marketer, how many times have your objections taken the shape of prospects expressing their fear of being swindled and their investment being intact? Take a minute, make that two minutes...there you go, you've lost count. The question is, how does the prospective buyer know a credible, trustworthy insurance marketer when he meets one? Is it by manner of speech, sight or composure? How do you tell that sleek-talking, handsome/beautiful marketer is not out to take your money and dash off?
It will be a rather exhausting exercise (and boring too) to lecture anyone about credibility and trustworthiness, that's what parents and religions teach (my pastor will be proud if I decide to take the issue up though, besides people have read countless books and articles about that and I don't want anyone yawning to my blogs) What should the prospective buyer have at the back of his mind when he/she meets an insurance marketer? What areas of credibility should that person possess?
As an insurance marketer, ladies and gentlemen, after putting on your good looks, well-coiffed hair or close shaven head, that charcoal black suit, the strong but gentle-and-kind on-the-nostrils powerful perfume (or perfumes, depending on what you like,) the black shoes polished to military precision (or high-heeled Jimmy Choos for the ladies), the 'swag' aka confidence (you definitely can't leave home without the swag,) don't leave these qualities behind in the house if you want to be seen as credible
1. Competence
2. Expertise
3. Character
4. Personal integrity
5. Trustworthiness
There are many others but these qualities mentioned above would serve you quite well.
As an insurance marketer, one's competence would prepare you for a lot. With competence you're putting the 'right' forward all the time. Competence would portray the right individual as
- Being experienced
- Informed about his business and other things as well
- Qualified to handle his business
- Skilled (armed with the knowledge, ability and training to perform the activity)
- Intelligent
When I started out in the business of insurance prospecting, I was always scared of sounding right, like Clark Kent. I'd always rehearse my speeches and run through all the routines in training because at the beginning I knew nothing about the business. Thank god, now I'm on top of the situation like a cowboy at a rodeo on a bronco...like hanging on to a speeding bus like a Lagos bus conductor! No falling off that horse, yee-aah! Competence does that for you, it supplies a good dose of confidence.
With expertise, one would be able to gather information that will be useful in delivering in his business, no matter how rough things getting you'll ride the storm to Graceland. You don't have to sound right, you have rightness living inside of you, you're not Clark 'clueless' Kent anymore, you're superman. If you don't have
expertise today, get it, go to bed as Clark and wake up as Superman and don't wear the clumsy glasses and goofy attitude anymore.
Now with character, that's every one's Kryptonite. Examine yourself, take time and look at yourself and ask the question, "What are my strengths and weaknesses?" Take stock and learn to project yourself on the basis of your strengths not your weaknesses, build on your strengths, never your weaknesses. There's no reversal to that rule! Don't let your weaknesses do a Jekyll and Hyde on you, always be in control of your weaknesses ( and emotions.) Character matters a lot to prospective buyers, hone and sharpen yourselves people. People without character are unreliable, if you don't stand up for something, you'll fall for anything. Character won't make you fall for anything. Go on prospecting with good character, you won't go wrong and if they say no...well, make sure you don't leave your pen in the prospects chest...(control yourself and go away with pride.)
Personal integrity slightly interwoven with character, let's look at P.I as that quality that stands you out. Personal Integrity defines who you are when nobody is looking. As a kid, it was street smart to go in groups of three or four to buy sweets from the mallam's counter right? How many of us didn't sneak wafer bars, sweets and bubble gum while mallam was attending to Junior and Segun's orders? Is it because you can't, that you'll get caught or you're just plain scared or sissy or you're too much for such childish ploy? How many of us, Lagos, return the change when the bus conductor overpays us? Did you do it because of the scowl on the next guy's face or that lady you don't even fancy in the first place or you just don't feel right with cheating other people? That's what personal integrity adds to you as a business person, you won't lie, you won't cheat, you won't steal, even when you have the chance to do it and be away a million years before anyone would notice. Whatever is wrong won't stick with you even if you'd get away with it. You know I'm not trying to be sanctimonious, Lagos, there are people out there who feel what I'm saying about personal integrity.
What does trustworthiness do to you as a business person? It just backs you up! It should radiate out in your speeches, it should ooze out like your swag. You won't sweeten any deal with what you or your company cannot deliver. You wouldn't tell prospective buyers they can pull out of a five year contract anytime they feel like even next year if they feel like. Trustworthiness makes you walk the line, when you make a promise or condition, you deliver not matter what. Why are we having problems in the financial industry? Because some people can't be honest, that's all! The deals are too sweet to turn down, ethics fly out the window and conscience, God...the Big guy understands how much you need this one he won't hit you with the
thunderbolt, he'll take a chill pill while you're cooking the filthy schemes! Lord have mercy! May the good Lord have mercy...
As an insurance marketer or as an individual in any sphere of life, I don't want to end up like Mr Maddoff, he siphoned $65 billion and would spend the next 150 years in jail! I wouldn't survive 1 day of house arrest, let alone 18 months concurring for mis-appropriating 191 billion like madam...When I go out to do my job, I do the best I can, that's all. When next you go out for business, to build your credibility, do the following
- Stress your knowledge in the business and experience
- Be a fluid communicator
- Pick up your speaking pace (that's one of the things swag'll do for you)
- Be likable
- Use humour...carefully
You don't want to define mixed feelings as "Watching your most disliked mother in-law reverse into the path of a speeding trailer on Ikorodu road...in your just newly bought customized Rolls Royce Phantom." to a happily married prospect.
Have fun, Lagos and don't forget to call or text a credible and trustworthy insurance marketer, Olumide Ogungbemi on 07033588160 and 07056989820 for all you need to know about life assurance policies and
products in Lagos, Nigeria.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Let's Talk About Life Assurance...
Listening to some Lagosians talk about the insurance sector of the financial services industry is like watching Ripley's believe it or not. Lagos, could we be that clueless about something so essential? In advanced economies the world over, the Europes and the U.S of As of this world, there are some services and even some sports you can't take part in if you're not insured. Oh! You think am making this up, go try bungee jumping or para skiing without insurance...that'll happen when hell freezes over and pigs skate. Seriously, let's talk about why you need an insurance policy.
The insurance arm of the financial industry is in the business of providing financial protection for property, life, health, etc against specified contigencies such as death, loss or damage. This involves the payment of specific sums of money (premiums) in return for guaranteeing such protection. In plain English, it involves setting money aside for the purpose of providing protection on the things we love or cherish, so if something happens we'll be able to replace what we lost.
I'm not going to bore you with the classes of insurance, with all due respect that's google's job (I find some people agreeing with me on that one.) Let's take a look at life assurance (ladies and gentlemen that's why am putting this up in the first place). Life assurace in plain terms, involves payment of premiums for the protection of one's life, in the event of the insured losing his/her life, provision can be made for the dependents based upon the insured's accumulated savings. Interesting isn't it? I mean, you do all that work and saviings just to provide for your family, right? Wrong! the benefits that life assurance offers is much more than paying compensation to the insured's family. Let's examine why life assurance is different from all forms of insurance and other financial products and services.
Differences between life assurance and other financial services.
1. Life assurace encourages you to embark on compulsory savings culture.
2. Life assurance guarantees you regular income by way of interest i.e. compound interest.
3. As a secured investment, it is usually a way of compelling you to save for 'rainy days' as against most other investment portfolios that can
be accessed at will.
4. Because it is a future financial security option, it's the answer to the fear of the unknown future.
5. Installment method payment makes it covenient for you as against as against other financial products that require lump sum or large deposits.
6. It's financial security for your beneficiaries in the event of death as it's not prone to high risks resulting from business failures or fraud.
7. The payment of compensation at the event of death of the insured aka sum assured, irrespective of how short the policy is in existence and how small the premium paid.
8. This to me is the best one, you can insure your life with more than one insurance company! Try that with your house or some other property and you won't find anyone covering unless they don't know about it.
I know some of my readers are saying "Look at this guy go, yakking and blabbing as if being insured is accepting the gospel of Christ." Well, ladies and gentlemen, we can never be too sure about life. You see, life throw some wicked curve balls at us in the game of life, we can't be too sure about the state of our investments some times. Circa 2008, before the worldwide stock crash, many Lagosians were millionaires courtesy of their investment in the shares of companies they've always trusted. What happened after the stock bust? Many Lagosians were reduced to tears, especially the young and upcoming believers in stock and shares, the watched their money plummet with their shares.
Let's not forget, Lagos, I'm not just talking about insurance generally here, I'm talking about life assurance specifically. The class of insurance that acts like your savings account with much more benefits, your real savings account! Lagosians, ask those you know around you that have life assurance policies during the the stock bust of 2008 and they would tell you their investments are, like Baba Presido used to say, "Dey Kampe." Nothing happened to their investments but what their insurers told them would happen;
- Guaranteed value
- Return on investment
- Steady growth of investment (their monies grew in leaps and bounds because of the a beautiful feature in life assurance named, Compound Interest.)
The fear of many of us is that you can't access your investment in life assurance until the event of death. Let me tell you emphatically now, Lagos, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIE TO REAP YOUR INVESTMENT IN LIFE ASSURANCE!" Life assurance policies are flexible with termination dates that can be chosen by the insured; you could agree to a 15-year policy and decide to terminate in 8 years, you could in the middle of the tenor or term or duration of the policy decide to partially withdraw on the investment and a host of other features and benefits.
Let me tell you the story of what transpired between me and a customer that demonstrates life assurace policy acting as a savings account. This story might turn out to be a bit verbose but permit me to tell it as it is a good testimonial of a good product and a good company. I went into the office of this customer of my company's (Standard Alliance Life Assurance) one day to ask her to start a policy with us. Unknown to me, however, she's already running a 15-year policy with us. Back in 2001, she started the policy with a young man (who today is a manager in one of the leading companies in the insurance business in Nigeria) when she was in public service. She's had several insurance marketers and agents in the course of the 8 years she paid her premiums to the company. On getting to dealing with me, she decided to terminate her policy!
"What?" I exclaimed, "You're 8 years into the policy already ma, just 7 more years and you'll get your money back." She replied and said "If your company's credible and trustworthy, you'd terminate this policy for me, have I not tried? Am Already more than halfway into the policy and now I want my money back!"
My heart sank in my chest as I walked out of her office with her letter of termination in my folder, I told the story to my boss with pain in my heart as I submittted the letter stating the customer's intention (thinking of it now, it turned out be an opportunity for me to test my company's credibility, to find an answer to the question "Do we really pay claims and how quickly do we do it?").
Some weeks after, the policy was terminated and her cheque was sent from the company's headquarters to my office. Lagos, you can imagine her joy when she recieved her cheque, right there and she wrote another cheque wanting to start another policy with us!
If you think I made the story up, call me on 07033588160 and 07056989820 and I'll come over and show you the photocopies of all the documents backing the transaction; statement of account, the cheque terminating the previous policy and the cheque she started her new policy with. Need I say more, Lagos? Have a blessed and fantastic week ahead.
The insurance arm of the financial industry is in the business of providing financial protection for property, life, health, etc against specified contigencies such as death, loss or damage. This involves the payment of specific sums of money (premiums) in return for guaranteeing such protection. In plain English, it involves setting money aside for the purpose of providing protection on the things we love or cherish, so if something happens we'll be able to replace what we lost.
I'm not going to bore you with the classes of insurance, with all due respect that's google's job (I find some people agreeing with me on that one.) Let's take a look at life assurance (ladies and gentlemen that's why am putting this up in the first place). Life assurace in plain terms, involves payment of premiums for the protection of one's life, in the event of the insured losing his/her life, provision can be made for the dependents based upon the insured's accumulated savings. Interesting isn't it? I mean, you do all that work and saviings just to provide for your family, right? Wrong! the benefits that life assurance offers is much more than paying compensation to the insured's family. Let's examine why life assurance is different from all forms of insurance and other financial products and services.
Differences between life assurance and other financial services.
1. Life assurace encourages you to embark on compulsory savings culture.
2. Life assurance guarantees you regular income by way of interest i.e. compound interest.
3. As a secured investment, it is usually a way of compelling you to save for 'rainy days' as against most other investment portfolios that can
be accessed at will.
4. Because it is a future financial security option, it's the answer to the fear of the unknown future.
5. Installment method payment makes it covenient for you as against as against other financial products that require lump sum or large deposits.
6. It's financial security for your beneficiaries in the event of death as it's not prone to high risks resulting from business failures or fraud.
7. The payment of compensation at the event of death of the insured aka sum assured, irrespective of how short the policy is in existence and how small the premium paid.
8. This to me is the best one, you can insure your life with more than one insurance company! Try that with your house or some other property and you won't find anyone covering unless they don't know about it.
I know some of my readers are saying "Look at this guy go, yakking and blabbing as if being insured is accepting the gospel of Christ." Well, ladies and gentlemen, we can never be too sure about life. You see, life throw some wicked curve balls at us in the game of life, we can't be too sure about the state of our investments some times. Circa 2008, before the worldwide stock crash, many Lagosians were millionaires courtesy of their investment in the shares of companies they've always trusted. What happened after the stock bust? Many Lagosians were reduced to tears, especially the young and upcoming believers in stock and shares, the watched their money plummet with their shares.
Let's not forget, Lagos, I'm not just talking about insurance generally here, I'm talking about life assurance specifically. The class of insurance that acts like your savings account with much more benefits, your real savings account! Lagosians, ask those you know around you that have life assurance policies during the the stock bust of 2008 and they would tell you their investments are, like Baba Presido used to say, "Dey Kampe." Nothing happened to their investments but what their insurers told them would happen;
- Guaranteed value
- Return on investment
- Steady growth of investment (their monies grew in leaps and bounds because of the a beautiful feature in life assurance named, Compound Interest.)
The fear of many of us is that you can't access your investment in life assurance until the event of death. Let me tell you emphatically now, Lagos, "YOU DON'T HAVE TO DIE TO REAP YOUR INVESTMENT IN LIFE ASSURANCE!" Life assurance policies are flexible with termination dates that can be chosen by the insured; you could agree to a 15-year policy and decide to terminate in 8 years, you could in the middle of the tenor or term or duration of the policy decide to partially withdraw on the investment and a host of other features and benefits.
Let me tell you the story of what transpired between me and a customer that demonstrates life assurace policy acting as a savings account. This story might turn out to be a bit verbose but permit me to tell it as it is a good testimonial of a good product and a good company. I went into the office of this customer of my company's (Standard Alliance Life Assurance) one day to ask her to start a policy with us. Unknown to me, however, she's already running a 15-year policy with us. Back in 2001, she started the policy with a young man (who today is a manager in one of the leading companies in the insurance business in Nigeria) when she was in public service. She's had several insurance marketers and agents in the course of the 8 years she paid her premiums to the company. On getting to dealing with me, she decided to terminate her policy!
"What?" I exclaimed, "You're 8 years into the policy already ma, just 7 more years and you'll get your money back." She replied and said "If your company's credible and trustworthy, you'd terminate this policy for me, have I not tried? Am Already more than halfway into the policy and now I want my money back!"
My heart sank in my chest as I walked out of her office with her letter of termination in my folder, I told the story to my boss with pain in my heart as I submittted the letter stating the customer's intention (thinking of it now, it turned out be an opportunity for me to test my company's credibility, to find an answer to the question "Do we really pay claims and how quickly do we do it?").
Some weeks after, the policy was terminated and her cheque was sent from the company's headquarters to my office. Lagos, you can imagine her joy when she recieved her cheque, right there and she wrote another cheque wanting to start another policy with us!
If you think I made the story up, call me on 07033588160 and 07056989820 and I'll come over and show you the photocopies of all the documents backing the transaction; statement of account, the cheque terminating the previous policy and the cheque she started her new policy with. Need I say more, Lagos? Have a blessed and fantastic week ahead.
Monday, October 18, 2010
My First Business Blog
Wow! This officially is my first blog. It's a very scary thing for a rookie but I'm going to be inspired by Justin Bieber's Never Say Never lyrics
I never thought that I could walk through fire,
I never thought that I could take the burn,
I never had the strength to take it higher,
until I reached the point of no return,
but there's just no turning back when your heart's under attack,
gotta give everything I have, cuz it's my destiny...
So goes that very inspiring song by a young man that's liked and disliked in the same breath due to God-knows-what reasons over in the U.S of A. But I digress, let me get back to this presentation. Why would anyone lose sleep over this social media and blogging thing anyway? The answer to that could be many but to me, it's just fear! 'What if nobody sees the blog?' 'What if they see it and don't like it?' 'What if they like it and still don't do anything?' Too many what-ifs, the worst of which could be; 'What if I don't try at all...'
This rookie's post is meant to address a major issue, a major financial issue which is the aim of this blog in the first place (others can come much later.) I happen to work in the Nigerian financial industry, the Insurance sector to be exact. I'm with Standard Alliance Life Assurance Limited, Ikeja, a time-tested Insurance company and part of the Standard Alliance Insurance Group that's been in existence since October 1989, with a capital base of well over 200 billion naira. My company profile and other information can be obtained from http//www.salifeng.com.
I'm sure unless the reader is lying; nobody takes kindly to this kind of financial service. People don't even want to hear us, let alone listen to what we're offering (that is gist for another day.) 9 out of 10 persons I meet and talk to in Lagos, Nigeria would tell me, "I've no need for insurance." Most would say, "Can we believe in your service?" Let's not forget the commonest objection or excuse, "God is my insurance." I simply wonder if the parable of the 10 virgins of which we had 5 wise ones and 5 foolish ones, is not in the version of their bibles.
Lagos, Nigeria, let's not patronize ourselves, just because we lack information about the insurance sector doesn't mean the service is useless or fraudulent. Look at the banks and the Micro-finance banks and shiver! This ex-CEO forfeits xxxbillion naira and bags xx months' sentence and the other ex-CEOs are lining up to take plea bargain from EFCC. May this cup pass us over in my sector but for the time being not one insurance company's CEO is in the docks yet! Praise God! I'm not in anyway trying to be funny or disparage anyone's services but making a very solid and valid case for the Insurance industry! Lagos, Nigeria, you need us! Dwelling on that too long is only going to sound like a broken record. In due time, I'll be sharing with people, facts and figures and testimonials (my own experience in the industry, of course) of very satisfied customers of my company's services.
Let's address the issue of saving, which originally is what this post is all about. Yes! Why do you need to save? A primary and not difficult need for everyone yet very tasking to achieve if we look at the financial burden we have to carry or the financial environment provided by our ever-fumbling and wobbling banks and other financial institutions. We shall address the need to save first and other things later. Ladies and gentlemen, why do you need to save money?
People must save, so that they can have something to fall back on in future. There is need for people to save, to enable them to move to the next level. You may be asking yourself “Why is there so much pressure to save money?” if you have enough to pay for everything you need, why should you worry about putting any aside each month?
Different people save money for different reasons
1. Emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses
These could be an unexpected car repair, emergency appendectomy etc.
2. Retirement
The sooner you start saving for your retirement, the less you will have to save in the future.
3. Down payment for a house or building project
Much like retirement plans, the earlier this is started the better, you’ll have a lighter burden much later in the future.
4. Sinking funds
Money set aside for future repairs or improvements in your possessions or lifestyle.
5. Children’s education
Especially for the employed single, the ultimate destination is marriage after which you start raising children. The earlier you plan for them the better for you.
The way out is to starting thinking of financial planning, the solution lies in a savings plan. Think of the savings plan with maximum benefits.
Now, let's be practical with ourselves. So long as any individual is
* 18 years old and above
* Is employed or has a business he/she is running
* Has dependents i.e. married with or without children (or intends to raise a family later in life if presently single)
* Has a means, occupation or way of generating income, that person is qualified to purchase an insurance policy.
In my little experience in the business, I don't just sell insurance policies, I sell savings plans. Savings plans? Let me explain myself. The policies on offer in my company are designed to meet specific targets and needs. They have several benefits that allows for the insured or customer to have a need or target in mind and save money towards meeting that need, the moment the time your money is needed, the policy (which is designed to have flexible maturity date in the first place) could be partially withdrawn or terminated outright. Like I said earlier, I have customers with pleasant testimonials about policy termination and prompt payment of claims and very satisfactory customer service.
Enough said already, in my subsequent posts I shall be sharing some of my company's policies and customer testimonials with photocopies of documents to substantiate my claims. Like I said at the beginning, this is my first business post and I'm not a professional writer nor journalist (at least not yet) nor an experienced blogger yet, so be kind enough to leave comments on how I can improve. And if you're resident in Lagos, Nigeria and you have issues concerning life insurance business, you can contact me, the rookie blogger, Olumide Ogungbemi, on 07056989820 and 07033588160.
Thank you and God bless you.
I never thought that I could walk through fire,
I never thought that I could take the burn,
I never had the strength to take it higher,
until I reached the point of no return,
but there's just no turning back when your heart's under attack,
gotta give everything I have, cuz it's my destiny...
So goes that very inspiring song by a young man that's liked and disliked in the same breath due to God-knows-what reasons over in the U.S of A. But I digress, let me get back to this presentation. Why would anyone lose sleep over this social media and blogging thing anyway? The answer to that could be many but to me, it's just fear! 'What if nobody sees the blog?' 'What if they see it and don't like it?' 'What if they like it and still don't do anything?' Too many what-ifs, the worst of which could be; 'What if I don't try at all...'
This rookie's post is meant to address a major issue, a major financial issue which is the aim of this blog in the first place (others can come much later.) I happen to work in the Nigerian financial industry, the Insurance sector to be exact. I'm with Standard Alliance Life Assurance Limited, Ikeja, a time-tested Insurance company and part of the Standard Alliance Insurance Group that's been in existence since October 1989, with a capital base of well over 200 billion naira. My company profile and other information can be obtained from http//www.salifeng.com.
I'm sure unless the reader is lying; nobody takes kindly to this kind of financial service. People don't even want to hear us, let alone listen to what we're offering (that is gist for another day.) 9 out of 10 persons I meet and talk to in Lagos, Nigeria would tell me, "I've no need for insurance." Most would say, "Can we believe in your service?" Let's not forget the commonest objection or excuse, "God is my insurance." I simply wonder if the parable of the 10 virgins of which we had 5 wise ones and 5 foolish ones, is not in the version of their bibles.
Lagos, Nigeria, let's not patronize ourselves, just because we lack information about the insurance sector doesn't mean the service is useless or fraudulent. Look at the banks and the Micro-finance banks and shiver! This ex-CEO forfeits xxxbillion naira and bags xx months' sentence and the other ex-CEOs are lining up to take plea bargain from EFCC. May this cup pass us over in my sector but for the time being not one insurance company's CEO is in the docks yet! Praise God! I'm not in anyway trying to be funny or disparage anyone's services but making a very solid and valid case for the Insurance industry! Lagos, Nigeria, you need us! Dwelling on that too long is only going to sound like a broken record. In due time, I'll be sharing with people, facts and figures and testimonials (my own experience in the industry, of course) of very satisfied customers of my company's services.
Let's address the issue of saving, which originally is what this post is all about. Yes! Why do you need to save? A primary and not difficult need for everyone yet very tasking to achieve if we look at the financial burden we have to carry or the financial environment provided by our ever-fumbling and wobbling banks and other financial institutions. We shall address the need to save first and other things later. Ladies and gentlemen, why do you need to save money?
People must save, so that they can have something to fall back on in future. There is need for people to save, to enable them to move to the next level. You may be asking yourself “Why is there so much pressure to save money?” if you have enough to pay for everything you need, why should you worry about putting any aside each month?
Different people save money for different reasons
1. Emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses
These could be an unexpected car repair, emergency appendectomy etc.
2. Retirement
The sooner you start saving for your retirement, the less you will have to save in the future.
3. Down payment for a house or building project
Much like retirement plans, the earlier this is started the better, you’ll have a lighter burden much later in the future.
4. Sinking funds
Money set aside for future repairs or improvements in your possessions or lifestyle.
5. Children’s education
Especially for the employed single, the ultimate destination is marriage after which you start raising children. The earlier you plan for them the better for you.
The way out is to starting thinking of financial planning, the solution lies in a savings plan. Think of the savings plan with maximum benefits.
Now, let's be practical with ourselves. So long as any individual is
* 18 years old and above
* Is employed or has a business he/she is running
* Has dependents i.e. married with or without children (or intends to raise a family later in life if presently single)
* Has a means, occupation or way of generating income, that person is qualified to purchase an insurance policy.
In my little experience in the business, I don't just sell insurance policies, I sell savings plans. Savings plans? Let me explain myself. The policies on offer in my company are designed to meet specific targets and needs. They have several benefits that allows for the insured or customer to have a need or target in mind and save money towards meeting that need, the moment the time your money is needed, the policy (which is designed to have flexible maturity date in the first place) could be partially withdrawn or terminated outright. Like I said earlier, I have customers with pleasant testimonials about policy termination and prompt payment of claims and very satisfactory customer service.
Enough said already, in my subsequent posts I shall be sharing some of my company's policies and customer testimonials with photocopies of documents to substantiate my claims. Like I said at the beginning, this is my first business post and I'm not a professional writer nor journalist (at least not yet) nor an experienced blogger yet, so be kind enough to leave comments on how I can improve. And if you're resident in Lagos, Nigeria and you have issues concerning life insurance business, you can contact me, the rookie blogger, Olumide Ogungbemi, on 07056989820 and 07033588160.
Thank you and God bless you.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Am a rookie blogger...
What I would give to succeed selling insurance on social media and online in Lagos, Nigeria!
Am a rookie blogger alright (that's long overdue anyway) but am not new to selling life insurance. I just want to do it different from the way others sell insurance. Blogging's no big deal, well, I sure hope insurance blogging's a big deal and hope it moves me to the next level.
Am also going to be blogging about life in Lagos, music, sports, movies, writing, photography and am open to fresh ideas.
Better late than never, they say, well, Mynder the rookie insurance blogger from Lagos, Nigeria is here to stay (just hope somebody finds me interesting out there).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)