Daniella Chiu
Daniella Chiu shares how she managed to requalify for MDRT by trying different ways to expand her network.
Requalifying for MDRT is a challenge to many as finding ways to get clients and prospects to close sales, seem almost impossible. Here we speak to Daniella Chiu, a four-time MDRT member since 2016, to share how she managed to requalify for MDRT. Daniella worked hard and found different ways to expand her network, making her who she is today.
Qualifying for MDRT was made possible through hard work and expanding my network. As there is a target to reach to become an MDRT member, one thing to keep in mind is to know that if you meet 10 people, you can’t expect to close sales with all 10 of them. You need to be hardworking to continuously see how you can build your network and share how you can help improve their quality of life.
For me, a quality I hold close to myself is being sincere in going the extra mile for my clients. This is what has helped me remain on top of mind for my clients. Something else that helped me qualify was because my clients kept returning to me to help them with financial plans. Many of them not only bought policies for themselves but also their own family members, which really helped me reach my target and become an MDRT member.
Sometimes we think potential clients we’ve been communicating with will automatically buy our financial products and we can close the sale. However, sometimes we are not prepared for the event our clients change their mind and don’t end up buying the financial product. When this happens, it makes reaching the MDRT target and qualifying as a member, a challenge. For me, not having a back-up plan for myself to prepare for such times, was a challenge for me.
Another challenge is having to deal with many financial plans out there as clients tend to compare the different financial products. I think it’s very important to keep on expanding your network base because through this, you get to know more people, making it better for you to understand the needs of the market and provide financial plans accordingly.
It’s important to also not push these clients but to communicate how these financial plans can benefit them. Keep in mind to always have good relationships with your clients. Achieving MDRT not only helps you but also helps your client have confidence in the work you do.
If you want to become a financial advisor, it’s important to be prepared to know that people tend to have a certain stereotype towards financial advisors. They think we’re pushy which is why when I started out, I wanted to create value and prove how I could stand out and provide the best for my clients. The financial advisor journey isn’t easy as many a time, potential clients tend to reject the work you do.
However, when you achieve MDRT, people will most likely respect you because of the value you have. The MDRT membership is international, and everyone in the industry knows the value of the title. It’s important to hit the MDRT benchmark if being a successful financial advisor is what you aim to do in the long run. It’ll be good to achieve being a lifetime member too.
For me, I tend to work more on bigger policies. However, not everyone has this specific client base. First things first, you need to get to know your market and your strength. Let’s say you have high net worth clientele. When you network with these people, you’ll get to know their connections and eventually, their friends become your friends too.
You need to find your network and know how you can build your clientele. As there is a requirement to reach to achieve MDRT, you need to go out there and expand your knowledge. It will be tough to achieve the MDRT target if you sell only limited financial products. That’s why you need to know what you’re good at and network as much as possible.
To expand your network and share how your financial products can benefit clients, you also need to mingle with your clients and get to know them better, so that you can get referrals. Through this, you’ll have a wider pool of people to share with, making it easier for you requalify because you keep on renewing plans for these clients in the long run.