The Passionate Agent in Russian

The Passionate Agent is a very practical workbook to assist Life Insurance Agents to more effectively manage their insurance practice. It is written by James M. Heidema.

Now it has been published in the Russian language. The Passionate Agent is also translated into Hungarian and will be published in 2009. It will book will be translated and published for Greece and Cyprus. If you would like to learn more about these books just go to this link: http://professionalsalesplus.com/ThePassionateAgent

Dear colleagues!

Recently I reviewed your activity and results for the past period since we spent time together.

Some of you are doing extremely well. It seems you are using some parts of the material I presented in the seminar. Remember I told you success is a choice and is based on hard work, no excuses, no blaming and no complaining it is working for some of you. Your business and results have improved. Wonderful!

Some of you are not doing so well. You seem to be blaming your manager or the company for your lack of success. Maybe you are correct, or maybe it is just an excuse. I see this trait all around the world. Unsuccessful people tend to look for reasons outside their own behaviours. It is time for you to toughen up! Remember life is not perfect, s**t happens. Get over it! Move forward. Make sure you are doing everything you should before you point your finger at others. Look at your self first!

Complaining, Blaming and making excuses are unhealthy behaviours. I don’t care about your manager, I care about you. The world is in a recession and you need to survive it. Cyprus is not isolated from the world economy. You will be affected. Those of you who are strong will survive! Others … well it won’t be pretty.

Your strength is in your knowledge, skills and abilities. This is a time to pick up the pace and work harder, not sit back and rest.

I feel a sense of urgency. I am really concerned about my own skills, my own attitudes and my own competitiveness. I realize I am going to have to work harder to maintain my current results. I realize my customers will expect more from me rather than less. If I don’t add value in each interaction, then they will find other companies who will provide the services and products they need. You need to develop this same sense of urgency.

I know as you read this, some of you are feeling you don’t have the energy or the time to invest in your business. You don’t have a choice. Your survival depends on you finding the energy, time and making the effort. Your future depends on it.

You know what drives me crazy. People who do not put in an honest effort drive me crazy. People who do minimum work and expect maximum return drive me crazy. People who have a lot of time to make excuses but never put in an honest effort drive me crazy. People who think they have all the time in the world and therefore do not have a sense of urgency drive me crazy.

A question … Are you one of these people who drive me crazy? Well, I am not alone, for you are driving others crazy like your spouse and your family. You have the capacity and you know what you should do it. Your family knows you have greater capacity. why aren’t you using your capacity? So as they say in the Nike ads, Just do it. Work harder, smarter and put in the extra effort required.

As you can tell my messages are getting stronger and more direct. I see your results. Many of you are doing better and at the same time, many of you are driving me crazy. I can see if you are honestly working or not. Get working! Then you, your family, your company and I can be happy. Don’t do it for me, do it for you!

Survive, then you can thrive again!

Thanks for listening,
Jim

The Passionate Manger in Russian

The Passionate Manager is a very practical workbook to assist Life Insurance Managers to more effectively manage their insurance practice. It is written by James M. Heidema.

Now it has been published in the Russian language. The Passionate Agent is also translated into Hungarian and will be published in 2009. It will book will be translated and published for Greece and Cyprus. If you would like to learn more about these books just go to this link: http://professionalsalesplus.com/ThePassionateManager

Dear friends!

You may be surprised that I am still writing but a number of your fellow students wrote me and told me they like my messages and share them with their fellow advisors. So I will keep writing a little longer. As you enter your 10th week since our training experience I was thinking about believe versus disbelieving. I found this great quote from one of the most creative people in our history.

“It is better to believe than to disbelieve. In doing so, we open everything to the realm of possibility!” Albert Einstein.

He is responsible for over 300 scientific journals and the winner of the Nobel Peace prize. Einstein’s name is synonymous a genius. He definitely believed in what was possible. Now not all of us can become a genius, but it would be fair to say we often do not live up to, or reach our capacity. Every day, each of us is given a specific amount of capacity. Unfortunately many of us look for ways to do the minimum rather than the maximum with that capacity. Many of us float through life.

I choose to charge through life. I never wish to be accused of doing the bare minimum in any aspect of my life. Recently I had a financial set-back. Yes, even I have challenges in my life. Was I frustrated and anxious? Absolutely, for a about 2 hours. Then I took control of my thoughts and moved forward. During the first hour I wallowed in my anxiety, thinking negative thoughts. Then in the second hour I began the process of replacing my impossible thoughts with possible ones. I know if I am not careful with my negative thoughts they will control me. I know from experience that whatever I tell my self will become my reality.

What are you telling yourself? Are you saying you cannot work harder, get better results, lead, make more money, do a better job or be a better parent/ husband/wife etc. Be careful! Change your thoughts, then you will change your behaviors, then you will change your results. It starts with you. Does this make sense to you? (hehe!)

If it does, then start today.

Warm regards,
Jim

Ying Yang - Balance is Needed the Economy

Currently the world is facing a severe economic recession. Most politicians and economists are afraid to use the ‘R’ (recession) word. They fear use of the world will cause an even greater down-turn in the economy. What is unusual in this reality is that the depression is not limited to a few single nations but is dramatically affecting the majority of the producing nations. One could say, it is because it is because all country economies are linked. We think it is much more than that.

We think the reason we are seeing the same financial failures and bail-outs around the world is because the model upon which our economies are based is flawed. The model is based upon greed. The chasm between rich and poor is widening. The number of people in the world without basic food and water has increased dramatically. The number of rich people has not increased dramatically. There is a fundamentally inequity between the haves and the have-nots.

The governments of the world are applying a bandage to a patient with a severed leg. They are trying to save the old model by printing money and going into horrendous debt. This greed mentality is the cornerstone of capitalism.

A new model will be needed! We must find a balance between capitalism and communism. In capitalism, the needs of the group are sacrificed for the individual. It is the me-first mentality. In communism, the needs of the individual are sacrificed for the group. We need to find a balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of the group. We need to break down the old world order and build a new world order.

The current changes in the economy and the economic model is putting enormous pressure on the leaders and workers of each country. People are losing their jobs and their homes. The next years will be a positive and negative experience for us all. Fortunately mankind has proven its tenacity, vitality, enthusiasm and resourcefulness to overcome adversity.

We will survive this period if we chose to do so. Each day, when faced with all the challenges of this economic reality, we have a choice. One choice is to find a ways to work our way through this mess. The other is to feel victimized and do nothing but let it overwhelm us. The choice is yours. Within our books and seminars we give you simple, yet relevant systems, processes and tools to help you cope with change. Now it is up to you. You can choose to grow or not. Good luck!

Dear associates!

I am not sure you are finding value in these messages. I am also not sure they are having any effect upon you. Can you please do me a favour! If you find value in these notes, please tell Michalis or Zacharias! If I do not hear from you this week, I will assume you are not finding value and I will stop sending them. Yes, that is correct, this is my last message unless I hear from you.

I have been watching the world economy with great interest. In particular I am looking for best practices. What are the successful advisors and managers doing to survive the recession and thrive after it. I expect and believe 2009 will be a challenging year for many customers and advisors. We are now seeing a large number of layoffs and plant closures. Reported earnings of the major top 500 companies of world are beginning to fall. It will take a few years, not months, to recover from the current global crisis. If you expect it is business as usual, you are sadly mistaken. The economy is a mess and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future.

This is not a time for you to hide under a rock and hope it all goes away. In fact, inactivity is the worst thing you can do. As well, if you act like you did before this crisis that is another mistake. I am sure some of you are very concerned about the messages I am conveying in this e-mail. If I have gotten your attention, then great my job is half-done. Are you shocked? Yes, then great! You should be! This is not a time for complacency! Do not think for a moment that you can survive this period if you do not change your tactics.

Now for the good news. This crisis is survivable. No question and no doubt about it! BUT you must change your approach. As I said in previous e-mails, our customers are in shock and they have lost faith in most financial organizations and the advisors who work for those organizations. Regardless of the reason for this current global economic crisis, it is real and it does apply in Cyprus. You will find in the coming months that your customers will become more unsettled and more cautious when they deal with you. The potential market will shrink.

How do you survive! Below I have some basic suggestions how you can gain your share of the available market.

1. Change your thinking - It is not business as usual, it is business as unusual. You must accept that you must change your thinking.
2. Get up off your ass - I know this is strong language - but many of you are too complacent. This is a time to work harder, not slow down. Increase your energy!
3. Add value - look for ways to add value to your existing and potential customers. Do not give the the bare minimum of service. Wow them with your service. Under promise and over deliver.
4. Focus on the core activities - Prospecting, Approaching Prospects and Behaving correctly in the Meeting with the customer.
5. Increase by 10% - in all aspects of your efforts do 10% more - 10% more prospects, 10% more calls, 10% more appointments, 10% more self development, etc. If you increase your effort by 10% you will increase your income by 50%.
6. Lead in the marketplace by your integrity - focus on honesty, truthfulness and transparency. Make sure all your customers, co-workers and managers see your integrity above all else.

If you do not follow my simple advice then you will fail! It is that simple. If you want to truly survive and thrive, then get up off your ass! If I have offended you by my language, then great. I am so tired of people who make hollow promises and don’t deliver. This is a time to deliver. If you don’t think it is necessary, then I hope you enjoy the results of your lack of effort.

This is my last message (unless you tell me to keep going)! I wish you the best always.

Warm regards,
Jim

Dear friends!

As we enter week 8, I have been thinking a lot about the evolving economic crisis facing you and I and the rest of the world. Many advisors in the world have become catatonic in response to the fears they feel. What I mean to say is they have allowed their fears and concerns to cause them to become inactive. I believe we need to change our thinking.

We should not worry about what is happening now, what we should worry about the day after! The day after is when all this chaos and confusion ends and we go back to work. When the economy settles down. When society replaces fear with hope. The day after!

We need to understand and accept that how we behaved before this current crisis is not an acceptable way to behave the day after. The trust we previously had with our customers has been seriously damaged. The banks in the US have misbehaved (zero prime mortgages), precipitated a world-wide economic crisis, and therefore damaged the reputation of anyone working in the financial services industry. It does not matter if you are working in the insurance business, a general agent, a loans office, a bank employee or whatever other financial position, all will be ‘painted with the same brush!’ What I mean is that all of us will be lumped together and blamed for the economic crisis we are currently experiencing.

It you think is it business as usual, if you think you do not need to change, if you think Cyprus is different than the US or England or China, you will be sadly mistaken. This is a globally interconnected and interdependent world. What happens anywhere in the world can have an affect on how you do business in Cyprus. This is not a time for you to be complacent. This is a time for you to lead. Lead through your behaviours.

This is a time for you to re-commit yourselves to the profession. This is a time to focus on your professionalism, productivity and profitability. It will be really important that you decide today what the day after will look like for you and your customers. Will you be like everyone else? Will you behave like you have always behaved? If you do not change you will slowly become less and less effective. The customer’s expectation of you and your services will be different. The real question is will you be different.

Today is when you decide what the day after will look like for you. The choice is yours. Don’t wait until it is too later. The day after is approaching! Good luck!
Jim

To the Team!

Dear friends!

Currently the world is facing a severe economic recession. Most politicians and economists are afraid to use the ‘R’ (recession) word. They fear use of the world will cause an even greater down-turn in the economy. What is unusual in this reality is that the depression is not limited to a few single nations but is dramatically affecting the majority of the producing nations. One could say, it is because it is because all country economies are linked. I think it is much more than that.

I think the reason we are seeing the same financial failures and bail-outs around the world is because the model upon which our economies are based is flawed. The model is based upon greed. The chasm between rich and poor is widening. The number of people in the world without basic food and water has increased dramatically. The number of rich people has not increased dramatically. There is a fundamentally inequity between the haves and the have-nots.

The governments of the world are applying a bandage to a patient with a severed leg. They are trying to save the old model by printing money and going into horrendous debt. This greed mentality is the cornerstone of capitalism.

A new model will be needed! We must find a balance between capitalism and communism. In capitalism, the needs of the group are sacrificed for the individual. It is the me-first mentality. In communism, the needs of the individual are sacrificed for the group. We need to find a balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of the group. We need to break down the old world order and build a new world order.

The current changes in the economy and the economic model is putting enormous pressure on the leaders and workers of each country. People are losing their jobs and their homes. The next years will be a positive and negative experience for us all. Fortunately mankind has proven its tenacity, vitality, enthusiasm and resourcefulness to overcome adversity.

We will survive this period if we chose to do so. Each day, when faced with all the challenges of this economic reality, we have a choice. One choice is to find a ways to work our way through this mess. The other is to feel victimized and do nothing but let it overwhelm us. The choice is yours. I have given you simple, yet relevant systems, processes and tools to help you cope with change. Be a leader not a follower!

You can survive and thrive in these challenging times. It is up to you.

Good luck!
Jim

(To the Financial Advisors)

Hello my colleagues!

It has been a number of weeks since we spent time together. Remember in the seminar we used a model to gain a larger number of quality referrals to people who matched our profile of the ideal customer. Of course I am talking about the 6-5-4-3-2-1 Chart coupled with your personal Profile Form. I have been training this all over the world and the old record was 49 quality referrals in a single appointment. The new record is now 50 quality referrals! Wow! This is amazing. Is it possible to gain a large number of quality referrals in Cyprus? Absolutely! If you ask!

The Profile Form and the 6-5-4-3-2-1 Chart are just tools in your insurance practice tool box. If you chose not to use this tool, then you acting like a carpenter who tries to do his job without a hammer. How can you effectively build your business without using the right tools? If you don’t use these simple tools then you are acting really unprofessionally and your ratio between prospects and sales will be horrible. Your choice, my way or your way. I know my way works really well everywhere in the world, including Cyprus. I know yours does not work as well.

As I said before a steady stream of quality prospects is like gasoline in your engine. If you do not adopt the habit of gathering prospects on a daily basis, then your engine will starve for fuel and eventually die. You are bright people and you should be able to see and understand this! Don’t let your fear of failure or success, or your current comfort prevent you from using your capacity wisely. Each of us is given a measure of capacity each day, use it wisely. Build your inventory of prospects and you will move one major step closer to success and leadership in the insurance marketplace in Cyprus. You can do this!

It is time for you to re-commit yourself to these tools. Go back to your notes. Role-play with a colleague. Practice and master these tools. Remember the principle of 22! It takes 22 times of doing something to make a habit. Your current and future success depend on this habit. Hard work equals good luck! Start today!

I wish you continued success!
Jim

To Advisors!

I thought I would share something that motivates me in those morning when I don’t want to work as hard as I should.

R.G. Bannister did what was thought impossible and ran a sub-four minute mile in 1954. Once he accomplished what was previously considered to beyond the reach of man, other runners were motivated by his performance, and new records were set. All these runners, and everyone who breaks records and does what was thought impossible, look past the present to “when.” - Michael Ramundo

So what does this quote mean to me? No matter what anyone says that you can or cannot do, you are the only person who sets limits on your achievements. Do not let anyone determine your success or your failure. You have absolute control and great amounts of unused potential. I determine my success and my failure, so do you do! By the way, the world record for running the mile now … is held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, who set the world mark at that distance with 3 minutes 43.13 seconds in Rome, Italy on July 7, 1999.

It is easy to give up on the changes you must make in your business. Don’t give up! Keep working! Each of us can become a R.G. Bannister if we choose! Success is a choice!

Have a great week!
Jim