I never have to sell insurance products to my clients because they always come to me. I simply follow a few selling guidelines I learned at previous MDRT Annual Meetings:
   - Use humor to engage clients.
   - Always meet face to face.
   - Follow up with clients after a sale to check on customer satisfaction.
   - Never criticize the competition.

The MDRT Annual Meeting Main Platform and Focus Sessions have given me a lot of confidence, and as a result, have helped me earn faith on behalf of my clients. My clients treat me as a family member and love working with me. They are my most valuable asset, but the MISSION and the VISION is MDRT.

Submitted by five-year MDRT member Harish Mishra of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Whenever my staff prepares a presentation for a prospective client or performs a review of an existing client's portfolio, we always include a company profile. We do this to show that our business activities are to look at strategies to protect our clients and to help them accumulate wealth, reduce debt and protect their family assets.

While discussing various financial planning strategies, I always say to them that they should not be worried about the means that we suggest to provide them with cash when they need it most. What matters is the security of knowing the funds will be available at the time they'll need them without having to sell any of their assets. We let them know that our goal is to protect and advise them financially, not to sell them anything they don't need.

By utilizing these strategies, I am changing my business from being one that relies on the sale of products, to one which is also providing advice to clients. I also charge a fee for this advice, and this change has been well-received by my clients.

Submitted by 16-year MDRT member Anthony J. Carlyon, FAFA, F, Fin, of Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia.

A prospecting idea to create new business from existing clients is by sending birthday cards and making phone calls. We ordered something called pop-up cards from England. They are very unusual and attract a lot of attention.

At the end of each month, one of my assistants prepares a list of all clients and centers of influence who will have a birthday during the following month. Each morning when I arrive at the office, I run a list of everyone with a birthday on that given day. I pick up the phone and call, "Gary, this is Marc Silverman. I just called to wish you a happy birthday today. Make it a great one." If they are not in, I leave them a voice mail.

This is a great and profitable idea. Once I called a client to wish him a happy birthday and he responded by saying, "I'm glad you called: I am having an income tax problem and need your help. I made too much money this year." I wound up writing a $100,000 annual premium as a result of this birthday call. Do I still make calls? You better believe it.

From the 2000 MDRT Proceedings of Marc A. Silverman, CLU, ChFC, of Miami, Florida, a 22-year MDRT member. To learn more, read the entire session: Prospecting and the Art of Selling.

Everybody wants life insurance right? They just don't want to pay for it. If you can find prospective clients the money to pay for it, or use some other asset to pay the premium, you will dramatically increase your sales.

Ask clients the following questions:
"If I could increase your take home pay by $200 a month, would you follow my recommendation and start this plan?"

The answer to this is always "yes." Suggest the client increase their exemptions on their employee-filed W4 form. This increase results in a higher yearly take-home pay. Advise your client to use this money to begin your plan.

"Would you buy my recommendations for coverage if you didn't have to put down any extra money?"

Suggest the client move some of their assets to a quality balanced mutual fund or a high-yield bond fund. These bond funds generally pay 7.5 to 9 percent interest rates, creating higher dividends. This adds an extra $200 to your client's monthly income and provides the necessary assets to start your plan.

Submitted by 30-year MDRT member Joseph V. Casale, CLU, ChFC, of Rye, New York.

After a rejection from a prospective client, I never lose my cool. I simply depart on a positive note and ask for permission to get in touch in the future.

Then, I transfer that person's name into a "cool box" list. I do not call these prospects again, but always remain in touch by regular mail or e-mail.

Eventually, this "cool box" brings back approximately 20 percent of those clients that I would have lost by getting agitated after initial rejection.

Submitted Sunit S. Arora, a nine-year MDRT member from Salmiya, Kuwait.