"OO... so if he dies I get money. If I die he doesn't get any money. Because that's his insurance.
Because if he dies I have nothing to cook," Guslaini paused for a moment, "Then if I die... there's no one to cook for... hahaha"
That's how my prospective customer, Guslaini, summed up my explanation of insurance. Usually, insurance agents would soften the language by replacing the word 'death' with 'risk of life'. But with this Padangite, it felt very fluid to talk about death.
"Is that not preceding God's destiny, ka?" She asked later.
"Whether there is insurance or not, when it's time for people to die, they just die. You don't have to be sick first, you don't have to be old first, and you don't have to have insurance first. Insurance is not about the person who dies, but there are people who have to continue life after someone dies."
"Like me, a housewife who only takes care of the children has never worked, if my husband dies, it's also a hassle..."
"Exactly Uni...." I said. "Wives whose husbands die and who have insurance cry differently..."
Guslaini laughed slightly.
"If after the husband's death the needs of life are fulfilled, education for children is fulfilled, the wife can be more devout in praying for the husband. An insurance policy is a sign of a husband's true love for his wife"
"But unfortunately, it reduces our spending money..."
"It's better to set aside a little to save a lot. If there's something happens to your husband, won't you inherit 1 M? Isn't it enough? The money can be used for business capital. Uni doesn't need to sell assets to continue living. And if everything goes well, the savings can later be used for children's tuition fees, going on Hajj, or whatever Uni wants..."
"How come it's like that, ka?"
"Because the system is designed like that"
"O..I see..." Guslaini looked thoughtful.
I gave her a chance to think, long enough then opened her voice, "But it's not right now... there are still many needs, buy chairs, tables, and equipment for other courses.".
"Understood Uni. The name of the need when the hell is there an end? Whatever our salary is, if we can't manage our expenses, we can never save. Precisely with this premium obligation, we are forced to set aside funds for savings, so saving is more disciplined. There is no risk, the money is not lost anyway. I'm inviting you to save money, not to go to the mall...."
"Yaa yaaa…"
"Besides, not everyone can buy insurance even though they have a lot of money. Insurance can be bought when we don't need it... when we are healthy... "
Guslaini nodded. "But … I think I'll just leave it to God, ka"
I paused, remembering the theory that if a customer refuses, don't argue or attack them. Instead, lead them to answer their own questions.
"Uni Laini, God has sent me here. Don't blame God later if one day life doesn't go as expected..."
Suddenly her son who was still in kindergarten came again asking for the umpteenth time for pocket money, as fast as lightning his mother pinched the child until the child cried and screamed loudly. "Mercy mom...!"
"Uniiii... !" I spontaneously shouted.
"Let it! What will this child become?! He never listens to what his parents say, unafraid of his parents!" She said angrily.
It seemed the emotions she was hiding were spilled.
"DO YOU WANT HIM TO HAVE A WIFE LIKE YOU WHEN HE GROWS UP?" I said briefly. "Will you be willing when he grows up his wife treats him that way?"
What we often do to our children will be stored in their subconscious, it's like a program that will attract the same things or experiences when they grow up.
Guslaini gasped as if she had just realized what she was doing. Apparently she fell for my word.
Then she hugged and kissed her son. The boy looked so submissive and obedient to his mother.
I made no further comment.
Shortly afterward Guslaini poured out her heart, "Kak, actually when it comes to money I have never had a problem, every month my husband's salary goes directly into my account. My husband doesn't like money. He likes to work. His hobby is work. Day and night, until he has no attention to the family. To the children. He has never even held a child this big." Laini complained. There was annoyance in her tone of voice.
Ahhhh, apparently that was the source.
"For me, right now I'm actually thinking about having my own income. Deep in my heart, I really want to be able to treat my relatives to meatballs for twenty thousand from my own sweat. How does that feel? But what can I do, ka..."
I listened silently to her outpouring, her inner voice, the anxiety of her life. Meanwhile, I could only explain the possibility of earning income by referring to her acquaintances. But her desire to be able to treat her brother's meatballs with her own hard-earned money was always ringing in my ears.
I've seen so many lives change after the backbone is gone. Especially housewives, one by one, have to sell their assets and struggle to work hard for the survival of their families.
After leaving The DOER Company, I threw myself into the world of insurance and became an insurance agent, one of them for that reason, so that I could indirectly help if there were life risks that could not be avoided so that there were useful conversation materials when visiting friends' homes or meeting people, in addition to passive income and bonuses for traveling abroad of course.
And most importantly, I am free to manage my time for my family.
***
I could never have imagined that the first customer who sparked my enthusiasm would be someone I only knew by name.
She was my sister's friend, Endah.
I met Endah by accident during an event at the fitness center in FX Jakarta. No appointment. Not even a phone call. Endah only found out at that time that I was no longer at The DOER Company, but working for an insurance company.
This was the first time I met someone who was enthusiastic when I mentioned Insurance.
"Kuwi opo sih mba*) the difference between sharia and non-sharia" she asked. Apparently Endah already understood the language of insurance and even had several policies in her house.
"The system is different, and the contract is also different," I took a sip of mineral water from the bottle.
"The conventional one is a risk transfer system. The insurance company will bear the risk. Simply put, we buy a sum insured or inheritance with premium money.
While the Sharia system is Risk Sharing, like arisan lo say*) ... mutual cooperation to help each other members. Whoever is hit by a disaster gets it. So the insurance company functions only as a fund manager.
All funds are reported transparently, there is no usury, gambling, or profit in accordance with Shari'a law."
I paused to give her a chance to ask.
Endah nodded, "Oo... Ngono yoo...*)"
"I'll just make a Shari'i one... how much is 1 million, 2 million?"
"Mangatus ae mba*) I'm fine."
"Is 500 a month enough to prepare for marriage?" I offered.
"It's easy to add more if there is a fortune."
And the next day when I presented the illustration she immediately signed without looking at it. Also the life insurance agreement letter he filled out without much question. Then a photocopy of ID card, a photocopy of ATM, and a savings book cover she gave without me asking twice.
What a Beautiful Closing
***
Flash back a year earlier.
It was a plan to travel to Bali with office mates and some outsiders tempted by cheap ticket promos.
The flight schedule was for the next six months, coincidentally, we had time to save up every month for hotel and accommodation costs while in Bali.
Until the day we left, I suddenly had to cancel because I had an urgent sales meeting.
So sorry.
Finally, instead of throwing it away, the accommodation ticket was given to a friend. My sister's friend. Free.
I was only sent photos while they were in Bali, during the meeting. So sweet.
Then I quickly forgot about it because work cannot be compromised. I only knew the name and face of my sister's friend from the photo. After that, I completely forgot and never met her.
When I met her, I met accidentally her at FX. Immediately familiar chat like old friends, and indeed old friends have only ever met. The first time I met, it was immediately closing.
So it was Endah, my sister's friend who I gave tickets to Bali two years ago, who became my first customer.
Fortune doesn't go anywhere...
**
*uni, respectful greetings for older sisters both unmarried or married in the family in Minangkabau, West Sumatera
*Kuwi opo sih mba? The Javanese language means, What is that, ka?
*O ngonoo yoo, O I see (Javanese)
*Mangatus, Five hundred thousand (Javanese)
*)Arisan, a social gathering collects money for a certain period and randomly selects a winner from the list of members.
**) Gotong royong is a term for working together to achieve a coveted result. This term comes from the Javanese words gotong which means "to lift" and royong which means "together".