"BE ACTIVE AND YOU WILL BE ENERGIZED
Passion is up and down like stocks. The thing to remember, expecting different results from the same way, forget it. Attitude changes and results change. Success is 100% my responsibility.
No Blame. No Excuse. No Justify."
Time flies so fast, it feels like it was just yesterday when I made GOAL SETTING, and it's FINAL SPRINT already. The motivator was on fire encouraging the audience from the stage.
Monday is Motivation Day. Monday morning motivational events are always filled with actors and actresses of the insurance world to start the week. This event is very helpful to recharge the spirit after last week experienced many ups and downs in the course of work life.
Sitting in the very back seat, I enjoyed the style and words of the motivator on the wide monitor screen mounted on the right and left of the center of the room.
"Fight it out, miracles will happen. If it hasn't happened yet. Don't let yourself give up now. Keep on going, stay FOCUS, and Enjoy!
That's where the GREGET*) is. Knives if sharpened continuously will be sharp. God's help is always just in time. If it doesn't work... get to hell"
Well, it might be too much. I remember that number very well. The annual target set by the company this year is 360 million.
This means that if the sales of insurance premiums in one year or Annual Premium Equivalent reaches a minimum of 360 million, it means that in addition to the commission every two weeks, I will also get a bonus trip to America!
Saving is the same as buying insurance because the product sold is Unit Link, which means a combination of savings and insurance.
The benefit is, if the insured is sick, the Insurance Company will cover the medical expenses without reducing the savings. So there is nothing to lose.
If we break down the target I just need to collect a 30 million insurance premium a month, which means I only need to close 5 policies worth 600 thousand per month to hit the target.
Getting 5 customers every month is not as hard as it seems. Last year, this insurance company managed to send 20,000 agents on a trip to Europe. Not tens or hundreds... but thousands!
Starting from housewives, high school students, and college dropouts ... everyone can, why can't I? Even people who are quiet and unsociable can close 7 policies a week, it turns out there are really! Can't I?
It all makes sense. And I was sure I could achieve it. But reality always says otherwise. From the target I set, I could only get... one person every month. Hiks!
My first customer bought because of favor, the second because they felt bad, hesitate, the third because of pity... even though there have been sales but I'm not satisfied, because my customers buy not because they need it.. but for other reasons.
And it's almost the end of the second year but the achievement still hasn't shown significant results. I really feel anxious, and curious!
"What's the problem? Keep getting rejection? Sorry, it means you are not able to sell... the solution is to learn. Think, what is the most effective way, and pay attention to the method. Is the method the same or different?
How can we make sure we become more skilled and more capable, then our lives will change...
What's the problem? Is it hard? Good. If it's easy, it's a sign of the end times. If there's a will, there's a way.
Why the headache? The important thing is to be grateful first. We believe that this path is the best path given by God.
FIND YOUR UNIQUENESS AND MAKE IT YOUR STRENGTH" My leader spoke calmly.
"This company is like a handsome and wealthy prince. Everyone is scrambling to get it. The question is how many sacrifices have been made to fulfill the requirements to become his companion..."
Mahendra my leader looked for a way to give an explanation that would make sense.
I vented in his cubical, listening to his advice after the morning Motivation program while looking out the glass wall behind him, almost most of this room's walls are made of glass so that I can see the scenery in this metropolitan city freely, there is a queue of cars snaking down there.
The view of the traffic jam from the 18th floor of this building looks so perfect, from end to end the creeping cars are all visible.
"So what are the measures, the criteria, the requirements to succeed in this business?"
I think I already know the answer. And I don't know why I'm questioning it. Maybe a little desperate.
Mahendra was silent. For a little while. Thinking. Or rather trying to find an answer that would make sense to me.
"Exams passed, training is done, workshops okay, motivation diligent, prospects already, pray sampuuun*), it feels like everything has been done but the results are not directly proportional .." I continued.
Finally, Mahendra opened his voice, "To be able to get a salary of 5-10 million per month working in an office, people must work at least 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. If you want a salary of 100 million in insurance... how much time and energy do you have to invest?"
A simple explanation but immediately answered my question and left me speechless. My eyes weren't moving from the traffic jam far away outside the window.
Actually, I knew there were many factors, but my Leader's smart answer was enough to make me embarrassed.
It turned out that I was still far from that qualification. If I have to work full time in an office, what's the point of me working outside, it's better to come back to the office and become an employee again, which means I give up.
"Give yourself a chance to succeed in this business for 3 - 5 years. Focus. After that, if it doesn't work out, then change to another business."
I imagined how long that would take. To continue to survive in this business for that long maybe I can. But to focus after these two years. I give up now.
Puffhh
***
"I bought this house purely from my commission after 3 years of working in insurance. It used to cost 3 Billion, but now... you know, it's probably double or triple that..."
Mahendra walked ahead of me as he continued to tell me his story, I listened and followed behind him.
We were on the third floor of his house where he kept a collection of various spices and medicinal plants. That afternoon after the Motivation event I was invited to lunch at his house.
The Sky Garden, which also functions as a living pharmacy, is arranged in such a way that it looks neat and artistic. The clean place indicates that everything here is well maintained.
Some areas are covered with black gauze to prevent direct sunlight from hitting certain plants, other parts are left open so that the wind can freely enter and leave, bringing a cool atmosphere.
Various types of orchids, kumis kucing (cat's whiskers), mahkota dewa (God's crown), sirih merah (red betel)*), and all the plants whose names it is impossible to mention one by one, swaying lightly in the wind, only aloe, which looks fresh and fit, does not budge. It feels so good to be here. And indeed, this is the favorite part of his house.
"Luna, do you know the name of this plant?" Mahendra stopped at a part of the terrace filled with plants with small heart-shaped leaves.
I looked closer and shook my head. "There are a lot of plants like this in my place, they grow on the walls of the sewer walls in front of the house... "
"Yes, it's true... if only people knew the benefits of this plant..."
"What's the name of this plant?"
"Binahong."
"Ooo... so this is called binahong." I'd heard the name many times, as well as its benefits, but I didn't realize that the plant I often saw on the outskirts of residential sewers was Binahong. A name that is very well known in the world of alternative medicine. It is rich in antioxidants, can prevent cancer just like the benefits of soursop leaves and mangosteen peels, and helps cure various kinds of severe illnesses and other minor ailments.
Its appearance is very simple, not showing its qualifications and popularity. A humble plant. I thought.
Mahendra's wife came in with glasses of refreshments and jars of snacks. The beautiful woman smiled gracefully. The three of us sat down on the garden chairs.
"What's the secret mom... how come Bapak get rich so quickly?" I asked later.
"Bapak really likes to work. In the past, especially, he didn't go home until he got a closing." She said while taking a snack and thrusting the jar toward me.
"Thank you," I replied while picking up the melinjo*) chips. "Serious?" I continued as I took a bite of the emping melinjo in my mouth.
Mahendra raised his eyebrows, looking at me. "Actually, there is a history. It's not just a hobby," Mahendra said.
He slowly began to tell me.
"You know Betawi people's houses, one complex contains all the families, there is encang encing*), anyway all gather into one complex itself."
Mahendra paused his eyes wandering, "One day, I remember very well, Friday afternoon, our daughter Firda came home crying. She was crying loudly. I asked 'Why?'
Eh, she's crying even harder."
I listened. His wife was silent too
"Then finally she told me, she said, all her friends, all of them flocked to wear new clothes and bring gifts to go to A's birthday event at a fast food restaurant. As a child, she wanted to come along. But her friends forbid it because she, our daughter wasn't invited." Mahendra paused as if feeling the bitterness of that moment again.
"In the old days, people were very proud if they could hold a birthday at a restaurant, and those who were invited were no less proud, feeling like important people." The man grimaced as he bit his lower lip.
Then his wife impatiently continued, "Because I was curious, I couldn't bear my child crying, I came with the neighbor whose child had that birthday. Is it true that she was deliberately not invited or missed?
It was true, our daughter was deliberately not invited. His mommy said she was worried that we wouldn't have new clothes or money to buy gifts, so the point is, so it's not troublesome..."
The husband and wife looked at each other.
"The pain is not just here," Mahendra said, pointing to his chest. "But from head to toe. Never in my life have I felt so humiliated."
"Indeed, we are the poorest in the complex. We should know better," his wife added.
"From then on, I turned that painful story into a piercing motivation that made my blood burn every time I remembered it. From then on, I vowed that I had to be much richer than everyone else in the complex. I prospected day and night, and I didn't go home without closing."
And the results of his hard work were not in vain. Every year Mahendra's insurance policy sales always reach two or three or even four times the target, getting bonuses for traveling abroad, every year he and his family travel and buy luxury goods abroad.
"Until the neighbors like to say ... traveling all the time," he said.
"Well, what the hell... it's the risk of the job." he smiled. "God's Earth is so vast... how can you travel to Ancol and Ancol again. Or stuck at Puncak!"
"That's sarcastic," I interjected lightly.
Mahendra grimaced.
.
"There came a time when I felt it had all paid off." Mahendra continues his story,
"When we were traveling in Paris, we passed by a famous watch boutique there. The models that were released there were limited editions. Usually, if people want to buy, they have to queue first or pivot, and order. At that time, there happened to be one watch model that my daughter really liked. She thought about telling me before she finally said she wanted that watch.
I just nodded yes without looking at the price tag. And you know, suddenly Firda ran excitedly kissing my cheek, Cup cup, while saying, 'Thank you dad'" her fingers pursed into one and then placed it on her right and left cheeks demonstrating a kiss from his beloved child.
"For me, it was an amazing moment. My grudge has paid off."
Mahendra took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Now I'm very grateful to that Empok, if he hadn't insulted us in such a way maybe the story wouldn't be like this."
Mahendra ended his story. He nodded his head while raising his eyebrows and looking at me.
"So in essence, pain is precious. BE GRATEFUL WHEN THERE IS A PAINFUL MOMENT IN LIFE, MAKE IT A SOURCE OF PIERCING MOTIVATION. The ones that make our blood burn when we remember them, the ones that keep us going and excited no matter the challenge. After that.
Success is only a matter of time."
***
*)greget, excited
*)sampun, already (Javanese)
*)cat's whiskers, god's crown, and red betel, these plants are the original medicinal plants of Indonesia which have many benefits and use in tackling the various disease
*)Emping melinjo is a kind of Indonesian snack or cracker made from melinjo or belinjo seeds. Emping has a slightly bitter taste
* The Betawi tribe is an ethnic group in Indonesia whose residents generally live in Greater Jakarta and its surroundings. They are descendants of residents who have lived in Batavia (the colonial name for Jakarta) since the 17th century
*) Ancol Dreamland is the largest recreational area in Indonesia. There are Dufan, sea world, Atlantis, ocean, etc
*) Empok is a call for female rang (woman who has grown) in the Betawi' tribe