So what is your story for joining?I was new into the insurance industry and I want to look for information such as what's in the market lah, what are people talking about lah, what are the things that people want, and perhaps some challenges from both the customer end and also the agent's end.
So naturally, I ask Google and it directed me to the Insurance Talk thread.
I liked how vibrant the thread is with a good mix of consumers, agents, and some random trolls (much like the real world).
I joined without hesitation and the rest is history.
What is your educational or work background?I am a second-generation insurance agent. What this means is my parents started the agency right around the time when I was born. My childhood revolves around making coffee and making copies, then I got promoted to data entry, then promoted again to office boy making the rounds to the banks around PJ STATE.
Against my parents' wishes for me to study Business, I am very thankful that they granted and funded my pursuit for a psych degree in the US. What an incredible experience it was!
When I got back, I immediately signed up with KMDC for a CFP course. I did struggle quite a bit with the various jargons, but thanks to the heavy math and statistics requirements for my liberal arts psych degree, I pulled through quite alright.
I am in my 4th year in the insurance industry now. It really has been a tumultuous journey with its fair share of ups for the amount of downs and I am very thankful to the various members from this incredible community that gave me the opportunity and took a leap of faith with me when I was very "green". I have learned a lot from this community and where my career has brought me. Now I am very happy to serve the very thread that has given so much to me.
Have you met anyone from forum.lowyat.net in person?Yes I have met with quite a few and I would love to share.
I was very scared at first, choosing to meet only in bright, public places. Frankly because I don't know them, and I want to protect myself. I would tell my parents exactly where it is and I'll let them know when I am done.
Fast forward till today, I still choose to meet with new forumers from LYN in bright public places because I know how it feels when I first started. I am sure many of us here have the same concern too, apa lagi when they are meeting with an insurance agent?
Not that I am very scary, but with the general public's perception towards insurance agents, some forumers that met with me in my office seriously tell me at first they were really thinking "matilah this time, sendiri walk right towards the chopping block and lie down."
Tell us about your nickname and why did you choose your avatar?My nickname/username is my first name. My avatar is my selfie on a boat.
I choose to use my real name and a pic of me for everything because of a talk given by a very successful agency leader, ie: my father, probably about a decade ago in Genting.
My father was an invited speaker and I served as his driver and PA for that trip.
I don't recall much about the details but his message was easy: Back to the Basics.
The online platforms for many things was growing back then. Online banking was rather new, online forums were new, blogging was hip and trendy, and Facebook was macam next-level hipster.
He gave many examples of situations that we face in real life, and always concluded with
"basically, people are generally good-natured and rational"
"basically, people like things to be in order"
"basically, I like it when I get what I want and what I need"
Well, basically, we like to know that we are doing the right things, for the right people, in the right way. This is true across all industries, across all ethnicity, and across all faiths. Especially with regard to insurance, we as a consumer would like to know who we are dealing with.
Basically, we just want to know who is giving us what information on top of the information itself.
*wipes sweat from forehead*
So... that's why I chose my nickname and my avatar loh.
If you betul-betul read all the way here, thank you for layan-ing me.