How can new/ethical advisers survive? What many people want often can only be implemented by ins coy like comms structure/better prods. Agents are at mercy of clients and coy the work?

I think you have to value your work. Sometimes, we have to say "No" to clients.

Rebates from your commission is not a sustainable biz model. If it's a token of appreciation for their support, I think it's okay. But if it's really just for the biz, maybe you need to reconsider. Clients who always look for rebates, generally are not clients that are loyal and once you start to give, you cannot stop giving.

Stand firm on what you believe in, and that's to provide service to your client. Explain to the client, "the rebate is coming from my commission, which means, if I give you a rebate, I will have to work harder to earn the same amount and means I have lesser time to service you."

Lastly on the part about people trolling agents with impunity without leaving a shred of dignity. Let me share with you that I always tell my agents and colleagues:

"I buay paiseh now to ask you to buy insurance so if one day something bad happens to you, you don't have to paiseh to ask help from others. I paiseh now so you don't have to paiseh in the future."

Firstly, we have to understand the situation from the consumer's perspective. Here are some common questions or doubts that they will usually have:

• Does the agent listen to me and understand my needs?

• Is the agent genuine and sincere in helping me?

• Is the agent knowledgeable and of sound character?

As a consumer, they put their hard-earned money into a policy through an agent that they trust. Often, these policies come with a term where early termination results in inevitable loss. As a result, consumers place greater emphasis in an attempt to ensure that they are getting the right policies through the right agent.

Put it another way, if you were a consumer (which is definitely the case), what will you expect from your agent or the insurance company? Likely, it will fall into one of the following:

• Cheapest product that has the best coverage

• Omnipresent agent who answers questions better than Google

• Customer-oriented with immaculate level of service

Now, we realise that with 24 hours a day. As a result, there is a limit on what we can afford to do, and the list of tasks that we need to forgo. This is especially true when there are factors beyond our control, e.g. pricing model.

With this in mind, you will have to work on the areas that you can control, e.g. number of hours at work, the system and code of conduct to work by, knowledge and why should anyone choose to work with you over another agent. Follow your moral compass, even when it is to walk away without a sale.

At the end of the day, we work in a professional industry where respect is mutual. With 5.8 million population, this is nothing more than a test for the fittest and for those who are upright. Only the finest survive.

Read also: Orphan Clients Insurance: What You Should Do

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