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To be the best in the country within a short space of just one year and five months in anyone's career is a dream come true. This is the phenomenal achievement of a young insurance sales person from Indonesia who was here as a guest at the Eagle Sales Convention held recently.

Quiet, unassuming, always with a smile, Eddy Hartono Anwar is a graduate in Biology. His first job was as a Medical Rep. How did he move on to insurance?

"In my apartment complex, there was also the manager of Zurich Life Insurance, Jakarta. He used to see me every morning around 7 o'clock getting out to work. Once he found out that I was a medical rep, he started talking to me about insurance. He wanted me to join his company. I was not convinced. Yet he kept on telling me until finally, after many months, he succeeded in convincing me that I should change my job. And I did", he said. For someone who had been a medical rep for five years, how was it to change over to insurance? "I was fortunate that during my career as a medical rep, I had made close contact with so many doctors. So when I moved over to insurance, I approached them and convinced them that they should invest in insurance. I was lucky most of them did," he said.

In the first year itself Eddy's record was most impressive. "I got a lot of backing from my manager. He taught me the business and trained me in selling techniques," he said.

To reach the ultimate goal of an insurance sales person to be qualified to attend the MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) within one year is amazing. That's what Eddy achieved. And he is qualifying for the second successive year.

What is Eddy's secret of success? "Commitment and Consistency", is his short but convincing answer.

"Have a dream", he advises. "My first dream was to buy a car for my wife. I have almost succeeded". Eddy's wife does not work. She helps in his work reminding him when he should send a birthday card to a client or a greeting card. "I make it a point to keep in touch with my clients on a regular basis. I give a telephone call at least once a fortnight."

Eddy concentrates on a niche market. His target group is at the top end. He visits hospitals daily and meets mothers to be, in addition to the medical staff. He convinces the mothers on the need to plan for the children. "I tell them the need to educate the child. Instead of giving money which he or she may waste, I tell them it's much more beneficial to educate them," Eddy explains his strategy. Out of the policies he sells at least 20 per cent are educational policies.

Eddy has about sixty clients. But being at the top end, they give him good business. Most of them have bought several policies. That is the trend in Indonesia. Eddy visits three hospitals at present. There are many more he can visit. He has kept them for the future.

He has planned his own methods of canvassing. He has prepared attractive small show cards with a lovely colour picture of a baby or something interesting on the cover, which he carries with him. "Often I can't get more than two minutes with a doctor. I show him the card, explain very briefly what it's all about and tell him to give a telephone call." Invariably the prospective client calls him. He has two secretaries in his office to answer phone calls and make appointments.

Insurance is not the most popular vocation in Indonesia. "Insurance has a bad image particularly because in the years gone by many had got played out. So most of the young people don't want to get into insurance. Things have changed considerably," he said. Today insurance and real estate are the most attractive from the point of view of money.

At 31, a father of a toddler, Eddy is a determined man - determined to continue his winning streak and get to the MDRT every year.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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