The Top 10 Things I learned at MDRT:
- Some people have overcome amazing odds and still achieved greatness without bitterness. There is something very humbling and motivating hearing about people who succeed greatly despite excruciating circumstances. It makes you believe that anything is possible and you can still be happy.
- You need to specialize to be very successful. The more I see of the best advisors, the more I’m convinced that focusing on the specific needs of a specific audience is the key to greatness. People from all over the world told me how specialization was the secret to their success.
- MDRT qualifiers are the friendliest people on the planet. Despite being competitors, no group of professionals in the world share their “secrets” like they will. It reminds you of all the good in life.
- For all the cultural differences, the business is very much the same everywhere. We imagine we are alone but we aren’t. Your problems exist everywhere. Your solutions are out there too.
- Countries with younger financial industries are more enthusiastic than those with old businesses. Are we really that jaded that we can’t be excited anymore? Have we misplaced our passion for the principles of making the world a better place through our business? MDRT reminded me that the heat is still there and we’re better off to express it.
- Canada used to have the second most MDRT attendees but now we are 8th. Have CE credits taken the place of becoming better people? Have we really that many fewer qualifiers?
- Professional selling is making a comeback. At least one Main Platform speaker passionately extolled the virtues of helping people buy what they need but won’t do on their own. The response was very gratifying and hopeful.
- Focus is a problem everywhere. Advisors everywhere are overwhelmed with products, concepts, services and administration. The only cure is specializing in the business and audience you work with best.
- Motivation is as important to success as education. Purely technical training stifles performance. The best antidote to this “technical terrorism” is motivation.
- Not qualifying or not attending the MDRT Annual Meeting is a crippling performance error. The faces of attendees as they leave the meeting hall on the last day show they are reinvigorated, reenergized, refreshed, and ready to return to action. Everyone needs that experience.