The day was heated by 33 degrees temperature. As it was indeed a heaty day, I couldn't wait to get my soaked body (due to perspirations) into the nearby shopping mall. Once I was in the shopping mall known as Jurong Point, I led myself no further and quickly took a seat at Coffee Bean. I ordered an ice- blended mocha to sooth my throat and at the same time trying to cool myself off. It wasn' too busy during that hours of the day because the usual rush hours were finally reduced. In my country, the peak hours are from 7am - 9am in the morning, 12noon to 2pm during lunch time, and 5pm to 7pm during the late afternoon or early evening. I remembered once upon a time, I was considered as one of the 'rushers' who practically involved myself in peak hours - rushing to go to work, rushing for lunch break and rushing to go home, and once home, I had never enjoyed the cable tv... Time had changed everything, and to think of it, I missed the 'rushing hours'... As usual, I carried along with me my laptop to get through the days freely. Freely to do whatever I want to do - be it spending my time inside my home offices, going to see movies (sometimes, 2 movies in a row), sit calmly and comfortably in a restaurant, or what-ever... This time, due to the weather, I stopped at the Coffee Bean. After I made and collected my order, I followed my thought to sit outside the indoor sphere to light-up a cigarette. The exterior launch was already filled by students and some other people who utilised the spot casually with their own respective activities. I was about to ignore everything there and carry-on with my intention to turn-on my laptop to access the Internet wireless. Suddenly, a young lady approached me from nowhere and requested my permission to get a minute or two for a short survey. I had been approached many times before by some individuals using the similar stance to get my attention, and I knew well, this lady was no different from the others - as Insurance agent. "Okay. Please take a seat... And after I give you some minutes of mine, can you spare me yours?" I said abruptly. The lady face turned uncertain, but I knew that she was willing since I didn't show any sign to be cheeky. "Alright, it's a deal.." she replied. So the short survey went on and on and finally concluded with a sign saying on my face about how good her insurance policy would be when I accepted her offer. The survey indeed lasted for almost 25 minutes from the initial one or two minutes she had earlier requested. She said the word 'sorry' many times during her presentation and I answered her smilingly to remind her of her promised also. I realized that I wasn't paying much attention to her presentation but asked her some relevant questions along the way so as to make her thinking that I was paying her the attention she needed. I summarised her presentation by saying, "Why not you leave me your card so that when I feel like switching policy, I will give you a call." She was so delighted and gave me one. I was about to tell her that it was my turn now to start when she automatically popped-up the words, "Now, what is it I should spend my time for you now Mr.Marzlan?" "Is he your executive sitting at the road show bench right before this Coffee Bean?" I said to her and at the same time pointing my finger straight to the direction where I saw her insurance company conducting the road-show. "Yes Sir... How did you know..?" "It doesn't matter how I've got to know. But listen to me closely..." I replied. That question itself had aroused her curiousity and I knew that I had got her full attention. I carried on... "Look her Suzy.. Do you want to sit like him while other new agencies under your wings doing exactly the same thing like what you've done? To cut it short, your executive had never have the time to tell you this and may be never at all. While you are working to get sign-ups, he is scanning at all your other sign-ups for an opportunity to offer them the "Second Glass" offers. Something like getting them to upgrade when they'd already signed-up or getting them to sign-up as soon as possible so that you get your commission and he gets his shares and that will rank him higher than the rest of you. He was scanning your sign-ups rather than looking for new ones and leaving the duty to you as the new bird, while he already knew who were the "Thirsty Crowd". You can do exacly what he is doing today by sending your previous sign-ups a birthday wish card, their annual reports or greeting cards or give them a call to say "Hi". You see Suzy, people love attention, especially that kind of stuffs I've said earlier. While you are pouring them with well-wishing cards, insert a leaflet of the best upgrade offer your company has to give. Staple together what are the free gifts first, then the benefits and how to sign-up for upgrades. I know you might have some newbies already, so use the same approach since you've already got their numbers and address. With just the phone numbers you can call to say how thankful you were the other day when they 'sold' their time to you and as token of appreciation, you would like to present them a gift that you'd missed out to give to them. You could then request to have their actual address so as to post it to them or meet them again. I know big insurance company like yours has plenty of free-gift and free postcards that you can utilise that have the company logo and endorsement. Use it to your advantage and certainly your executive will work with you closely and sooner or later, you will be sitting next to him just like that... Okay, that's all I got to say..." I finished my last sipped of mocha and said goodbye to her... It did not take the whole day, somewhere in the evening, I received a sms that said, "Dear Mr Marzlan, may I know who are you? Your ideas had sparkled me and my executive was rather stunned to know what I ought not to know in the early stage as an inusrance agent. When I mentioned what you'd said to me, he was working closely with me than the others and I knew what you had said was indeed truely powerful... The next time we met, I wanted to learn more from you instead of just selling our policy. I hope you don't mine that... Yours, Suzy." I did not give her a long reply, but indicate my website address. Once again my legacy was established. And then, came the next sms that said, "Oh yes, I had forgottened to give you a free gift too! Can I send it to your address?" Gosh, she put words back into my mouth and I knew she was learning fast... :) The Wheelchair-man and a Busker will be post next... This article would be a sad one, prepare your tissue cause I guarantee you're going to weep...