may 10
2010
Quote of The Week
Tips on Achieving The Winning Edge Arlene Lawrence: A Natural Born Sales Agent Healthy Cleaning Habits for The Home
“If a man is called to be a streetsweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great streetsweeper who did his job well.” - Martin Luther King Jr
Editor’s Note Hi readers,
We hope all the mothers had a fulfilled and blessed Mother’s Day. Today in Jamaica’s society, more women are reaching higher positions in the corporate world and are setting themselves up as business owners. This week, we caught up with Sagicor Life Jamaica’s top advisor Arlene Lawrence who speaks about how she made it to the top, plus much more. Don’t forget to participate in our ongoing Facebook discussions and follow us on Twitter.
Cover Photography by Warren Buckle
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Tips toAchieving
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S
o we’ve often heard that winning is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical, and you know what, that seems funny initially, but it’s no joke!
Most athletes I know, and have worked with are disciplined, hardworking and persistent individuals; they possess the character virtues of persons considered successful in society. In the world of competitive sports, athletes whether amateur or professional, are looking for the winning edge. An essential part of finding one’s mental edge is being able to integrate all the techniques learnt on and off the field, and execute them on the day when it matters most competition! The beauty about acquiring the winning edge is that it takes practice, like most things in life, but with a major advantage; you have to train your mind. This you can do anytime and in any place: just before going to sleep, while having a meal, in the bathroom, while getting ready for competition. Mental training is not limited to the times scheduled for physical training and can be done anytime you wish to tap into that reservoir of power that lies between your two ears.
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The Winning Edge
Believe in yourself. You have to believe that you can do it and it start by telling yourself three simple words “Yes I Can!” (supplement this with physical training and make adjustments based on your performance at competitions). Minimize negative and counterproductive messages you tell yourself or receive from others and replace them with affirmative messages and surround yourself with a positive support system. Visualize your performance success. Visualization allows you to see the end result before it happens; visualize your arm movements while you are passing your opponent and achieving your personal best. See yourself collecting that medal on the podium. See yourself with the good you deserve, after all you trained hard! Similarly, those of us who are not so athletically inclined can use some of these guidelines to give ourselves that winning edge in our personal lives. “Your mind is your most valuable piece of equipment, your strongest muscle- and your best shot at peak performance for life.” -Kenneth Baum Olivia Rose Applied Sports Psychologist oliviakrose@yahoo.com
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How does one achieve the winning edge? Needless to say, physical training, dedication and commitment to the sport are vita,l but all of those are useless without the right frame of mind. How does one achieve the edge that will put them at the top of the game? Here are a few tips:
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Be definitive about what you want. You have to desire it. You have to want it. This is not particularly easy to do but once this is achieved, we can move to the next step.
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Set realistic goals and objectives to achieve that which you desire. Will you need to train three times instead of two times daily? What will you have to sacrifice in order to achieve this goal? Realize that it is quite normal not to reach mastery level initially, realizing that that too is a part of the process of becoming successful.
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Arlene Lawrence
A Natural Born Sales Agent
ooking at Arlene Lawrence’s exemplary 20-year sales career, you might discern that while she may not have convinced the Eskimo to buy some snow, he was definitely interested in her iced water. While the above is an obvious hyperbole, it does draw into context the crucial skill that Lawrence has been able to hone, to the point where she has become a legend in the field of life insurance. Sales people are a special breed, and for Lawrence it has become as natural as breathing. “I cannot say that I have had any great passion to be elsewhere, even though the first half of my career was spent in human relations,” says Lawrence. “Nonetheless, what is convenient about the job is that you manage your own time; I make decisions as to how I manage my time and I love the flexibility that this offers me.” Sales will always be a tough field and Lawrence revealed that resilience did not come overnight. “A lot of us started out being not so tough, and hearing “no” repeatedly can debilitate you if you’re not careful,” says the member of the exclusive Sagicor Executive Club. “Over time you build up a tough exterior and you learn to tell yourself that it is not me that they are telling no, it is merely this product that is not right for them.” The Executive Club The Executive Club refers to the top 30 agents at Sagicor Life Jamaica. Lawrence is one of the top 23 agents in Kingston that makes up the “Executive Club”, which is located on the fifth floor of their Liguanea Branch. She has been an “occupant” of the fifth floor for seven years. Therefore, to stay at the top of her game, Lawrence ensures that she knows her company’s products thoroughly, as well as the benefits to each client. Most importantly, she values excellent customer service. This has been working in her favour over the last 11 years at Sagicor Life Jamaica Competition Life insurance is one of the most competitive fields today, “This office that I am in for example, it is not my office. It is only my office one year at a time,” she says. She added “If at the end of this year I am not in the top 20 agents in the
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company, then I have to pack my belongings and move back into the cubicle downstairs.” Life insurance is one of the most competitive fields today and as a result there is always another sales agent ready to take your spot. Lawrence however considers it to be good competition as it boosts sales for the company. Even though she is more relaxed and reserved, and not the typical pushy overbearing sales agent, she is not solely motivated by the number of insurance policies that she can sell. She truly believes that the value of an agent’s service is seen when they make a payout of a claim to a client. “When you have seen someone die or ill and you deliver that cheque to a family and see the difference that money makes, I tell you that is when you truly appreciate your job and you can say despite all the negatives I am providing a valuable service.”
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Arlene Lawrence
A Natural Born Sales Agent Life of Jamaica to Sagicor Life Jamaica Without much warning, the household name that was once Life of Jamaica quickly became Sagicor Life Jamaica and this posed a great difficulty to Lawrence and other agents. They had the hard task of convincing clients about the reasons for the transformation and that the company’s core values, great benefits and quality services will remain. Over the years, Jamaicans have become far more aware about insurance, thanks to Sagicor who has increased that awareness and moved the thought of insurance beyond just death. “I have seen a move since I came into the business from where insurance was just about death. Now there are many lifetime benefits that can be enjoyed. [For] example, we have a critical illness policy and an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). When I first entered the business these products were nonexistent, and for some other products, a little but not much.”
Awards
Pansy Ennevor Trophy Winner Sagicor Trophy MDRT Qualifier 2010 Executive Club Member Sagicor Century Club Qualifier
Court of the Table (Chairman of the Production club) Life Member Honor Roll Member
WHAT mistakes should ‘sales newbies’ avoid? One of the biggest misconceptions many have about sales is that it is all glamorous and fancy, as well as believing that your time is your own and approach it as if it is the easiest thing in the world. If you are coming into sales, you have to be prepared to work, be disciplined and most importantly you have to know how to work hard. WHEN to start planning for a promotion? In my line of business we don’t talk about promotion, and any promotion that is given is usually for a year. And once again, January of every year the slate is wiped, as what was done the prior year no longer counts. So it is a constant process. The year I occupied my office [Executive Club] I set that as a goal and every year it is a goal to retain it, after all I enjoy the view. WHERE she retreats to balance work with play? The demands of my job over the years have increased but when I do have time I try to go and see a movie. HOW to expand your network in the company? We are very supportive of each other here at the company. Management throughout the years has done a great job with conferences that are usually held, and for the past couple of years they have extended the attendees from just agents to include administrative members of the company.
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Healthy Cleaning Habits for the Home
keep a door mat in front of each door. This will limit the amount of dust that enters the rooms. We all love carpets, and according to a survey commissioned by 3M , 57 percent of homeowners tend to be more concerned with stacks of dirt and dust balls on carpets. They do not encourage clean household, as they are difficult to clean and hardly stay free of dust. Use Cellulose Sponges Most household sponges are made of polyester or plastic, which are slow to break down in landfills. Many are treated with triclosan (not highly soluble), a chemical that can produce chloroform (a suspected carcinogen) when it interacts with the chlorine found in tap water. Instead, try cellulose sponges like Scotch Brite scrub sponge, which is eco-friendly and will soak up spills faster since they’re naturally more absorbent.
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ndoubtedly, there is a lot to be said for the notion of cleaning the home. Truth be told, there is nothing complicated about keeping your homes clean. When cleaning, it is always best to start from top to bottom, allowing all dust and dirt that falls to the floor while you’re cleaning to settle before vacuuming. Here are some additional tips that will have your home looking and smelling great the healthy way. Keep Bedrooms Fresh We spend most of our time in the bedroom, and the bed is the most common place to collect dust, primarily because of the shedding of the human skin while sleeping. Change bed linen and pillow cases regularly. Keep pets out of these rooms, particularly if they spend time outdoors and shed hair as well. Minimize Dust Remove old newspapers and magazines as soon as you are finished with them because these collect dust easily. Try to initiate a ‘no-shoes-indoors’ policy; if this is proving difficult
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Environmental/Energy Advantage: Sponge made of cellulose, which is derived from wood pulp, a renewable resource.
Exchange Indoor Air Most contemporary homes are so tight there is little new air coming in. The air in our school, homes and offices can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Most of our exposures to environmental contaminants take place by breathing the air indoors. These pollutants come from activities, products and materials we use every day. So, it is recommended to open windows daily or run an installed exhaust fan. Use Gentle Cleaning Products Stay away from toxic products. Of the various commercial home cleaning products, drain cleaners, toilet bowl cleaners and oven cleaners are the most toxic. Use the formulas described above or purchase ‘green’ commercial alternatives. Stay away from products containing ammonia or chlorine, or petroleum-based chemicals; these contribute to respiratory irritation, headaches and other complaints.
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