When I gave a $100 million policy to my grateful client, I couldn’t believe that I came from China to the United States 18 years ago to study for my MBA. And, as a first-generation immigrant with no connections and English as my second language, I was able to achieve MDRT in the first year, Court of the Table in the second year, Top of the Table from the third to 10th years, and Top of the Table 10 times in the last three years. I am forever thankful to MDRT!

All of these qualifications did not come easily. Three years ago, my career was in a slump. Satisfied clients were poached, potential clients were stolen, and I had family issues. All these setbacks almost overwhelmed me. But I told myself, I had to change! I then remembered the story of selling a $1 orange for $1 million from my MBA professor. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I started to think, How could I, a Silicon Valley resident, use the strength and power of this global high-tech center to advance? I realized I needed leverage and not just to work hard to succeed.

I immediately hired an engineer and found a senior venture capital expert as my partner. We used leverage. We used artificial intelligence combined with the integrated skills of insurance, tax and tech, as well as big data as a comparison to find innovative projects and investors in the United States. In 2015, I found several sponsors and took the lead in successfully organizing a three-in-one venture capital investment summit, “an expert-filled forum + AI competition + new concepts exhibition.” I deeply understood that artificial technology was going to change the automobile, medical and educational industries. Within one week, we were able to find six medium-size investors.

The investment projects went well. In a shareholder meeting, I seriously asked, “How are you going to avoid investment risks, especially foreign risks? How do you avoid the risk between the stockholders and the pledge of stock rights when the company is publicly listed?” In risk management, there is risk-hedging strategy. Life insurance is a very effective risk-avoidance tool.

I combined two completely different risk avoidance strategies: Do not put all the eggs in one basket and Put all the eggs in one basket, but keep a close eye on the basket. While reasonably diversifying risk, there is also a need to watch closely the potential risk in each asset. All stockholders agreed that the best life and investment risk hedge tool is a large amount policy. Success will come from $10 million, $30 million, $50 million to $100 million policies. In the commercial real estate investment afterward, and among the various PE items, we put 10 percent of the investment amount as the shareholders’ risk management ratio, an important key to successful investment.

How do you attract high-net-value people to willingly purchase a large amount policy and gladly give you referrals?

• Leverage: Become a valuable person. Create trust, create value and create demand.
• Giving: Life is like a boomerang. The more you give to others, the bigger the return.
• Use AI to be creative: Work hard at upgrading yourself. Your irreplaceable value will crazily shoot up like a rocket.

Mediocre selling is you chase after your clients; top-notch selling is clients chase after you. Mediocre selling sells products, while top-notch selling sells thinking. Mediocre selling worries about your own success, while top-notch selling helps your clients to be successful.

A $100 million policy sailboat is right in front of you. Go help your clients attain huge and unimaginable success. This is because what MDRT advocates assists others while achieving our own success!

Liru Chang, EA, MBA, is a 10-year MDRT member with one Court of the Table and eight Top of the Table qualifications. Chang is the cofounder of Elite Tax & Accounting, the vice president of Elite Wealth Group and a board director for Gracious Life Foundation. She has won numerous awards, including the prestigious International Finance and Insurance Platinum Award in Malaysia, Australia, Dubai and Korea. She hosts a wealth-building radio talk show and appears frequently on television in California.