Matthew T. Hoesly, CFP, ChFC, is a 15-year MDRT member from Norfolk, Virginia, USA. 

What were the biggest challenges preventing you from moving from Court of the Table to Top of the Table? 

I think my biggest challenge was myself. Every time I reached a new level, whether it was MDRT, Court of the Table or Top of the Table, I thought I “made it.” The following year, I might have coasted a little by thinking I would stay at that level all the time. In fact, the year after reaching Top of the Table, I took a step backward and didn’t qualify at the same level the next year. It didn’t take me long to realize that, just to stay at the level you have reached, you have to always strive to be at your best by continuing to learn and improve. 

What are the most significant changes you made to overcome those difficulties, and how could you tell that the changes were working? What should others know about how to follow your example? 

As I reached new levels of production, it snowballed into bigger and better things. It gave me the confidence to go after larger and more complex cases. I also stopped wasting my time chasing cases because I realized there are plenty of other people out there who need my help. I enjoyed each new level I reached but then realized the best benchmark for me was whether I was doing better than before in all aspects of my business and personal life: helping clients, managing employees, earning a higher income and spending more time doing things I enjoy. When I was able to take a step back to enjoy where I was currently at, it made me that much more energized to continue growth in the right directions. 

What roadblocks did you encounter during this process? What else had to be adjusted that you didn’t expect? 

It took me a while to learn that there really isn’t one right way to be successful in our business.  What works for one person to get to Top of the Table might not work for me, and vice versa. I have adapted many ideas I have learned from other MDRT members to my practice over the years. For example, I work with a lot of corporate retirement plans, and I help the employees on an individual basis if they want it. I was having many of those prospects cancel appointments and not take it seriously. Another Top of the Table member suggested I create a pre-meeting questionnaire that would take some effort on their part to fill out before I set an appointment with them. By doing that, I know they are serious about getting together, and the number of appointments that cancel has gone way down. 

How did you utilize MDRT to help move to the next level? 

MDRT helped me realize that there is always someone doing more! The great thing is that they are always willing to share what they are doing and how they are doing it. When I first qualified for MDRT, Top of the Table seemed so far away that I thought it was completely out of reach. Then I started seeing some of my friends qualify for Top of the Table, and I eventually got there too! 

How long did it take between when you first became a member and when you first reached Top of the Table? How long did it take to go from Court of the Table to Top of the Table? 

It took me four years after qualifying for MDRT to reach Court of the Table and then another five years to reach Top of the Table.   

How else have you grown and changed to get to where you are now, and how do you track these changes to measure your performance? What specifically would you advise to other members looking to make the same progress? 

It didn’t happen overnight, but I made a very deliberate decision to work with clients I like and always do the right thing for my clients. This means I didn’t have to go back and fix mistakes, so I could continue to grow with the people I want to work with. 

How have you engaged with MDRT during your membership? 

I got involved volunteering with MDRT early on. It helped me meet many incredible people. It also helped me get some leadership and communication training that I otherwise would not have received in a small, independent office. 

How can MDRT help support members once they reach Top of the Table? 

Top of the Table is like a large study group of friends who are always willing to help. So many good ideas and conversations come up whenever we are in a room together. Facilitating ways to share ideas and communicate with each other is one of the best ways we can continue to reach new heights.