Over one thousand life insurance sales professionals gathered at the BMICH recently for the seventh annual National Forum for Life Insurance Advisers (NAFLIA). Organised by the Marketing and Sales Forum of the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL), the theme of the congress was ‘A Day All Sri Lankans Are Insured’. 

Following a colourful opening ceremony and impressive curtain raiser, IASL President and Union Assurance Director/CEO Dirk Pereira addressed the gathering. In his speech Pereira highlighted the importance of ambitious thinking.

“We need to think bigger and we need to be more ambitious. We are going to cover every Sri Lankan. Our ambition cannot stop at 33 percent of the working population and 12.5 percent of the overall population. These numbers must change very quickly and I think that events such as this show the capability of the insurance industry,” Pereira 
stated confidently. 

First guest speaker MDRT, USA Zonal Chair Ravi Kumar stepped up to the mike with a happy greeting to the audience. “Insurance can leave a legacy for you, your family and your client’s family. This is the business of kind hearts, good thoughts and selfless service in which money is but a by-product,” he said. He went on to explain the key factors and necessities in the lives of a life insurance sales professional and his/her relationship with customers. “There is nothing more important than the customer seated before you,” stated Kumar. 

Taking the role of guest speaker LIMRA International Master Trainer Dhiraj Malhotra followed Kumar’s address. Malhotra shared his thoughts on the value of need-based selling and the importance of building a strong element of trust with customers. 

A high-powered panel discussion based on the theme of the congress followed. Moderated by chief guest, Insurance Board of Sri Lanka (IBSL) Chairperson Indrani Sugathadasa, the panel consisted of well-known leaders in the insurance industry: Ceylinco Life Managing Director/CEO R. Renganathan, SLIC Chairman Hemaka Amarasuriya, Union Assurance Director/CEO Dirk Pereira and AIA Director/CEO Shah Rouf. 
The NAFLIA Congress also served as the launching event of the Life Insurance Awareness Month campaign. This year, the campaign’s organisers intend to reach over one million persons across the island and provide insurance cover to 
70,000 customers.

The lunch break preceded Dr. KumaIddamallena’s motivational speech to boost the morale and energy of life insurance advisors. Following this inspiring session was a second panel discussion, moderated by Union Assurance General Manager Marketing and Distribution Rukman Weeraratne. The top MDRT qualifiers of nine insurance companies in Sri Lanka took part in the panel to share their success stories with the audience.