As we progress through life’s stages, we encounter various financial challenges, from securing our loved ones’ futures to achieving our own goals. In a world where financial stability is the key to securing a brighter future, having a trusted partner on your side to navigate the complex world of finance is invaluable. This is where Sun Life Financial Advisors step in, helping individuals and families make the right financial decisions at every turn.
If you’re looking for a rewarding career that allows you to make a meaningful impact on people’s lives, becoming a Sun Life Financial Advisor could be your calling.
Together with fellow blogger Mommy Sigrid, I recently spent a week with the members of the Macaulay Club – the creme de la creme of Sun Life’s Financial Advisors – during their incentive trip to Nagoya, Japan where I was able to hear inspiring stories of their personal journeys while immersing ourselves in the beauty and culture of Japan.
If you want to explore this remarkable profession, here are six facts you need to know.
Fact 1: It is much more than simply selling insurance policies
Being a Sun Life Financial Advisor is about guiding individuals towards financial security and helping them achieve their goals. Sun Life Advisors assist clients in selecting the perfect mix of investment and insurance products to match their unique financial objectives: whether they are just starting out, moving up in life, planning for retirement or aiming to leave a lasting legacy to their families.
Beyond that, they also play a crucial role in promoting wellness programs and innovative health solutions, aiding clients in leading healthier, more prosperous lives in every life stage.
Fact 2: Sun Life Financial Advisors are in the business of helping people
The role of a Sun Life Financial Advisor is multi-faceted. It’s about cultivating relationships, providing tailored financial advice, and ensuring that clients are equipped to protect their financial future.
Advisors usually connect with prospects within their networks and communities, or build new ones from scratch. They review their clients’ goals, and offer trusted advice on life and health insurance products to mitigate risks.
They also grow with their clientele, providing personalized, ongoing financial solutions that help clients work toward their long-term investment and retirement goals.
By building a network of satisfied clients, Financial Advisors ensure their businesses continue to grow through referrals.
Fact 3: It requires rigorous training, certification and the right set of skills
Becoming a certified Sun Life Financial Advisor is not a simple task; it requires dedication and a commitment to lifelong learning. The process is composed of five steps, ensuring that all Sun Life Financial Advisors are well-prepared to spread the message of financial literacy:
- Join a #LiveBrighter Forum to learn more about the world of Sun Life Financial Advisors.
- Attend interviews or take the Personality Orientation Profile (POP) Screen Test to assess your compatibility with the field.
- Complete the Sun Life Training Course, which covers insurance concepts, ethical standards, and product discussions.
- Take the Licensing Exam at the Insurance Commission with Sun Life’s assistance.
- Finalize the contracting and coding process to establish expectations for a successful business or career.
But it’s not just about completing these steps; it’s about possessing the right qualities and skills that are essential for success in this role. To shine as a Sun Life Financial Advisor, you should be:
- Self-motivated, highly driven, and entrepreneurial: This career demands a proactive approach, where you take the initiative to build your business and help clients achieve their financial goals.
- Goal-oriented with a strong work ethic: Setting and achieving goals is fundamental in this profession. A robust work ethic ensures you provide the best service to your clients.
- Continuous learner with a deep interest in client needs: Staying informed about financial trends and being genuinely interested in your clients’ needs is essential for providing relevant advice.
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships: Building strong, lasting relationships with your clients is at the heart of this role. Trust and rapport are the foundations of successful financial advising.
- Excellent communication skills: Clear and effective communication is key to explaining complex financial concepts to your clients and helping them make informed decisions.
- Persuasive, able to motivate others to action: Encouraging your clients to take action and make the right financial choices is a crucial part of your role.
- Business development and prospecting skills: To grow your client base, you must be adept at identifying potential clients and expanding your network.
- A passion for putting clients first: Ultimately, your success as a Sun Life Financial Advisor is measured by your clients’ success. Putting their interests first and being able to close deals is vital.
Fact 4: Sun Life provides ongoing training and sound support systems for Financial Advisors
Sun Life places a strong emphasis on the continuous learning and self-development of its Financial Advisors. It offers various training modules, including basic training, rookie development programs, financial planning, estate planning, personality development, management development, and advisor development courses. These resources ensure that advisors have the knowledge and skills needed to excel in their roles and provide quality advice to their clients.
To empower its Financial Advisors for success, Sun Life goes the extra mile by offering comprehensive support systems. These go beyond basic training and cover a wide spectrum of essential aspects:
- Dedicated leadership support and head office specialists: At Sun Life, you’re not alone on your journey. You have access to dedicated leaders and specialized head office professionals who are there to guide and support you throughout your career. Their experience and expertise can make a significant difference in your success.
- Great peer-to-peer networking, educational, and training opportunities: Learning and growing are central to a successful career as a Financial Advisor, and Sun Life facilitates this through peer-to-peer networking and a wealth of educational and training opportunities. You can connect with fellow advisors, learn from their experiences, and access ongoing education to stay at the forefront of the industry.
- Industry-leading technology and business services: Sun Life provides access to cutting-edge technology and business services that streamline your operations and help you serve your clients more effectively. This ensures you have the tools and resources to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving financial landscape.
- National advertising and personalized marketing collateral: Sun Life recognizes the importance of branding and marketing in today’s competitive environment. As a Financial Advisor, you benefit from national advertising efforts and receive personalized marketing collateral to promote your services, enhancing your reach and impact in the market.
Becoming a Sun Life Financial Advisor is not just a one-dimensional journey. It opens up a career path with a multitude of opportunities for personal and professional growth. As you embark on this path, you can expect to evolve through several key roles:
- Advisor: Your journey begins as an Advisor, where you provide financial and insurance advice to clients, helping them navigate the complex world of finance.
- Unit Manager: For those with leadership potential, the next step is becoming a Unit Manager. In this role, you recruit and manage a group of Advisors, guiding them on their own journeys to success.
- Sales Manager: Transitioning to a Sales Manager marks your preparation for establishing your own New Business Office (NBO). As a Sales Manager, you manage several Unit Managers and Advisors, honing your leadership skills and expanding your influence.
- New Business Manager: This is the pinnacle of the career path. As the head of a New Business Office, you oversee Sales Managers, Unit Managers, and Advisors, leading a dynamic team to greater heights.
Sun Life empowers you to explore these career opportunities, ensuring that your journey is not just fulfilling but also marked by continuous growth and advancement.
Fact 5: Sun Life Financial Advisors enjoy amazing rewards and benefits
The work of a Sun Life Financial Advisor may be demanding but it is a highly rewarding career. Advisors have the opportunity to write their own paycheck with unlimited income potential. They earn commissions for up to 10 years per paying client, which provides a unique source of passive income. Sun Life also offers monthly bonuses, incentives, free group insurance, subsidized health insurance, and both local and international travel incentives. After just two years of tenure, advisors can participate in a retirement plan. They also have access to free training and seminars to further enhance their skills.
There is little wonder then, that having seen the perks enjoyed by Sun Life Financial Advisors, family members soon find themselves joining in the business and becoming Sun Lifers themselves.
Fact 6: Top-Performing Financial Advisors enjoy even more rewards
The Macaulay Club, a community of Sun Life Advisors inspired by company luminaries Robertson and Thomas Macaulay, are comprised of Sun Life’s top-performing Financial Advisors. The Club is a testament to the exceptional rewards this career path can offer with qualifying club members getting to enjoy incentives like this year’s domestic trip to Boracay in Aklan and international trip to Nagoya, Japan, where they not only enjoyed the perks of being a Sun Lifer but also stepped outside their comfort zones to learn more about themselves and their peers.
However, the Macaulay Club goes beyond personal rewards; it’s a community of people who are committed to giving back. The club spearheads initiatives that support marginalized Filipino communities through donations and volunteerism with education-oriented projects, such as the Yellow School Boat Project, Children of Asia, Agusan Marshlands Floating Daycare Center, and Children of Asian and World Vision.
This year, the Macaulay Club seeks to extend its reach by providing light and other resources to last-mile schools in far-flung mountains and isolated islands in the Sarangani Province. These schools often have makeshift furnishings, very few textbooks, intermittent electricity, multi-grade classes, and cater to less than 100 learners, mostly from indigenous communities. Teachers must travel for hours on challenging terrain, and the schools lack electricity, making mentoring and monitoring difficult. The Club’s project will introduce solar-powered printing and lighting systems to help these schools cope with the demands of full face-to-face classes post-COVID, benefiting indigenous children and youth in disadvantaged communities, while improving the safety, efficiency and productivity of teachers serving the communities.
Having spent quite some time with this bunch of happy and inspiring people, I can see that being a Sun Life Financial Advisor is a career path that not only promises financial success but also the opportunity to make a real difference in people’s lives. By providing essential financial advice and guidance, you’ll help individuals and families secure their financial futures and build a brighter life.
If you’re ready to embark on this rewarding journey, why don’t you take the first step towards becoming a Sun Life Financial Advisor by visiting Sun Life’s advisor application page. Join the ranks of successful advisors at Sun Life, and start making a positive impact on the world of finance and the lives of the people you’ll serve.
Many thanks to the Macaulay Club Sun Lifers who shared their stories with me and Mommy Sigrid!
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2022, Sun Life had total assets under management of CAD 1.33 trillion. For more information, please visit http://www.sunlife.com.
Disclosure: Together with Mommy Sigrid, I was awarded an all-expense paid trip to Nagoya, Japan, joining the international trip qualifiers of the Macaulay Club, after winning the first Sun Talks Digital Media Edition contest for bloggers. We were under no obligation to write about the experience but we wanted to share stories and useful information to people who might be interested in pursuing this career.
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