Yesterday, our team have our “Lou Hei” session at Melleo’s Place Cafe, East Point Mall. 🙂
Its a culture in our team, where we frequently gathered together, to build the cohesive and camaraderie, while strengthening our team spirit, in facing challenges and obstacles that fall upon us… too long winded
‘Lou Hei’ is the tossing of ‘Yu Sheng’, a colourful salad platter of raw fish and crunchy vegetables, to symbolize luck and prosperity.
This dish is traditionally served on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, which the Chinese celebrate as “everyone’s birthday.”
The 7th day of Chinese New Year is known as “yan yat” (day of humanity). Each day of the new year is named after an animal.
”Yee” means “fish” and “Sang” means “toss”. However, “Sang” as it is pronounced can also mean “rise up” or “give birth”. “Yee” can also mean “prosperity”.
The rule of yee sang is that the dish itself must be very colourful. It usually consists of coloured flour strips in red and green.
Also shredded carrot, shredded radish and ginger which has been dyed red and green. Crispy strips of fried stuff is added. This is arranged on a large plate with each ingredient seperate from the other.
When ready, you mix it up with the sauces, and use chopsticks to toss the whole thing up….while everyone “shouting sales ar, sales ar, sales ar“….
The higher you toss the salad and the louder you shout ‘Lou Hei’ or “sales”, the more luck you will have in the coming year.
hahahhhh…Its kinda good for bonding exercises! 🙂
p.s. By the way, if you wish to discover a simple & halal way to create a positive monthly cashflow and calculate your net worth for FREE, then please click here…
Yesterday, I went for the copywriting seminar conducted by Fadzuli, and boyyy…. it’s enlightening and very refreshing…. 🙂
Get to network with common minded Melayus like Suryadi, Syah, Badawi, Nawaz, Fahim, Melindah and many, more others… Its sooooo….gerek… hahahhhh…
It’s some kind like “law of attraction” these days that, generous people who shares the same passion, keep attracting to me, all the time….
Bro Hafihz, who is a genius in marketing, helped me in the restructuring of my whole blog and change my deep rooted concept and understanding on using the internet to better market and position myself, as a financial associate in Singapore.
Bro Samson, who is a Certified NLP trainer, helped me to reignite my passion and reinforce my belief that all things are possible.
Not forgetting, Abang Abu, with his never ending quest to help the Malay community transform into an exemplary ummah that many will be proud of.
Of course, there are many whom I love to meet in the future like Saiful, Diana Sabrain and many, many more successful entrepreneurs out there 🙂
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Alhamdulillah….
The seminar just comes at the right timing, as I am drafting my first book, “33 Common Questions, People Asked Me As A Financial Associate”. heheh…can steal some ideas to make my book interesting
In this very post that you are reading now, I will share with you the gist of wisdom, I manage to uncover while attending the mini workshop.
Actually, there’s a lot to be shared, but I prefer to concentrate on one…as the post might get very lengthy. 😛
First and foremost, Fadzuli shared that copywriting is the art of WRITING that enables reader’s mind to think and TRIGGER responses.
Different people have different TRIGGER points.
You have different TRIGGER points.
I have different TRIGGER points.
Everyone has different TRIGGER points.
The 8 Most COMMON TRIGGER POINTS are
1) Specificity
When you are specific, you increase believability.
Specifics carry more weight with your prospects.
Things like “I am a financial associate.”
“I am 23 years old.”
“I live in Singapore.”
All these, are specifics, that increase believability.
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2) Curiosity
Curiosity kills the cat but makes the marketer, a lot of money.
I love to create suspense and make people curious of my no hold bar frank opinion of life, when I post in this blog.
That is why you still continue to read and revisit my blog again and again. even though some detest with my opinions
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3) Reason WHY
Telling people the reason WHY YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING is one of the most powerful
influencers of human behavior.
Robert Cialdini, Ph.D. in his book “Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion” talks
about an experiment by Harvard social psychologist, Ellen Langer, that concluded people like to have a reason for what they do.
My manager is a very good motivator.
She loves to say, “Helmi, you must do this because….
because….”
A lot of reasons created, that will propelled me to strive to achieve my goals.
……………………….. 4) Scarcity
When you don’t have many of it, people tend to want it.
So when you want to offer something to readers of your blog, make it scarce. 🙂
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5) Fear
This is my own interpretation. When people fear of something, they will act IMMEDIATELY.
Example, one who is diagnose with heart problem, will IMMEDIATELY quit smoking, or maintain a healthy lifestyle, because they FEAR of the worst.
………………………. 6) Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is contagious.
I guess, some people just act on what you propose, if they see you, so enthusiastic in what you propose.
Yup2… Enthusiasm plays a role. 🙂
…………………………………………….. 7) TELLING THE TRUTH
I find this relevant.
When I asked the top 1% of financial advisers in Singapore, on what makes them so successful.
They just told me, be truthful. Just tell you clients, the truth.
…………………………….. 8) Relations
When you mention names, it triggers the related party minds..hahahhh…I did mentioned names in this post right? 😛
Sometimes,my blog post remits unwanted responses, even i don’t mention names. who eat chili, they will feel the heat
I will like to thank Bro Fadzuli again for his sharing and hope, you, readers learn a thing or 2 in this post. :)
p.s. By the way, if you wish to discover a simple & halal way to create a positive monthly cashflow and calculate your net worth for FREE, then please click here…
I am very sad, that in the mark of the technical crisis in Singapore, many people are facing dire financial difficulties.
While the rich are facing ENORMOUS financial opportunities.
Some people whom I dont know, out of a sudden, get my hp number and asked if can borrow money. gheeidontlikethiskindofpopularity
Old friends whom I have not contacted for over 10 years,suddenly try to befriend and get close to me in hope for some bucks to spare.
Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you are reading my blog, please, i beg you please LISTEN to me.
(Real life picture taken in Singapore, YES IN SINGAPORE! I try to cover the unit no)
You have to learn to manage your finance well.
The responsibility is on YOU.
If you do not know how, get a ahlong FINANCIAL PLANNER like us to help you out.
We can help you to MANAGE your money, not we GIVE you money.
In the wake of these incidences, I have come out with 6 Rules Of Thumb that I always advise my client to follow, when it comes to MANAGING THEIR MONEY.
1) Save at least 10% of your monthly income
This is a good start to SAVINGS.
Usually, I will analyze whether my client do have a habit of savings or not by asking simple questions like,
“For these past few months, how much savings have you done CONSISTENTLY, i mean, you put your money in there, and you never take out?“.
“For the next 12 months, do you need to use that money,that you have saved?”
If they do not have this habit of savings, 10% is definitely a GOOD START.
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2) Life Insurance Cover Must Be At Least 10 Times Your Annual Income
People get insurance mainly because of 2 main reasons -Income replacement
Should critical illness like heart attack, cancer, were to occur, or you were downed by permanent disability, you will lose your source of income.
BUT, your expenses continue. The proceeds from your insurance policies helps to pay off your expenses.
-Assets Protection
Should death were to occur, all your mortgages will be paid for from your insurance proceeds.
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3) Have 3 to 6 Months of Estimated Expenses In Your Emergency Funds
If you are an employee, in the event of retrenchment, it will take you about 3-6 months for you to find a new job.
If you are an employer,a business owner, and your business winds up, it will take you longer, perhaps 6 months to look for new projects or find a job.
In this climate of uncertainty, I will strongly recommend you to have at least 6 months to 1 year of emergency funds.
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4) For your retirement income, you need 70 -80% of your last drawn salary
This goes by the assumption that your expenses, will be lower when you retire.
In financial planning, we called this younoneedtospendsomuchreplacement ratio method.
We assume major expenses like mortgage and work related have been settled by then.
However, this rule is not applicable to everyone.
You need to account for holiday expenses, and perhaps SHOPPING freely because you have more time when you retire.
I always tell my client, “The more you have for your retirement, the better!“
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5) The percentage of your portfolio to be invested in equity should be 100 minus your age
In this time of uncertainty, it is BEST to stay invested.
Some people asked me, “How much money should I put into equities, and how much bonds?”
This is a simple formula to follow.
Example, a 30 year old guy.
As a rule of thumb, take 100- 30.
So 70% of his savings should be placed in equities and 30% in bonds.
Of course, this is just a simplified way of analysing the client.A detailed check will ensued.
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6) Your home loan repayments should not exceed 33% of your monthly income
When you earn $6000 a month, it is okay to spend $2000 on mortgage.
But when you income grows,you upgrade to a more expensive or bigger house, most of your income will go to the house which do not generate income (Personal Use Assets) and less into investments and savings.
The lesser, the loan repayment per month the better.
You should avoid a situation where half of your monthly income, goes out to pay loan.
Like that, jialatla you cannot afford to be sick…. sure die….
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Wokei….. So now, you can gauge yourself whether you conform to this simple 6 rules of thumb in managing you money.
However, I need to make an exclusion here.
I believe 20% of you may have a lifestyle that is different from the norm.
Rest, follow these thumb rule and call me at 96520134 should you be imbued in more queries.
Financial Planning is the way to go! 🙂
p.s. By the way, if you wish to discover a simple & halal way to create a positive monthly cashflow and calculate your net worth for FREE, then please click here…
I just found chanced upon a song on Singapore most famous, jealously guardedERP gantries.
We understand the government had reduced the ownership taxes, ARF, excise duty and so on, and at the same time issued more COEs to ensure more Singaporeans are able to afford buying cars.
The major policy shift from ownership to usage thus prompt the idea of the most revolutionary ERP (Electronic Road Pricing).
The government pragmatic move in pushing up ERP to control traffic congestion in Singapore is understandable.
I can go on,yet I dont want….enjoy the song. Very creative! 🙂
P.S: You can click the link below,if you want to view the Singapore National Day Rally Speech 2008 on why Singaporeans need ERP.Click Here
p.s. By the way, if you wish to discover a simple & halal way to create a positive monthly cashflow and calculate your net worth for FREE, then please click here…
I guess, you know that we,Muslims celebrate Hari Raya for 1 month, SOLID….
I just shifted, into my new office in Woodlands Civic Centre and I feel the “Hari Raya festive mood” very dominating…
Feel like going home,watch TV and relax.
hahahah….Selamat Hari Raya again to all Muslims. 🙂
p.s. By the way, if you wish to discover a simple & halal way to create a positive monthly cashflow and calculate your net worth for FREE, then please click here…
A certified financial consultant, Helmi Hakim has won praise for his patience, perseverance and practicality when solving his clients’ financial concerns. For more information on how you can manage your finances better, contact Helmi Hakim at 96520134.
