The Bidvest Chairman’s Award is an esteemed accolade at Bidvest Group Ltd and one that isn’t easily achievable – let alone to be nominated for. For one Bidvest Insurance employee, Saras Moodley the recognition that came with being nominated for this presitigious award was a dream come true.
Saras began her career at Bidvest Insurance as a Trainee Coordinator in 2006 and worked her way up the corporate ladder to a Broker Sales Consultant.
Thanks to her unrelenting dedication, commitment and a passion for her job and clients, Saras Moodley was honoured by Bidvest along with a select group of other employess across the group for her outstanding and excellent efforts in the workplace. As a nominee for the Chairman’s Award, Saras had the pleasure of attending a glamorous gala evening in September 2015 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg were she was wined and dined with other top achievers from the company.
We chatted to Saras to find out more about what drives her, what her experience at the recent Chairman’s Awards was like and what being nominated for the award has meant to her.
When did your career at Bidvest Insurance begin?
I started work at Bidvest Insurance as a Trainee Coordinator in 2006
Have you ever been invited to the Bidvest Chairman’s Awards ceremony before?
No, this was the first time I had been nominated and invited
What does a typical working day in the life of Saras Moodley consist of?
I am very focused when I arrive at the office. I make sure that I complete everything I have set out to do for the day so that by the time I leave work in the evening, I’m truly satisfied with what I have achieved. A typical day for me consists of talking to clients and helping them get their insurance policies in place. I also help with Finance and Insurance and assist clients and co-workers wherever possible.
What drives/motivates you to perform at your best?
In short…I hate failure!
What do you think is important for every consultant to do/keep in mind when dealing with customers?
When talking to a customer it’s important to understand what they want by really listening to the client. So rather than just forcing a sale on them – to instead look out for the client’s best interest when recommending a suitable policy. That way, everybody wins!
What do you always strive to achieve when assisting a customer?
I always strive to give the client the best advice possible.
What do you love most about working at Bidvest Insurance Group?
It’s a wonderful company to work for and my life revolves around working at my own pace. I love the freedom I am given to work in a way that suits me, without worrying about being micro-managed and interfered with by others.
Looking back, what are your favourite work memories and what are you proudest of?
Being nominated for the Bidvest Chairman’s award is a definite highlight for me, as well as being nominated as the top sales achiever at our year-end functions over the past three years. On a day-to-day basis, I enjoy interacting with different clients and I do my best to make them feel respected by letting them know how important their business is to me.
When was the Chairman’s event and where was it held?
There was a pre-dinner event on Thursday where everyone who had been nominated received achievement certificates with the overall award winners being honoured on the Saturday at the gala dinner event. The gala dinner took place at the Sandton Conference Centre on Saturday the 29th of August 2015. Guests who attended the event included all the corporates with each Bidvest company nominating an individual (from 39 different countries) who they felt deserved the Chairman’s Award – who were also invited. I represented Bidvest Insurance South Africa and there was also someone else from Bidvest Bank SA. We were the only two nominees put forward from the financial industries.
Did you win anything at the event?
I received a certificate for outstanding achievement which I was thrilled with.
Give us a summary of your experience and how the event has impacted you since?
The gala event held on Saturday was a very glamorous occasion. In fact, even the semi-formal event held on the Thursday prior was very smart! It was the first time I had been to an event like this and it was very impressive and well organized – especially considering there were more than a thousand people in attendance. Apart from the excitement of the awards being announced, there was lots of top-class entertainment that we were treated to which included comedians, musicians, a delicious three-course meal and post-event dinner drinks and dancing that followed. It really was such a big event with so many people…but I did manage to spot a few local and international celebs that attended! I really enjoyed my night with the Directors and I got to meet some very interesting people.
What did it mean for you to be nominated?
It really was quite an achievement as I have been in the industry for five years and for the past three years I was known as the top sales consultant in my department – but to receive recognition outside of this was very special and meant a lot! Funny enough, I originally had never wanted to go into sales as a career and fortunately for me landed up getting into the industry by accident.
Any other additional comments thoughts?
To succeed in this industry and particularly in sales, you have to always give of your best and live by the mantra that “there’s no such thing as I can’t do it”. You will have to sacrifice things at times and even acknowledge that your life is not really your own. But if you continue to work hard, those sacrifices at the end of the day will pay off which makes it all worth it.
Saras’s work ethos and dedication to her clients as well as her fellow co-workers is a great example of how being passionate about one’s work can achieve great results. We are so glad that you are a part of the Bidvest Insurance team and look forward to all that you will achieve in the future at Bidvest Insurance. Congratulations Saras!
