Editor's note:

In 2026, China Life Insurance celebrates its 30th anniversary in personal insurance marketing. 30 years ago, the personal marketing agent system officially set sail in China; 30 years later, this industry has grown from a "seedling" with insurance premiums of less than 1.2 billion yuan at that time to a "big tree" serving billions of families. During this period, the company's personal insurance sales team also emerged like spring shoots across the country, sowing the seeds of insurance on 9.6 million square kilometers of land. Every insurance policy records the incremental growth of wealth and security for Chinese households. The sales team of Guoshou measures responsibility with their footsteps and interprets responsibility with professionalism, turning insurance, an intangible guarantee, into a tangible reliance for countless families to resist risks. Their story is the most authentic epitome and background of China Life Insurance and even Chinese personal insurance marketing for thirty years.

China Life Insurance Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "China Life", stock code: 601628. SH, 2628. HK) has been a trusted answer sheet written by countless insurers with their footsteps and sincerity in personal insurance marketing for thirty years.

Thirty years ago, Wang Guangju from Zhengzhou set a dead rule for himself: to visit ten strangers every day, believing that knocking on one more door could possibly protect one more family. Yang Ping from Changsha has just entered the industry and does not have any customer resources. She travels to various companies for several months before signing her first order. At this time, Pang Chaohui had been working in the insurance industry for several years, gradually moving from a county company to a management position. In the following thirty years, he brought several cities in Henan that ranked last into the forefront of the province, giving more ordinary families the confidence to resist risks.

At that time, it was the era when China Life's personal insurance marketing was just starting. There are no ready-made customers, no mature models, only a group of ordinary people carrying bags and terms, taking to the streets and knocking on unfamiliar doors. Thirty years later, Wang Guangju grew from a rural youth to a management talent, Yang Ping from a kindergarten teacher to the most trusted person in the hearts of customers, and Pang Chaohui from a grassroots employee to a responsible person in multiple cities. Their story is a microcosm of China Life Insurance's thirty years of personal insurance - no earth shattering events, only daily visits, smiles, persistence, and responsibility.

From a stranger knocking on the door to the lights of thousands of homes, a thirty year creed of a national longevity person

In 1996, after graduating from Zhengzhou University, Wang Guangju stepped out of the factory amidst the wave of reform and resolutely joined the First Marketing Department of China Life Henan Branch. Over the course of thirty years, he grew from a rural youth with no family in Zhengzhou to a manager of a team of over a hundred people. And the starting point of everything is the "hard rule" he set for himself to visit ten times a day.

The most difficult thing when I first started in the industry was not having any acquaintances, "said Wang Guangju. At that time, I hardly knew anyone in Zhengzhou, and only two teachers were listed on the list. In the first three months, he did not place a single order. So he set a rule for himself: he must meet 10 people every day - the company's requirement is 6 visits a day, and he raised the standard to 10 visits.

In the fourth month, he finally gained something. The key is to persist every day and lay the foundation through two or three years, "he said.

Later in 2002, the company began advocating for team development, and he keenly realized that a team is not a burden, but a bigger stage. Wang Guangju's first recruitment came from an unexpected place - customers. At that time, he met a friend who had been laid off from a mining factory and had purchased critical illness insurance for his child. The next day, the friend took the initiative to ask, "Can I do it

Thus, the master and apprentice began to conduct unfamiliar visits side by side, and this mutually encouraging and tacit cooperation continued to influence Wang Guangju for more than 20 years. Now he is a senior department manager, from working alone to leading troops in battle, he deeply understands that a team is not a pile of numbers, but a trust from the families behind each partner.

Because he understands the importance of trust, Wang Guangju cherishes every customer. In 2012, he met Mr. Guo, who worked as a manager in a vegetable market, and suggested that he take out an accident insurance policy. And just over two months later, Mr. Guo was hospitalized and spent tens of thousands of yuan due to his arm being thrown off by the sudden brake while riding in the car. Wang Guangju rushed to the hospital as soon as he learned about the claim, and within a week, the compensation had been received. A policy can be exchanged for more than ten years of friendship. This made Wang Guangju feel that true trust is actually built on the moment when the customer truly needs it.

Image: Wang Guangju engages in planning communication with partners

When it comes to the role of personal insurance for ordinary people, Wang Guangju deeply feels that "doing insurance is ultimately a responsibility towards people.

In 2021, the lover of customer Chang was diagnosed with lung cancer. Chang bought 5 critical illness insurances from him in her early years. After being hospitalized, the treatment fees kept pressing down day by day, and Sister Chang dialed his phone number. Wang Guangju immediately rushed to the hospital and arrived at the ward. Without saying much, he sorted out the diagnosis certificate and medical records in the client's hands one by one, and immediately applied for a green channel from the company to cooperate with the investigators on site at the hospital for verification. Quickly, 100000 yuan in compensation was transferred to the customer's account.

Later, Sister Chang made a phone call to express her gratitude, with a choked voice, repeatedly saying, "In the future, when you buy insurance, buy China Life Insurance." Wang Guangju said that at that moment, he suddenly remembered the rejection he had suffered when he first entered the industry - what made him persist was that one day when someone urgently needed money to treat their illness, he could lend a helping hand in times of need.

Until now, Wang Guangju still insists on visiting clients every day. The team management is well-organized, but he never locks himself in the office. The customer made a phone call and rode his bike over; Whoever needs to consult when their policy expires, he will immediately come to the door and explain it clearly. He said, "Without the market, you don't know what customers really need

For thirty years, Wang Guangju has measured the streets and alleys of Zhengzhou with his footsteps and opened countless unfamiliar doors with sincerity. He has never forgotten the simplicity of coming from the countryside, nor has he ever let go of his solemn promises to every customer. Knock on every door and serve everyone well. And this is precisely the most touching power of insurance.

Passing on the torch from generation to generation, take root wherever difficulties arise

For insurers, no difficulty will last long. If they persist to the end, they will surely succeed. "Pang Chaohui graduated from Guangzhou Insurance School in 1993 and entered the Ruzhou Branch of the People's Insurance Company of China with a professional background. After the separation of operations in 1996, he devoted himself to life insurance and grew from the marketing department manager of the county company to the general manager of the personal insurance business department of the provincial company and the head of multiple city branches.

Over the past thirty years, Pang Chaohui has witnessed the entire process of China's insurance industry from ignorance to maturity. But what gives him the most sense of achievement is never the promotion of his rank, but the sense of security that ordinary customers gain from a policy at critical moments. He often says, "Whether management is done well or not ultimately depends on whether the people being served are satisfied

Pang Chaohui recalled that in the early 1990s, most people in the market did not understand what insurance was and it was difficult to develop. Although he studied insurance, there is a significant difference between textbook knowledge and market practice, and 'it is indeed necessary for an experienced comrade to lead the way'. This is not a polite remark. In the insurance industry, no matter how well one studies theory, when it comes to real market games, sometimes it's not as effective as an old comrade saying 'you need to talk to this person in a different way'. Pang Chaohui was brought out by such a hand, so he later attached great importance to accompanying and guiding his marketing partners - he was once illuminated by others, and now he wants to illuminate others as well.

In 2002, Pang Chaohui joined the leadership team of the county company. He always remembered a simple truth: managing marketing partners is not about controlling them, but about making them better serve customers. He summarized two things that must be done personally: one is home visits - to understand the actual situation of marketing partners in order to provide support in work and life; The second is accompanying visits - when a partner has put in a lot of effort in the market but the results are not good, he needs to follow along to see how the partner communicates with the customer, and then come back together to figure out where we can improve.

He often tells his friends, 'You're not selling a policy, you're helping a family block future risks.' It was this method that led him to lead the team to win the first place in the province's marketing business during his three years as a manager in Ruzhou. For Pang Chaohui, what is more important than ranking is that more and more ordinary families in the area have access to security - they won't have to borrow money when a serious illness strikes, and their children can receive an extra education fund when they go to school. Those invisible peace of mind are truly meaningful achievements.

Image: Pang Chaohui and team manager exchange business development status

The current insurance market emphasizes customer centricity, with the core tasks of serving old customers well and designing more suitable insurance plans for them. Pang Chaohui believes that the direction of the industry's future transformation and development is to more effectively protect consumer rights: higher levels of professionalism and specialization among marketers mean that customers can receive more reliable advice; The service will be more personalized, although there is AI technology, warm communication is still the core.

In Pang Chaohui's view, the 30-year history of China Life Personal Insurance is the process of generations of insurers using sweat to explore the market and sincerity to win trust. He has seen too many ordinary families endure the toughest days because of a single insurance policy - some people don't have to sell their houses after getting sick, some retire with an extra monthly pension, and some leave their families with a decent life. These stories made him believe that doing insurance is like being human. This path is worth continuing on.

Perseverance under Misunderstandings: A Claim Answer Sheet of a National Life Insurance Employee

When I first came in, I didn't even know what life insurance was, nor did I understand insurance, "Yang Ping said with a smile about her decision in the spring of 1999. At that time, she "coincidentally" opened the door of China Life Insurance, and never expected that this door would be open for nearly thirty years.

The days when I first entered the industry were not easy. Yang Ping doesn't have any customer resources, so she flips through product manuals and runs around from company to company. Most of the time, I can't even see the person in charge in person, and occasionally when I do, they often wave their hand and refuse. But she never thought of giving up, as long as someone is willing to listen, she is willing to speak. After running for several months, she finally signed her first order.

In those years, Yang Ping left early and returned late every day. She understands that in order to provide security for more people, it is necessary to enter the perspective of more people. By chance, she visited a large state-owned enterprise. When explaining critical illness insurance to a young employee, they said, "My classmate has cancer, and I think insurance is really necessary." So Yang Ping carefully designed a plan for him. And this employee not only insured herself, but also recommended her to colleagues. One customer recommends another, and one department passes it on to another. Since then, she has served more and more enterprises, ranging from dozens to hundreds of people, from one unit to dozens of units.

The real way to retain customers is through daily service. Whether it's information changes, claims consultation, or urgent matters at home, Yang Ping always responds promptly and tries her best to help. She often says, "Every time you serve someone, it means that a family has gained the confidence to withstand risks. If you care about your customers, they will naturally trust you

Image: Yang Ping communicating and exchanging ideas with clients

In the claims handled by Yang Ping, there is a story that she still remembers to this day. At that time, a young female client had her entire family's insurance with her. Yang Ping suggested that her husband choose to pay critical illness insurance for 29 years. The customer felt that it was not cost-effective to pay until the age of 70, expressed confusion, and requested a refund. Yang Ping repeatedly explained the losses of surrendering insurance and the risks of losing protection. After repeated communication, the customer understood the necessary significance of this guarantee from the bottom of their heart and ultimately cancelled the decision to return the insurance.

Nearly two years later, the client's husband was diagnosed with a thyroid tumor during a physical examination at the workplace. After receiving the phone call, Yang Ping immediately helped organize the claim information and contacted the company for processing. The claim was quickly approved and the 300000 yuan compensation was credited to the account. What surprised the client even more was that her husband's premiums for the next 27 years were fully waived, and the 500000 yuan contract remained valid.

The client later specifically approached Yang Ping and held her hand, saying that she was a "living bodhisattva". Yang Ping said, "If I had followed her wishes and returned, what would she do today? To do insurance, you need to have a sense of mission and start with love and responsibility. Sometimes clients don't understand you, so you have to think about the long-term for them

For nearly thirty years, Yang Ping has protected thousands of families with countless sincere explanations and timely compensation. The process of service is not earth shattering, only the persistence of thinking from the customer's perspective time and time again. In her opinion, the significance of insurance has never been a contract, but a guardian for customers who are always online, regardless of wind and rain.

Conclusion

From 1996 to 2026, China Life Personal Insurance has gone through a full thirty years. These thirty years have been a period of rapid economic development in China, as well as a period of awakening of risk awareness among Chinese families. Standing at the forefront of the industry are thousands of Guoshou people like Wang Guangju, Pang Chaohui, and Yang Ping. They filled the gap between insurance and trust with sincerity, and fulfilled the promise of "worth entrusting" with repeated claims.

In the past thirty years, the market has gone from a blank space to a diverse range of options, customers have shifted from 'can't do it' to 'who to find', and products have gone from single guarantee to comprehensive financial solutions. What remains unchanged is the persistence of daily visits, the dedication of home visits and accompanying visits, and the responsibility of quick and timely claims settlement. China Life's personal insurance policy for thirty years is not just a simple number, but a series of warm names, guarded smiling faces, and sincere words like 'when buying insurance in the future, look for China Life'.

In the next thirty years, the road is still long. But as they say - the path under your feet is the best way; Persist until the end, and you will surely succeed; The significance of insurance is not a contract, but a warm protection.