Get your marketing plans in order.

It would be fair to say that the majority of people in professional services are not marketing specialists. Usually great technicians and specialist advisers, often great at selling and relationship management at an individual level.  Not so great at getting the marketing going though….

Whenever I talk at workshops or conferences about marketing, client engagement and building the professional services brand the question that invariably arises is “what do I need to have in my marketing mix?”

That could potentially be a very very long list, but here are the Marketing Kitbag Essentials:

1.   A defined target market and client profile
2.   A succinct Value Proposition & a Positioning Statement
3.   Consistent brand imagery and logo’s
4.   Your own name domain (e.g. billsmith.com) – even if you aren’t sure where you will use it yet
5.   Professional Business Card
6.   Professional letterhead stationery
7.   A professional headshot photo (or series of photo’s)
8.   Your Professional Bio with particular focus on expertise & credibility areas
9.   A complete LinkedIn profile (with particular focus on Headline; contact details, & summary sections)
10.   Branded company profile brochure or collateral
11.   Branded email template, with content links
12.   A content rich, customer focussed, website
13.   Branded newsletter/ezine
14.   Branded Powerpoint and/or Prezi templates
15.   A Centre-Of-Influence plan and approach
16.   Referral Marketing plan
17.   Welcome/Introductory Video
18.   An “about you” video (some will refer to it as a “why” video)
19.   Key social media accounts set up for your brand (even if you are not using them yet)
20.   A blog

This is potentially quite a daunting list for many professionals today, yet it is just the essentials for a practice or adviser wanting to establish a credible presence with their target market customers.

Whether you intend to use digital marketing methods or not the reality is most customers will expect you to have an online presence, so it is critical to establishing credibility as a modern professional.  Equally, it is critical that your physical marketing material is polished, well branded, and consistently positioned.

Of course, way back at the top of the list are those fundamentals which are so often missed in professional services marketing…being clear about who you are trying to attract, positioning for them, and being totally clear about what value you provide to them.

www.financialadvisercoach.com

The post The Top 20 Marketing Kitbag Essentials appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Fostering good relationships are key to marketing success.

I know, I’ve abused a very popular axiom about investing, but as investment success is gained by time in the market, it’s exactly the same rule when it comes to successful marketing.

Advisers or their marketing staff often contact us after they’ve “tried everything” hoping that a newsletter, newspaper editorial or Facebook page will be the next answer to their marketing woes. When we ask what they’ve done in the past, we see a regular pattern.

This is an example of how it goes…

Martin, an experienced financial planner of 15 years, attended a conference in October last year where he was inspired by a panel of successful advisers talking about their “astounding marketing results”. Returning to his office with a pile of great ideas, he proceeded to overwhelm his staff by wanting to implement as many activities as they could before Christmas. After all, they were all “proven methods to grow your financial planning practice” and the past few years had been a struggle keeping clients and attracting new ones so Martin was keen to try anything – or everything.

They launched three marketing ideas at great expense in time and money (and stress) and were shocked that by Christmas they could not attribute one new client to their new marketing (their COIs hadn’t even responded). Martin’s Return on Investment was, at that point, a Loss on Investment. As he and his team reached the end of the year their enthusiasm had faltered, their energy for marketing was minimal, and they were all hoping next year would be “better”.

They decided to keep going for one more month but Martin felt worse with every additional dollar he put into each project. By the end of January they had signed up only one new client referred by a lone COI so they ceased all projects and planned to try something else when they had more time, money and energy.

That was their biggest mistake!

“You get ready and you wait…”

I spent a couple of years living in the South Pacific (that’s my hat!) and as everyone knows, islanders do things in their own time. There’s no point trying to rush or cut corners. When working on island time, there’s a simple rule – “you get ready… and you wait”. It’s quite amazing because regardless of how “late” everything seems to be running, it all ends up working perfectly in “perfect time”. Island magic…

It’s exactly the same with business marketing.

Get everything ready (plan and implement) then you wait (as you continue your marketing). If you have planned well, the marketing tool you have chosen should fit neatly into your business operations and it becomes “the norm”. You test and measure over a set period of time but without placing extra pressure on your team.

Marketing magic…

Friendships don’t happen overnight

You know that personal relationships are at the core of financial planning, and you can’t build solid relationships overnight, so persist, persist, persist.

Very few people make snap decisions these days – particularly about money – so to make your marketing work you have to stick with that activity for at least nine months (a familiar gestation period?).

Here is some proof

Some of the most successful advisers in Australia have used our services over many years. As with anything new they were wondering if their newsletters were “working” for the first couple of editions, but they stuck with it. After the third or fourth edition they started to enjoy the fruits of their persistence. Our clients discovered that this one marketing tool was helping them maintain a strong presence in their marketplace and build credibility and reliability. Their clients knew their adviser was there for the long term.

They stayed with a proven tool, saved thousands of dollars by not running up dead alleys chasing quick results, and they’re reaping the benefits.

Just like trying to time the stock market, don’t chop and change your marketing as you will never know whether you pulled out just at the crucial moment.

I hate to finish with another cliché but the saying “it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen” applies to all types of marketing (not just for shampoo!), so plan well and hang in there. It will be well worth it.

If you know of anyone who keeps mis-timing their marketing, please forward this article to them. It’s nice to share the knowledge.

Julianne Bell – www.financialarticles.com.au

The post It’s time IN your marketing, not timing OF your marketing appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Social media: learn the rules before you go online.

Remaining compliant as a financial adviser and not breaching any regulations, whether they concern the provision of best practice advice, privacy constraints, or legal responsibilities to remain within certain boundaries is actually a very simple thing to do.

Do not provide personal advice to clients in a public forum. Ever.  

….there…that was it…it is actually that simple.

The same rules, or guiding principles, that would apply to you when drafting a written advertisement in the local paper work for social media as well.  All the things that advisers are (or should be!) used to having to comply with apply when using social media.

This may seem to be simply stating the obvious, yet it is something that I have been asked about quite a bit.  It is something which is thrown up even more often as a barrier to using social media at all.  This fear of non-compliance for financial advisers is offered as a reason to ignore using the primary method of communication with other humans in the world today.

Here’s what I hear inside my head when I hear advisers offer this reasoning: “you’re saying you’ll stick with a musket thanks…because a rifle sounds dangerous”  

Voice inside my head goes on to say: The safety principles for both are the same…the purpose of the weapon is the same…but the difference in effectiveness is immense…what you are really saying is you haven’t familiarised yourself with the different extra features on the rifle or tried it in a safe environment…it is the learning that intimidates you, not the rifle itself”  

The reality is that all the customary things like not using bait advertising, or making false or misleading statements, or breaching privacy, simply extend to anyadvertising or marketing medium.  No matter whether that is digital marketing or print advertising  the same principles apply regardless.  Musket or rifle…the safety principles remain the same essentially.

To say that one doesn’t intend to use digital communications as a marketing method for fear of non-compliance is the same as saying I shall not run client appreciation events due to my fear of making a compliance slip whilst talking to my clients at a function.

The same principles of good behavior, ethics, and how one provides personalised advice apply regardless of the marketing medium used.

It really is that simple.

www.financialadvisercoach.com

The post How to ensure you are compliant while using social media appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Social media and marketing for advisers

Despite the buzz about new marketing tactics such as SEO, e-marketing or social media, traditional marketing methods are still valuable tools in the marketing arsenal.

Following It’s a brave e-world: e-marketing tips for financial advisers and Getting your marketing emails read: tips for advisers, boutique fund manager Bennelong Funds Management talks about how the old and the new can perfectly co-exist. No need to abandon something that has been working well for your business, just because there’s a new kid on the block. Instead, combine traditional marketing methods with the new to integrate your marketing efforts.

How does it work in practice? Here are a few practical tips to illustrate how an integrated marketing approach can work.

Something old, something new

An example of a QR code

Print ads and brochures: Consider adding Quick Response (QR) codes to your print ads. QR codes are patterned squares that house specific information accessible via a QR code reader on a mobile phone or iPad. It directs the person to a webpage, newsletter or anything else you’ve assigned to the code. For example, create a specific landing page on your site, reinforcing the message of the ad. If you’re active on social media platforms, encourage the reader to look you up, e.g. include the line ‘Stay connected with us on Twitter and Facebook’.

Seminars: If you already organise seminars for clients, then consider video-taping the presentations. Alternatively, you could simply record the audio component of your seminar. Offer a link to the video or audio material via your social media channels, e-newsletters or website; it’s a good way to reach the people who missed out on your seminar.

Emails to clients: In your daily emails, encourage clients to connect with you via the social media platforms you’re active on by inserting ‘social icons’ (see image at right) in your email signature. For example, write ‘Follow us’ and add the relevant social media icons. On IconFinder, you can freely (or inexpensively) download the relevant icons, which can also be included on your website.

Client newsletter: if you produce an e-newsletter, print out some interesting, relevant articles and post them to your older clients who may not be active online. You could also post the content of the newsletter on your website, perhaps as a blog post. Have a look at our articles It’s a brave e-world: e-marketing tips for financial advisers and Getting your marketing emails read: tips for advisers for more insights into email marketing. Again, insert social media icons in your e-newsletter to raise awareness of your social media participation.

Sponsorship of local businesses: If you sponsor the local sports team or primary school via traditional banners or signs at the venue, also start tweeting about it. For example, write a tweet about the team’s wins and your support, or post a picture on Facebook about the latest event you attended at the school.

Requests for referrals: Make it easy for clients to refer your services online; create a ‘Share with a friend’ link on your website. When someone clicks on the link, an automated email pops up with an already completed subject line and email recommending the recipient visits your website/reads an interesting article (the company who created your website can generally program this straightforward request for you). Your client simply needs to insert the email address of the person they want to share your details with. For your client, it’s a very non-intrusive way to highlight your services and recommend you.

Presentations: You can make your presentations easily available on social sites like Slideshare. Your presentation is then available to a broader audience online, and you will be able to email the presentations to clients without sending big PowerPoint attachments (simply email the link to the online copy on SlideShare). A link back to your homepage on the final slide can help drive more traffic to your site.

Client testimonial: If you still pin ‘Thank you’ cards from clients on the noticeboard in your waiting room, why not also spread the word online? A positive testimonial about your services can be shared on your website and social media platforms.

Think outside the traditional marketing box, and you will quickly discover that traditional marketing methods can easily be combined with the latest marketing tactics.

For further reading, here are a few useful links.

Click here to view a video about how to integrate email and social media

Click here for a brief blog post about QR codes and financial advisors

Don’t abandon traditional marketing methods, integrate and interact

The post Marrying up the old with the new: an integrated marketing approach for advisers appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Other difficult questions to answer include:

• How can we capitalise on the growth and connect with key business decision makers?

• How do we navigate the digital landscape, map a business growth strategy and effectively manage risk?

• How do we build an effective digital strategy, manage implementation and measure results?

 And, above all things;

‘Where do we go to get quality advice?’

To be fair, there are many excellent practitioners currently advising on social media. Equally though, there are many people whose only qualification is they have a Facebook page or Twitter account – making them an expert.

Michael Field, strategic marketing consultant specialising in digital strategy, says:

“It reminds me of the lead-up to the year 2000 with Y2K experts offering advice and expertise. Similarly today we have the ‘social media expert’- willing to advise businesses on social media without linking the social media activity to the organisational strategy or business objectives.”

If you are considering appointing a social media expert, it’s important to ask for proof of where they have built a business, and how the growth in the business is directly attributable to the social media efforts and activities.

The post Are social media experts the new Y2K experts? appeared first on AdviserVoice.

This one is the most obvious of all. If you don’t have a website, you are wasting possibly the biggest opportunity available to bring in new clients as well as engaging your existing clients.

Websites can also save time.  Instead of clients calling you every time they need a fax number or some other mundane piece of information, they can simply visit your website for all the info they need.

Some advisers say they would prefer to let their client call them, as there may be opportunities for further business that can come from a phone call. That may be true, but a well designed website will engage your clients in a ways that we simply cannot do over the phone.

Top Tip: Get yourself online right now, even if it’s a basic one page website to start with.

2. Go Paperless

I have visited dozens of financial planning firms over the years that have serious office space devoted to files. This is just money down the drain, big time! Think about what you could do with that space. Put on another adviser, sub-lease the space to an accountant or other professional etc.

There are other benefits as well. Every time one of your clients calls, do you have to run to the filing room to find their file? With a good paperless system all of your clients’ documents are just a few mouse clicks away. And with the right security in place your client’s information will be as safe as ever.

What would happen to your precious paper files in the event of fire or flood? They’d be gone! A properly backed-up paperless system will be secure no matter what happens.

There are also huge savings on paper, ink and toner cartridges, not to mention reduced servicing bills on your printing equipment.

Getting a paperless office in place is easier than you may think, and the sooner you start the better.

Top Tip: Plan out your paperless system before you start, otherwise you could end up with a mess.
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3. Send a regular email newsletter

How often do you contact all of your clients? Once a year? For many clients they’d be lucky to get that!
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An email newsletter is an extremely cost effective way of keeping in contact with your clients (and prospective clients) and staying top of mind whenever they think about financial matters. You may not have time to write and distribute such a newsletter, but there are professionals out there who can provide this service for a reasonable fee.  And in my experience, the return on investment is almost second to none in terms of marketing.
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Top Tip: Start collecting client email addresses from today and build your database.
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4. Build a Brand

Branding is a complex subject and I won’t go into too much detail now, but building a brand is something you should be doing from day one in any business.
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Don’t be just another professional services provider like every other financial adviser, accountant and lawyer out there. Set yourself apart with appropriate branding that reflects what you and your business are all about.
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Do you have a logo or corporate colours? Do they represent you well? Do they look professional? Are you using them consistently across all contact points you have with your clients? If not, start today.
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Top Tip: Get your logo right and start using it everywhere.
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5. Track Everything

If the only way you measure your business is by the amount of money you have, then you’re not doing enough. All good businesses should be tracking everything from where their leads come from to how much their average client is worth.
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By tracking everything in this manner you will quickly be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your business, and redistribute your efforts to ensure your business is running as well as possible.
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Tracking also make goal setting far easier, and we all know that goal setting is vital for any successful business.
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Top Tip: Even with basic Excel skills you should be able to build yourself a handy tracking spreadsheet.
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6. Create Content

Content is King! At least that’s what they say in the world of internet marketing. As advisers, we all have a huge amount of knowledge and experience, but for most of us it is all in our head. Google can’t search our heads (yet!) so they don’t know how knowledgeable or experienced we are.
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Turning your knowledge and experience into content, then storing and distributing it online can have massive benefits for your business.
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Today, if someone has a question about insurance or finance, they are less likely to search the Yellow Pages for an adviser, and much more likely to type their question straight into Google.If they find their way to your website via Google, and your website answers their question, then they will already see you as an authority on the subject.
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Once they are ready to take the next step, you are likely to be the first person they contact.The more relevant content you have, the more Google will like you, and the more people it will direct to your site. The more people who are directed to your site, the more leads you will have, and ultimately the more clients you will have.
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Top Tip: Set aside an hour each week to write an article.
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If writing isn’t your strong point engage the services of a ghost writer.
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7. Determine Your Ideal Client

Identifying your ideal client should really be the first thing any new or existing business does. Your ideal client should determine the type of marketing you do, your branding and the way you interact and communicate with your clients.
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Top Tip: Sit down and determine your ideal client tonight.
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8. Review Your Marketing Strategy

For many advisers their marketing is a mixture of various components which have been added over the years. But how do you know if your marketing is working?  How do you know which marketing money is being spent well and which is being wasted?
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Now is the right time to document all of your marketing activities and take a good look at what is and isn’t working. Don’t keep paying for the same listing year after year just because “you’ve always done it”.
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The internet has changed marketing enormously over the last decade. If you’re still relying on the Yellow Pages, it’s time to catch up…
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Top Tip: Don’t be afraid to change your marketing to suit the changing world.
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9. Review Your Office Procedures

It doesn’t matter if you’re a sole trader working from home or a large firm with 100 staff, there are always things that you could be doing better. Many processes and procedures within our businesses have evolved over time, and often there will have been changed brought about by staff movements or regulatory changes.
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The problem with this is that we can end up with convoluted processes which may be costing us more time and money than they should.
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You should step back and take a look at what processes are taking the most time and effort. Are there things that we should be doing more, less, or differently? Don’t have that old attitude of “but this is what we’ve always done”.
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Top Tip: Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can be better at identifying issues and areas for improvement, so don’t be afraid to involve someone from outside of your business.
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10. Document Your Office Procedures

Getting your processes and procedures down on paper can be a time consuming process, but it may be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. If someone had to step in and take over the running of your business tomorrow, how easily could you explain all of your processes to them? What if you were stuck in a hospital bed and couldn’t explain a thing?
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Without properly documented processes your business could quickly spiral out of control, leaving you with a huge mess if and when you were able to return.
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Other benefits to having documented processes include easier staff training and better regulatory compliance. And when it comes time to sell your business or bring on an investor, having documented processes will make your business much more attractive.
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Top Tip: If you don’t have time to write them yourself, engage the services of a professional.Get started today!
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These tips have been proven useful by real advice businesses just like yours. Many of them you should be able to implement on your own, but if you need a hand I can help you regardless of how small or large your business is.
For more information visit ShaneMoore.com.au

The post Shane Moore: 10 Ways to Improve Your Financial Advice Business Today appeared first on AdviserVoice.

Richard Klipin, CEO of the AFA said, “I am delighted to have Alexandra on the leadership team. Her knowledge of the advice industry, proven success in providing quality marketing campaigns and professionalism will be invaluable in taking the AFA to the next level of its development.”

Ms Russell has just completed three years working with OnePath where she helped the AFA with the Rising Star of the Year Award campaign. “I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed working alongside the AFA and I’m now very enthusiastic to join the team and add value to their existing and new marketing campaigns,” Ms Russell said.

Ms Russell has a wealth of marketing and events experience and holds a Bachelor of Marketing and Communications.

The post AFA appoints Alexandra Russell as new Marketing and Strategy Manager appeared first on AdviserVoice.

• Employment fell by 10,100 people in February – the biggest decline in 18 months (since August 2009). Economists had tipped job gains of 20,000 (range from -10,000 to +35,000 jobs). The January result was revised sharply lower to show growth of 7,700 people (previously +24,000). Full-time employment rose by 47,600 in February (January jobs were down by 12,300) and part-time jobs fell by 57,700 (January jobs rose by 20,000).
• The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.0 per cent. The participation rate fell from a downwardlyrevised 65.8 per cent to 65.7 per cent. The working age population rose by 19,200.
• Average hours worked rose by 1.1 per cent in February after falling by 0.8 per cent in January.
• Across the states and territories unemployment rates in February were: NSW 4.8 per cent (4.9 per cent in January); Victoria 5.0 per cent (5.1 per cent); Queensland 5.6 per cent (5.6 per cent); South Australia 5.8 per cent (5.4 per cent); Western Australia 4.2 per cent (4.6 per cent); Tasmania 5.6 per cent (6.4 per cent); Northern Territory 2.3 per cent (2.4 per cent); ACT 3.5 per cent (3.4 per cent).
• Employment rose most in NSW (up 22,400) followed by South Australia and Northern Territory (up 400). Jobs fell most in Queensland (down 22,100) followed by Western Australia (down 10,600), Tasmania (down 500) and Victoria and the ACT (both down 200).

What does it all mean?

• There are clear signs that the Aussie economy is losing momentum. Jobs are now falling, adding to data showing stagnant retail spending, weak housing market and contracting activity in manufacturing, services and construction sectors. Over the last three months employment has fallen by 2,300 people and this highlights that the recent weakness is not an aberration. In fact employment started to slow before the floods and cyclone hit.
• The rapid fire rate hikes and sluggish consumer activity is starting to show cracks in the labour market data. More and more businesses are telling us that conditions are tougher now than at the height of the global financial crisis and earlier this week the NAB business survey highlighted the weakness in business trading conditions. Profitability is being squeezed, the employment index remains weak and forward orders are being pared back – all a clear sign that businesses are finding times tough.

• The Reserve Bank had warned that the job market would slow, and clearly it got that one right. The central bank has also been anticipating a softening of conditions in the labour market going forward – in line with the weak growth forecasts for the first half of 2011. In fact the Reserve Bank expects the unemployment rate to only slide by 0.5 per cent over the coming two years. No doubt in the longer term an improvement in productivity and a pickup in skilled migration is what is needed to ensure that these forecasts are met. The jobs data gives the Reserve Bank further reason to stay on the interest rate sidelines.
• Not only did employment fall in the latest month but the January result was sharply downgraded. While the good news is that full-time jobs in the month, it is important that the figures are not taken too literally. It is hard to believe that full-time jobs would soar almost 48,000 just as part-time jobs were falling by almost 58,000. The volatility over the last few months means that trend estimates are probably more accurate and these show a slowdown in job creation.
• Again it’s hard to believe that Western Australian jobs would fall at the same time the unemployment rate was easing. Or that unemployment in Tasmania could fall from 6.4 per cent to 5.6 per cent in the space of a month.
• It is important to highlight that the data is backward looking, capturing how the economy was tracking around 4-5 months ago. And even more forward looking indicators like the job ads series suggest that while employment growth will remain a feature it is likely to be a less robust in the near term.
• Overall it is unlikely that the Reserve Bank will be pursuing further interest rate rises anytime soon. While CommSec had expected the next rate hike to take place in May, there is clearly an array of risks to our call. And if activity levels remain subdued over the next couple of months it is possible the anticipated May rate hike could be pushed out by a number of months.

What do the figures show?

Labour force

• Employment fell for the first time in 18 months in February, falling by 10,100 workers. Full-time employment rose by 47,000 after falling by 12,300 in January. Part-time employment fell by 57,800 after rising by 20,000 in January.
• The annual employment growth rate eased from 3.3 per cent to 3.0 per cent.
• The unemployment rate remained steady at 5.0 per cent. The participation rate eased from 65.8 per cent to 65.7 per cent.
• Average hours worked rose by 1.1 per cent in February after falling by 0.8 per cent in January. Over the year average hours worked rose by 2.3 per cent.
• NSW (up 22,400) led the job gains in February, followed by South Australia and Northern Territory (up 400). Jobs fell most in Queensland (down 22,100) followed by Western Australia (down 10,600), Tasmania (down 500) and Victoria and the ACT (both down 200).
• Across the states and territories unemployment rates in February were: NSW 4.8 per cent (4.9 per cent in January); Victoria 5.0 per cent (5.1 per cent); Queensland 5.6 per cent (5.6 per cent); South Australia 5.8 per cent (5.4 per cent); Western Australia 4.2 per cent (4.6 per cent); Tasmania 5.6 per cent (6.4 per cent); Northern Territory 2.3 per cent (2.4 per cent); ACT 3.5 per cent (3.4 per cent).
• The working age population rose by 19,200 in February after lifting by 19,000 in January. The working age population grew by 1.80 per cent over the past year – the smallest gain in 50 months.

What is the importance of the economic data?

• The Labour Force estimates are derived from a monthly survey conducted by the Bureau of Statistics. The population survey is based on a multi-stage area sample of private dwellings (currently about 22,800 houses, flats, etc.) and a sample of non-private dwellings (hotels, motels, etc.). The survey covers about 0.24 per cent of the population of Australia and includes all people over 15 years of age, except defence personnel.
• If more people are employed, then there is greater spending power in the economy. But at the same time companies may adjust the work hours of employees. If employees work less hours, and therefore get paid less, then spending power in the economy is reduced.

What are the implications for interest rates and investors?

• CommSec expects the jobless rate to ease to around 4.5 per cent over the coming year. But if the Federal Government was to provide a much needed boost to labour supply by lifting the migrant intake and easing work visa restrictions, the job market may not need to tighten as much as expected.
• We expect the job market to remain relatively healthy particularly in the second half of the year. However the job market may trend sideways for the next couple of months. Our equity media analysts maintain their hold rating on SEEK Limited
• We are hearing that global fund managers are looking to exit positions in Australia, concerned by our softer economy and uncertainty about proposed taxes on carbon and the resources sector. The high Australian dollar and softening in the job market are yet further reasons for investors to be looking at economies in the upswing phase with the key candidate being the United States. While we are not revising down our sharemarket forecasts, they are under review.

The post Biggest fall in jobs in 18 months appeared first on AdviserVoice.

“There is a clear need  to deliver a consistent message to Canberra and to consumers about the value of the work we do helping consumers address the critical issues they currently face, including savings and retirement savings inadequacy and chronic levels of underinsurance,” AFA CEO, Richard Klipin, said.

Mr Klipin said the advice profession has experienced volumes of negative media reporting over the past few years and a concentrated industry funds advertising campaign that, by extension, discredits all members of the advice profession. “This has fuelled an unfair perception that collectively all advisers are opaque and self-motivated and worse, untrustworthy,” he said.

The AFA’s Back to Basics research paper proved that in fact clients who have advisers rank them amongst the top three most trusted professionals in their lives.

Mr Klipin said the profession needs to work collaboratively to better articulate the real value of what they deliver to consumers. “Collectively we have the resources to demonstrate that advisers are open, honest, really care about their clients and provide enormous value to them,” he said. “Our profession is part of the solution to some of the major financial and demographic issues facing the Australian community.”

The AFA is planning to take its consumer-focussed message to market via the Make-A-Plan Campaign  launched at its annual conference in October.

The AFA’s Make-a-Plan Campaign will include:

• Television, radio and print advertisements that clearly articulate the value of good advice both in financial and peace-of-mind terms while delivering a powerful consumer call to action
• A corresponding public relations campaign
• A dedicated AFA Make-a-Plan consumer website

Mr Klipin said the aim of the campaign is to:

• Create an overarching positioning that the profession as a whole delivers great advice
• Provide a platform for a more consumer-focused profession
• Create a framework for future specific messaging around important issues, such as Australia’s inadequate savings and retirement savings levels, and chronic levels of under-insurance

The post AFA calls for Collective Voice appeared first on AdviserVoice.