The Financial Advice New Zealand Working Group has entered the second stage of its 100-day structured development process.

The 40 working-day consultation stage is planned for the rest of 2016, with a short break over Christmas and recommencing in early 2017.

The consultation will cast a wide net across the industry, including advisers – both members and those who are not currently a member of an association; adviser groups; product providers; adviser associations; regulators and consumer bodies.

Focus groups will be held at 11 locations across the country, with details around dates and locations to be provided this week.

Speaking to NZ Adviser, Professional Advisers Association (PAA) chairman Bruce Cortesi said in addition to the focus groups, they intend to make the most of technology to reach as broad an audience as possible, such as via webinars and phone conferences.

“It’s a really exciting time for the industry to have the opportunity to contribute to something that is really positive in a proactive way,” Cortesi says. “This is a really positive step for the industry and an opportunity to really shape the future of the industry - not only for the advisers and the industry as it is now but also for future advisers and for the consumer, which is critical.”

The industry is at a natural crossroads, Institute of Financial Advisers (IFA) board chair Michael Dowling told NZ Adviser, a financial adviser himself for the past 26 years.

“The evolution I’ve seen around my profession over that time has sort of spun my head a couple of times and so it’s natural to take stock and go, ‘where have we come from, where are we going and where are we right now?’

“We want to give everyone the opportunity to have their say.”

Cortesi says the consultation stage is a crucial time to ask questions on what Financial Advice New Zealand needs to look like.

“It’s a blank sheet of paper to say, what does this need to look like; what does it need to deliver; what does the look and feel of a professional body going forward for the next decade and beyond need to look like?” he says.

“So it’s a great opportunity for the industry to have some open dialogue which probably hasn’t really occurred before - you haven’t had input of the whole industry into such a key component as establishing a framework for a new professional body.”

The lead up to the Christmas break is no doubt a busy time for advisers but the break in consultation during the festive celebrations will offer all involved a chance to take stock of the progress so far.

“(The break) also gives us a bit of time to make sure we’ve got all the feedback, even from people who didn’t have the opportunity for feedback initially because they were so busy,” says Dowling. “So there’s enough space in there to allow us to make sure we get everyone’s view forward.”

Dowling says they were pleased with how the timing of stage two turned out, with the break inbetween. “We thought that’s an opportunity for those who are too busy that can’t get back with inside the 40 days. They have an opportunity to think through things in the break and send us an email or get in contact and give their thoughts in the New Year.”

After the consultation stage is completed, the Financial Advice New Zealand Working Group will begin development of the association’s structure.

This article was originally sourced from NZ Adviser and written by Maya Breen.

The Institute of Management New Zealand (IMNZ) is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven Naudé as its new chief executive. Mr Naudé is also a director of executive education at Massey Business School and will bring the two organisations together in an even closer working relationship.

He replaces outgoing chief executive Fiona Hewitt, who led a refresh of the IMNZ brand and brokered the institute’s strategic partnership with Massey Business School earlier this year.

Mr Naudé will lead the institute into its next phase of development, which includes the launch of several new courses next year and creating simpler and faster pathways for people to achieve higher-level qualifications.

"IMNZ has some very exciting plans for 2017, which will provide additional flexibility and benefits to both students and organisations looking to build the capability of staff," Mr Naudé says. "I am very excited to be leading the institute at such an important time in its development."

Mr Naudé has 20 years of experience in the education sector, including more than a decade at Pearson Education in South Africa and New Zealand. He was director of teaching and learning at the Marketing Association before joining Massey Business School as its director of professional, organisation and executive development last year.

NZ's most comprehensive suite of management courses 

Massey Business School dean Professor Ted Zorn says Mr Naudé is the ideal person to ensure the university and IMNZ jointly offer New Zealand’s most comprehensive suite of courses in leadership and management education.

"Having Steven oversee Massey’s executive education programmes and IMNZ’s short courses and qualifications will put us in the unique position of being able to offer learning opportunities across the entire leadership development cycle," he says.

"While Massey and the institute will each deliver their own courses, between the two organisations students will have access to suitable options for continuous education, no matter what stage of their career they are at."

As well as refreshing IMNZ’s existing qualifications, Mr Naudé says he will draw on the expertise within both organisations to design customised programmes for organisations, which can be delivered in-house.

"No one is able to work so flexibly with customers to design and deliver progammes that exactly suit their needs," he says.

He is also excited about the new IMNZ short courses in development for 2017, including the new certificate programme in business coaching.

"Everybody in a leadership position is expected to coach their team, and that takes a very specific set of skills. That’s why IMNZ is adding an intensive coaching programme to its range of courses and qualifications."

This article was originally sourced from Voxy. 

AuSAE are very pleased to announce business expert Michelle Trute, CEO at Diabetes Queensland will be delivering an extremely engaging workshop tailored for AuSAE members and our community in both Melbourne and Sydney titled: Creating a Behaviours Based Culture.

We also have public relations professional Debbie Bradley, Account Director at Zadro Agency who will be delivering a highly relevant workshop in Brisbane titled: Effective Public Relations.

AuSAE's Workshops are a fantastic way to build on your current skills, network with like-minded peers and learn how to implement strategies for your organisation.

For more information on each event please click the links below:

• Sydney, November 23 
  
• Melbourne, November 24 
  
• Brisbane, December 14 
  

Last issue we raised the need to view the business from the "outside in"; from the point of view of the client. The need to take the view from the "inside out" is often not recognized.

 Businesses exist to make money, fund retirement, provide social good etc... how does this inside out view actually look?

Where the staff are not engaged in their own activities, and are simply following the business mandated instructions of "how to deal with a client" they won't be productive and the client won't be happy, whether or not the "rules" have been precisely followed.

Relevance to the business is again the issue.

If the staff are not happy; the clients certainly won't be, regardless of the so called quality of the "customer engagement instructions".

Simply instructing staff on what they have to do, or are allowed to do, is to execute the business mandated instructions of "how to deal with a client" will always have effect. Strict instructions will definitely succeed; but not in a way that has positive relevance for the business.

Short term; resolve, improve, eliminate, fix, replace and upgrade so that the little things that "annoy" staff, both current and potential, no longer can do so.

Long term; ensure that there are processes in place to prevent "little things" from existing in the first place and where they do actively prevent them from growing into "big things".

Relevance; consider all aspects of your business from the point of view of the staff; and take action on what you observe.

Whether to check in with friends, get updated on the latest news or to reply to your page fans, chances are you use social media for business, pleasure or both at some point throughout the day. And, if you’re logging in, chances are you’re spending more time than necessary. Am I right? The fact is, managing social media for your small business so that you get results takes a great deal of time. Plus, there can be many distractions to whittle away your precious time on activities that produce zero results. Let’s talk about your biggest time wasters, and how you can avoid them, so you can be efficient in your workday.

Time Spent Social Media

Time Waste #1: Long Content

Long and involved content wastes your time for two reasons. First, it takes you a long time to read or watch it. Just think of an hour-long documentary you’re thinking of sharing with your audience. Not a great use of your time. But the other problem with long-form content is that it doesn’t perform as well on social media generally speaking. On social media, people prefer small, “bite-sized” content instead. Long content has a place, but not in day-to-day interactions.

TIP: Avoid getting sucked into long content is to set a specific guideline for maximum length, and then evaluate each piece of content you might share.

Time Waste #2: Unfocused Content

For each piece of content you create or share, ask yourself what particular use it is for your audience. Many businesses simply share things they find interesting or amusing, and this is fine as long as your audience thinks so too. But a better approach is to start by asking yourself, “How can my audience use this?” When you think about ways in which you can solve problems, bring joy or otherwise provide value, you’ll find a clearer focus that will more closely align with your business goals, and ultimately give you more bang for your “time spent” buck.

Tip: Create buyer personas so you can better understand who your customers are and what they be find value in.

Time Waste #3: Checking Randomly

Many of us check our social media profiles throughout the day when we have down time. This is fine for personal use, but you want your business social media time to be more focused. After all, you want to get things done and be more efficient. It’s best to create specific social media times at various points throughout the day, such as first thing in the morning, during lunch or after dinner. Set aside this time and create a routine for what you do during this time to make the most of it.

Tip: Set aside a larger bulk of time once a week to pre-schedule important posts. A social media dashboard, such as Hootsuite, allows you to schedule posts to multiple accounts. Then, use your daily time to respond to fans or comment on posts.

Time Waste #4: Managing Too Many Networks

It’s easy to get sucked up into being everything to everyone, and it seems like every other day there is a new social media network to sign up for and figure out. Keep in mind that while some social media channels are a great place to stay connected with customers, others are not. Get to know your customers and find the most likely places where they engage, then focus the majority of your attention there. Not to say you shouldn’t grab your brand URL for new channels, because you should, but as far as focusing your time and energy, stick with one or two outlets.

Honing in on your social media efforts will free up time for growth tactics. Don’t get sucked in to things that may not work to help you hit your revenue goals.

This Article was originally sourced from Business2Community and written by Susan Tucker.

In the 80’s people wanted their MTV.

Many of us have grown up on short, entertaining videos that capture our imagination and pull at our emotions. Marketing studies show that we still have an appetite for video and prefer it over other types of content. Internet users are increasingly more interested in visual content than written content and are more interested in consuming content from social media than from blogs (Hubspot).

Savvy B2B marketers are using this to their advantage and creating video content that is being viewed and shared on social media, expanding their lead generation and inbound marketing efforts.

The key to winning the video marketing game is to create engaging content that solves problems while entertaining viewers. B2B businesses are not necessarily known for their imaginative and captivating marketing copy. But here’s the deal. Engineers, accountants, and the guy that’s in charge of purchasing office supplies are all human beings. They love to laugh and they love to learn. They want to feel a human connection. Start there.

Share Customer Success Stories

Putting customers in the spotlight gives them credit for their success, while the solution provider takes a supporting role. This allows potential customers to see themselves as making the same smart decisions to use a firm’s products or services.

An excellent example of the use of video to share customer success is the “Optum Healthcare Success Story” by Salesforce. Using an emotionally appealing story of a couple’s pregnancy journey, the narrative describes how Optum met the challenge of the healthcare industry’s lag in the use of technology by embracing Salesforce’s CRM solutions. It shows how they have integrated Salesforce seamlessly into their customer service system. Honestly, watching this video at first I wasn’t sure who was with Salesforce and who was with Optum. Then I realized, that’s the point. Smart.

Explainer Videos

These short, animated videos are a way to illustrate a company’s products or services in a way that is entertaining and informative. They are typically fast-paced and witty, holding a viewer’s attention longer than plain text can. They are often seen on a website’s homepage and are easy to share on social media.

This explainer video about explainer videos from Plainly Simple Studios is a perfect example. In an amusing and educational way, the video describes a problem, the solution, and how the process works. It ends with a call to action. Simple and effective.

Illustrate Your Company’s Core Values

As a storytelling medium, video rules. What better way to tell the story of a company’s core values than an impactful video that shows the viewer how much a company cares.

HCL, an IT services powerhouse, has a built their company on an “employees first, customers second” philosophy. Watching their engaging and entertaining videos, you see that this core value is a part of everything they do. Many of their videos are cleverly animated, explaining how they grew their business and helped their customers build their businesses during a recession because of the importance they place on empowering their employees. However, this video called “The Employees First Effect” is simply about the everyday hero – the employee. It illustrates the importance they place on employees, without mentioning their brand until the very end. It has over 2 million views, and reading the comments you see that it is very inspirational, eliciting remarks from viewers who want to work for HCL. Mission accomplished.

Highlight a Commitment to the Community

Social responsibility is not just a catch phrase for many companies. Those that truly make a commitment to serving their community and our society reap many benefits including fostering good will, attracting top talent, and increasing employee job satisfaction. Making a point to share this message on social media is what savvy B2B firms do.

SAIC, a leader in technology and engineering solutions, has made a commitment to serving the community in many ways. Employees take ownership of social initiatives including serving the military and first responders and their families. They use video to share these initiatives online which attracts not only potential customers but future employees as well. SAIC is particularly adept at using their LinkedIn page to increase their online presence, including posting videos such as this one. They must have heard the news that LinkedIn is 277% more effective in driving leads than any other social network.

Share Instructional Product Videos

While not exactly the sexiest of video categories, instructional videos are an excellent means of attracting leads in the B2B space. These videos draw in buyers that are searching for products or solutions online and add value and credibility.

DENTSPLY Caulk has a YouTube channel dedicated to testimonials from dentists and instructional videos showing how their product line provides dentists with dental restoration solutions for their patients. They have included video of real dental procedures. This type of instruction makes it easy for dentists to learn about their products and how to use them in their own practice. It’s the type of value-added service that is at the root of excellent video marketing.

Live Video Streaming

Broadcasting live from an event or behind the scenes at a company allows customers and employees to stay in the know about news and updates. The immediacy of live video draws viewers in and the ability to save recordings gives the videos a longer shelf life. Engagement on live video is 10x that of regular video. The key is knowing when and what to post. It’s a bit of trial and error, but if you are committed to adding live streaming to your content marketing strategy, stick with it and be consistent and you’ll see your followers grow. The main platforms for live video are Periscope (which allows you to share to Twitter) and Facebook Live.

As an example, Oracle Business Analytics used Facebook Live recently to broadcast from its Oracle OpenWorld event, allowing viewers to hear directly from speakers, key executives, and customers as they were interviewed news broadcast-style. GE used drones equipped with cameras to live-stream video of their facilities on Periscope during Drone Week.

For a step-by-step guide to using Facebook Live, check out this in-depth article from Hubspot.

People love video. Given that nearly everyone has a portable video camera on their phone and that video creation technology has become more accessible, video is a medium that all content marketers can employ. Have fun with it and embrace this new age of social media marketing.

After all, we still want our MTV – Marketing TV, that is.

This Article was originally sourced from Business2Community and written by Rhonda Bavaro.

The Motor Traders' Association (MTA) of NSW has appointed Stavros Yallourdis to the role of CEO.

Yallourdis brings with him extensive experience in the automotive industry, completing stints as BMW Group Greece MD and BMW Group Australia MD. He has also taken up executive roles at Iveco Trucks.

MTA NSW VP David Keats believes Yallourdis' experience will enhance the organisation's executive team.

"As MTA NSW opens this new chapter, the executive board and I are confident that Mr Yallouridis is the right person to lead the association forward.

"He has a proven ability to create strategic clarity, drive innovation, growth and deliver results.

“We believe that his experience and passion for the industry will help ensure that MTA NSW continues to promote the interests of its members through automotive industry advocacy to government, media, the corporate sector and the community.

“The executive board looks forward to working closely with Yallouridis and wish him all the best in his new position.”

Yallourdis officially started in the role on September 19.

This Media Release was originally sourced from Paint and Panel.

The election of a representative from a small rural/regional aged care facility to the Leading Age Services Australia (LASA) Board is a clear demonstration that our organisation can cater for all age service providers across the sector from the very small to the very large, according to the Chair of LASA’s Board Dr Graeme Blackman.

“Ingrid Williams is the Director and CEO of Elm Aged Living that has facilities in Safety Beach on the Mornington Peninsula and Flora Hill in Bendigo and her re-election ensures our board will continue to have unique insights into the challenges and opportunities of providing age services in regional Australia,” Dr Blackman said.

“We are also delighted to announce the election of Saranne Cooke as an Independent Director to the LASA Board who will bring substantial governance and legal experience to the table.

“Our AGM also overwhelmingly passed significant amendments to LASA’s constitution to open the door to multi-state aged care providers to seek directorship on LASA’s board.

“The constitutional changes complete the transformation of a federated organisation into a single national membership peak body representing all providers of age services across residential care, home care and retirement living,” Dr Blackman said.

“While separate state bodies are our history, our future is a nationally strong and locally relevant organisation that is better equipped to meet the needs of our members.”

Dr Blackman said LASA’s broad membership base means our organisation can speak credibly and authoritatively for all age care services.

“We represent large residential aged care providers with in excess of 3,000 beds, small and medium not-for-profit and church and charitable providers as well as organisations providing in home care and offering retirement living options for older Australians,” Dr Blackman said.

“We have over 700 members across Australia and we are seeking to grow that membership as the credible voice of aged care in Australia.”

This Media Release was originally sourced from LASA.

In the news this week, from Diesel News, Chris Melham leaves, industry connects, and North Australia and Melbourne get connected with new road plans.

The Australian Trucking Association announced its Chief Executive Officer, Chris Melham will be leaving the ATA on October 14 to take up a new role in another leading industry association.

“On behalf of the ATA, I would like to thank Chris for his five years of service to the Australian trucking industry and the ATA,” said Noelene Watson, ATA Chair. “During his tenure with the ATA, Chris made significant gains in a number of areas including, reconnecting the Tasmanian Transport Association with the ATA, which secured a truly national voice for the Australian trucking industry with membership from every jurisdiction.

“He also achieving reductions in heavy vehicle fuel taxes with the Australian government freezing the fuel tax paid by trucking operators in the 2015 budget and reducing it in the 2016 budget. He lead the national campaign to defeat the Road Safety Remuneration Tribunal and in so doing, secured the livelihoods of numerous small trucking businesses. This included a highly successful truck convoy to Parliament House in Canberra, led by the ATA Safety Truck.

“Chris also secured the agreement of transport ministers to simplify and extend the scope of chain of responsibility laws, which are now before Parliament.”

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator’s new online Customer Portal is now the main avenue for heavy vehicle operators to apply for national access permits from today. AccessCONNECT Program Director David Carlisle said the effective roll out of the Portal had seen 2200 vehicle configurations created in the first two months.

“The Portal is saving more than 1400 businesses valuable time and money through a more efficient application process,” said Carlisle. “The Customer Portal is improving the way heavy vehicle permits are lodged, assessed and issued across the country with a new online permit solution and digital innovations.”

The Australian Livestock and Rural Transporters Association has welcomed the establishment of the $360 million Northern Australian Road Programme. The Programme is an 80/20 funding partnership between the Federal Government and the Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory Governments.

ALRTA National President Kevin Keenan said the new Programme will help support further economic development of the rural sector in northern Australia.

“Improved road transport connectivity is the key to developing the northern areas of Australia. Our communities in this part of our vast country rely more heavily on primary industries such as agriculture because there are so few other viable options’, said Keenan.

The Victorian Transport Association has welcomed independent advisory body Infrastructure Victoria’s designation of the missing North East Link connection as the priority road infrastructure project for Victoria.

In its draft 30 year infrastructure plan for the state released this week, Infrastructure Victoria has prioritised the North East Link ahead of other mooted projects, saying it would generate returns of between $1.40 and $2.10 for every $1 invested, and that it therefore ‘provides the greatest benefit for the cost’.

“The North East Link has been the VTA’s priority road project for Victoria and this independent report certainly validates our long-held view that connecting the M80 with the Eastern Freeway or Eastlink, and finally completing the Metropolitan Ring Road, must be the priority for governments,” said VTA CEO, Peter Anderson.

This Media Release was originally sourced from Diesel News.

AMA President, Dr Michael Gannon, said today that the AMA welcomes the Government’s decision to replace the IT system that delivers Medicare and related payments.

Dr Gannon said that replacing the system is modernisation, not privatisation.

“The AMA made it very clear during the election campaign that replacing the backroom payment system for Medicare does not equate to the privatisation of Medicare,” Dr Gannon said.

“The current payment system is 30 years old. It is clunky and inefficient. Its many faults create inefficiency and inconvenience for doctors and patients.

“Medical practices have now taken on much of the work of processing Medicare payments on behalf of the Government, and this can be cumbersome and time-consuming.

“It is critical the AMA is closely involved in the design of the new system to ensure it meets the needs of doctors and patients.

“Medical practices must be properly supported by the Government to incorporate and implement new equipment and technologies to benefit patients,” Dr Gannon said.

This Media Release was originally sourced from AMA.