1. Futuro Forum | Bowral 2012 John Alford – My Business

2. Where We Were. Christmas 2010. Markets were sluggish at best, outlook for Europe was bleak. Detroit was never going to make another muscle car. Clients were losing money. Clients were losing income. Clients were losing confidence. Clients were losing their lunch.

3. Where We Were. As planners our income had fallen about 50%. We were losing clients. The Reserve Bank was refusing to lower interest rates even though NSW & VIC were in recession. Both major political parties were run by idiots. The outlook was grim.

4. What We Noticed In the cold hard light of day:- We had been telling clients to hang in there, the market will recover. After three years that line was not working anymore, plus we didn’t believe it either. Clients with direct investments were more comfortable with volatility. Clients with direct investments could budget income better. Clients with direct investments knew what they owned.

5. What Clients Wanted Clients wanted more from their adviser. Clients wanted more from their fund managers Clients wanted to know what was in their portfolio. Clients wanted some certainty around their cash flow. CLIENTS WANTED CHANGE.

6. What We Changed We decided to use the Sterling MDA for all the above reasons. It gave the client transparency We could estimate income for retires because we knew what the investments were. We were not holding someone's mortgage in deepest darkest Idaho. We know what the debt levels are. The client knows what he has got, knows what he is getting and knows where he is going. WE CHANGED OUR ATTITUDE AND CLIENT SERVICE OFFERING!

7. Where We Are. However:- As planners our income HAS risen by about 50%. We ARE gaining clients. Our clients know what income they are going to get. Our clients are making money Our clients are happy.

8. Where We Are. We have spent a lot of time on compliance with our reverse fact find, client service offering and brokerage disclosure now being rolled out to clients on a yearly basis. All clients have been categorized and their service offering distributed as their review comes up over the year. We have developed Zeeeeee to be a mortgage broker. We are attacking accountants, I am seeing a new accountant every week. Every client has an accountant….. I want to meet him. We are taking on a new adviser. We have $55 million in Sterling blowing our $24m budget out of the water.

9. Where We Are Going In one years time I will be a little older but probably far prettier $20 million in Mortgages $100 million in Sterling 6 planners in the office Totally FOFA compliant Raffi’s golf handicap will be 12.