ANZAC advisers have been making a significant contribution to the 2019 MDRT Annual Meeting which is underway in Miami this week.
A contingent of around 70 New Zealand and Australian advisers are attending this year’s Meeting, which is being presided over by 2018/19 MDRT President, Queensland adviser, Ross Vanderwolf.
Over 10,000 MDRT members from 60 countries are in Miami sharing best practice and learning new ways to help their clients, run their businesses and develop themselves personally.
In what is a rapidly changing environment for the global life insurance industry, new ways of thinking and adapting to change can be crucial to future success.
Speaking on topics from financial abuse to trends in fee-based businesses, advisers from around the world have been invited to speak to the huge audience of their peers this year. With a camaraderie which engenders open and enthusiastic sharing of information, the ANZAC group have been keenly supporting each other as well as learning from speakers who operate in completely different regulatory and cultural environments.
The key theme in many presentations is around truly understanding your clients and their needs, and how to develop this skill effectively and efficiently. Its importance is reflected in the words of Geelong-based advice business owner Ross Hultgren, who told the audience that “…business is 95% people skills and 5% product knowledge – but you better know 100% of the 5%.”
Australian Global Conference
Due to the rapid growth of the world-wide MDRT organisation, a second major annual meeting has been created so that members now have a choice of attending one or both meetings.
The inaugural MDRT Global Conference will be held this September in Sydney, which is likely to make it more accessible for many Australian and New Zealand members. This inaugural meeting is expected to attract around 8,000 attendees looking to access best practice principles and other learnings to help them become better advisers and better business owners in seeking to better serve their clients’ best interests.