Feedback from those who attended the forum indicated that on the whole, advisers felt confident they now had the tools to drive their business into the next phase of development.

A key message many took away was that in what is set to be a tough year, joining forces with a partner who has a long history of strength, stability, guaranteed upgrades and a firm commitment to delivering value throughout the entire insurance experience will be essential.

Key messages were:

• Bhupinder Anand, the forum’s keynote speaker, presented practical 21st century ideas and concepts to help advisers build their practice into a more relationship-focussed business, resulting in multiple sales, a stream of referrals and a lifetime relationship.
• Level premium costs less over the long-term so the client has cover when they need it, usually when they get older.
• Clients are difficult and expensive to acquire, so long-term relationships are crucial. You will earn much more income from recommending level premium and electing to take level commission. Level premium and level commission businesses are worth considerably more.
• Level premiums can be funded through super.
• Breakout sessions. In a separate session almost 1,000 advisers heard details about our new, innovative product upgrades, our new style PDS as well as online applications.