Blogs

Circumventing investment regulations – brokers, insurance companies beware!

By Tilman Friedrich posted 19-11-2020
Why do we have a regulation 13 in Namibia, formerly known as regulation 28 (or regulation 15, its equivalent for insurance companies) that sets certain caps for how much a fund may invest in certain assets classes, in foreign markets and in certain specific script? Well the purpose of this regulation, that has evolved over many years of trial and error, is to protect pension funds, but importantly and ultimately their members, against potential loss resulting from having taken excessive risk. It has unquestionably been serving a good purpose for many years, in that it has limited losses to members to a significant extent – thinking about Steinhoff et al! Opportunistically, ...

What if COVID is the pretense to save the world?

By Tilman Friedrich posted 19-11-2020
For years now media, politicians and, of course, Greta Thunberg have warned of global warming, which is blamed on man-made carbon-dioxide emissions caused by motor vehicles, planes and ships, exacerbated by every increasing global travelling. For proponents of this theory, a highly welcome side effect of COVID 19 must have been the dramatic reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions as the result of the global shut-down. Since many of these proponents occupy powerful positions in politics and industry, COVID 19 may just offer a unique opportunity to realise their goals for reducing carbon-dioxide emissions on a sustainable basis, in other words mass tourism will ...

Are you waring your clients about possible scams?

By Barbara Mundell,CFP® BAP(SA)™ posted 02-05-2020
As times become tough, people tend to be more desperate than usual. This leaves the door for scamsters wide open. As people become more desperate, they are more likely to believe scam related messages. In the past, scam operators use to be easily identifiable by their poor choice of language. As the translation software becomes better, this is no longer the first way to identify a scam. Here are six important messages, in simple language, you should share with your clients. Ask for help When people are presented with opportunities, they tend to act first and then talk to their network of professionals. In our accounting firm, we continuously remind ...

National Lockdown; what to tell your clients

By Barbara Mundell,CFP® BAP(SA)™ posted 24-03-2020
When you heard the possibility of a lockdown in South Africa, be honest, there was some part of you that started to panic initially. That is a normal human response to the unknown. As humans, being he superior specie we all want control of something, because our personalities differ the degree, however, is different. Here are 6 things tips to deal with your clients in these unprecedented times: Don’t tell them not to panic When you are upset, the last thing you want to hear from someone is Calm Down , so why would we say this to someone who is panicking. Instead of telling them not to panic, rather say it’s okay to panic, followed ...

What a basic barista course taught me about building a legendary financial services practice

By Francois du Toit posted 25-11-2019
I always had this yearning to learn more about coffee and specifically how coffee is supposed to be made (the drink, not the bean). I came across the “ Coffee Talks ” sessions offered by the Green Bean Coffee Roastery in Muldersdrift, and it sounded like a great introductory opportunity. And at only R 250 per person, it quickly became a no-brainer. So I booked. I won’t write here about the experience and everything we learned (although this was the best morning I have spent in years and got much more for my bucks than I expected). I want to share my thoughts after reflecting this morning on the experience, what we can learn from coffee and the art of making ...

5 ways to leverage the power of neuroscience in your financial marketing

By Linda Graham posted 30-09-2019
A basic understanding of the latest developments in neuroscience can take your financial marketing results from mediocre to magnifico. Recent research which reveals how the human brain processes information and how we settle on a purchase is a game-changer. Over the course of millions of years, our brains have been programmed and reprogrammed with one goal in mind: survival. This is why, when faced with a difficult choice, we tend to take the path of least resistance to save energy. It’s the same reason our brains activate the flight-or-fight response when we feel threatened. Of course, cognitive programming isn’t all about life and death situations. ...

What's YOUR story?

By Linda Graham posted 23-08-2019
The beginning, middle and end of storytelling in financial services Putting together a book of financial advisors’ stories has reminded me – once again – of the immutable power of storytelling in financial marketing. Read on for the lowdown. I’m nearing the end of quite an incredible project that will eventually culminate in a book containing the personal and business development stories of a group of very successful financial advisers in South Africa. When I agreed to the task, I had no idea of what I was in for! It’s been a mammoth undertaking, but now – after endless flights around the country and intense two- to three-hour interviews with ...

POPI and Social Media

By Linda Graham posted 06-02-2019
POPI and social media - Don’t get too personal How times have changed. Social media marketing has evolved from being a bit of fun on the side to an absolute must-have for all businesses that want to remain relevant. Social media isn’t just fun and games, though: it gives you access to personal information like never before. The big question is how the rules of POPI apply when using social media for marketing and client service platforms. Last year we published a blog on Social Media in Financial Services which serves as a good intro to this article. This month we dive into the details of how POPI should impact your social media use. Whose ...

Voice Search - A top digital marketing trend

By Linda Graham posted 15-01-2019
The festivities are over; it’s back to the drawing board and time to plan and importantly stay ahead in the digital marketing game. In this newsletter, we discuss one of the most significant changes taking place right now .. and the good news is … it’s super easy to factor into your brand’s current online presence. Voice search: the real deal Recent research has shown that by the end of the year, 50% of all web searches will be done through voice commands. It makes perfect sense. Voice searches allow us to multi-task like never before! Voice search is also on the increase by people who are sitting in front of their keyboards as searching ...

How to get your posts to go viral

By Linda Graham posted 02-01-2019
In this blog, we discuss employee advocacy programs which are an absolute must for companies using social media to promote their brands. Your employees are your brand ambassadors, and there’s no one better to promote your business and maximise the reach of company posts. Read on for the how… What is employee advocacy? Employee advocacy is the promotion of a business by its employees. It’s an invaluable way for companies using social media to market their brands. It’s been shown that people are 16 times more likely to read a post about a brand that a friend has posted – rather than a post by the company itself. Company posts shared by employees ...

To chat in a box or not?

By Linda Graham posted 28-09-2018
More and more businesses are incorporating chat boxes into their websites. Clients love both the immediacy and the personal connection. A real human being standing by to answer your questions sure beats an email. There’s no doubt that chat boxes work well for both clients and businesses, but they’re a big commitment and need to be well managed. Read on for the low down on using them in the financial planning sphere. How they work It’s simple. You subscribe to software that adds a small box or button to your webpage. It only gives your clients the option to chat when you’re online and available. Otherwise, it shows an offline message form. The communication ...

Who owns your LinkedIn profile?

By Linda Graham posted 07-08-2018
We’ve recently presented a few workshops on ‘Social Media and the Law’. For many attendees, one of the hottest topics has been the ownership of personal LinkedIn pages. Have you ever considered that your LinkedIn profile (along with your password and connections) could actually belong to your company? We kid you not… Decentralised databases In the good old days, one of the golden rules of marketing was to have a centralised company database that was – ideally – managed and updated by only one person. That’s all been thrown out the window now, as we all build up our own LinkedIn databases from a combination of friends, colleagues, clients and – very importantly ...

Mastering the art of financial storytelling

By Linda Graham posted 20-06-2018
Stories make the world go around. Whether you’re marketing a leading financial brand to a national audience or merely trying to persuade a client that they need more offshore exposure, your task will be a whole lot easier if you can master the art of financial storytelling. Fortunately, it’s not rocket science. Read on for the how … Contrary to what you – as financial services professional – may think, most people are moved by stories, not numbers. An excellent financial story provides context to the facts and figures and allows clients – even financially savvy, high-net-worth ones – to connect with a brand, product or strategy on a powerful, emotional level. ...

Smart tips for creating social media policies for financial services

By Linda Graham posted 22-05-2018
Chances are you haven’t given much thought to how FAIS, POPI the Employment Act relate to your employees’ social media use. Recent lawsuits show, having an active social media policy is an absolute must for all financial service providers…Big or small. The use of social media is an excellent marketing tool if used wisely, but in the wrong hands, it can be severely damaging. Fortunately, most financial planners worth their salt better than to post pics of wild bachelor parties to Instagram or to weigh in with controversial political views on Facebook. But, as an FSP, it’s not just the obvious mistake that can get you into trouble. Have you ever shared ...

3 ways to get your financial writing to work for you

By Linda Graham posted 15-05-2018
Whether you're sending out a newsletter, crafting a social media post or putting together an infographic, your content must add value to your clients' lives. This means steering clear of spreadsheets and graphs in favour of clear, concise writing that's packed with relevance to your clients' lives. Read on for the one, two, three of successful financial writing… Heartfelt narratives Imagine you’re planning a new website, or a Facebook post, or even an event… there’s a huge temptation to discuss your success rates using facts, figures, and graphs only. The reality is that many customers, even highly successful individuals, are often intimidated by financial ...

In the absence of value, cost is an issue

By David Kop posted 14-05-2018
In the absence of value, cost is an issue Consider your favourite hamburger restaurant, where only the best quality ingredients are used and the patty is cooked on order to your unique specifications. However, to get this it costs R 150 and you need to wait 45 minutes for your meal. Contrast this with a drive thru takeaway. You get the standard burger that is mass produced, precooked and waiting for someone to come collect. The wait time is less than five minutes and the cost is under R 50. Which one would you choose? Would you always get the take away because it is cheaper? If you are looking for the full experience of eating a hamburger then the favourite ...

Compliance and social media

By Linda Graham posted 07-05-2018
We recently presented seminars on the use of social media in a compliant manner in the financial services industry. Read on for a quick synopsis of the main legal takeaway points and the benefits of social media policies. Freedom of speech is not an absolute right Freedom is one of the most important pillars of democracy and we all value our freedom of speech highly. So, do employers really have the right to control the way in which employees communicate on social media? The answer to this question is a simple and resounding YES because we are all brand ambassadors for the companies we work for. If, for instance, an employee makes racist statements ...