Friends,

I am penning this note to you today to talk about two programs that are very close to my heart and are sharply focused on IFA empowerment. One has been launched recently and has received very good feedback, the second will be launched shortly, and I hope will go on to become a powerful movement among IFAs pan India.

IFA Inc: Reimagine and reposition yourself – not just to survive, but to thrive

We recently launched a comprehensive IFA empowerment program called IFA Inc. At a time when many IFAs find themselves at a crossroads, looking for direction in a rapidly transforming landscape, this program is aimed at enabling you to take stock, look within and at the external dynamics, make the right choices for your business and then strengthen your skill sets to grow successfully in your chosen path. All of this is covered in less than 3 hours in a highly engaging, intensive and stimulating manner.

We start with a macro picture which enables you to draw up your own blue ocean strategy – to discern market segments that you want to focus on, and then we go on to help you decide the right business model (pure distribution/RIA/tech enabled) that’s right for your chosen segment. From there on, we dive into details – into micro aspects that will help you strengthen your client acquisition and business management skills. This includes tips on how to prepare well ahead of a client meeting, tips on how to strengthen your sales pitch, how to grow your business, how to use technology intelligently and so on. The program provides pointers on a number of key issues that IFAs feel the need for inputs on.

I am confident that while IFAs may come into this program wondering how to survive, when they go back, they will be filled with ideas on not just how to survive, but indeed on how to thrive! Its all about re-imagining and re-positioning yourself in this changing landscape, and we at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC are ready and willing to help you do just that.

Study circles – a powerful idea, whose time has come

This is a new concept that we will be starting soon. In each city that we commence a study circle, we will choose a local IFA who will act as a practice mentor and we will have one external expert who will provide conceptual inputs where required. We would like to create a core group of interested IFAs in each city to form the nucleus of the study circle. The study circle will meet at a regular pre-defined frequency, and like it happens in all professional study circles, each meeting will have one or more topics of discussion and debate. These could be any knowledge or practice management issue that the study circle members feel the need to understand better.

Between the IFA mentor and the external expert, we believe each study circle will have the required expertise to tackle most relevant subjects that can give members clarity and direction on key issues. Over time, like with any study circle, we would like many active members contributing their insights and knowledge in addition to the two experts who will guide the group.

We have certified over 9,000 IFAs as Certified Financial Goal Planners in the last couple of years. I know many of our CFGPs would be very keen to actively participate in these study circles as a form of continuing professional education – for themselves as well as for fellow IFAs. I and my team will be reaching out to all CFGPs to encourage them to make this idea of vibrant study circles a reality.

Study circles have emerged as a powerful resource for every profession in this country – be it chartered accountants to lawyers to doctors. Why not have study circles to truly empower the IFA profession in our country?

Would it not be great if the top 50 cities in India had vibrant study circles, which become the hive of knowledge and practice inputs to all IFAs in these cities – whether new or experienced? We at Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC are deeply committed to this idea and are willing and eager to help catalyse this thought and bring it to life. I know I can count on the support of my IFA friends to take this idea from incubation to full blossom.

The IE & DD Express rolls on

With your good wishes and support, I am very pleased to share with you that Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC has won the coveted “Best Fund House for Investor Education - India” Award for 2019 from Asia Asset Management, Hong Kong.

This fiscal year to date, we have provided training inputs to over 22,222 IFAs, surpassing our last full year’s record of over 21,800 participants.

Our efforts to reach out to every single IFA in the country and do our bit to empower them will continue with the same focus and zeal that you have come to expect of us.

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