Financial advisers have been urged to share their claims story experiences with their clients and with their peers in the industry.
This call was made by Asteron Life’s Executive General Manager Adviser Distribution, Jordan Hawke, during the insurer’s recent national roadshow. While the centre-piece of the roadshow was the launch of his company’s new product offer, Asteron Life Complete, Mr Hawke’s message to his adviser audience was much broader.
Mr Hawke shared a story about a letter he received late last year from a terminally ill client, who has since passed away. The client’s letter told of her sadness about not being there to see her family grow up and experience life. She also spoke of how different her family’s future would be without the benefit they would receive from her life insurance policy.
It’s not about the value of insurance … it’s about the value of our lives
In his sometimes moving address, Mr Hawke’s point to advisers was one of perspective: “It’s not about the value of insurance,” he said, “… it’s about the value of our lives.”
Mr Hawke urged all advisers to share their own claims stories and experiences, or those of others, as a way to support the efforts of the wider life insurance industry in its efforts to serve the needs of what is accepted as a heavily under-insured Australian community.
Another message from Mr Hawke related to the Future of Financial Advice (FoFA) reform agenda. In calling on advisers to continue to lobby their local Members of Parliament, but particularly the independent members of the House of Representatives, he also reflected an attitude held by many in the industry – that it should get on with the job of delivering value to consumers.
He said that if 2011 was a year of waiting; a year of ‘grind’, then 2012 should be a year where we are “…done with waiting…,” and where we should get on with the job of serving our clients and where advisers should aim high and achieve their goals.
