Advisor satisfaction drives innovation at the Manulife CE Centre.
Keeping pace with constant change and the swift flow of information can be challenging in the best of times. But the circumstances created by the pandemic have pushed those challenges to new levels and changed just about every aspect of our daily routines, including how we’re accustomed to doing our jobs.
For advisors, one of the major changes was the requirement to replace traditional in-person meetings, classes, courses, conferences and events with digital alternatives. And that change prompted a learning curve to refine various software skills to keep up with what was happening in business, not to mention how best to preserve the advisor/client relationship as it migrated online.
A major lesson learned in the past year about protecting and growing a business is that a willingness to work differently with the same results in mind is critical to helping people succeed. This is where Manulife’s Continuing Education (CE) Centre team shines. They take pride in understanding what advisors want and need to know – and are committed to making that knowledge easier for them to achieve.
New exclusive programming
While the Manulife CE Centre constantly adds new content to its general collection, other items on the site are launched to share exclusive information and insights on contemporary topics. A recent example is a series of video coaching modules that explore the subject of behavioural economics.
Manulife Investment Management developed the “Behavioural Economics for Advisors” program in partnership with BEworks, the world’s first behavioural insight consulting firm. The program features one of the field’s most prominent voices, Dan Ariely, PhD, who examines ways in which psychology influences financial decisions, including how people think about risk, time and advice, and the biases that can lead clients to make questionable investment decisions. The series is an interesting look at how environmental and contextual factors influence investor behaviour in predictable ways – and the strategies advisors can use in response to help clients achieve their goals.
But why stop there? Among other timely presentations is a video that offers practical tips on sharpening your communication skills in virtual meetings. Now that connecting with clients and colleagues online has become the norm, this video lists a number of ways advisors can polish their on-camera presence and continue doing business with improved confidence, style and ease.
Focus on formats
Advisors in Canada are on a constant learning path, due in part to the requirement to earn CE credits to retain their professional designations and licences and to remain in good standing with governing bodies. But equally important, continuous education shows a commitment to providing top-quality client service in an increasingly competitive industry.
Whether it’s through words on a page or screen or listening to a dynamic speaker in an interactive forum, not everyone learns at the same pace or in the same way. Therefore, the Manulife CE Centre uses different techniques to deliver content that appeals to diverse preferences. A quick search of the course catalogue shows that material is available in a variety of formats.
Welcome improvements
The effort to simplify digital processes continues in just about every industry, and accessing education is no different. That’s why the Manulife CE Centre team continuously looks at improving not only the quality of their website and its content, but its administrative aspects as well. For example, in the past, advisors could experience frustrating delays between the time they earned new CE credits and receiving their certificate. In response to this issue, the Manulife CE Centre developed a process that assigns a unique code for each session. Now, advisors need only to enter the code to instantly generate their credits and certificates. In 2020, the Manulife CE Centre team issued 630 course codes, resulting in more than 9,000 certificates sent to advisors.
Along with faster and easier receipt of credits, searching for your next course on the website has also been improved. But it’s the “Learning Series” section that has been attracting the most attention since coming online last year. This section features all the latest and most popular presentations, including those recorded during Elite Forum, Manulife Edge and Virtual Forum for those who were unable to attend the conferences virtually.
Much of the heavy traffic, however, heads directly to “#Trending,” another engaging professional development section with virtual training presentations on topics that are trending in the industry, such as cannabis, diabetes and social media.
What else is new?
There’s always something new to catch up on. Check out the videos under “Manulife Presents,” featuring some of Manulife’s top experts walking you through different subjects. And, in case you missed it, check out the aptly named “In Case You Missed It” section for a growing selection of expert presentations, including the popular Investments Unplugged podcast series featuring Philip Petursson. You can even earn CE credits by reading Advisor Focus magazine, which means you’re already off to a great start.
Always open for business
Earning CE credits may be a professional requirement, but it’s also a perfect way to stay on top of current industry trends and the topics that are most important to you and your clients.
Close to 30,000 advisors in Canada take advantage of the free, 24/7 access to hundreds of courses, presentations and virtual events available in the Manulife CE Centre. With such a wide variety of credit offerings, there’s something for everyone. Log in today: Manulife.ca/advisors > Sign in > Advisor Portal > Training > CE Centre.
