Cafemutual did a quick check to see what some of the leading fund houses are doing to keep distributors engaged through their websites.
Fund houses are increasingly trying to engage with their distribution partners through the online world, be it social media or through their websites. AMC websites today are not about just about product information and other mundane details. Now you can learn, transact and do many more things.
DSP BlackRock
The fund house launched an exclusive website (www.financialadvisors.dspblackrock.com) for advisors in October 2011. It can be accessed through the ‘distributor centre’ section on its website. The site is loaded with extensive features and utilities.
Apart from providing forms, calculators, industry news, updates from the AMC and regulatory updates, it runs a monthly quiz for advisors. One participant, selected randomly, who answers all five questions correctly receives a gift hamper. The winner is also featured on the AMC’s ‘wall of fame’ on its website for the entire month.
Distributors also get to use the simple and easy to understand educational videos which are available in Gujarati and Hindi also. Their Chairman, Hemendra Kothari, gives a special message to advisors through a video.
These are the main features of the portal:
- Distributors can also request for videos, collaterals or banners.
- They can read BlackRock’s global views and perspective.
- The site provides a transaction URL feature through which distributors can first key in their ARN code and clients can make payment through Internet banking. This way the ARN is captured by the fund house and commission is paid to the distributor.
- Regulatory rules/circulars are simplified so that the information is easy to comprehend.
- Distributors can find industry sales data every month.
- Distributors can also subscribe to their weekly market update which provides all key economic indicators.
Much more is on the anvil, says the AMC.
IDFC MF
It has revamped its website (http://www.idfcmf.com/advisorcorner) recently to give it a jazzy and de-cluttered look. The AMC has featured videos which show distributors how its ‘Game Changer’ tools can help garner more business and help them communicate with their clients effectively. Distributors can find educational videos as well. Advisors can also show their clients a short educational film Bachat Nivesh Bhadhat about the virtues of investing.
Reliance MF
Distributors can visit the ‘distributor centre’ (www.reliancemutual.com/DistributorCentre) on the AMC’s site. RMF invites suggestions from its partners through an initiative called ‘Idea Express’ on a host of topics. RMF selects three best ideas which it can implement. Distributors who come up with these ideas are rewarded by the AMC.
Distributors can generate pre-filled application forms for their existing investors by keying in their ARN and folio number. An application form is automatically generated with all the details and distributors can just download and take the investor’s signature on the application. For fresh investors who are new to RMF, distributors can upload details of up to 50 clients at a time in an Excel sheet on its site. The system will generate 50 applications forms with details extracted from the Excel sheet which can be downloaded by distributors.
So
go ahead and explore them for yourself. Let us know if you have found an
interesting feature or utility on any AMC website.
