The top five dealer groups maintained their leading positions in the first half of 2008, the IFA Dealer Group Survey shows.
A common theme among top dealer groups for retaining high adviser numbers is the importance they place on sturdy support systems and good communications, particularly in times of market uncertainty.
Professional Investment Services (PIS) helped place more than 40 graduates into practices in the past year and is using the second half of 2008 working on potential international acquisition opportunities.
Aside from these initiatives, the group's dedication to support advisers undeniably helped PIS to maintain its number one position as the biggest adviser network, PIS chief executive Robbie Bennetts says.
"We've hosted more than 1200 functions this year, where advisers, their clients and potential clients have had exposure to a range of speakers," Bennetts says.
PIS boasts a large network of planners, not through recruitment programs alone, but because in bullish and bearish times it aims to keep advisers motivated and active.
"We tell advisers the real-life advice stories and give them the tools, the information and the presentations to pass these messages on to clients," Bennetts says.
AMP Financial Planning managing director Michael Guggenheimer says that apart from initiatives such as the Horizons Financial Planning Academy, the dealer group, which ranked second, maintains its large adviser network through two-way dialogue.
"Particularly in more volatile times, like what we're experiencing now in the market, there's an even greater need for advisers to engage with clients and for dealer groups to engage with advisers," Guggenheimer says.
"We're running seminars to create focus on more long-term outcomes and to create a greater understanding around what's happening in the marketplace."
Count Financial, ranked third, maintains a sizeable adviser base for many reasons, Count chief executive Marianne Perkovic says.
Whether financial market conditions are good or bad, Count has always placed an emphasis on communications, Perkovic says.
"We post messages on the Internet, offer a range of training and host national educational seminars, where we also invite motivational speakers to attend," she says.
"We provide tools, such as email and letter templates, as well as discussion points advisers can address with clients.
"It's a hard time in the market, but it's important to keep everyone motivated and to get the right messages across."
Commonwealth Financial Planning, which came in at number four, continues to look at expansion opportunities, but it is not about growth for growth's sake, advice head Paul Cullen says.
"We have a large adviser network because we provide strong support," Cullen says.
"Every day we send out information to help advisers have better conversations with clients. Advisers can access online tools, such as letter templates, questions and answers, and conversation topics.
"We hold teleconferences, host seminars and have armed advisers with materials so they can be confident to hold their own seminars too.
"Communication is important on all occasions, but particularly now. Clients need to engage with their planners, so the more we can help planners, the better off they are when talking to clients."
Millennium3 Financial Planning co-chief executive Barry Martin says the group intends to maintain its number five position, and has focused, and will continue to focus, on communications to combat market uncertainties.
