RSSM Digital NPAworldwide Edition March 2020 | Page 4

Dear NPAworldwide Member,
It will be March or April by the time you see this update. Let me share
with you some things we are working on at Headquarters.
We had a good year in 2019 with members and brokerage, but we have
a great desire to increase the number of splits completed in 2020. This
will not happen without a major focus from our Engagement Team.
The Engagement Team will consist of Marcia, Kelsea and Liz after
April. Kara is moving on to new endeavors and there is no immediate
plan to replace that loss. As you may remember, Kara came over as
part of the NBN merger many years ago and has held our Accounting/Finance Practice
Group together with the help of multiple Practice Group Leaders. More recently, she ener-
gized the Healthcare Practice Group tonew levels of production. That group was down to just
a few when she took it on. Thanks Kara, we wish you success in the future!
We are looking to improve the success of our Job Board. We find there are more open jobs
than members willing to work them, so we want additional tools on those projects that are
not moving toward a split. We also see members getting more particular about what they will
work based on fee percentage. Some even expect to work exclusively retained on a split basis.
We need to support all members and really do not see this as a detractor to those members
that are pure exporters. If you are an exporter without an importer to partner with, please let
an Engagement Team member help you connect with someone in need of your help!
Technology continues to move faster than ever. We are seriously considering what is next for
Matchmaker. We hope to find and start moving toward a replacement in the next two years;
the sooner, the better. We have learned member expectations are high, so we will need to find
a solid platform to build upon that offers new features that outperform what we currently
have. Since many members are connected to and successful with existing technology, replace-
ment technology solutions will need to be spectacular if they are to be accepted. It is a chal-
lenge that is daunting. We are on it and are assembling a user group to help evaluate options.
We know there is much work to be done in some regions. LatAm and EMEA are not satisfied
members. While they are small in number, they are critical to our global story and global
coverage. We are looking to add members that will grow the critical mass in these geogra-
phies. Australians, Asians and Americans need not worry; the majority of effort and focus
is still primarily in North America and secondly in Australia. It is important that we find a
group willing to share jobs and candidates and work toward splitting more frequently.
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