Martin, an Englishman, is just weeks into his tenure as NZF's fourth chief executive in six years.
He is spending some time travelling around the federations to hear what is happening and gauge what people want the new boss to deliver.
''The first couple of months are about listening, reviewing, finding out what's going on,'' Martin told the Otago Daily Times.
''There's a massive amount of goodwill. People are desperately keen to make football successful, and build on the fact our participation levels are higher than any other sport.
''We've got something that's quite precious. What we need to provide is more consistent leadership, more direction, and a little bit of bringing everyone together.''
Already, Martin seems aware the broad perception of NZF is of an organisation that has struggled to maintain a stable course.
Inconsistency bred frustration, he said, and it was obvious a lot of New Zealanders who loved football were disenchanted with the performance of their national body.
''We've had peaks and troughs in the national game, and we haven't benefited from it as we might have done.
''But what's happened has happened. Everything is in place for us to succeed.''
Martin is a Liverpool football fan, but his most recent role was in rugby. After 20 years in banking, he spent four years as the chief executive of the London Irish rugby club.
That experience - trying to help a sport thrive in a country dominated by football - was good preparation for his new role, in a country where rugby rules.
''The challenge is to compete with the dominant sport. We've got the audience. Now we just need to find the right partners.
''We need to find some heroes. Talk to kids in New Zealand and they talk of the English Premier League. We've got some great footballers here. Look at Winston Reid. We need him to become a national hero. We need young players to aspire to be him.
''We need to see more top football. It's clear we need to try to get the national team together in New Zealand more often.
''Clearly, you also want an attractive product. You want the game to be admired. From what I've seen in the junior levels, the skill level is very good. There is a pipeline of good possession football coming through.''
The immediate priority for Martin is settling on a permanent coach for the All Whites. That was ''critical'', but the process would not be rushed, he said.
He has got some feedback on the ASB Premiership and would also like to spend some time on a review of that competition.
''It's got to be championed more. We've got to make it stronger, and make it a real flagship as a feeder into the professional game.
''The product has to be attractive. We've got to find a way to make the league competitive. After four weeks, I'm not quite sure what the answer to that is.''
Martin thinks there is room in New Zealand for a second A-League team. He has not yet sat down with the Phoenix for a chat, but is heading to Wellington at the end of the month.
Another big focus is on the Fifa Under-20 World Cup, to be held in New Zealand - Dunedin is involved - next year.
''It's massive. We want to deliver a great event. Selfishly, we also want our team to perform well.
''We also need to look at the legacy the tournament leaves. We don't want it to be just a good show and then everybody moves on.''
Martin, who has two children from a previous relationship, has wife Cathy with him in New Zealand.
