How many brokers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
There are only two of us covering England, Scotland and Wales. My colleague, Chris Flowers and I work as a team, but I have overall responsibility for the north and midlands and Chris the south. There are around 600 brokers in my area.
How do you successfully organise and deal with business on a daily basis?
Forward planning, but not too far ahead otherwise you can end up with cancelled meetings. I cover a large area with a lot of firms including key accounts. Some need far more contact the others, I try and prioritise accordingly.
What issues come up time and time again?
I am pleased to say that there are no real issues (within our control) that continue to come up.
What do you wish brokers understood about your job?
Nothing I can think of, I think most brokers understand my role, particularly the ones I know well. There has been an odd suggestion (tongue in cheek) that my job consists of playing golf and having lunch meetings. Unfortunately this is far from the case.
What do you think is the most important attribute in a good BDM?
You need to be a good communicator, reliable and adaptable. It also helps if you are genuinely passionate about your marketplace.
When you’re unavailable to contact via telephone, what’s the second-best way for brokers to get in touch?
Anyone leaving a voicemail can be assured of prompt response which would normally be within a couple of hours. Equally, emailed enquiries will be responded to quickly. If the matter is urgent our head office broker support team will be happy to help.
If you were head of the FCA for the day, what would you change about regulation in the mortgage industry?
I work in the equity release (lifetime mortgage) market, which is still not fully understood and recognised as an important part of at/post retirement financial planning. I would like to see the FCA do more to help raise awareness of these important products.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
I had worked in financial services for many years before enjoying five years as an equity release adviser. I quickly became passionate about this sector and believed I could play my part in helping grow the market by working with intermediaries.
How do you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers?
I am always keen to meet new brokers face-to-face wherever possible. I strive to maintain forged relationships through regular contact and meetings.
And how do you establish and maintain good relationships internally?
I always try and deal with my colleagues (internal customers) as I do external ones. By being friendly, professional and respectful.
What’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
Not a question, but a statement from a broker at first time of meeting, who boasted that he had so far seen 10 clients who were interested in equity release and had managed to persuade all of them not to pursue…
And finally, what did you want to be growing up?
A professional golfer or an equity release BDM!
