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Know Your BDM: Phil Lawford, Saffron Building Society

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  • 29/11/2021
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Know Your BDM: Phil Lawford, Saffron Building Society
This week Mortgage Solutions is speaking with Phil Lawford, business development manager at Saffron Building Society

 

Which locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role? 

I cover several hundred firms and advisers in the Midlands and North of England and also key accounts for the society in London.

  

How have you changed the way you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers in the pandemic? 

I’ve tried to ensure than I’ve been there for brokers by being able to interact in whichever medium suits them best and ensure conversations are relevant by adding value to their day.

  

What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job? 

Patience and listening; remember you are there for your brokers not the other way around.

  

What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on? 

I am a strong believer in personal development to ensure I can be as effective in my role as possible, particularly in the current Covid-19 circumstances.

  

Where would you rather be stuck, in bumper-to-bumper traffic or back-to-back Zoom calls? 

Back-to-back Zoom any day of the week – talking to brokers is always better than being stuck in traffic.

  

What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given? 

I’ll never forget when a colleague taught me to meet people at their map of the world instead of my own. In other words, to try and see things from their perspective even if you don’t necessarily agree with them; it’s stood me in good stead over the years.

   

What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career? 

I’ve been in the mortgage industry for over 30 years now and there was no master plan. I joined a local building society as a cashier aged 18 and progressed from there working in a variety of roles to where I am today.

  

If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why? 

I would like to work for the Financial Conduct Authority or Prudential Regulatory Authority to help drive positive change in the sector.

  

What did you want to be growing up? 

I wanted to play guitar in an indie rock band.

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