What locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
As a nationwide BDM for Norton Broker Services, I cover the whole of England, Scotland and Wales, so I travel a lot. In total, I look after around 210 broker accounts.
How have you changed the way you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers in the pandemic?
Absolutely. The pandemic taught us all about the importance of connection. I am very glad to be back on the road, but like everyone else, there is now a lot more emphasis on making use of technology to stay in touch, whether through video conferencing or WhatsApp messaging. It’s a good way to check in.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
I don’t really think it’s a talent or skill, but I have found that being flexible with my approach is important in this role. Whether that relates to dealing with different accounts, different people or the variety of deals that come in and how you deal with them. There is no “one-size-fits all”.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I would definitely like to improve my presentation skills, it’s something I am working on.
Where would you rather be stuck, in bumper-to-bumper traffic or back-to-back Zoom calls?
It really depends on what I’ve been busy with that day.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
To just go for it.
What was the greatest lesson you learned during lockdown?
Everyone has a lockdown lesson. For me, it was definitely the importance of spending more time with my family and doing things outside of the house.
What was the first social event you attended once restrictions were eased?
A kid’s birthday party. Not for me obviously, I had to take my daughter.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
The opportunity for everyday to be different, in terms of the people I meet and the places I go. It is a wonderfully varied role.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
I wouldn’t mind having a go at being a property surveyor, I find that really interesting.
What did you want to be growing up?
So many things. I wanted to be a pilot, a chef, a fire engine – I actually thought I could be a fire engine…this was all before I learnt about biology.
What’s your favourite face mask design/pattern to wear?
The blue surgical ones, mainly due to practicality as they are the only ones that don’t cause my glasses to steam up.
And finally, what’s the strangest question you’ve ever been asked?
All men will have had this question from their partners in some shape or form: “Will you still love me if I turned into a fish?”