What locations and how many advisers and broker firms do you cover in your role?
I cover the North West area of England for Fleet Mortgages which includes the postcodes: BB, BL, CA, CW, FY, L, LA, LL, M, OL, PR, SK, WA and WN. I work alongside the lovely Naz Buckler, who is the telephone BDM for our area, and she is fantastic.
How have you changed the way you establish and maintain a good relationship with brokers during the pandemic?
The pandemic certainly highlighted how out of touch I am when it comes to technology. Having to move away from meeting with people face-to-face to online certainly took some time for me to get used to and it actually made me feel a little nervous. I’m so pleased to see the world opening back up again and brokers embracing face-to-face coffee meetings once again. But I appreciate that everyone is different and not everyone is comfortable with meeting up in real life, so I’m happy to support my brokers in the way in which they feel the most comfortable.
What personal talent/skill is most valuable in doing your job?
I would say listening is the most valuable skill for someone doing my job. It’s so important to be able to listen to what an adviser is actually looking to achieve. I believe that’s equally as important as explaining what Fleet has to offer. And then it’s all about supporting them in the best way you can, and fingers crossed, along the way, you complement each other.
What personal talent/skill would you most like to improve on?
I would like to be more active on social media, LinkedIn in particular. I avoid social media in all honesty because I hate posting photos of myself, but I do recognise that it’s important to build my profile.
Where would you rather be stuck, in bumper-to-bumper traffic or back-to-back Zoom calls?
I would prefer to be bumper-to-bumper for sure. If I do ever get stuck in traffic, then I always try to use that time proactively, so I’ll catch up on my voicemails, and it’s always a great opportunity to catch up with Naz.
What’s the best bit of career-related advice you’ve ever been given?
The best bit of advice I’ve received is that honesty is always the best policy, especially in the market that we operate within. If you don’t know the answer, it’s always safer to be upfront and say so. Brokers will appreciate that much more and trust you more for being honest with them. And then once you do have an answer, let them know as soon as you know. I think that’s key to building strong relationships.
What was the greatest lesson you learned during lockdown?
Over the years, the areas I have covered as a BDM have been spread out across the country and have involved spending a lot of time travelling. But now I’m at Fleet, my territory is smaller, meaning, on most days, I don’t have to travel much further than an hour from home. The lockdown enabled me to have more time at home and certainly made me appreciate the importance of having a good work-life balance and spending more time with my family.
What was the first social event you attended once restrictions were eased?
I couldn’t wait to get back out to face-to-face events once the restrictions had lifted. I think the first event I went to was a round table event and it was fantastic to be back around people in real life again.
What was your motivation for choosing business development as a career?
It’s a role that combines meeting new people, drinking coffee and socialising for a living. It’s the perfect career for me and I absolutely love this job.
If you could do any other job in the property sector, what would it be and why?
I would love to work on a new-build development, covering multiple sites. I’m a big fan of interior design and I really enjoy gathering ideas for my own home. It’s definitely not a show home though, my three bulldogs make sure of that.
What did you want to be growing up?
I was really sporty growing up so I wanted to become a P.E. teacher. I played competitive football from a young age which I really enjoyed, but now I much prefer watching my son play.
What’s your favourite face mask design/pattern to wear?
Just a good old plain black face mask works for me. It goes with my wardrobe and Dr Martins.