This Resimac BDM values strong relationships with his brokers
BDM in the spotlight asks a different BDM the same questions – giving you regular insights into the lives of some of the top BDMs in the country.
Name: Andrew Crossley
Years in the industry: 13
Company: Resimac
1.What did you do before becoming a BDM?
I was a derivatives trader in London, Italy and the Cayman Islands, also a part time snow ski instructor in Austria (1 month each year).
2. What's your reason for the career change?
I was an ex-pat for 12.5 years, living and working in 6 countries, and thought it time to return to Australia, and didn’t want to have the long hours (17 hour days) and preferred a little less of a high octane, pressured environment.
3. What are the biggest challenges you’re confronting right now in the industry?
Got to be the impact of COVID-19, and not being able to get out on the road, working from home has been productive though.
4. How are you dealing with them?
1 day at a time, I have reaffirmed I enjoy my own company, seriously though, I have been phoning all the brokers I look after, making sure they are ok and reminding them its business as usual at Resimac, our policies have not changed.
5. What for you makes a great broker?
Client centric, and also able to provide me all of the salient points of the scenario, thus enabling me to provide a more accurate answer, a great broker is a broker that seriously considers offering their clients a non-bank lender proposal every time it’s possible to do so, rather than just the big 4.
6. What kind of qualities should he or she possess?
Professionalism, friendliness, teamwork, first class service, embracing change, and my number on speed dial 😊
7. What tips would you give to brokers submitting a loan? How can they come up with an appealing application?
The answer is the same here. There must be a benefit for the customer, including the basics is so important, unfortunately too often lacking, such as a servicing calculator with relevant incomes determined to be correct to use.
8. How do you foster or strengthen your relationship with brokers?
Regular contact, however, mainly ensuring I return all calls and reply to all emails quickly. I manage their expectations, build trust and reliability in me as the BDM, and Resimac and in the answers I provide to their questions, and fight on their behalf to work a deal through from submission to settlement in as timely a manner as possible.
9. How do you drive productivity? Do you use a special method or technology?
Fostering relationships with brokers over time, and reminding/reinforcing the benefits of Resimac, proactive calls and emails. The fact I always answer my phone and/or return calls and emails within an hour or two provides surety that a broker can get their questions answered quickly without wasting time chasing me for an answer, this leads to a broker being motivated to use us more.
10. How do you deal with difficult scenarios? What do you tell brokers?
If there is a difficult or complex scenario, I ask the broker to email me a summary of the deal, any issues or considerations with it, so I can workshop it first with the broker ensuring I understand everything, then I am armed with sufficient information to workshop the deal with credit, ensuring that I can pave the way for the deal when it is submitted, and drastically lessening the risk of the deal not reaching settlement.
11. How do you develop your skills and become the best BDM you could be?
My core values have a significant impact; teamwork, professionalism, integrity, first class service, striving for success, and embracing change. My education arms me with more knowledge than most BDMs, beyond policy and procedure and in-house software. I have an MBA, a masters of commerce, a masters of commercial law, and an advanced diploma in financial services (financial planning), so I have the skills to be a ‘business development’ manager in the purest sense, for when a broker wishes to seek advice or lean on someone to develop their business, other than just for deals through the door.
12. What do you get up to in your spare time? Any hobby, special interest, or charity?
I run and cycle, do martial arts, I still teach skiing in Austria every year, I am a scuba diving instructor, I’ve written and published 12 books, and watch movies.
