It revealed existing customers will take preference over winning new business in the coming year.
Developing better customer relationships will be the main business priority for more than a third of advisers next year (37 per cent), according to the lender's poll of intermediaries. This compares to less than a quarter (24 per cent) who say that finding new customers will be the key to their success.
One in six advisers say their staff will be key to improving client relationships in 2007 and technology could also play a key role – with one in ten intermediaries planning to invest in new technology in the coming year to make their business more efficient.
Jackie Moran, head of sales at Standard Life Bank, said: "The research demonstrates that building client relationships will be a primary focus for intermediaries in 2007 and closely linked to their desire for business expansion – which is a core priority for 34 per cent of advisers.
"Faced with the issue of red tape, which the majority of intermediaries cite as their biggest challenge for next year, lenders also have a crucial role to play in strengthening these relationships. By making the mortgage application process itself as time-efficient as possible they can help intermediaries to free up more client-facing time. They can also provide added value by helping intermediaries to track and monitor clients’ applications at every stage."
Nicola Tait, business development director of London-based Indigo Advisors, said: "In today’s competitive environment, relationships are absolutely core to business strategy. Indigo Advisors has tripled in size in the last three years, largely due to organic growth from existing client relationships, referrals and personal networks.
"Once you’ve built a good working relationship with a client it’s much easier to transact business because you know their history, understand their needs and, most importantly, have their trust. Plus our existing clients are a great source of referrals too, which is an added bonus."
