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Technology can help fuel your goals and accelerate your business’ performance, writes Phil Quin-Conroy, CEO at PLAN Australia.
Over the course of this blog series, I have been looking at the world of sport to identify what brokers can learn from top athletes, when it comes to taking their businesses to the next level of success.
From investing in training and personal development through to better engaging your team, there is a lot to be learned from sport’s elite.
In this entry, I’d like to focus on the opportunities technology presents.
Looking at the evolution of technology in sport, it has clearly changed the way in which athletes and their coaches go about training and strategy. From hawk-eye and goal line technology to GPS tracking devices and performance apps, the force of technology-driven change in sport is huge. Looking off the pitch and track, technology has also changed the way we way we watch and access sport. It is all encompassing.
So, what can we learn from this? Deloitte’s 2016 Australian Mortgage Report cited that one of the greatest opportunities for brokers today is to integrate digital technology into day-to-day processes with customers. This represents a real shift from being an important, yet separate function or thought process to one that is integrated into everything we do.
If you’re serious about growing your business, then fully harnessing the power of technology is essential. Here are four of my top tips to help you seamlessly integrate technology within your business to gain a competitive edge and accelerate your performance.
Make the most of mobile
Mobile technology can help you work faster and more efficiently and improve the way you interact with your clients. By making the most of mobile and online solutions, you can ensure you have all of your business tools and resources with you, wherever you are. This can offer enormous time savings for you and your business.
For example, have you explored your phone’s in built productivity apps, such as the calendar and notes function? I find syncing to-do lists from my mobile device and tablet with my desktop invaluable and having both my emails and calendar in my phone means I always know where I need to be.
If you’re still working in the dark ages, and dragging folders and papers with you to meetings, and missing emails for hours while you’re out on the road, it may be time to invest in some new devices – and use them to their full potential.
Embrace social media
There are simple steps you can take to incorporate social media into your business – and it’s well worth it. Social networks can be a valuable channel for driving business as well as attracting talent. Social media also allows you to build an online presence, which is increasingly important in today’s online world.
But to gain cut-through on social media, you need to be thoughtful in your approach. Take the time to think carefully about your audience and what news and content will be useful to them. And don’t just see your Facebook account as a free advertising channel. It’s fine to make the occasional promotional post but share articles and updates that will be helpful and insightful to your online community.
Mange your customer data
One of the biggest advantages of technology is its ability to help us record, and leverage, valuable information. Most quality aggregators should offer you a quality CRM system, which offers terrific opportunity to develop customised and targeted client lists and automate client communications.
A good CRM system can remind you of good opportunities to touch base with prospective clients, as well as send personalised, automated messages to customers on significant milestones, such as birthdays and loan anniversaries, or at set intervals to offer re-valuation services. If you’re not making the most of your CRM, it’s time you did.
Use tech to learn
Technology is opening up terrific new platforms for accessing education. Participate in formal training through online seminars hosted by your aggregator or attend digital professional development days from the comfort of your office. There are also plenty of alternative learning options available through the likes of online education providers.
Technology has completely transformed the way brokers do business and has enabled the industry to increase efficiencies dramatically. From loan comparison software to online application capabilities, paperless processing and real time communication, the benefits of technology have really helped to support brokers’ service propositions.
The best athletes in the world and their training teams keep multiple technologies at their finger-tips to better prepare to take on the competition. To stand out and secure the future of their businesses, brokers too need to harness the power of technology.
So make sure you are accessing all of the opportunities for innovation available and see how incorporating them into your business will help you take your business to the next level.
Phil Quin-Conroy will continue to explore how brokers can achieve long-term success with a winning mindset in this blog series.
