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Michelle Bannister was named BDM of the Year at the recent 2013 MFAA Excellence Awards. Despite her hard work and dedication, however, she says it’s important to know when to ‘switch off’
While Michelle Bannister was still a 16 year-old school girl, with “no experience, just a thirst for knowledge and a willingness to get the job done”, a company “took a punt” and employed and trained her.
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That company was La Trobe Financial.
Still with the company, Ms Bannister took home the award for Business Development Manager of the Year at the Mortgage & Finance Association of Australia’s recent Excellence Awards.
So, what sets Ms Bannister apart? What makes her an industry leader?
It’s important to be realistic, she says, and to communicate when you’re struggling.
“You won’t always get everything done when you would like; however, I think the key is communication,” she says. “As long as you let your clients know what is happening, you will find it is fine. Prioritise the important things and communicate anything you are unable to deliver as promised.”
Despite her admission that things don’t always go according to plan, Ms Bannister crams a lot into her day in an attempt to get as much done as possible.
“My day starts at 4:30am by going to the gym to work out,” she explains. “I return home at 6am to have my breakfast whilst reading my emails and planning my day. Then I shower and dress before my two year-old daughter wakes at 7:30am.”
By now, some of us would just be contemplating hitting ‘snooze’ one more time, but for Ms Bannister, it’s time to get on the road.
“If it’s a visitation day, I hit the road by 7:45am and start my calls in the car (Bluetooth of course!). If I’m doing administration work, I start my calls at 8:00am,” she says.
A day of visitations involves three to four “quality appointments” and Ms Bannister attends to messages and emails between visits.
“I will always touch base with credit a number of times throughout the day to help with any of my brokers’ pending files or to discuss new enquiries with them,” she says.
Then, it’s time for a change of pace.
“I switch into ‘Mum mode’ between 5:00pm and 7:00pm, before putting our daughter to bed. Then I sit down with my husband for dinner until 8:00pm, before hitting the phone and email once more.
“I find this works well for my clients who also have young families and are on similar schedules.”
The time at which Ms Bannister’s day concludes will depend on how much there is to be done.
“By day’s end, I have returned all phone calls and emails, which can be anywhere from 8:30pm to 10:00pm. Then it’s time to sit down and relax with my husband with a cup of tea before heading to bed, ready to do it all again the following day.”
Even if unexpected tasks pop up during the day, there are some priorities that need to be attended to.
“Superior service is key,” she says, “and returning my clients’ phone calls is a must. It is my top priority and something I pride myself on. To compete in this industry you need to be accessible and reliable.
“My clients’ time is money. If I am not accessible when they need me, that ship may sail. The only ‘little thing’ that could pop up is our two year-old daughter Remy.”
The greatest challenge of Ms Bannister’s job, however, is not getting everything done but knowing when to draw the line.
“Knowing when to switch off is the greatest challenge,” she says. “Because I am so passionate about providing the best service and being accessible to my clients, I often find myself checking emails and returning phone calls when I should be concentrating on other things personally.
“Isn’t checking emails during the early stages of labour normal?”
