Q. How and why did you become a BDM?
Before becoming a BDM I worked in NAB’s retail branch network. I had a passion for business development and getting out and trying to drive business.
I was always looking for an opportunity to get into a business development role, but those roles at NAB don’t come up very often, so when an opportunity arose it was a no-brainer for me to apply.
For me, it was a smooth transition from what I had been doing with the bank to taking it to that next level as a BDM. I like getting out on the road, meeting business owners, and talking about all the things that NAB has to offer.
I say to everyone that being a BDM is definitely the best role I’ve ever had because of what it offers and the impact I get to have on broker businesses and their customers.
Q. Why did you join NAB?
I initially joined NAB because I wanted to get into finance. Banking was something I enjoyed and NAB is such a strong brand as one of the big four banks, so for me it was a good opportunity to join a well-regarded brand and build a career – and it hasn’t disappointed, this is my 20th year with NAB!
I first got in the door at NAB as a casual bank teller. From there, I was able to go through a whole range of different training courses and roles.
The bank has afforded me so many opportunities. NAB has invested in me to better my capabilities and skills and given me opportunities to try different things – I’ve basically done every role within a branch. The last 10 years before starting in my BDM role I was managing different branches across Brisbane, managing lenders, and taking responsibility for achieving branch key performance indicators (KPIs).
Q. How do you work with brokers to ensure good customer outcomes?
A big driver of my success is that I get back to brokers quickly. Whether it’s a phone call or email, I’ll respond that day. It’s such a simple thing but it is really critical for brokers.
I’m transparent in my communications with brokers. If I don’t know an answer, I’ll go through the channels I need to so I can get a response. Twenty years of experience with the bank [have] linked me to a lot of different departments so I can normally find an answer quickly – that’s experience that not everyone has.
Brokers know I’ll work with them to make deals happen but they also know that I’m not going to shy away from telling them if something isn’t right for NAB. For brokers, time literally is money. They prefer a quick answer upfront so they can make timely decisions on behalf of their clients.
Q. Top tips to enable brokers looking to work more efficiently with BDMs?
My first tip is to provide as much detail as possible. At times, brokers will send an email with half a scenario or half a question. If we haven’t got all the details that makes it hard for us to provide a clear and accurate answer.
The same applies when lodging applications. A credit assessor picking up an application form has never met the client. They can’t make assumptions about how they need to verify information, so the more detail brokers can provide, the more quickly the credit team will be able to assess the application.
One common issue we find is that some brokers don’t follow the application checklist. We pride ourselves [on] fast turnaround times, but missing details cause delays because we’re going backwards and forwards looking for further information. If brokers can provide everything upfront, we can deliver great experiences for brokers and customers.
