A key challenge for brokers, and the industry overall, is the more efficient use of time. Brokers need time to invest in understanding customers’ objectives, alongside liaising with lenders, collecting customer information, and managing the demands of a thriving business.
Read more: Merger brings new era of opportunity
Lendi Group has come up with two solutions that will help Aussie brokers address these challenges head on.
“We are sharply focused on removing the time [spent on these tasks] out of brokers’ days, so they can focus on value-adding activities,” said Brad Cramb, CEO of distribution at Lendi Group. “To us, creating a seamless experience for the customer requires us to facilitate great broker experiences first. Our new broker value proposition is set to deliver huge productivity benefits, translating to an improved customer experience. By removing costs out of the business for brokers and allowing them to drive more revenue, they can ultimately be more profitable.”
The first solution introduced by Lendi Group is the deployment of an in-house “associates team”.
The associates establish first contact with company-generated enquiries, qualifying the customer and either directing them to an appointment with a broker, or into a nurture pipeline for specialised contact. This team gathers all the unique details of the customer and collates the documents so that when the customer meets with the broker, more substantive issues can be immediately addressed.
“This is a highly efficient process that adds time back into a broker’s day, allowing them to focus on building richer and more efficient customer relationships,” Cramb said.
The other key enhancement is the implementation of Lendi Group’s in-house “client solutions team,” who prepare loan documentation on behalf of the broker.
The benefits of these rollouts are already clear, despite only being in the pilot stage, Cramb said.
“From an associates team point of view, we’ve seen a doubling of lodgements per month for those brokers who are on the pilot,” he said. “Ultimately, they’re being more productive in their time and time usage.”
The client solutions team also saw positive results, with both initiatives soon to be rolled out to the Aussie mobile team on an “opt-in” basis.
Cramb said a key part of delivering these benefits remains the human touch – this despite technology being at the heart of broker operations for the wider group.
“We never lose sight of the fact that this industry, and of course broker interaction, is human-led,” he said. “It’s a very important part of the value proposition, and it’s a very important part of the model that we’re building for our brokers.”
It’s through the use of tech to reduce the mundane and repetitious parts of the process that allows brokers to spend more time with customers to gather information in a way that only humans can.
