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Business development masters
More than 900 nominees were submitted for Australian Broker’s 5-Star BDMs 2023 awards. They were pared down to 150, and, ultimately, 55 outstanding BDMs were selected. They excelled in:
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customer service
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responsiveness
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communication
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product knowledge
One winner, Craig Nicholas, is a BDM at Resimac.
“Craig is not only a gentleman but also a Resimac ambassador and expert,” says the broker who took part in AB’s survey. “He knows policy back to front, gets back to you in a super timely manner, and is always clear on what is (and is not) a deal. He takes the time to make sure the broker is well equipped to speak with clients and referral partners alike.”
For Nicholas, being a top performer means passing “BDM 100” and mastering the art of returning emails, calls and visiting clients. In addition, he explains his style of working, which includes:
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consistently interacting with brokers to ensure loans get settled
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working closely with internal resources to manage expectations for brokers and clients
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drawing on comprehensive experience from across multiple industries, such as banking
“It’s important to clearly articulate the niche in which you are able to provide a solution for brokers”
Craig NicholasResimac
Ubank’s Joshua Duncan is another of 2023’s winning cohort.
“Joshua is very responsive and always helpful in terms of scenario questions, file escalation as per urgency, existing client pricing or any general question,” says a respondent broker. “He always replies.”
Duncan says he purposely:
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leverages responsiveness to build strong broker interactions
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uses transparent feedback and people skills to maintain genuine relationships
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continually upskills and stays updated on processes and policies to deliver outstanding support
Another winner is Tes Anderson of Bankwest.
“Tes is a superstar,” says the broker who nominated her. “Not only will she answer the phone, but she will also go into a fight with credit when they get it wrong. Tes asked me at the beginning of 2021 to give BW a deal and try them out. Now, two years later, BW is one of the top lenders, and it’s all down to the support of Tes.”
Anderson sets herself apart by:
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being an expert and reliable resource
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offering constant knowledge on Bankwest and the mortgage industry
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partnering with brokers to deliver excellent customer service
How the 5-Star BDMs plan to gain more business
AB’s survey delved into what brokers thought BDMs could do to win more of their business over the next 12 months.
Some anonymous broker feedback for Nicholas includes:
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“Keep doing what Craig does best. No complaints here. He is the best in the game by far.”
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“Be like Craig Nicholas from Resimac, and business will be running through the door.”
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“Keep his existing operating rhythm. He is exceptional.”
“My formula is simple: the more brokers you connect with, the more opportunity there is to win business”
Joshua Duncan Ubank
Meanwhile, Nicolas expressed his own ideas on how he could build more business.
“I just need to consistently deliver what I’m delivering at the moment,” he says. “I think it’s about providing certainty, whether it’s for a loan approval or following up on broker visits. This micro certainty translates into macro stability that you can present to your customers.”
Some broker feedback from Duncan’s nominators includes:
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“Pick up the phone. Work with the broker on deals and be upfront if it is a deal they will support.”
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“Ubank rates are very competitive, and BDM is supportive, so I am very sure I will do more business with Ubank.”
“Over the next 12 months, I plan to continue to network and connect with more brokers through industry events, coffee catchups, webinars, etc.,” says Duncan. “My formula is simple: the more brokers you connect with, the more opportunity there is to win business.”
And the brokers who nominated Anderson say the way for her and other BDMs to build business over the next year is to:
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“Be more like Tes.”
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“Continue to support brokers with clear and honest communication about what they can and cannot do.”
“I am essentially the face of Bankwest for my brokers,” says Anderson. “The number one thing I always do is sell my personal brand as well as the brand of Bankwest. And one of the other things I want to do is always work very closely with the decision-makers within Bankwest to influence change within the bank to improve our offerings.”
“The timing of our response, the way we communicate, the way we give advice, and what advice we give are all part of having a customer-centric service to brokers”
Tes AndersonBankwest
5-Star BDMs reflect on what’s most important
to brokers
As part of AB’s survey, brokers ranked various criteria, with the results displayed below.
Nicolas broadly agrees with the broker rankings.
“I would only have minuscule differences between the orders of priority because I see them all as being equal,” he says. “If you look at one in isolation, you diminish the value that a BDM provides.”
Duncan says, “The order of importance is very reminiscent of the service that brokers expect and what we as BDMs should be striving to maintain; however, I would also say that responsiveness and customer service go hand in hand.”
In light of the results, Anderson emphasises the importance of responsiveness.
“I’ve had conversations with brokers where they feel some BDMs do not even return calls or respond to emails, which is crazy,” she says. “The timing of our response, the way we communicate, the way we give advice, and what advice we give are all part of having a customer-centric service to brokers.”
How are 5-Star BDMs navigating the current
challenging market conditions?
AB’s winners reflect on the BDM landscape and going forward, following 11 interest rate rises in the year preceding May 2023.
“As a by-product of an easy market and low interest rates, it was very easy for lenders to acquire business without too much work,” says Nicholas. “Our role was more about smoothing the process operationally so that we could get to a settlement faster. Now, we’ve got a shift with interest rates going higher and affordability for borrowers becoming less and less with every rate rise. It’s important to clearly articulate the niche in which you are able to provide a solution for brokers.”
Meanwhile, Duncan says, “With the increasing transformation towards a more digital landscape, it’s vital that BDMs are knowledgeable and able to help educate brokers to navigate the changing environment, so that they can in turn educate their customers and provide a seamless approach to digital home loans.”
And Anderson says, “To see a broker and hand over marketing and brochures to them, it may be that in the past that’s how BDMs did work, but we need to be adding value to our brokers’ businesses.”
- Ali Hassan
ANZ - Andrew Collins
Apricity Invoice Finance - Andrey Tabachnikov
Westpac - Anil Keskin
St.George Bank - Brett Winzer
Pepper Money ANZ - Cassandra Vella
RedZed - Cassandra Woodyard
Connective - Chantelle Ball
Connective - Chris Patsouras
Finsure - Claire Watts
St.George Bank - Daisy Yu
Finsure - Danielle Esposito
Commonwealth Bank - David Tickle
Pepper Money ANZ - Drew Clegg
Pepper Money ANZ - Elyvin Maharaj
Macquarie Group - Felicity Wu
Finsure - Gabrielle Aoun
ORDE Financial - Giselle Stellenberg
HSBC - Grant James
Commonwealth Bank - Greg Durie
Pepper Money ANZ - Harry Stewart
Pepper Money ANZ - Helen Bozikis
Bankwest - Herry Tjandrasusilo
Bank Australia - Jaynesh Nair
Connective - Jenny Zeng
NAB - Jess Stevens
National Mortgage Brokers - Jodie Hanson
Pepper Money ANZ - Joshua Duncan
Ubank - Kelly Mullen
Plenti - Maddie Matthews
Plenti - Malcolm Elias
Macquarie Group - Mayank Nangia
St.George Bank - Natasha Paszyn
Plenti - Nicholas Brookes
ING Australia - Nicole Vladich
Mortgage Choice - Omar Ibrahim
St.George Bank - Pasquale Caia
Pepper Money ANZ - Rachael Tedesco
Connective - Rob Day
Macquarie Group - Roohi Kumar
St.George Bank - Sam Tang
Westpac - Samantha Kyriakidis
Pepper Money ANZ - Sanjay Chandiramani
Mortgage Choice - Simon Adam
Finsure - Sokun Tait
Westpac - Staci Karas
RedZed - Tes Anderson
Bankwest - Tim Bingham
Homesec Business Finance - Tremaine Pass
Macquarie Group - Van Vu
Finsure - Victor Sem
St.George Bank - Zack Raad
Bankwest
In February, Australian Broker carried out extensive research to determine Australia’s top business development managers for the third annual 5-Star BDMs award. AB researchers began by conducting a survey with a wide range of brokers. The team contacted hundreds of brokers across the nation and, through in-depth phone interviews, encouraged brokers to identify the top-performing BDMs.
Brokers were asked to name the BDMs who gave them the best support based on four criteria: customer service, responsiveness, communication and product knowledge. From over 900 nominations, the list was whittled down to 150 BDMs, with 55 individuals who were rated excellent across all categories receiving 5-Star awards.
