Archive: Nov 2017

Monmouthshire Building Society (MBS) has become the latest addition to Mortgage Intelligence’s lending panel.The new partnership will see Network members given access to the Society’s comprehensive product range.

Managing Director Sally Laker commented on the new partnership: “We are very excited to be now working with Monmouthshire Building Society. Their flexible approach and the addition of their extensive product range will no doubt be well received by advisers.”

Colin Strong, Head of Broker Sales at Monmouthshire Building Society, said: “This invigorating new relationship with Mortgage Intelligence enables the Society to extend distribution to a wider network of brokers who can offer their clients our broad range of products.”

The Society will now be working with Mortgage Intelligence to raise awareness of their products and the criteria available to brokers. MBS promises advisers flexible underwriting, access to underwriters prior to submission and the support of a dedicated broker helpdesk.

Head of Sales and Marketing Sharon Mawby caught up with appointed representative Protection Matters, as they round up their first year as a trustworthy protection business referral service for busy brokers.

It has been a full year since Protection Matters were introduced as a referral service for advisers. Since then, Adam Perry and the team at Protection Matters have built partnerships with several adviser firms with the help of National Account Manager for Protection Craig Bryce. This has helped protect clients and provides an efficient and rewarding protection referral process for busy advisers.

This seemed the ideal time to catch up with Adam, look back at the last 12 months, and see how they have helped advisers through strong business partnerships with the client at the centre.

Just in case advisers missed it the first time, can you quickly explain how you can help them with their protection sales?

“It’s important to remember we are not a sales team, we are not trying to sell advisers anything. We only want to support them should they need a little help covering their client’s protection needs.

“All advisers naturally feel some reluctance when thinking about referring protection business. But once they meet with us we always find those objections and hesitations go away once they realise how easy, efficient, supportive and rewarding the partnership can be for them.

“In terms of the process, once terms have been agreed and sent back, we arrange a meeting as soon as possible to iron out any details and go over any issues they may have. We are very flexible and always make sure the process is smooth for them, by tailoring it to suit their business.

“We always have regular reviews to ensure we are continuing to help wherever possible. We work closely with National Account Manager for Protection Craig Bryce, as he helps answer any initial queries and acts as a recognisable buffer for any concerns.”

How do you work through these concerns with advisers?

“When considering whether to refer protection, advisers often ask: Will it damage my client relationship? Will the standard of advice be high enough? Will I lose income? It is so pleasing to see initial concerns fade away as soon as they see the standard of advice and how effective and rewarding the referral service is.

“After we have set things up they quickly see how well we look after their client and the return of income they get through by simply referring business. Some advisers have actually found that they have increased their income, in some cases more than they could have done on their own.

“For some advisers it is about more than not having time to write protection. It’s also about having the confidence to write it every day and with every client. Knowing they can refer their clients to us means they feel confident enough to bring it up early on in the client conversation. They can introduce the subject with the client straight away as they know they can hand it over to us.”

Do you have an example of how you have built partnerships with advisers?

“One of the advisers we have worked very closely with is Appointed Representative Kevin Hannan of Right Advice Mortgage Consultancy. After similar initial concerns, Kevin is now completely on board with the protection referral service and has been a model business partner in terms of making the process as smooth as possible.

“Because Kevin prepares his clients early for the referral process, they are already waiting for our call when we contact them. The client is always enthusiastic about their cover, as Kevin has already talked about the importance of protection early on in his own process. He is finding his income from referring is more than worth the time it takes to arrange a good system of referral with us.

“Kevin is just one example. We are currently working with over twice the number of advisers since we last appeared in Insight in April, which shows how much our service has grown in just the last few months.

“We now have a few “regulars” who have now fully integrated the referral process into their own client meetings. We often find the process becomes continuously quicker and smoother as we refine it, which means less time spent on referring as we go!”

How have you worked with National Account Manager for Protection Craig Bryce over the last year?

“Craig has really helped us develop a much more proactive approach, to ensure that the partnership continues after the first few referrals. Craig brings it up whenever he is with advisers and helps organise regular reviews. He also points out any dips in protection sales that we can help with.

“After all, advisers are working with us predominately because they are very busy, which puts the onus on us to ensure the process works as efficiently as possible to reduce the amount of resource they spend on it.

“Craig also encourages protection reviews with clients at key points such as remortgage discussions. By pointing out that this is the ideal time to also review protection needs with the client, he highlights our referral system as an option for advisers that may not be able to find the time.”

Join our award-winning Mortgage Network as an appointed representative, or become a member of our Mortgage Club, to start benefiting from our fantastic range of comprehensive services and support. Call the Broker Support Team on 0845 130 7446 (opt 1) to find out more.

Head of Sales and Marketing Sharon Mawby discusses all the benefits that Appointed Representatives of Mortgage Intelligence receive as a part of the network.

Marketing

Consumer newsletter

The consumer newsletter is a completely free email marketing service for Appointed Representative advisers. The newsletter features three mortgage and protection articles which we send out once a month to your clients on your behalf. They are branded to reflect your company and include contact details as well as links to your website and social media channels. Advisers find them excellent touchpoints for clients and have received leads directly from the communications.

Promotional materials

The new range of contemporary promotional materials are available to all our Appointed Representatives. The range includes posters, datasheets and digital advertising material – everything you need to help you engage your customers. They can be customised to include your company logo and contact details. All of the promotional materials are free to order, you just have to cover the cost if you want to print them!

Content marketing

A range of compliant and relevant articles are available for all Appointed Representatives to download free of charge on our broker website, Broker Zone. They are great to use as blogs on your website and can be shared via social media and email.

Training and development

Mortgage Intelligence Events

Mortgage Intelligence Online is where you can sign up to upcoming webinars and catch up on webinars you may have missed. The virtual events offer training and development to gain CPD hours without the need to leave your office.

We also host a range of events which you can attend throughout the year including workshops and an annual conference. Our informative events are attended by leading lenders, providers and selected business partners.

Monthly magazine

All our Appointed Representatives receive an issue of our monthly magazine, Insight. The magazine includes a variety of product and criteria news from lenders and providers, industry articles to keep you posted on the market as well as all the latest network updates.

Protection support

Our National Account Manager for Protection is in place to support Appointed Representatives with internal, on-site protection training to give you the skills and knowledge to boost your protection sales.

Business Assurance Manager

As an Appointed Representative you will also receive a dedicated Business Assurance Manager (BAM). Your BAM will be a great point of contact for support and will monitor the quality of your business to ensure you are giving the best advice possible. This should help you retain and gain new business.

Broker Support Team

Broker Support Desk

The Broker Support Desk can help you with hard to place mortgage enquiries. They have knowledge of criteria from all of the 50+ lenders that are on panel. The team regularly receive specialist training to ensure you are getting the best support possible.

Protection Help Desk

The Protection Help Desk can call around your panel to give you an indication of any premium loadings that may be applied. This helps you get the best deal for your clients and saves you the time of calling around providers.

Relationship Development Consultant

Appointed Representatives are also supported by a Relationship Development Consultant (RDC). Your dedicated RDC is there to ensure that as one of our Appointed Representatives you are aware of the benefits available to you. They are also the first point of contact if you have any lender or provider issues that require assistance.

If you want to enjoy all the services that we offer our Appointed Representatives, then call our Broker Support Team on 0345 130 7446 (option 1) to find out more!