A brokers focus following a pandemic
Thursday 20th January 2022
As the current climate continues to offer up even more challenges for workforces to overcome, it’s important that, as a broker, you use this time wisely – in order to stay ahead of the curve.
There’s no question that, even for the savviest professionals, the economic flux has brought about pressured situations they’ve never experienced. But it’s vital to react swiftly to change in a positive way, so you can continue to help businesses free up capital and unlock vital funds. Now is about maintaining the calm in an otherwise turbulent storm.
So how can you keep making the critical decisions that help customers to prosper when their financial status might be struggling? Perhaps now, you’re tapping into ‘softer’ skills alongside your ‘traditional’ tasks such as negotiating, planning and invoicing.
Even as a broker who already possesses such strong attributes, the business climate is unpredictable – and modern-day workforces stresses and strains are evolving each day. Therefore, maintaining a competitive advantage is of paramount importance when potentially tough times are around each corner. Here’s what we advise…
In this article:
- Continuing to be an effective communicator
- Being technically savvy
- Staying agile in the most difficult situations
1. Continuing to be an effective communicator
The last thing customers will have needed – or really wanted – during a global crisis is for you to go quiet or not take the time to listen to their concerns.
For a modern-day broker, you’ll already be a strong decision-maker who regularly communicates with customers and is a reliable, trusted voice. There will have been an even greater expectation on your shoulders to provide clear and precise detail in how to ease invoicing issues and relieve cash flow concerns too.
Clients won’t stop needing such strong support to help them take back control of their finances – and your service should continue to be something they wouldn’t receive anywhere else.
From adapting your language to suit each individual customer, to ensuring you remain ‘present’ throughout, communication should remain honest and trusted. Additionally, an element of empathy can show that you really understand what clients are going through.
2. Being technically savvy
With a mass move to working from home overnight, firms up and down the country have had to adapt to a new style of operations. For many organisations, this would’ve been straight-forward, but for others it could’ve been an uphill task.
The same can be said for brokers. You’re now digital leaders in your own right because customers are looking to you to be available, in real-time, and at the click of an email open, an informative blog or engaging social media post.
With the explosion of technology, you’re now required to be more IT proficient and provide innovative solutions to help organisations remain financially sound, flexible and secure.
There are ways in which you can bring your skills and technical nous together. For example, could you alleviate manually intensive tasks through automated services? If so, this could streamline how you manage invoices, and save time and vital resources as you advise clients on how to safeguard their businesses.
Of course, the human element is always going to be important, but for a modern-day professional, it’s a good time to explore how digital tools can provide swifter outcomes, produce higher productivity rates, and uncover hidden growth opportunities.
3. Staying agile in the most difficult situations
Adapting to change in a positive way can set modern-day brokers apart. Self-motivators who can not only face the challenges that a pandemic presents, but provide key insight to those in need quickly, typically benefits the customer and you as a professional.
Every single sector has been hit by the crisis in one way or another – for good and bad reasons. And your willingness to self-manage and embrace change should help you to stay one step ahead.
Being agile doesn’t solely cover flexibility though. As a nimble broker, you won’t want to sit on your existing skillset, instead seek learning opportunities that help you to understand marketplace disruption and evolution, as well as advanced technologies.
Maybe it’s time you built on your existing attributes such as strong negotiation skills, or being able to think quickly on your feet and make sound financial judgements?
Giving yourself the time to upskill so that you can keep thinking quickly on your feet and making sound financial judgements can go a long way towards evolving your role as a forward-thinking broker.
Not only that, it’ll help you to create long-lasting relationships with clients – who value a premium customer experience – and assist in how you can save time and resources. When you achieve this broker ‘utopia’ you’ll be able to keep providing authentic, trusted value that’s consistent, commercially savvy and decisive – even in the most challenging of climates.
