Experts, not just brokers
Born into the financial services industry as a bank manager’s son, Brett Wadelton started broking 20 years ago when processes were very manual, and the industry demanded an old-fashioned level of customer service. Fast forward 20 years, Brett’s processes are much more automated, but his ethos and approach remain the same – caring about and educating his clients, which is the major reason why Brett has assisted over 4,000 clients in that time. This same ethos of care and education has lead Brett to incorporate home loan protection into the business 4 years ago and already has resulted in over 500 clients being protected with ALI’s My Protection Plan.
Back when the industry was paper-based and heavily reliant on referrals, the majority of Brett’s cliental had been rejected from their banks and told to see a broker. Brett’s care and passion meant that even if the client did not qualify that day, they would work out a 12 – 24-month plan to either get their savings in place, pay out any debts and work to get them into a position which either improved their chances of purchasing a home or securing a loan. Over time, those clients became loyal clients and some 20 years later are still seeking Brett’s trusted advice.
Having traded for years as Pinnacle home loans, Brett wanted to find a name for his business which was not only unique but truly reflected the business’ ethos and philosophy. Soon after, My Expert was born. Being able to provide their clients expertise, knowledge, life and industry experience as well as wisdom is not only the bottom line of the brand, but it’s instilled in everything Brett and his team do. It is why they can offer their clients such a high level of care and excellent customer experience.
Finding the right people was crucial in building the My Expert team. Brett candidly recalls Manoj coming in for a home loan over 12 years ago and being so inspired by the expertise and passion Brett exuded, he left asking for a job. Unable to employ anyone new at the time, Manoj kept following up Brett and after 12-months an opportunity came up for him to join My Expert.
Not being from the industry, Manoj studied and worked voluntarily, helping Brett with the paperwork, learning everything he could about the industry, being a broker and running a business. The hard work paid off and he eventually became Brett’s best performing broker and now, as of the last 5 years is his business partner.
Heavily instilled in the My Expert process is discussing My Protection Plan from the very first initial enquiry. Brett says, “by offering this product, it helps the client stop the emotional drain through the life event so for us it is non-negotiable”.
Brett and the My Expert team believe brokers should change their mindset around offering My Protection Plan and it should be at the very forefront of their discussions with the clients throughout the entire process from the initial first contact and reinforced right through to loan process: application, approval and doc sign up.
The additional income My Protection Plan generates has helped the growth of My Expert. So, whilst they are being true to their brand and educating their clients on the risks involved and why protection is so necessary, the business has also benefited. Brett says, “the money has helped us build our team and take My Expert to the next level. Plus, we have not needed to employ more staff as part of the My Protection Plan process because the ALI online application is so amazing, generating a quote takes only minutes and by using the marketing material supplied to us, there’s absolutely no costs involved”.