A man of his word, when ING BDM Nicholas Brookes says he is going to do something, he does it. With the majority of the bank’s home loans coming through brokers, Brookes knows how important the support provided to brokers is, and he strives to ensure they can rely on him.
“I’m willing to get in there and help them with their difficult deals, helping them to make the most of the ING tools that are available to them,” he says.
Before COVID-19 hit, Brookes was running face-to-face focus groups on a fortnightly basis. With the pandemic and subsequent restrictions, he switched to a digital format a few times a week, and as brokers became “webinared out” he moved to weekly meetings.
During these focus group sessions, Brookes discusses key points around products and ING’s policy niches, and presents examples of how he works with the credit team, and of any outside-of-the-box wins. These sessions also allow new brokers to mix with more experienced brokers, which has encouraged them to build strong networks and share learnings.
Not just relying on digital meetings, Brookes has a wide engagement mix. His brokers’ locations range from Macquarie Park to Orange, and he makes sure he gets out personally to visit them – even in the more regional areas.
“ING is a good fit for them as it’s a brand that makes a real effort to understand the needs of all Australians. Webinars work, but it’s always good to get out to them three or four times a year,” he says.
