BDM in the spotlight: Simon Munkelt

This week's PLAN Australia BDM for Perth worked for the four major lenders before his 23 years in the third party space

BDM in the spotlight: Simon Munkelt
This week's PLAN Australia BDM for Perth, Simon Munkelt, worked for the four major lenders before his 23 years in the third party space

BDM in the spotlight asks a different BDM the same questions – giving you a weekly insight into the lives of some of the top BDMs in the country.

What you did before entering the industry:
I worked for one of the big four lenders for ten years before moving into the third party space 23 years ago.

How often do you see brokers in a week?
Between 8 to 12 broker visits.

What do brokers want most from you?
My role within PLAN Australia’s Strategic Partnerships and Wealth team is unique in that I work specifically with broking businesses in growth mode. They need my broker ‘best practice’ expertise to help them; increase their volumes, refine their systems and processes to be more efficient, recruit more brokers, work on their marketing platforms, and increase their referral strike-rates, through proven strategies I have refined over the years. 

What is your favourite part of the job?
Well two favourites really. In my first meeting with a broker who wants to grow their business, I really enjoy listening to them explain their vision to me. I know that by the end of what I call the ‘Business Transformation’ stage, their business will look, feel and operate so much more profitably and efficiently. And of course at the end - once we kick into the ‘Implementation and Measurement’ stage - getting to look back on everything we’ve achieved together always gives me a great buzz.

What distinguishes the best brokers you deal with?
I’ve profiled dozens of highly successful brokers over my time. What sets the best brokers apart is their systems and processes, where every client gets the same excellent experience every time.

Describe your ideal weekend:
If it’s not with family then I’d have to be somewhere offshore north of Perth chasing Spanish mackerel while spearfishing.

What's your top time saving tip and how much time does it save you?
I recommend turning off the pop-up you get at the bottom of your screen every time an email comes through. Seeing that makes you lose focus on what you’re doing at the time, so turning it off saves me hours every week. 

How do you like your steak done?
Medium-rare over the grill on the BBQ.

Every Wednesday we’ll feature a different BDM from across Australia. If you’d like to be included, please email the editor.