My toughest test... with Donald Tang

MPA brings you advice from the industry's successful brokers on their biggest business challenge and how they tackled it.

MPA brings you advice from the industry's thought leaders on their biggest business challenge and how they tackled it. This week we speak with Donald Tang, of Alliance Mortgage Solutions.

MPA: What has been one of your biggest challenges in business to date and why?

DT:
To deal with overseas investors and how to build up trust would be the biggest challenge. The overseas investors I mainly deal with are from China and these clients are successful, smart, and rich. They have seen too many different business models or different kinds of people. Also, some of them have been cheated for more than once, thus it would be a hard job to let them trust me, trust Australia and trust Australia lenders without a face-to-face meeting. How to build up trust between the clients and broker becomes the first priority of the job.

MPA: How did you overcome this challenge?

DT: The interview was normally taken place via phone calls or online chatting, I would firstly introduce my company and myself briefly, then explain Australian mortgage policies and rules in detail. The purpose is to make the whole conversation clear, accurate, systematic and reasonable.

MPA: What are some of the key lessons you learned from this experience?

DT:
Knowledge is the key, as I have to learn the whole picture of Australian overseas investments mortgage policies. I also shall study some of the overseas local mortgage application rules to compare both of these countries benefits and disadvantages.

MPA: How have those lessons benefited you in business since?

DT: Clients notice I have knowledge of both countries and they would recommend me as the professional, then trust will be built up.

MPA: If you were to tackle this again would you do anything differently?

DT:
I would do the same strategy as the main tool then use other sales skills a bit to enhance the relationship between overseas investors and brokers.

MPA: What advice would you give to other brokers facing a similar situation?

DT:
Be knowledgeable, be professional, and be confident. On one hand, overseas investors are smart and successful, on the other hand, they are the people who would like to study new information. It seems hard to go through the deal, however once trust was built up, the follow up job will be much easier, plus they will recommend you to all their friends.

Would you like to share your toughest test with MPA? Email [email protected].