Actions will always speak far louder then words

His opening gambit of – “Delivering a quality service to advisers should be a priority for any lender but, perhaps now more than ever – given the current environment and situation – it’s not just about the standard of service but the communication of it” really hit home and this is not just relevant to lenders.

Transparency, communication and technology have been my key words of 2020, although the magnitude attached to these is nothing new. Way, way back in 2018 I was asked to contribute to an article previewing 2019. Below were my thoughts at the time.

“In 2019 I’d like brokers to stop dreaming of Back to the Future style hoverboards. When I say this, I mean I want them to be able to maximise tech advances, systems and solutions now - rather than constantly searching for something which might, or might not, be around the corner.

"As an industry we often get drowned in a sea of speculation about future projects which may be ‘planning to launch in xx’ or ‘coming soon’. So much so that it can be easy to overlook cost-effective tech solutions which are already working to streamline the application process, support back office requirements and fully integrate with lenders systems.

"While it’s great to grasp how technology could further develop, I would urge brokers not to get caught up in the ‘ifs’ of the future and concentrate on understanding how technology can better support their business today.”

I’m not really one for dwelling on the past but I happened to stumble across these comments the other day and found the words to be arguably more relevant today than they were back then. Especially considering the challenges we’ve all had to face in recent times and how quickly we’ve had to adapt.

Throughout this tough period, increased levels of transparency from a variety of lenders, strategic partners, service providers and clients have been hugely welcomed. Communication has also been vital in conveying key messages and supporting a variety of people along the way from both a business and personal perspective.

Looking at the bigger picture, many intermediaries now have a far better understanding of the role technology can play in their business. Having said that, there’s still a need to cut through the talk and realise which systems can help their business today and separate them from the ones which are ‘coming soon’, ‘still under development’, ‘planning to launch’ or talking about certain levels of integration which are frankly pie in the sky. After all, actions will always speak far louder then words.