First appointments, leadership development programmes and calls from new advisers are part of this consultant’s busy week.
Monday
I am up at 6:30am for a commute to our head office in Preston from South Staffordshire for a second day of training as part of the leadership development programme. Today we focus on developing people skills and coaching.
I enjoy this course, not only from a development perspective, but also as I get to meet and socialise with other advisers who I would not usually come into contact with. It is always good to put a face to a name.
I end the day by taking my dog Bella for a walk in the sun.
Tuesday
The morning began with a first appointment in Shrewsbury, with a previous client’s sister, who wants to know if she qualifies to release equity. Being referred for my customer service is always nice and increasingly common.
A quick lunch on the go and I head to meet another client who wants to pay off his interest-only mortgage. He has no way of doing so and wants to see if equity release would help his situation.
He wants the option to be mortgage-free and let him remain in his own home. Releasing equity could save him £300 a month.
I spend the rest of the day calling clients to update them, then follow with a gym session.
Wednesday
A later start to the day means I can go to the gym before I start work. I try to visit the gym three to four times a week as it helps keep me focused.
I then have a management review where I discuss action plans and strategies. This is followed by a meeting with two new starters who I give guidance to, with the aim for them to reach ‘competent adviser status’ in a reasonable amount of time.
Following this I visit a customer who wants to release around £30,000 to pay for a necessary hip operation privately. Her whole family also attended the appointment, which I would always advise on when making such a big financial decision.
The afternoon consists of finishing meeting notes and completing admin for tomorrow’s appointments, then a walk round the park with my dog.
Thursday
I am awake early to visit a lovely couple in Telford for a second appointment – they want to release funds to help their grandchildren get onto the property ladder. Over the years, this has become an increasingly popular reason for releasing funds.
This afternoon, I prepare and attend a meeting with my manager Paul, with a customer who has early onset dementia. When we believe the customer has a vulnerability, someone in the management team, or a vulnerability champion, will always attend the meeting too.
I end the day with a call from a new adviser who has just written his first sale and wants me to assist him with inputting all the details onto the system. I find it rewarding helping new advisers.
