Even after spending my entire career in marketing, I’ve always believed that it’s vital not to become complacent and to remain open to continuous learning. As a Marketing Consultant for both the AFS and Synergy networks, my main role is to empower our brokers to carry out more targeted and effective marketing activities. So, when the opportunity arose to attend the Finance Education Centre Marketing module, which focused on all things marketing, I was eager to take part. The session gave me a chance to see first-hand what marketing guidance brokers and funders receive. Plus, as I mentioned, there’s always the possibility of learning something new!
One thing about marketing that always stands out is its incredible breadth. There are so many aspects involved that it’s rare – if not impossible – for any one person to be an expert in every area. If you look at a typical marketing team in a medium to large organisation, you’ll find specialists who are experts in key elements, all contributing to the services provided to their business. I consider myself a generalist marketeer, familiar with the full array of channels and techniques that marketing has to offer, but I do sometimes rely on experts to get the most out of many specific touchpoints. Given that this course provided a general overview in just two days, I was intrigued to see what I could gain from it.
The good news is that there was plenty to take away, which I’d break down into three main categories:
Reassurance. Phew!
It’s always a relief to find that your approach aligns with industry standards! I was reassured to discover that the process I’ve been advocating to our brokers – taking a business requirement, developing a marketing plan, delivering it and measuring the results – was very much in line with what they’d have been taught on the course. It’s always great to have that confirmation. Of course, everyone describes processes differently, using various frameworks that are essentially different spins on the same ideas. After all, both life and work would be very dull if everything was completely formulaic!
New Perspectives
As I mentioned, there are countless ways to approach and describe marketing practices. It was refreshing to hear different terminology and concepts, especially when it came to explaining some of the more complex aspects of marketing in simple terms. Ideas like the ever-popular ‘Marketing Funnel’ and creating your ‘Unique Value Proposition’ were discussed, which gave me plenty to think about and perhaps new ways to explain these concepts to brokers in the future.
Understanding the Broker’s Viewpoint
Perhaps the most valuable part of the experience was gaining insight into the brokers’ views. Observing their opinions, challenges, and understanding of marketing effectively turned this session into a finance broker focus group for me. We all know how time-consuming and expensive qualitative research can be, so this was a real win. It gave me a clearer picture of how brokers perceive marketing, which aspects they grasp easily, and which they find don’t. Learning about their workplace challenges, areas of interest, and receiving their finance tips and insights made the whole exercise even more valuable.
The End of an Era
And so, we’ve reached the end of an era – this was the final module of the last-ever Finance Broker Academy intake. Asset Finance Solutions and Synergy Commercial Finance have now partnered with the Financial Education Centre for future training. This recently established centre, along with its Broker Academy and modular courses, is now open to brokers and funders, including those outside of the AFS and Synergy networks.
The training programme, developed by experienced professionals, offers a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Brokers can choose to either complete the entire course or attend specific modules that suit their needs.
The next Academy kicks off on 27th November 2024. For more details or to get involved, feel free to contact team@fectraining.co.uk.
Even with 25 years experience, I walked away from the course feeling both reassured and inspired. It’s a reminder that no matter how much experience we have, there’s always something new to learn.
