NFU Mutual’s Sales Development Managers (SDMs) are an important link between our Head Office and the extensive, dynamic range of agencies we have in our UK-wide Agency Network. From regional potential and goals to holistic compliance and strategy, our SDMs are the people who manage the relationships with Agents of NFU Mutual – communicating up and down the line to ensure success for each Agent, their agency and the wider group. We sat down with three SDMs in our South East region - Brittany Collins, Ben Collins, and Daniela Bayman – to find out what the role entails, and the extensive work they do to support and add value to agencies across the South East.
Supporting agencies to thrive
Whether out on the road or back in the office, it’s the role of our SDMs to act as relationship managers between the wider NFU Mutual business and our network of agencies across the UK. As a core pillar of our national strategy, self-employed Agents receive a great deal of support to help facilitate success on both sides, and SDMs are responsible for assessing and delivering that guidance. “We ensure that the strategy and direction set by NFU Mutual is implemented within the Agency Network,” explains Brittany. “Since no two agencies are the same, we’ll implement that strategy in different ways according to the size, location, and various other factors of each agency.”
According to Ben, one of those factors is the Agent’s own business model - as well as their vision for the future growth of the agency. When Agents propose their three-year business plan to NFU Mutual, our SDMs are the people best positioned to help support making those plans happen. “We get involved in signing off the business strategy and looking at what we’re aiming for in terms of performance over the next three years,” Ben says. “We also need to incorporate NFU Mutual’s regional strategy, and how we can take that to a local level.”
Supporting Agents on a daily basis
The role of an SDM is to act as an intermediary between NFU Mutual and the Agency Network, so what does that look like on a day-to-day basis? According to Daniela, it’s about supporting Agents to achieve our joint ambitions. “I’m really there to help the agency deliver on their growth aspirations,” she explains. “I can do that through strategy, investment, business planning, consultancy, and structuring. All of that falls into my world.”
And since each agency has a different location, structure, and vision – a one-size-fits-all approach won’t cut it. It’s part of the SDM job to build a rapport with each of the Agents, to get to know them and their businesses on an individual level, and tailor the support to best facilitate goals of each agency. “That’s the best part of the job, to be completely honest,” Daniela continues. “Building a relationship with each agency, understanding the direction they want to go in – but also understanding the aims of NFU Mutual at large and making sure those two paths can align. It’s a very collaborative, holistic approach.”
What NFU Mutual can offer Agents
While SDMs represent a more direct, boots-on-the ground form of support to agencies, another key benefit is that they also provide access to a wide spectrum of expertise throughout the wider NFU Mutual business. As Brittany puts it, “It’s impossible to be an expert on everything”, so whether it’s specific areas of underwriting, marketing, compliance, or data – our SDMs can pull in professionals from head office and our various regional teams to provide Agents with bespoke guidance to meet their needs.
“We have meetings with the Agents to review strategy every month,” says Brittany. “And I make sure the right experts and stakeholders are there in the room. For example, if we’re focusing on commercial growth for that month, I’ll get in our commercial underwriting or pricing representatives to help figure out what the Agent needs.” And for new Agents who might still be getting used to self-employment, there’s a great deal of structured support to help them find their feet. “Although you’re self-employed, you have an array of opportunity that sits around you,” says Ben. “If you’re brand new to the business, we’ll be there from day one, shoulder to shoulder with you on that journey.”
“We make sure that you can fully get under the skin of the business you’re walking into,” adds Brittany. “New Agents have a strong team looking after them in the early days, and we can also offer leadership and business development support, through internal training programmes as well as external partners to make sure they’re fully equipped to be successful in the long term.”
The best thing about being a Sales Development Manager
For Daniela, the most enjoyable part of being a Sales Development Manager is the personal aspect. For her, meeting with various business owners and finding a way to collaborate on hitting their targets feels like sharing in the achievements of the agency. “I’ve seen Agencies radically change their structures and business plans over the years which in some cases has led to a doubling of the size of the business over a few years. That gets really exciting because you’re being entrepreneurial and growing the business alongside the Agents.”
Alternatively, it’s the variety of the SDM role that helps Brittany get up in the morning. Looking back on the many agencies she’s supported across the South East, she says every single one has been unique. “No two days are the same, and every agency has a different structure and different strategy,” she explains. “It’s satisfying to tailor my approach and support to help each agency achieve its growth aspirations. The South East is a really fast-paced and ambitious region, it just keeps growing and growing. I really enjoy feeling like I’ve helped put our Agents in a position to fully utilise that potential.”
As for Ben, he enjoys knowing that he’s adding value to a business, by identifying how and where to support Agents with their plans. “Sometimes you can look back on an agency five years down the line and see that decisions have been a success,” he says. “And you can say ‘We made the right call, we appointed the right leaders, we executed agent succession plans, created scale in areas of high potential and developed a clear strategy for the medium to long-term’. Seeing the region and agencies flourish following these decisions, and knowing that means better service for our customers, that’s really satisfying.”
Join us on a new journey
Ben, Brittany and Daniela support Agents across the South East to build a stronger future for their agencies. Find out how you could build your own future as a self-employed Agent of NFU Mutual.