Natalie Pater, key account manager at PMS Mortgage Club, part of Sesame Bankhall Group, and a qualified dancer speaks to Health & Protection about lacking direction upon leaving university, how the sector needs to up its game in attracting school leavers and why she only worries about the things she can control.
How did you get your start in the sector?
I studied Business Management at Glasgow University and, like most people that age, I left without a firm idea of what I wanted to do with my life.
My cousin was a business development manager (BDM) at Santander at the time and put me forward for a role as he thought it would be something I would be good at.
I started as a telephone BDM and never looked back, working my way up the ladder over the next 12 years.
Then in 2020 I joined Sesame Bankhall Group (SBG). I came across the role by chance, thanks to one of my former managers at Santander.
Previously, I had worked solely in mortgages, whereas at SBG my role covers everything from protection and general insurance to PMI and even conveyancing.
I love that as every day really is different.
What do you enjoy most about your current role?
At SBG, our aim is to be a proactive partner for life for our firms, helping them to create and run better and more profitable businesses. As a key account manager, I like to think I play a key role in that.
A huge part of my job involves cultivating and maintaining new and existing relationships and really getting under the skin of their businesses.
That way I can work out how best we can support them to have more and better-quality conversations about protection and private medical insurance with their clients.
It means that you get very close to your clients. In fact, I class many of them now as friends.
You don’t get that with every job.
Who is your role model – in life or work?
That’s a difficult one, as many people have influenced me at different times in my career.
But if I had to pick one it would probably be one of my managers at Santander, who opened my eyes to the fact that I could have a successful career and be there for my children at the same time.
Without her, I may not be where I am today.
What advice would you give to people thinking about a career in the sector?
If you’re thinking about a career in finance, just go for it – you won’t regret it.
I’d love more people to be thinking about a career in our industry. In my experience it’s a hugely fulfilling and rewarding career option knowing that you’ve helped someone buy a home, plan for retirement or protect their health and income.
Without a doubt, we need to get better at reaching out to bright young school leavers and graduates – and from a variety of backgrounds. People who can bring new ideas and approaches to the table.
That’s how our sector will thrive long-term.
What has been your biggest setback and how did you overcome it?
Starting a new job is always a challenge, but especially so when you do so in the middle of a pandemic.
I’m very much a people’s person, and a major part of my role is building relationships.
However, because of Covid, it was around 10 months before I was able to meet anyone on my team or any of my clients. That was a unique and strange set of challenges to navigate.
Thankfully, though, everyone appreciated how difficult it was and really made the effort to support me.
In fact, in a strange way, because everyone was housebound it was a lot easier to get hold of people, so I probably learnt more about the business and my role in that time than I would have had the pandemic never happened.
Laugh or cry – what did your most memorable client or case make you want to do and why?
I’m a huge believer in protection and private medical cover, but the reality is there are still plenty of people who should be insured who aren’t.
This is a huge opportunity for advisers, and I find it incredibly rewarding when I can help our firms have those important protection conversations with clients.
For example, last year I ran a protection masterclass, focusing mostly on PMI, to a room of brokers who hadn’t had much experience in advising on the product.
Since then, five or six of those in the audience have been in touch to say that, because of that seminar, they have improved their knowledge of the product and now recommend it to their clients.
It’s times like that when you really feel like you’re making a difference to people’s lives.
What’s your ultimate goal for your career?
That’s a hard one, but what I can say is that whatever happens next in my career, relationships will be at the heart of it.
Right now, my focus is trying to the best of my ability to help our firms have protection conversations with their clients and supporting them to achieve those goals.
How would your boss describe you?
I think she would probably say she could trust me, I’m professional and I get stuff done.
We work in a fast-paced environment, but I always try and have a can-do attitude and come to work with a smile on my face.
What’s your biggest talent away from work?
I’m a qualified dancer, so I would probably say I can do the splits, although I haven’t tried in a while. My eight-year-old daughter has actually followed in my footsteps and is taking her dancing exams.
What mantra do you live by?
Only worry about the things you can control.
What song would you regard as your theme tune?
This one was probably the hardest to answer, I’d say Unstoppable by Sia. This song has a nice blend of empowerment and resilience and is relatable to me working in a demanding and fast paced environment.
