Nearly eight years since launching Loan Market Paulette Trotter, she’s proven that a service-first approach is the key to sustainable growth.
Speaking on the latest Broker Bulletin podcast - How to create clients that keep coming back: Tactics from #1 global broker Paulette Trotter - she shares the pivotal moments that shaped her client retention strategy and the systems she’s put in place to keep clients coming back.
Reflecting on her early days, Paulette acknowledges she wasn’t always set up for repeat business. But by fine-tuning her approach, she’s built a loyal client base that not only returns but also refers.
Loan Market Paulette Trotter services East Auckland, including Howick, Botany, Mount Wellington, Dannemora, Pakuranga, Half Moon Bay, and surrounding areas.
Coming from the corporate banking world, where the focus was always on new sales, Ms Trotter said she was always intentional about her focus on clients when she made the move into broking, stating “I’ve always wanted to look after my existing clients because they were there to help me succeed.”
But it wasn’t smooth sailing to begin with: “I didn’t really do it as well as I thought I initially would. It’s evolved by listening to what other people do and implementing different processes.”
“It’s definitely evolved from eight years ago to what it is today. How I look after existing clients is hugely different and way better.”
Now, with a dedicated team and a client-first mentality, she’s built a business where returning customers aren’t just a value-add, they’re foundational to her continued success.
Ms Trotter credits much of her success to refining her approach over time, particularly by building structured processes that keep clients engaged well beyond settlement.
One of the biggest changes in her business has been a consistent follow-up strategy designed to keep clients informed and engaged throughout the life of their loan.
“We’d send a settlement email. After six weeks, they settle, we send another email. At six months, we give them a call. If they’ve refixed for 12 months, we contact them then, or it’s a 12-month review,” she explained.
Ms Trotter noted that the six-month phone call has been a game-changer.
“We don’t do it for sales. The purpose is not to sell. It’s all about that service proposition. Sales just come anyway. The whole purpose of the call is to stay in touch and remind them about us.”
With 90% of New Zealand customers fixing their loans, Ms Trotter recognised early on that staying ahead of refixes was crucial… but required real effort.
“To begin with, I wasn’t really good at contacting them and helping them refix. I didn’t have the systems in place like I do now,” she admitted.
“We have an automated lead that goes out. We set a task, we follow them up after two weeks. If they haven’t fixed their loan for two years, it’s easy to forget who Paulette Trotter is. It just helps them remember who we are and why we’re here. That reminds them to come back to us when they want to buy, renovate or upgrade their house.”
“We don’t retain every single customer. I wish we did! But we do retain a really high portion.”
Ms Trotter now aims to lodge 40-plus applications per month, and she credits much of that success to her team.
“My goal would be to submit at least 40 to 50 applications a month, and invariably, 70% are ones we already know. I don’t need to be involved as much with those existing clients. I can focus on the new ones because the team already knows the existing ones. I don’t have to prove myself. It already happened.”
She acknowledges that having the right support in place has allowed her to focus on growth while maintaining service quality - “that’s why I’ve got a team of 10 people helping me. It’s all part of our service proposition.”
Unlike many brokers who actively ask for referrals, Ms Trotter prefers to let her service speak for itself.
“I don’t believe in asking for referrals. I believe that just giving that really consistent service from day one - right through the buying process.
She does include a mention of referrals in her settlement email but doesn’t rely on it as a strategy. “I never mention it really much. I just think doing the basics right: answering your phone, responding to emails—results in funding.”
Looking ahead, Ms Trotter’s priorities are retaining her staff and finding a better work-life balance.
“Staff offered extra money haven’t left but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to leave tomorrow. So, what do I need to do to retain them? What do I need to do to make sure they enjoy their work and stay around?”
At the heart of it all, her approach remains simple: keep clients engaged, provide consistent service, and ensure they always feel supported.
“I think it’s just those basics to let them know that we haven’t forgotten about them. They know that I still care even though I’m busy.”
“So, when they’re at their barbecue next week, they’ll still think I’m great because I returned their call.”
Listen to the full conversation here.