Standing Out With Your Customer by Holly Whipps

Having spent the best part of eight years within a sales facing role, it is now more than ever that I notice how diverse and competitive the financial market is. Business owners can almost have too many options to consider when looking for finance, so as a sales professional how can you stand out from any other option or broker in the market?

For me, the key is putting your client at the heart of everything that you do; actively listening to their problems and presenting the solutions without bias. There are a few key components I follow to achieve this:

Preparation

Doing your homework makes all the difference. Before every conversation, I take time to:

Scope out the business online (website, LinkedIn, anything that offers insight)

Gather all available intel—what they’ve applied for, past financial history, credit indicators

Note down potential lender options and have a rough quote ready to go

Asking the right questions

Time is money to business owners, so I will try to ask the right questions, particularly open-ended, to keep the conversation engaging, relevant and to get the most out of a short amount of time.

✅ My favourite question: ‘What is most important to you when considering a finance facility?’ - from this I find we get straight to the point to understand which lender and product will be best for the customer based on what matters to them, whether that be: rate, flexibility, speed.

✅ “What are your biggest goals for the next 6–12 months?”

✅ “What’s driving your need for finance right now?”

✅ “What’s your current financing setup? Have you worked with lenders before?”

✅ ‘’Do you have any offers in place currently for finance?’’

There is a power in pause—silence can invite deeper insights and give clients the space to open up, as well as time for yourself to reflect.

Understand The Business, Educate and Empower 🎓

Take the time to understand the client’s industry, cash flow cycles, and long-term vision.

Offer tailored solutions, highlight the risks and benefits, and let them make an informed decision.

Simplify the Process💡

The smoother the journey, the better the experience. Make life easier by:

Helping clients prepare the right documents upfront

Anticipating roadblocks before they appear

Understanding their preferred communication style and best times to speak (email, phone)

Build Trust and Transparency 🤝

Trust isn’t built overnight, but it can be lost in a second. It is important to be upfront about fees, terms, and expectations. Stay in touch beyond the initial transaction. Whether through regular financial check-ins or to keep you top of mind for future financing needs.

Mindset 💭

Sales can be a very high pressure environment. Not every month will be as good as the last. The tougher months can be key to not becoming complacent, forcing you to review your way of working to be the best that you can be.

If you can, prepare for the quarter by always thinking a month ahead. Build your pipeline to cover any gaps which may arise to reduce stress. And most importantly:

Prioritize your well-being—exercise, sleep well, and actually take a lunch break

Don’t be afraid to get it wrong - I have learned the most from my mistakes or being out of my comfort zone

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”

My final take away would be to enjoy what you do and find purpose - I personally take pleasure in helping business owners get the right finance solution to help grow and thrive. Knowing that I can help to find a solution and seeing that come to fruition brings fulfilment in my role.

Thanks for reading

Funding Circle as a company has provided me a lot of support and confidence to progress my career as a woman in tech sales, and has ensured that myself and other female employees have a voice in a sector which can typically be more male dominated.