Can you share a bit about your journey at INN8? How did you start, and what has been the most exciting part of your experience so far?

I started at INN8 in January 2021. What struck me immediately was the amazing people that I worked with. I started as a Key Account Manager and the most exciting part of this early experience in my journey with INN8 was when I was approached to take care of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape region as the dedicated SIC for the release of INN8 to the Liberty Wealth Managers.  

What does a typical day look like for you as a Business Development Manager at INN8? Any interesting or challenging moments that stand out?

A typical day for me as an SIC would consist of travelling to adviser offices or home offices for appointments, fielding calls from advisers on possible client solutions and handling other queries and emails.

‍In your role, what are the key skills or insights you've gained that have been crucial for success in business development at INN8?

I have learnt that putting in the time to understand the adviser’s business and really putting time into the relationship between the adviser, the assistant and SIC is crucial for a successful partnership.  

‍Could you share a project or client interaction that you found particularly rewarding or memorable? What made it stand out?

My favourite project was rolling out the INN8 Platform to the Liberty Wealth Managers (LWM) and being an integral part of the team that made our platform available to them. It felt monumental at the time and stands out even more now looking at the current adoption levels of LWM on the INN8 Platform.  

‍Building relationships with clients is a crucial aspect of business development. Can you share a story about a client interaction that taught you something valuable or left a lasting impression?

There are many to pick from, however, there is one over-arching theme that I would like to highlight. It is imperative to ensure that you can be trusted as an SIC. This means: deliver on promises, be there when assistance is required, and continue to be the adviser’s voice in the internal business team.  

‍Every role comes with its challenges. What's a challenge you've faced as a BDM, and how did you overcome it? Any lessons learned?

The biggest challenge is remaining agile enough to deal with ubiquitous change in the industry, within the business and with advisers’ experience of the Platform. The lesson is to never become complacent when times are good and to always be able to quickly switch into solution mode when needed.

‍In your time at INN8, how have you personally grown, either professionally or personally? Are there any experiences that have shaped you?

I have grown both personally and professionally. Personally, I have learnt quite a bit from the team and my advisers given my relatively young age to many of them. Furthermore, professionally, I was set up for success the moment I joined INN8 and got rewarded tangibly for good performance by receiving a promotion.

‍If you could go back and give advice to yourself when you started as an SIC at INN8, what would it be? What advice do you have for someone aspiring to join the INN8 family?

I would say that the best approach is to be a sponge. There is a wealth of experience within the team and also a myriad of different approaches to being an SIC. From there you’ll have a good base and will eventually develop your own signature style. You can never learn too much!

Watch our Platform Perspectives video, featuring Gio, here.