As the countdown continues for the highly-anticipated 2025 Australian Mortgage Awards (AMAs), Australian Broker is catching up with past winners to uncover what sets them apart.
Sally Hillman (pictured), who took home the 2024 “So Money Best Non-Major Bank BDM” award, is the kind of business development manager who rewrites the rulebook - and makes it personal. The Gold Coast-based BDM and broker mentor for St. George Bank, with nearly two decades in the industry, including a stint at La Trobe Financial (and a law degree under her belt), Hillman is known for her razor-sharp time management, standout personal brand and a people-first philosophy that has helped her earn the trust of nearly 900 brokers.
Australian Broker sat down with Hillman - a UK native, proud mom of two and devoted dog owner - to unpack the secrets behind her success and the lessons aspiring top BDMs can take from her journey.
The following article has been edited for grammar and clarity.
AB: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? What is your background? How did you become a BDM?
SH: I am Sally, a UK born, Aussie bred, Gold Coaster with two adult children and one very spoilt Frenchie fur baby named Stitch. I like to keep busy when not working, hence why I chose to study for my law degree part time. I completed that in four years and took the final steps to be admitted as a lawyer in the past 12 months.
Before that, upon arrival in Australia in 2002, I knew being a stay at home mom with two babies under two was not for me. So I hand wrote three letters to local businesses within walking distance, seeking part- time employment. One just so happened to be a mortgage broker: Julian Bowden [of Brisbane-based Taffy Finance]. This was my introduction to finance, as my background was in airline and legal industries in the UK.
I worked for Julian for many happy years and learned so much in that time. However, I also learned that I did not want to be a mortgage broker. But I really liked the idea of having one of the roles of the many BDMs that visited our office daily. I found it frustrating that BDMs would visit us and quote their service promise, but would then not deliver. And that in itself was the instigator for me deciding to take the jump and start looking for a BDM role.
I had faith in myself right from the start, and knew I could be successful with the understanding of just what a broker needs from a BDM. I was fortunate that Janelle Barnes at La Trobe also saw that drive and passion in me and took the chance on giving me my first BDM role in 2006.
AB: What is the secret to your success? Why do you think you won? And what can competitors learn from you?
SH: I like to keep it simple — and personable. Even though I have a portfolio of nearly 900 brokers, I try to have a relationship with as many as possible. I will return and answer everyone’s call regardless of their level of support of the bank. I have all of my broker’s birthdays in my calendar to acknowledge their special days, I send handwritten cards, congratulation notes when they have milestone achievements. All of the little things that may seem unimportant but help to show my brokers that I do care about them as a person and not just the business they bring.
I believe that a solid foundational relationship and trust from our brokers is crucial to be a successful BDM. My brokers know that if I say ‘leave it with me’ I will have it sorted for them, whatever the issue is. The amount of noise I hear in the industry around BDMs that go to ground when things get too hard is still shocking. I appreciate that a hard conversation early in the [process] is so much better than a very hard conversation — or no conversation — which causes reputational damage later. Brokers need to know their BDM supports them in the good times and the bad. So my secret has to be my relationships and the work I continually put into building and maintaining them.
Also, make it fun. I have fun in my role, and that comes across to my brokers. I always do something different on [personal development] days or during presentations. This assists with engagement. Your personal brand is key. And my strong personal brand is what I think led me to win.
AB: What kind of advice would you have for BDMs who are hoping to be recognized in the year ahead?
SH: Keep it real. I am not ashamed to be me to my brokers. I am a person with a life too. If brokers get to know you, they will understand and appreciate you more too. Don’t be scared to step outside of the box, try different things and be prepared to be flexible and adapt if one of those ideas doesn’t work. Also don’t be ashamed of calling out your achievements. We work in such a fast-paced industry that yesterday's achievements are quickly forgotten and often go unnoticed. Never take the wins for granted. Call them out, diarise them if need be and build yourself a portfolio that will then assist when putting together an award submission.
I will always do my own submission rather than engaging one of the external companies offered. Be yourself, sing your praises and back it up with testimonials from your supporters, or quotes from NPS surveys. Being recognized is such a great feeling and we all deserve it. But if you don’t self-promote it is unlikely to happen. So get yourself out there and shout how awesome you are from the rooftops. Be confident.
AB: What are some of your best practices as a sales manager? What are you doing as a BDM that others are not doing?
SH: Time management is key to achieve everything we need to do as a BDM without falling into being 100% reactive. We must plan and prepare and manage time accordingly. Post COVID-19, face-to-face, one-on-one meetings are no longer the expectation. I use this to my advantage and will hold online meetings as much as possible rather than face to face. This frees up the day to be able to be accessible when my brokers need me and spend time being proactive. In addition, I pride myself as a connector; I will often host group events and through these introduce like-minded brokers to each other. Many networking groups have sprouted from one of these meetings I have instigated.
Also, build a referral network. If you are doing a great job, ask your brokers to share that. I have quite a few brokers who I know will always spruik me and my brand to other brokers and in turn my network grows. Exactly the same for brokers, a word-of-mouth referral is the most solid lead. Once I have started to build a new relationship, I then ensure I am doing all of those basic steps, and then build their trust in me accordingly.
AB: How did your company, or the industry as a whole, help support you as a BDM throughout the year?
SH: I am very particular about who I will work for as I value my personal brand immensely. I have strong anchors and values on a personal level that I will not allow to be diminished by my choice of employer. Hence, when deciding to leave La Trobe, I actually had only two lenders in my mind that I would align with and would work for and set out to make that happen. One was St. George and the other shall remain unnamed. As such, I am extremely passionate about St. George as a brand and this in turn has led to a valuable level of respect and support by my immediate and broader team at the Westpac Group. I have a voice and feel heard. The majority of my brokers are Connective members and I have also ensured I support Connective as my aggregator partner to in turn have their support of me as a BDM. I work closely with them to ensure I get the opportunity to be in front of their members as much as possible. I am fortunate to be surrounded by people that support me in my role.
AB: What are some of the strategies, tips you offer brokers who want to grow their businesses?
SH: So many brokers try to do everything themselves. Yet there are so many aspects to running a successful broking business. From having great social and networking skills to win over the clients, to having data and analytical skills to be able to put together the best options. Not everyone has all these skills themselves. If possible, brokers should lean into their strengths then employ others, or use software to do the tasks that could be done better by someone that has those skills.
With the evolution of technology, a lot of client service tasks can be done by utilizing the full capability of the CRM platform available to the broker. Many brokers are also now using staff overseas for inputting and processing of files. This then frees up the broker’s time to be seeing the clients and getting the business in the door. However, the best tip I can give is to ensure the broker’s existing database is looked after. That is a live portfolio of leads. Use the CRM software available to diarise key milestones and send notices, emails, etc., as the basic starting point. And if possible, add a personal touch. The goal is to ensure the clients come back to the broker whenever they have a question that needs to be answered on their lending, regardless of how long since the loan was written. Sticky, loyal clients also are great referral sources to help grow from, rather than buying leads.
