Joanna Clark heads up the Relationship team at Spring, a trusted PX partner for the new homes and development industry. As head of relationships, Jo is responsible for the day-to-day management of the relationship function, including setting strategic direction for business generation, maintaining relationships with all Spring partners, and overseeing a growing relationship team.
Here, she gives a look into a typical week at Spring.
Monday – pitching for new business
Kicking off the week, I always attend a Monday morning team meeting with Spring’s co-CEO, underwriters, and client advisors to discuss business from the previous week, review leads, track new account progress, and assess overall referrals. Monday is also the day I meet with my team to discuss upcoming new business pitches and client training sessions for the week. With the increasing number of developers offering PX, there’s a growing demand for our services, so it’s essential to plan my time effectively. My focus is on ensuring our new clients understand Spring’s unique offerings, emphasizing our customer-first approach and tech-driven solutions. As part of this, I collaborate with my team to tailor presentations for each client since there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Regardless of the size or type of client, my team and I aim to make our onboarding process with Spring as quick and easy as the part exchange process itself.
Tuesday – training and onboarding
Today, I’m heading down the M4 to our head office to lead a training session with one of our existing clients. They have a mix of new and established team members, so I’ll tailor the training to suit all attendees. I’m passionate about onboarding being more than a checklist – I want to ensure that every team member leaves one of our training sessions feeling confident and connected to Spring from the very beginning. After the session, I’ll catch up with our underwriting, progression, and marketing teams. Most of my relationship team are hybrid, spending Monday and Friday working from home, while the rest are in the office, so today is an ideal day to conduct my 1-2-1s. It’s my chance to check in on their well-being and work-life balance, discuss any issues, chat about career development, and explore any growth opportunities.
Wednesday – on the road
I’m back in the car today visiting key development sites, offering hands-on support. During these visits, I’ll meet the site teams, check in on our marketing efforts, which are included as standard in Spring’s service, and if I’m lucky, get a sneak peek at any new development phases. I also help the teams with any referrals they have in the pipeline and listen to any feedback. These visits are vital to maintaining Spring’s high standards and ensuring every partner feels supported and heard. Site staff can often work on different days, so I’ll ask Chris Dribble (Spring’s relationship manager) to follow up with the team to offer any training or additional support that may be needed.
Thursday – impact and success
Thursday is all about insight and impact. I oversee all business reviews for our developer clients using Spring’s CRM dashboards, which are tailored for them. These dashboards are fantastic for helping our clients understand the status of their referrals in the PX or chain repair process, how they are performing, and identifying areas for potential growth. I have the support of a great client operations manager, Hayley Lyndon, so I’ll collaborate with Hayley on any referral form improvements, reporting updates, and CRM changes today as well. We never rest on our laurels and always look for ways to improve our Spring solutions, with something big in the tech works that will be revealed soon!
Friday – a force for good
I will start the day by reviewing the week and setting priorities for the upcoming week. The rest of the morning will be dedicated to general administration, while the afternoon will focus on exploring new opportunities and ensuring my team can clear their diaries to support our ESG commitments. Whether volunteering with the non-profit “Good Food Matters” or helping to shape Spring’s next ESG initiative, I am committed to making a positive impact and want all my team to benefit from the opportunities available to them. Volunteering with Good Food Matters is a wonderful experience that my team thoroughly enjoys. These activities not only align with Spring’s values but also provide a chance to bond with other team members and reflect on the bigger picture – we are not just about property at Spring; we want to build a business that’s good for both people and the planet.