How the Best Introducers Turn a Single Deal into a Repeat Client

Almost every SME will need funding at some point. The challenge isn’t finding finance, it’s finding the right finance.

Business owners today have more choice than ever before. Traditional banks sit alongside specialist lenders, alternative finance providers and an increasing number of funding products, each designed for different circumstances. Knowing which option genuinely suits a business can be difficult, which is why experienced introducers continue to play such an important role. In fact, NACFB member brokers were responsible for arranging around £33 billion of SME lending in 2025, underlining just how valuable professional guidance has become.

For many introducers, winning new business is understandably a major focus. But building a successful introducer business isn’t only about generating more leads. It’s about giving clients a reason to come back.

The introducers who build the strongest client books aren’t necessarily those with the largest lender panels or the lowest pricing. More often, they’re the ones who consistently position themselves as trusted advisers rather than simply people who arrange finance. They understand the client’s business, recognise opportunities before they become problems and recommend solutions that support long-term growth rather than just today’s funding requirement.

That’s what turns a single completed deal into an ongoing commercial relationship.

Note: Throughout this piece, “introducer” covers anyone who introduces SME funding deals and builds a relationship off the back of them; commercial finance brokers, accountants, consultants and partners alike.

Start with the business objective, not the funding product

Many funding conversations begin in exactly the same way.

A business owner needs finance quickly, often because they’re under pressure from an unexpected expense or a period of stretched cash flow. They already have a product in mind, the introducer sources a lender, the deal completes and everyone moves on.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with that approach. It solves an immediate problem and delivers a successful outcome.

However, it can also make the relationship transactional. If the conversation begins and ends with a single product, that’s often what the client judges you on. Price becomes the main differentiator, making it easier for competitors to undercut you next time.

The strongest introducers take a different approach.

Instead of asking, “What funding are you looking for?”, they ask, “What are you trying to achieve?”

That subtle shift changes the conversation completely.

A client asking for £40,000 might believe they need finance. In reality, they may be trying to refurbish a restaurant, expand outdoor seating, invest in new kitchen equipment or prepare for a busy trading period. Once you understand the commercial objective, it becomes much easier to identify the funding solution that genuinely fits the business.

That approach has become even more important as the lending market has evolved. Today, challenger and specialist banks plus non-bank lenders account for the majority of SME lending, giving business owners more choice than ever before. With so many options available, the real value of an introducer isn’t simply access to lenders, it’s knowing which solution best supports the client’s goals.

Business owners increasingly value guidance over choice

Most business owners are already aware that multiple funding options exist. Between online research, advertising and recommendations from other business owners, finding finance isn’t usually the difficult part.

Choosing well is.

That’s where experienced introducers add genuine value.

According to the NACFB, members consider an average of six lenders for every completed deal, while around a quarter of the clients they funded had already been turned down elsewhere before finding the right solution. Those figures highlight something important: the role of an introducer isn’t simply to submit applications. It’s to solve problems.

That often means helping clients answer questions they haven’t fully considered themselves.

• Is now the right time to borrow?
• How much funding is actually needed?
• Which repayment structure best reflects the way the business trades?
• How might repayments feel during quieter trading periods?
• Which funding option best supports the business over the long term?

Answering those questions consistently is what builds trust.

It also requires an understanding of how different funding solutions behave in practice. Products such as a merchant cash advance or revenue-based finance operate very differently from traditional term lending, particularly for businesses with fluctuating card sales or seasonal income. Recognising when those structures suit a business, and when a conventional loan is likely to deliver a better outcome, demonstrates expertise that clients are unlikely to find through a comparison website or a quick online search.

Ultimately, the introducer’s role isn’t simply to recommend a lender. It’s to help clients make confident, informed decisions about their business.

Focus on timing, not just funding

One of the biggest differences between a transactional introducer and a trusted adviser is timing.

Many funding conversations begin when a client is already under pressure. They need stock quickly, an unexpected bill has arrived or an opportunity has appeared that they don’t want to miss. At that point, finance becomes reactive.

The strongest introducers aim to have those conversations much earlier.

Because they understand how their clients trade, they’re often able to spot future funding requirements before the business owner raises them. A café preparing for a busy summer, a retailer building stock ahead of Black Friday, or a hospitality business recruiting seasonal staff all have funding needs that are visible well in advance.

Reaching out before those pressure points arrive changes the relationship. Rather than simply responding to a funding request, you’re helping clients plan ahead, giving them more time to weigh up their options and put funding in place before it becomes urgent.

It’s also where local knowledge and regular conversations become invaluable. A quick check-in about upcoming trading plans can reveal far more than waiting for an application to land in your inbox.

We’re seeing this play out across the market. Internal data at 365 Finance showed a marked rise in hospitality businesses turning to flexible funding, with restaurants up around 43% year-on-year and pubs and bars not far behind. Businesses don’t just need access to finance during these periods; they need someone who understands when those funding conversations should happen.

Clients remember introducers who help them prepare, not just those who help them react.

Understanding where flexible funding fits

Starting with the client’s commercial objective often changes the type of funding that’s most appropriate.

For many SMEs, particularly those with seasonal trading patterns or fluctuating card sales, flexibility can be just as important as the amount being borrowed. A fixed monthly repayment may work well for one business but create unnecessary pressure for another during quieter trading periods.

That’s why understanding different funding structures matters.

Solutions such as revenue-based finance allow eligible businesses to repay through a percentage of future card sales, meaning repayments naturally rise and fall alongside trading performance. For businesses with variable income, that flexibility can make a significant difference to day-to-day cash management.

Equally, there will be many situations where a traditional term loan remains the better option.

That’s an important point.

The value an introducer brings isn’t recommending the same product every time. It’s understanding the strengths and limitations of each option, explaining them clearly and recommending the solution that best supports the client’s objectives.

Whether that’s a conventional loan, a merchant cash advance or revenue-based finance, clients are far more likely to return when they believe the recommendation was made in their best interests rather than because it happened to be available.

Over time, that judgement becomes far more valuable than access to any individual lender.

Repeat business is built between deals

It’s easy to think that relationships are won during the funding process.

In reality, they’re usually built afterwards.

The introducers who generate the highest levels of repeat business don’t disappear once the funds have landed. They stay close to the client, understand how the business is performing and continue asking commercial questions rather than waiting for another funding requirement to emerge.

Sometimes those conversations lead directly to another opportunity. Sometimes they simply reinforce that the client has someone they trust when the next challenge or opportunity arrives.

Either way, those touchpoints strengthen the relationship.

In an increasingly competitive lending market, products become easier to compare and lender panels become easier to replicate. Trusted advice is much harder to copy.

The difference isn’t the deal. It’s the relationship.

The introducers who build the strongest businesses don’t necessarily complete the most transactions.

They build the strongest relationships.

They take time to understand what their clients are trying to achieve, anticipate funding needs before they become urgent and recommend solutions that genuinely fit the business rather than simply fulfilling a request.

That approach creates something far more valuable than a single commission.

It creates trust.

And when clients trust your judgement, they’re far more likely to come back the next time they need funding, recommend you to other business owners and see you as a long-term adviser rather than someone they happened to use once.

For introducers supporting card-processing businesses, understanding where flexible funding fits alongside more traditional lending can be another valuable way to help clients make informed decisions. Learn more about partnering with 365 Finance and referring eligible businesses through our broker and introducer portal.