Chasing consistent progress over perfection
Australian Conveyancer asked Skilled Conveyancing CEO Trent Taylor to share some learnings from his experience in business, and in coaching others.
Trent Taylor is the owner and CEO of Victoria-based Skilled Conveyancing, having taken over the family business in 2023. He is also a global award-winning business coach, with the goal of developing the firm founded by his mother Dawn Barry in 1990. It currently has 100 per cent of its team working remotely in different regions of Victoria. When not running Skilled Conveyancing, he can be found working his cattle farm, playing golf or travelling with his wife.
Here is his story … in his own words:
I run a successful conveyancing firm but, here’s the thing, I’m not a conveyancer or a lawyer. My background is in business leadership and coaching, and I’ve been at it since 2004.
Most conveyancers are flat out with their day-to-day files, so growing the business gets left behind.
I’m lucky – I get to work on the firm full time. I bring fresh eyes and focus on what my role demands: generating new leads via referral partnerships and online strategies and investing in technology and systems to simplify, as much as possible, our conveyancers’ working day.
Their focus is to be legally correct and accurate, while giving every client a great, stress-free experience.
Take AML/CTF: we were ready in early June. We got organised early, systemised all we had to do and trained the team. Now compliance isn’t a problem; it’s just part of what we do.
At SC we live by Kaizen, which means ‘constant and never-ending improvement’.
We’re not chasing perfection – just steady and consistent progress. In our monthly performance reviews, we ask until we are clear, on the one thing you can do to get one per cent better this month.
Those one-percenters compound into big change over a year.
My advice? Look at the opportunity, not the problem. The property market’s hard currently. A lot of people are gripped by fear, and conveyancers are waiting for the phone to ring.
Don’t.
Use the quiet time to review and improve your systems, clean up your database, train the team and talk to your network to offer your help.
Reach out to your referral partners to ask how you can help them separate from doing conveyancing for their clients.
Open the conversation and show gratitude when they send leads your way. I am still amazed how many referral partners tell me they never get thanked by conveyancers.
And grow your team. Spread the skills and responsibility. I’m always asking: what can we do to build their confidence in each facet of their role? I was taught, and now believe, if you want a great team, then as a leader just do these three things
