Fidelity, Blackrock, Vanguard. If you have only a passing interest in the asset management industry, you’ve likely heard of these three strong names.

Each insert has great brands, stories, and substantial resources to compete for assets, as do many other large asset management firms. Hundreds of boutique firms also have compelling stories to tell, but but far fewer resources.

How can boutique asset management firms improve their competitiveness, fight for attention, and compete for assets? I spoke with Matthew Fronczke, Senior Director, Strategic Business Consulting at SS&C Technologies, about the trends driving the asset management industry. I wanted to gain insight into his observations with larger firms and learn how boutiques could apply this knowledge.

We’ve created a 7-page investor’s guide to help boutique asset managers personalize their messaging and to reach high-value advisors through better segmentation. (Download the complete guide here.) Key excerpts from our conversation:

BRANDING AND POSITIONING

1. Understand your strategic value. As a boutique asset manager, you should understand your strategic value and what differentiates you from larger organizations.
2. Stick to what makes you special. Boutiques must create a profitable niche. Dominate a key product line, provide personalized service and experiences, and offer operational excellence.
3. Deliver consistent messaging. To build trust, your communication strategies, branding, data, and investment philosophy must be uniform within and outside the organization.

ADVISOR SEGMENTATION

4. Score and segment advisors based on their long-term value. Boutiques should create a segmentation scoring strategy based on the influence, value, and projected 10-year revenue opportunity each advisor brings.
5. Engage with your best advisors. Sales teams must also integrate a highly personalized engagement strategy with your best advisors.
6. Focus on advisor teams. Most of the industry’s assets are now managed by advisor teams. Personalize your firm’s messages to advisor teams, not just to individuals.
7. Define sales roles and territories. Boutiques are now building territories based less on geography and more on matching client needs and opportunities with specific wholesaler expertise.

SALES TEAM ENGAGEMENT

8. Empower the sales team to engage. Wholesalers should be empowered with all the data and flexibility they need to engage high-value advisors with a high-touch service that makes sense for each advisor.
9. Use predictive analysis. Predictive analysis can help firms unlock powerful insights into customer profiles, preferences, and priorities and help boutiques design more efficient and effective distribution strategies.

About Sondhelm Partners

Sondhelm Partners helps asset managers, mutual funds, ETFs, wealth managers, and fintech companies grow through marketing, public relations, and sales programs. Click to read our latest Insight articles and to schedule a complimentary consultation.