Are your institutional sales meetings engaging prospects or just checking a box? Many portfolio managers approach these meetings with a well-crafted pitch, believing it’s essential to prove their value. However, this one-sided approach often leads to disengaged prospects and missed opportunities for connection. Rather than driving meaningful conversations, these meetings can feel like formalities, leaving managers unsure if they’ve made an impact or progressed toward securing new business.

Shifting from pitching to creating a two-way conversation can ease these frustrations, making meetings more productive for everyone involved. These strategies are most effective for early meetings, where building rapport is crucial.

Start by Setting Expectations and Asking Key Questions

A simple way to open a meeting is by asking the institutional prospect what they want to accomplish. Starting with, “What would you like to get out of this meeting?” clarifies expectations, engages the prospect early, and ensures both parties are aligned.

If the salesperson has an established relationship with the prospect, they can say, “We’ve known each other for a while, but for the sake of the portfolio managers, could you share a bit about yourself and your firm?” This allows the salesperson to leverage their rapport while inviting the portfolio managers into the conversation.

In both situations, portfolio managers can follow up with, “Can we ask you a few questions to better understand your situation?” This helps gather key information to tailor the discussion, even if the meeting includes the pitchbook. Here are some questions to guide the conversation:

• “What are your firm’s current priorities?” This helps you focus on what matters most to the prospect.
• “What gaps are you looking to fill in your portfolio?” Understanding the firm’s challenges can position your strategy as a solution.
• “How do you evaluate managers and strategies?” This gives insights into their decision-making process.
• “Are there any challenges with your current managers or strategies?” Uncovering issues lets you show how your strategy can address those needs.

If They Seem Disengaged, Pivot to Re-Engage

Even after setting expectations, you might notice the prospect seems disengaged. This can happen when they go through the motions or have other priorities.

If this happens, try re-engaging them by pivoting directly to topics that interest them. For instance, ask:

• “Have any other managers you work with mentioned this strategy?”
• “What trends or challenges are you currently seeing in the market?”
• “How are other managers addressing this challenge?”

These open-ended questions can broaden the discussion, encouraging the prospect to share their experiences. This shift from a rigid pitch to a dialogue can lead to deeper insights and a more engaging meeting.

Tell Stories to Make Your Process Real

While it’s important to be prepared to walk through your pitchbook, you can create more engagement by making your process tangible with real examples and stories.

For example, instead of just mentioning a company that reinvests its earnings, explain how your team discovered a business that uses its profits to expand into new markets. Share how your team identified growth potential and how this fits with your process of seeking long-term value. This makes your strategy easier to understand and visualize.

Similarly, instead of simply stating that you have a five-person research team, tell a story that shows how they operate. You could describe how your team uncovered an underfollowed company that other managers missed by conducting deep research—like speaking with suppliers or interviewing the CEO. These narratives are much more impactful than just listing credentials or facts.

Provide Insights That Differentiate You

In addition to storytelling, portfolio managers can create a more engaging and memorable meeting by sharing proprietary insights that demonstrate expertise and differentiate the firm. Unique research or perspectives on specific sectors or market trends can capture the prospect’s attention and provide them with valuable takeaways.

For example, you could share a deep dive into a niche sector where your firm has identified emerging opportunities. If your research team has analyzed an underexplored market segment, sharing this shows your commitment to thorough research and positions your firm as a thought leader.

You can also offer insights into broader trends shaping the market. Prospects often seek fresh perspectives beyond performance metrics. Sharing your take on how macroeconomic factors, regulatory changes, or shifting investor behaviors influence your decisions gives them a glimpse into how your team thinks.

Avoid Jargon to Keep the Conversation Clear

Even if your institutional prospect understands technical terms, simplifying your language can help them better connect with your message. Avoiding jargon makes your presentation more accessible and relatable.

For example, instead of saying “return on invested capital” or “ROIC,” you could say, “The company reinvests its earnings efficiently in its people and AI to drive growth.” This paints a clearer picture and focuses on outcomes rather than complex financial terms.

Another example is replacing “capital expenditures” with “the company is investing in new AI tools to improve efficiency.” This helps the prospect visualize the impact of financial terms without decoding industry-specific jargon.

Prepare Thoroughly for Productive Meetings

Everyone on the team needs to be fully prepared before the meeting. The salesperson or whoever sets the meeting should brief the team on the prospect’s background, goals, and key areas of interest.

However, this doesn’t always happen. The salesperson may have the necessary information but forget to pass it along, or a portfolio manager may not fully communicate the details. These preparation gaps can lead to disjointed presentations or missed opportunities to address what matters most to the prospect.

Before the meeting, ensure everyone is on the same page. The portfolio manager should know what the prospect hopes to achieve, their investment philosophy, and the solutions they’re looking for. This preparation will lead to a more cohesive and relevant discussion.

Balance Structure and Conversation Based on Prospect Preferences

While engagement is crucial, some prospects still expect a structured presentation, particularly when they want specific details. A formal pitch may be necessary, but it doesn’t have to be rigid.

You can balance this by combining a high-level overview with opportunities for dialogue. After presenting a section of the pitchbook, pause to ask how it resonates with their needs or if they have any questions. This keeps the meeting conversational while providing the structure they expect.

Building Long-Term Relationships Through Meaningful Conversations

Successful institutional sales meetings are not about delivering a perfect pitch. They’re about building long-term relationships based on an understanding of how you can help. Shifting from pitching to engaging helps create a productive environment for continued conversations.

By asking thoughtful questions and showing genuine interest in the prospect’s goals, you position yourself as a partner who listens and adapts. The most successful meetings feel like collaborative discussions, not one-sided presentations.

Make the shift from pitching to engaging, and you’ll see stronger results and build deeper, more meaningful relationships with institutional prospects.

Are you struggling to make your institutional sales meetings more engaging and productive? Help your portfolio managers run meetings that leave a lasting impression and build stronger institutional relationships. Schedule a free strategy session with us today.

Dan Sondhelm is the CEO of Sondhelm Partners, a firm that helps boutique asset managers struggling to grow their AUM, feel overlooked in a crowded market, and wants to spark more meaningful conversations with prospects.