When it comes to stock selection, investment managers understand the application of top-down and bottom-up analytics. One focuses on the big picture of how the overall economy and macroeconomic factors drive the markets and stock prices, while the other one takes a deep dive into the fundamentals of a company literally from the bottom on up – two very different perspectives using two different sets of analytics for the same purpose of identifying the best investment opportunities. For a broader perspective, the greatest amount of insight, and actionable intelligence, some managers combine the two.
Certainly, a case can be made that salespeople have the toughest job in an asset management firm. Amid constant pressure from management to produce and natural resistance from prospects, they spend their days calling and trying to covert leads into prospects. They schedule, conduct and follow up with meetings, orchestrate the team to bring to the table, and travel extensively.
The ETF giants’ latest mutual fund-killing trick is free management of ETF portfolios — perhaps the seeds of a massive freemium model. Dan Sondhelm and other industry professionals offered their insights for this article. Read More
Foreside hosted Sondhelm Partners and SunStar Strategic, who provided best practices when it comes to your brand, social media, and content creation of your marketing collateral. Participants heard ideas on what an asset manager can do to make a difference in the next six months, tips for content development, how firms can get in front of the media and best practices for successful asset growth. To listen to the replay, click here.
Most companies face a crisis at one time or another. Two major airlines have had their share of crises recently as have several large companies involved in major data breaches. As we have seen, negative incidents can have a major impact on a company’s reputation, which can cost it millions in earnings and good will. Most of these larger companies have teams and procedures in place to respond to them. However, for smaller firms, especially those in the “trust business” of managing other people’s money, reputational damage can have devastating consequences.
For investment firms and financial advisors who rely on email marketing to grow their businesses, their digital reputation may be sabotaging their marketing efforts. Yes, if you do any level of email marketing, you develop a reputation. And, that reputation can have a major impact on the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. If you have a bad reputation, there’s a strong likelihood your emails won’t make it to the inboxes of your target audience. Read more
CNBC just called, but your portfolio manager is “unavailable.” Your head of sales wants your expert to talk in a due diligence conference to hundreds of advisors. “Sorry.”
Maybe they’re busy “managing the money,” or they’re uncomfortable or too introverted, or maybe they’re simply not interested in the topic. Regardless, how can you get your portfolio managers to better participate in the sales and marketing process?
Dan Sondhelm will be part of a panel discussion about growth strategies for mutual funds and asset managers. The webinar, entitled “Actionable Ideas for Marketing Success” will focus on ways to enhance visibility and credibility and better look the part of a firm looking to compete for assets with the big guys. The webinar will be held Tuesday May 22, 2018. Marilyn Dale from SunStar Strategic will also be on the panel. Read More
Despite the growing popularity of social media and texting, email marketing remains a highly effective way to communicate with prospects and clients, which is why most boutique asset managers and fund firms engage in email marketing at some level. For firms that have been doing it for a while, email marketing is fairly straightforward. They set up their workflows and campaigns, add new promotions and fresh content and then send out their regular newsletter. However, if they aren’t paying attention to some of the key elements of effective email marketing, their efforts may be for naught. By avoiding these five common mistakes, your firm could realize significant improvements in return.
As the financial services world continues its slow crawl into the digital age, boutique asset management firms and mutual fund companies are facing new challenges in marketing and growing their businesses. Many firms have reached a critical juncture in their marketing efforts where they must decide between what is easy and inexpensive but no longer effective, and what is more expensive and more difficult to implement but more cost effective in generating quality leads and converting them into qualified prospects. In the digital age, that will be the difference between firms that are forced to exit their businesses and firms that survive and flourish. Read more
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