Category Archives: FinTech
How to Rock Your Content Automation Implementation
In a blog post by our CEO, he draws a comparison between setting up a rock concert and doing an investment management content automation implementation. In the post, he points out that the critical behind-the-scenes logistics of these operations are not fully appreciated. But they’re vital to the outcome.
For example, think back to a time you arrived early to a concert. You may have noticed the roadies methodically working to get all the equipment set up and working perfectly. Because of this, the band can just get up on stage, grab their instruments, and put on a great show. The roadies and logistics teams don’t get the attention from all the screaming, raging fans, but they certainly deserve some recognition for the role they play.
What is your ROI on producing marketing content?
It’s easy to underestimate what it costs to run your marketing operations. For asset managers, producing content is not an easy task. The materials are data-heavy, constantly changing, and usually go through several rounds of review. Creating a streamlined process is critical to realizing a return on investment. But how do you measure it?
There are three steps to building a solid ROI calculation, and the first step is to understand your true organizational production costs. Very few people know how to really measure this. Most of the time, managers simply look at their departmental head-count (FTE) cost and estimate what percentage of their time goes into updating and distributing content and literature. This broad-brush approach would seem to capture the costs well but often results in a gross underestimation of the true costs. A full accounting should cover direct labor costs, managerial labor costs, opportunity costs, and error and risk-related costs.
We’ve had two clients undertake a full and detailed Six Sigma cost analysis of their baseline costs and risks associated with manual or semi-automated literature production. The results were staggering.
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‘The fast fish eats the slow fish’ and the definition of insanity
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Without a doubt, we’ve all fallen victim to “insanity” at different points in our lives. For example, I’m insane to think I can win a 5K race by training for distance with no regard to speed, strategy, or agility. Or, that I can overcome a weight-loss plateau by sticking to my same daily fitness routine. If I want different results, I’ll have to change my approach.
The same rules apply in the workplace. As modern marketing and business professionals, it’s illogical to think we can keep up with the pace of marketing in a world where “content is king” and data is everywhere – unless we improve our processes. Being agile is what makes or breaks a company in these new and exciting times.Read More
Why Pitch Decks Should be Created by Sales, Not Marketing
This article, “Why Pitch Decks Should be Created by Sales, Not Marketing,” first appeared in Fundfire.
Recently, a salesperson told us about a deal where he went “rogue.” He got an opportunity to present to a major institutional client but didn’t have an up-to-date deck from marketing. So he cobbled together a deck using slides from previous presentations. He knew he was pushing the compliance boundaries, but he needed to land this deal.
His was the first presentation to the client, and he secured their agreement before leaving. As he walked out, three competitors sat in the lobby waiting for their turn to present. “If I had waited for marketing to send me an updated deck,” he said, “We would have lost that deal because the first sales guy to show them what they needed got the business.”