Getting the Data Right in Investment Commentary: An Interview with Susan Weiner, CFA

by Emilie Totten

A few weeks ago, my friend Susan Weiner published “Investment commentary numbers: How to get them right.” It’s an excellent blog post about how to prevent numerical errors from being published in investment commentary. Susan is a financial writer-editor at InvestmentWriting.com and author of the book, Financial Blogging: How to Write Powerful Posts that Attract Clients. As a former investment marketing professional turned financial writing consultant, she is no stranger to the intricacies involved in producing these important documents. Read More

Preliminary Research Uncovers Top 5 Criteria for Fact Sheet and Pitchbook Automation

By Emilie Totten

The criteria used to evaluate and select an automation solution vary from firm to firm, but there are some common trends. As part of our ongoing research to understand our customers, prospects, and target market, we make it a regular practice to interview current and potential clients as well as the lead sponsors of lost opportunities. Based on buyer persona research we’ve conducted over the past year, we’ve identified what marketers see as the most important criteria when evaluating and purchasing an automation solution for collateral production. Please note, while this research is largely qualitative and the sample size does not support true statistical measurement, it has shown us some clear and recognizable patterns of decision making and the value systems that drive these patterns.  We plan to dig deeper into this research over the next several months and provide a full report. In the meantime, I’m confident that these preliminary findings hold water for the vast majority of asset management marketers.Read More

Why Data Management Should Drive your Document Automation Vendor Decision

One of the criteria often overlooked by asset managers during the vendor evaluation process is data management.

The urge to minimize the data problem during these discussions is understandable. Document or website production is the marketing team’s goal.  Data aggregation and quality control shouldn’t be part of the marketer’s life, but very frequently it is. This is a challenge that should be addressed clearly and upfront in evaluating document automation options.

In beginning conversations, the first thing we try to find out is how their firm is currently handling data. We do this because data really lies at the heart of the communication problem; the question of how to clean up your communication effort goes hand in hand with the question of how your data process will be addressed. Thus, as you’re defining your document automation requirements, it’s wise to look at your data management scenario. In doing this, you determine whether you have the bandwidth and skills in-house to implement quality data feeds and controls or whether outsourcing is the better or more realistic option.

In this blog, we are going to discuss why your data process should drive your automation vendor decision. There are a variety of different kinds of vendors who can automate your marketing documents. So, you’ll want to determine whether you want a vendor/product that requires internal data source and process management or a vendor who will take responsibility for creating and supporting a quality data process.

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Establishing Authenticity in Your Sales Presentations

Ten years ago the average adult attention span was 10 seconds; today it’s five. With this emerging data, we now know that attention deficit disorder is not just limited to today’s younger generations. With the advent of personal computers, laptops, tablets and hand-held devices, delivery and interpretation of information happens so quickly it’s hard to keep up. Ad banners streaming along the top of a screen, icons flashing mid-screen and cartoon figures flickering along the bottom and we cannot reasonably expect anyone to pay attention off-line at the same pace that they do on-line. These trends can be particularly challenging for the traditional face-to-face sales presentation, even when accompanied by a laptop or tablet. This holds true whether the presentation is for one or two people in a back office or for a crowded room. For these reasons alone, a strong and distinctive launch into a presentation is increasingly critical. As one financial services professional puts it: “We must establish and invigorate the trust, respect and engagement of our audience—immediately.”  Securing instantaneous trust is much more easily said than done, though. The key is to be authentic, someone who truly wishes to have a personal connection with their listeners. There is an overabundance of articles and books on the topic of establishing authenticity, but three key themes seem common to all:

• Be personable, not personal
• Brand yourself
• Make it a conversation

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