It is easy to keep clientele in a good economic climate. The difference between a financial institution that will survive volatile markets and those that will go under is keeping clients in they are or sideways markets. This should be the top priority of your investor relations hedge fund team.
Maximizing Your Alpha
As you well know, your alpha is the portion of your financial success that is directly attributed to you rather than to the market. Although your clients most likely do not understand the term itself, they can definitely feel the effects of an institution that has a high alpha versus one that relies on its beta (market forces). They may not be able to articulate this feeling, nor will they waste a great deal of time trying to. They will simply move on to the next financial company that actually has the ability to protect assets in volatile economic environments.
It is good practice to completely disregard the market in your assessment of your performance. Even if you are receiving kudos from your superiors and clients for making money in an easy market, you cannot let this go to your head. You have only to ask the vets of the office to see how fickle praise can be.
When you perform self-assessments, completely removing beta from your analytics will always keep you ahead of the curve. You are setting yourself to a higher standard, meaning that you must outperform your colleagues by a mile if you are to withstand your own scrutiny. In short, shooting for the moon will always leave you among the stars, to use an overused, yet very true, cliche.
Most importantly, scrutinizing yourself mercilessly will help you to keep your clients in all economic environments.
Your Investor Relations Hedge Fund Team
In order to truly create an environment that is conducive to loyalty, your entire investor relations hedge fund team must be on the same page. Your colleagues should not be trying to undercut you in order to increase their own stats, and vice versa. Because of the relatively open hierarchy within most financial institutions, this is not a problem, but there are certain situations in which you may find yourself pitted against a colleague directly.
In cases such as this, the investor relations hedge fund team must come before any personal ego. The politics of the office can be quite difficult to navigate; however, there are no politics without clients. If you garner a reputation for putting the team first, your supervisors will be sure to associate all positive movement forward within the investor relations hedge fund team with you.
The Bottom Line
In short, being a company man (or woman) is one of the most important aspects of keeping clients in bad economic times. Catering to the client is also incredibly important. Be sure that you create these personal relationships so that people will give you the opportunity to be trusted in bear markets or sideways markets. It is this trust that will give you longevity in the financial industry.
Monday, February 2, 2015
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
7 Tips for Designing That Perfect Fact Sheet
Fact sheets are a great way to get a target audience motivated and spread awareness. However, it's not just the information that interests readers; the overall design is what will help to keep them reading. You've seen impressive fact sheets in the past; how did the designers do it? These are seven tips and pointers you can use for your own fact sheet design.
1. Employ Standard Graphic Design Principles
If you aren't already familiar with graphic design standards, it's a good idea to study up. Understanding the various principles of graphic design will help you to handle balance, hierarchy, typeface harmony, and other aspects of your fact sheet design. Nothing will turn a reader away faster than a fact sheet that's hard to understand or read.
2. Study Color Theory
Unless you're designing a fact sheet for your company, which is likely already branded, you'll need to know how to use color for your fact sheet. Various colors possess different meanings, and they can convey powerful messages for your fact sheet. Using the wrong colors can send confusing signals, and it could render your design to be less aesthetically pleasing. Not only should you be choosing the right colors for your fact sheet design's purpose, but also colors that work well together and don't clash.
3. Use Images Rather than Text
Whenever possible, you should use images to engage your reader rather than text. For example, if you want to pose a statistic that outlines percentages of males versus females, you should steer clear of writing something along the lines of, "73% males and 27% females responded with..." This is boring and it defeats the purpose of the fact sheet in the first place. Instead, you might want to use a pie chart illustration colored with pink and blue to represent these figures.
4. Emphasize Percentages
When you are designing an element in your fact sheet design that outlines a certain percentage, you should always emphasize the number. As a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to make it slightly or significantly larger in size than surrounding text. This draws attention to the figure, and makes it more interesting than it would be if it weren't emphasized.
5. Design Flowing Figures
Pick up any number of wisely designed fact sheets, and you'll notice that they all have one thing in common. They flow easily. This means that it's easy to start from the beginning of the fact sheet and work your way down through the various elements and figures effortlessly. When designing, make sure your figures read and flow from left to right. This makes it incredibly easy for the eye to naturally move from one item to another.
6. Begin the Chart with a Surprising Statistic
Your first item of information in your fact sheet design should always be a surprising and engaging piece of information. For this, you should use a surprising statistic or fact to engage the reader. Of course, your entire fact sheet should be interesting on some level, but the introduction is what counts the most.
7. Less is More
Lastly, always keep in mind when creating your fact sheet design that less is more. Your fact sheet is not a word processing document. It is a creative way to express facts and statistics by using design principles, images, and shapes. When conveying an idea or figure, always be as direct and concise as possible.
By using these tips and viewing other successful fact sheets for inspiration, you'll be designing your own in no time!
1. Employ Standard Graphic Design Principles
If you aren't already familiar with graphic design standards, it's a good idea to study up. Understanding the various principles of graphic design will help you to handle balance, hierarchy, typeface harmony, and other aspects of your fact sheet design. Nothing will turn a reader away faster than a fact sheet that's hard to understand or read.
2. Study Color Theory
Unless you're designing a fact sheet for your company, which is likely already branded, you'll need to know how to use color for your fact sheet. Various colors possess different meanings, and they can convey powerful messages for your fact sheet. Using the wrong colors can send confusing signals, and it could render your design to be less aesthetically pleasing. Not only should you be choosing the right colors for your fact sheet design's purpose, but also colors that work well together and don't clash.
3. Use Images Rather than Text
Whenever possible, you should use images to engage your reader rather than text. For example, if you want to pose a statistic that outlines percentages of males versus females, you should steer clear of writing something along the lines of, "73% males and 27% females responded with..." This is boring and it defeats the purpose of the fact sheet in the first place. Instead, you might want to use a pie chart illustration colored with pink and blue to represent these figures.
4. Emphasize Percentages
When you are designing an element in your fact sheet design that outlines a certain percentage, you should always emphasize the number. As a rule of thumb, it's a good idea to make it slightly or significantly larger in size than surrounding text. This draws attention to the figure, and makes it more interesting than it would be if it weren't emphasized.
5. Design Flowing Figures
Pick up any number of wisely designed fact sheets, and you'll notice that they all have one thing in common. They flow easily. This means that it's easy to start from the beginning of the fact sheet and work your way down through the various elements and figures effortlessly. When designing, make sure your figures read and flow from left to right. This makes it incredibly easy for the eye to naturally move from one item to another.
6. Begin the Chart with a Surprising Statistic
Your first item of information in your fact sheet design should always be a surprising and engaging piece of information. For this, you should use a surprising statistic or fact to engage the reader. Of course, your entire fact sheet should be interesting on some level, but the introduction is what counts the most.
7. Less is More
Lastly, always keep in mind when creating your fact sheet design that less is more. Your fact sheet is not a word processing document. It is a creative way to express facts and statistics by using design principles, images, and shapes. When conveying an idea or figure, always be as direct and concise as possible.
By using these tips and viewing other successful fact sheets for inspiration, you'll be designing your own in no time!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Perceived Service Quality in Financial Services Marketing
In order to properly conduct financial services marketing, Laval University business administration faculty Riadh Ladhari has found that perceived service quality plays a very important role in the loyalty of the customer. In turn, this perceived service quality is affected by a number of factors, many of which do not actually have to do with the services that are being performed.
What the People Really Care About
Professor Ladhari focused his studies on finding the intentions of behavior in the banking section. The tests that he came up with were a little different than testing behavior itself - he wanted to know how those behaviors were perceived.
The first thing that he found was that word-of-mouth had a very important role in shaping how services were perceived. This indicates that any financial services marketing that is done to the general public should be focused on creating positive emotions about the business first and foremost.
Ladhari Focused his studies on services in the banking industry rather than products. Because services are more intangible, the study served as a good indication into the reason that some banks are able to keep customers loyal.
The Factors of Financial Services Marketing
According to the findings of Prof. Ladhari, there are numerous factors that contribute to perceived service quality. These factors are listed below.
These dimensions differ heavily from the actual service quality that a bank is giving its customers. The actual service quality is considered a factor of only two separate dimensions – technical and functional. Both of these have to do with the actual outcome of the services that are provided.
In short, financial services marketing has to engender trust in customers so that the services provided match marketing as closely as possible. Throughout the performance of the service, the bank must look as though it can take these services to fruition, from its employees to its facilities.
The emotional satisfaction of the customer is paramount in determining how that customer will perceive services rendered. We will take a look at how financial services marketing can more adequately get across this emotional message according to the study by Prof. Ladhari.
Solutions for Financial Services Marketers
The study found that emotional satisfaction, which leads to a heightened perceived service quality, can explain more than 60% of variation in the behavior of banking customers. These numbers, without a doubt, showcase a definite correlation between how a customer feels before walking into a bank and how he or she will feel after walking out of it. If the marketing of a financial services company is shoddy, there is little that employees can do when facing a customer to improve perceived service quality passed certain point.
The study concludes by stating banks should explore the emotions that are brought out of customers through their public image. It is this public image that shapes how customers will talk about the bank after receiving services. Once the image of a bank has been set in the mind of a consumer, it has only to uphold that image through the physical appearance of its facilities and employees. Of course service must be adequate, but it must be accompanied by an emotional stability throughout the entirety of the banking process.
What the People Really Care About
Professor Ladhari focused his studies on finding the intentions of behavior in the banking section. The tests that he came up with were a little different than testing behavior itself - he wanted to know how those behaviors were perceived.
The first thing that he found was that word-of-mouth had a very important role in shaping how services were perceived. This indicates that any financial services marketing that is done to the general public should be focused on creating positive emotions about the business first and foremost.
Ladhari Focused his studies on services in the banking industry rather than products. Because services are more intangible, the study served as a good indication into the reason that some banks are able to keep customers loyal.
The Factors of Financial Services Marketing
According to the findings of Prof. Ladhari, there are numerous factors that contribute to perceived service quality. These factors are listed below.
- The tangible dimension – the appearance of personnel, bank facilities and equipment
- The reliability dimension – the actual ability of the bank to perform what it says it will
- The responsiveness dimension – the willingness of employees to perform
- The assurance dimension - the ability of employees to inspire confidence in the banking consumer
- The empathy dimension – the individualized attention for each banking customer
These dimensions differ heavily from the actual service quality that a bank is giving its customers. The actual service quality is considered a factor of only two separate dimensions – technical and functional. Both of these have to do with the actual outcome of the services that are provided.
In short, financial services marketing has to engender trust in customers so that the services provided match marketing as closely as possible. Throughout the performance of the service, the bank must look as though it can take these services to fruition, from its employees to its facilities.
The emotional satisfaction of the customer is paramount in determining how that customer will perceive services rendered. We will take a look at how financial services marketing can more adequately get across this emotional message according to the study by Prof. Ladhari.
Solutions for Financial Services Marketers
The study found that emotional satisfaction, which leads to a heightened perceived service quality, can explain more than 60% of variation in the behavior of banking customers. These numbers, without a doubt, showcase a definite correlation between how a customer feels before walking into a bank and how he or she will feel after walking out of it. If the marketing of a financial services company is shoddy, there is little that employees can do when facing a customer to improve perceived service quality passed certain point.
The study concludes by stating banks should explore the emotions that are brought out of customers through their public image. It is this public image that shapes how customers will talk about the bank after receiving services. Once the image of a bank has been set in the mind of a consumer, it has only to uphold that image through the physical appearance of its facilities and employees. Of course service must be adequate, but it must be accompanied by an emotional stability throughout the entirety of the banking process.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Why Software is Essential for Hedge Funds
One of the key problems a lot of people have with hedge funds is that they can be very difficult to invest into. This is an issue for business owners who would like to be able to make use of the money they are accumulating or people who want to be able to grow their own personal net worth. One thing that a lot of people are now using in terms of having their own hedge fund would be good quality hedge fund software. This type of software program is designed with ease of use in mind and it can help anyone who has this type of fund.
When a hedge fund is created, you normally have no way of knowing how it is doing unless you visit your personal financial adviser or wealth management team. This is something a lot of people just do not have the time to do on their own. Because of this, it is a lot easier to just be making use of a hedge fund software program that can be fully customized to meet all of your individual needs. The program can be customized and designed specifically to your fund and you will then be able to see how it is doing and growing over time.
When using hedge fund software, you will be able to keep a close eye on your entire investment fund and see exactly how much money you are making in the process of using it. This is something you will enjoy thoroughly because hedge funds require a person to make risky investments. It is good to know that you will be able to keep a close eye on these riskier investments to make sure that they are paying off and that you are actually making money in the process of using them.
The best thing for anyone to do for themselves is to download and begin using hedge fund software so that they can keep a closer eye on this type of fund. If you are making riskier investments and are putting a lot of money into the fund, you want to make sure that everything is as organized as it can possibly be and for you to make sure that you can keep an eye on how the fund is doing. Having this type of software is really one of the only ways to accomplish this for yourself.
When a hedge fund is created, you normally have no way of knowing how it is doing unless you visit your personal financial adviser or wealth management team. This is something a lot of people just do not have the time to do on their own. Because of this, it is a lot easier to just be making use of a hedge fund software program that can be fully customized to meet all of your individual needs. The program can be customized and designed specifically to your fund and you will then be able to see how it is doing and growing over time.
When using hedge fund software, you will be able to keep a close eye on your entire investment fund and see exactly how much money you are making in the process of using it. This is something you will enjoy thoroughly because hedge funds require a person to make risky investments. It is good to know that you will be able to keep a close eye on these riskier investments to make sure that they are paying off and that you are actually making money in the process of using them.
The best thing for anyone to do for themselves is to download and begin using hedge fund software so that they can keep a closer eye on this type of fund. If you are making riskier investments and are putting a lot of money into the fund, you want to make sure that everything is as organized as it can possibly be and for you to make sure that you can keep an eye on how the fund is doing. Having this type of software is really one of the only ways to accomplish this for yourself.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
How has Hedge Fund Technology Changed?
Small differences are amplified with hedge fund firms, and gaining even the slightest edge can make a tremendous difference when competing with other firms. Because of this, hedge fund technology has always played a critical role in the field. Here are a few of the ways technology has affected hedge funds and their management.
Calculators
Calculators changed how hedge funds were managed. Instead of relying on people whose role it was to compile mathematical information, hedge fund firms could instead use fast, accurate and reliable calculators. Early calculators were large, and many have now been supplanted by computers. However, any room used by a hedge fund firm will likely have a handheld calculator within reach.
Early Computers
Early computers were even faster than calculators, but they were also able to perform calculations in an automated manner. Instead of having to input information by hand, those who used these computers could have information calculated automatically. These early computers were thousands of times slower than modern computers, but their capabilities revolutionized the field.
Network-Based Computing
Networking lines run to all major business centers, and they deliver information at unbelievable rates of speed. Instead of having to input or scan information, firms could instead have it delivered automatically. The networking lines used in the past have long been replaced, but the principles have remained the same. Quick decisions are essential when managing hedge funds, and the pioneering work done decades ago still resonated today.
Soft Skill Technology
Much of the emphasis on hedge fund technology focuses on how information is collected, compiled and distributed. However, the so-called soft areas of hedge fund management have been affected by technology as well. Communication matters in handling hedge funds, and modern technology has enabled better communication. In addition, the Internet has made making connections and learning more about potential investment sources far easier than ever before. These technologies have had a major impact on the field.
Hedge fund technology changes quickly, and we are in the middle of a move to cloud-based solutions. By understanding how technology has changed hedge funds, those who work with them can develop better perspective and an ability to understand what future technological advances will mean for the field.
Calculators
Calculators changed how hedge funds were managed. Instead of relying on people whose role it was to compile mathematical information, hedge fund firms could instead use fast, accurate and reliable calculators. Early calculators were large, and many have now been supplanted by computers. However, any room used by a hedge fund firm will likely have a handheld calculator within reach.
Early Computers
Early computers were even faster than calculators, but they were also able to perform calculations in an automated manner. Instead of having to input information by hand, those who used these computers could have information calculated automatically. These early computers were thousands of times slower than modern computers, but their capabilities revolutionized the field.
Network-Based Computing
Networking lines run to all major business centers, and they deliver information at unbelievable rates of speed. Instead of having to input or scan information, firms could instead have it delivered automatically. The networking lines used in the past have long been replaced, but the principles have remained the same. Quick decisions are essential when managing hedge funds, and the pioneering work done decades ago still resonated today.
Soft Skill Technology
Much of the emphasis on hedge fund technology focuses on how information is collected, compiled and distributed. However, the so-called soft areas of hedge fund management have been affected by technology as well. Communication matters in handling hedge funds, and modern technology has enabled better communication. In addition, the Internet has made making connections and learning more about potential investment sources far easier than ever before. These technologies have had a major impact on the field.
Hedge fund technology changes quickly, and we are in the middle of a move to cloud-based solutions. By understanding how technology has changed hedge funds, those who work with them can develop better perspective and an ability to understand what future technological advances will mean for the field.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Designing a Layout for Your Hedge Fund Pitch Book
Whenever you are trying to generate interest for your firm, there is no doubt that you will need to create a hedge fund pitch book. However, more work than you would think is required in ensuring that the layout of your pitch book can create the interest and professionalism that you need. If your pitch book is not done properly, it can have the opposite effect. This is why it is important for you to make sure that everything is done correctly. For example, if your firm does not yet have a brand that other men and women can recognize, you will need to take the time to make sure that your hedge fund pitch book looks as professional as possible. You will not be able to get a second chance to catch the interest of the investors that you need. When you are creating your pitch book, you will need to include information about your firm. You should also include information about your firm’s strategy, how you plan to manage any associated risks and what things about your firm make you different from other types of funds.
Creating Structure
The pitch book that you create will need to have some type of structure. For example, your hedge fund pitch book should include the team that is a part of your firm and the track record of that team. If you have some sort of advantage over your competitors, it should be included in your pitch book. Any unique selling points that you have come up with should be included as well. Your pitch book is the thing that you are using to show your potential investors the identity of your company. You need to use this knowledge well.
Designing the Pitch Book
Make sure that effort has been put into designing the pitch book. It should also be easy to look at and understand. It may be a good idea for you to hire a professional graphic designer. This can help you make sure that your hedge fund pitch book looks as professional as possible.
You should also remember that it should be as detailed as you can make it. For example, it might be a good idea for you to keep your hedge fund pitch book at 20 pages. However, if your potential investors are institutions, it might be a better idea for you to add more detail. This might mean an additional five pages.
For more information about hedge fund pitch book, visit http://oviscreative.com/creative-services/pitchbooks.pl.
Creating Structure
The pitch book that you create will need to have some type of structure. For example, your hedge fund pitch book should include the team that is a part of your firm and the track record of that team. If you have some sort of advantage over your competitors, it should be included in your pitch book. Any unique selling points that you have come up with should be included as well. Your pitch book is the thing that you are using to show your potential investors the identity of your company. You need to use this knowledge well.
Designing the Pitch Book
Make sure that effort has been put into designing the pitch book. It should also be easy to look at and understand. It may be a good idea for you to hire a professional graphic designer. This can help you make sure that your hedge fund pitch book looks as professional as possible.
You should also remember that it should be as detailed as you can make it. For example, it might be a good idea for you to keep your hedge fund pitch book at 20 pages. However, if your potential investors are institutions, it might be a better idea for you to add more detail. This might mean an additional five pages.
For more information about hedge fund pitch book, visit http://oviscreative.com/creative-services/pitchbooks.pl.
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Wealth Marketing for Today's Consumer
Wealth management marketing today is much more about showcasing an expertise of the market than it is about creating a secret technique that is proprietary to yourself. Because of the wealth of information that is freely available on the Internet about investing, most investors are well informed about the strategies that they want to use to make money in the market. They simply do not have the time or the manpower to implement those strategies while trying to maintain a normal life - this is what you are there for.
What Does Today's Wealth Management Marketing Really Mean?
Wealth management marketing today is not just for retirement purposes. People are looking for the next level in life - they want to have the money for vacations, boats and a legacy for their beneficiaries. They know that life will be harder for future generations because of the diminishing impact of Social Security and Medicare and they want to prepare their descendants with hard assets and money.
Today's consumer expects a wealth manager to protect money and assets from the taxman in an estate account as well as provide wealth while the investor is living and able to spend. Many people are looking to take advantage of the lower tax rates of investment income so that they can retire early. However, most wealth managers do not advertise their services in this way, preferring the more traditional yet continually underperforming strategy of "somehow making money" for the consumer.
In order to get the clientele that you are looking for, you cannot treat the consumer like a blind sheep any more. The scales are off of the eyelids of the public ever since 2008. For the wealth manager who is looking to grow, the acceptance of this fact is absolutely necessary to incorporate into a marketing strategy.
What Does Today's Wealth Management Marketing Really Mean?
Wealth management marketing today is not just for retirement purposes. People are looking for the next level in life - they want to have the money for vacations, boats and a legacy for their beneficiaries. They know that life will be harder for future generations because of the diminishing impact of Social Security and Medicare and they want to prepare their descendants with hard assets and money.
Today's consumer expects a wealth manager to protect money and assets from the taxman in an estate account as well as provide wealth while the investor is living and able to spend. Many people are looking to take advantage of the lower tax rates of investment income so that they can retire early. However, most wealth managers do not advertise their services in this way, preferring the more traditional yet continually underperforming strategy of "somehow making money" for the consumer.
In order to get the clientele that you are looking for, you cannot treat the consumer like a blind sheep any more. The scales are off of the eyelids of the public ever since 2008. For the wealth manager who is looking to grow, the acceptance of this fact is absolutely necessary to incorporate into a marketing strategy.
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