Market uncertainty and a bizarre presidential administration have made some financial advisors, and their clients, a bit anxious. Here are what some mutual fund companies are doing to help alleviate some of that anxiety.
Consistent materials and communications
Try to do your best job to educate investors and keep marketing materials and messaging consistent. Fundamentals are what’s important, even in a market where fundamentals are not reflected.
Stick to your strategy
We’ve discussed that funds need to develop a consistent message and story to tell their investors. The story must also be compelling. However, what if you decide to change strategies? The advisor has invested in your fund because of your unique investment strategy, so stick with it! Changing a strategy during market turmoil may make advisors nervous. Even a name change could place you in a different style box.
Maintain key personnel
There is the saying that “past performance is not an indicator of future returns.” While that is true for investments, is it true for portfolio managers? It may be, but fund companies have figured out that management turnover makes investors nervous. To avoid this problem, establish a team structure. When the day comes that a senior investment professional retires or leaves the firm, you already have an established team in place.
Focus on what they want
In a recent article, we discussed some of the key items that advisors are looking for:
- Quarterly updates
- Fact sheets
- Access to the fund manager
- Websites that are informative and easy to navigate
Financial advisors have chaotic schedules, so why waste their time? Be sure to differentiate yourself from the next firm in your investment category, but communications need to be kept simple and succinct.
Need help conveying your messaging and story? SunStar is known for their work crafting stories for fund managers and helping them get those stories out through various marketing efforts and smart public relations.