In our previous post, we introduced you to an evolutionary wholesaling model that is changing how asset management firms raise capital through intermediary distribution. We discussed how adopting a digitally-centric approach to wholesaling using Inbound methodology and a “wholesaler funnel” enables wholesalers to be more efficient with their time and allows them to engage new prospects much more effectively.
This blog will focus on the consideration stage when asset managers help advisors evaluate the investment solutions that answer the questions they are posing online. Providing a more focused level of content at this point in the buyer’s journey helps advisors move toward making a decision and builds trust.
The consideration stage is critical for wholesalers to develop relationships with advisor prospects. While capturing a prospect's attention in the awareness stage is a start, converting this interest into meaningful and sustainable interactions requires more nuanced strategies. This phase is about continuously engaging with advisors and providing them with more in-depth educational content that helps advisors gain confidence.
In this stage, wholesalers are able to nurture fledgling relationships with educational content that begins to introduce potential investment solutions and options the advisor should consider. But if there was a single word to describe what makes Inbound so effective in the consideration phase, it would be “patience.”
Asset managers may be inclined to introduce their entire product suite to new prospect advisors, but this stage remains all about education. And while it may be appropriate to begin discussing a certain solution the firm offers, the key is that content should still be focused on providing a balanced perspective of different potential solutions that could help the advisor.
Firms may leverage email sequences, social media campaigns, search engine marketing, and automated workflows to sustain interest among prospects. Each of these tactics plays a role in the nurturing process.
An essential part of the consideration phase is understanding and reacting to digital signals from prospects. This involves tracking every prospect’s interactions, such as website visits, content downloads, and social media engagements to continue gauging their level of interest and tailoring follow-up communications accordingly.
The digitally-empowered wholesaling model revolutionizes capital raising for asset managers. By keeping educational content the focus, wholesalers can nurture relationships with advisors online offering them a balanced, unbiased perspective. The key lies in capturing and utilizing digital signals, paving the way for meaningful interactions before a phone call or in-person meeting ever takes place.