Even one of the most talked-about software businesses relies on in-person sales, stressing the channel’s enduring importance to hedge funds and asset managers.
TL;DR: use LP data to plan effective events.
While arguably one of the biggest brands on the planet (and a digital-first one at that), OpenAI still believes that in-person events are the most effective channel for selling ChatGPT to enterprises.
The reason why comes down to a factor that is extremely attributable to investment management: big corporate purchases need sign-off from several executives each with their own worries about data security, cost, training and rollout.
Any allocation to a new manager likely relies on a range of professional opinions, from investment teams, consultants, and risk and operational due diligence analysts. Decisions are made by a whole committee with different questions. Awareness alone does not resolve any of them.
So, what does this mean for fund marketers?
A polished factsheet or strong SEO presence does little to answer worries about fees. Instead, roundtables, seminars, roadshows and capital introduction events provide this, securing their longevity despite the number of digital channels at fund marketing and sales teams’ disposal.
The lesson here is to not retreat from digital outreach, but see events as places where buying committees are convinced, using content and digital engagement data to decide which attendees should be in the room.
OpenAI also works in line with a fixed marketing calendar, folding product launches into recurring activity, like a regular rhythm of webinars, rather than building a bespoke campaign for every release.
Similar to this approach, fund marketers should adopt a steady cadence of recurring formats into which new products slot. Pre-approved recurring templates are compliant, making campaigns easier to run while being familiar to their intended audience. This involves less scrambling around to conduct full campaigns around each launch or share class.
Event content can then be used to address each role at a buying committee, including operations and risk rather than just the CIO. And so long as the eventual event interactions are recorded in a CRM, relationship managers can then follow up on each stakeholder’s concerns and keep nurturing that relationship well into the future.
Source
The State of Brand, “OpenAI’s Strongest Channel for Selling ChatGPT to Businesses Is In-Person Events” (via TLDR Marketing)
