Comments for Interactive Communications, Inc.

Comment on Are Most of Your Assumptions About Internal Wholesalers Wrong? by Mary Anne Doggett

Mary Anne Doggett — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:52:47 +0000

Hi Dan thanks!!! Pls send any of your posts you think our readers would find useful as well!

Comment on Are Most of Your Assumptions About Internal Wholesalers Wrong? by Dan Sondhelm

Dan Sondhelm — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:53:16 +0000

This is great. There are so many wholesaling models out there and these tips will help any of them. Regarding voicemail, I agree. Most good gatekeepers have heard all. But they still leave at 5pm. Your prospect might still be in the office at that time. I will post your post to my blog. Clients will find it useful.

Comment on Blinded by the Light of Glory Days by Mary Anne Doggett

Mary Anne Doggett — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 16:37:41 +0000

I like your comment except for the over 40 part:). I meant this piece to be for both institutional and retail. That being said, the social media thing looms large as a required component of the distribution mix whether firms like it or not (acknowledging that this is not an easy thing given compliance issues). The biggest hurdle will be for firms to figure out how to use social media as an integrated touchpoint with their wholesaling efforts so that there is a logical and strategic sales conversation progression. It will require all info to be easy to see via CRM to help wholesalers prep and follow up in a way that leverages and builds on the overall touchpoint process. A challenge!

Comment on Blinded by the Light of Glory Days by Rhona Heyl

Rhona Heyl — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:27:31 +0000

CR – Sorry to hear about your elbow, but apparently, it’s not from a lack of grease. I agree with your evaluation of the current state of institutional investment sales. My burning question is what is the role of social media in this mix? It’s a subject that I have not heard anyone willing to tackle in the institutional space.

And remember, it’s not too late for protective year. You’re not 40 anymore, you know!

Comment on How’s That Silo Working For You? by Bruce Johnston

Bruce Johnston — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:04:16 +0000

Excellent post Mary Anne and terrific advice to wholesalers. Truth of the matter is, their firms should be heeding your advice as well.

Their are two givens: Gen X and Y are upon us with what experts estimate to be a tripling of net worth by 2018 to $28T and an additional $18T generational wealth transfer occurring between 2017 and 2052. Second, fund firms lack a strategy for investors in those generations. You might argue that advisors don’t have a strategy either, but advisors are embracing social media applications as part of their solution set at a record pace.

Advisors are on Twitter. I follow hundreds, and if you want to get a sense of what’s on their mind follow @AdvisorTweets, a site dedicated to advisors and their conversations. 583 advisors will share their opinion with you tweet-by-tweet.

Advisors are beginning to understand Gen Y wants convenience in their interactions with them via high-quality video, texting and other social networking tools – for free. One Gen Y CFP, @rjweiss, created GenYWealth.com and receives 9,000 unique visitors per month. Even AARP has a blog dedicated to Gen Y – LifeTurner. I’ve even been asked to speak to a NICSA Regional conference on 5 Strategies Financial Advisors Need to Sell more to Gen Y.

There are countless advisor blogs available satisfying the need for unbiased information on finances, resources and personal commentary via the Internet to a very large market. The issue of compliance and archiving is being satisfied by firms such as Arkovi.

So, just as advisors who don’t learn to communicate with the new generation of investors via the new media they access daily. Wholesalers and fund firms that don’t make the productivity and communication preference leap you suggest stand to be left in the dust by their competitors.

Comment on ACB and CBA: A New Trend? by Trish

Trish — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 01:45:45 +0000

I think somebody should invent an iPatch; you know, a transdermal that would release pseudo data alerts into the bloodstream on a tapering basis until the ACB was broken.

Great article, MaryAnne: trending, insightful and funny. And Mike, tech-participator or not, you will always be important to us

Comment on ACB and CBA: A New Trend? by Mike Tricker

Mike Tricker — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:54:52 +0000

Thanks Maryanne,

I find almost all of it ridiculous. But I participate. The Times recently did an article on the “Phone” thru history and the basic truth about the phone is that it has always been a rude interruption. If you and I were having a chat and my 6 year old blurted in (ding-a-ling) with something very important or need of hers she’d get the evil eye from me.

And now the phone rings when someone is one the line, dings when they’ve left a text, and gongs when you get an email. All variations of the same theme – the later two translate out as “I really don’t want to talk to you right now but take care of this overly important task I’ve left for you” Ps. “You had nothing better to do then type today right?”

And it also seems to me, the phone rings, ding, and gongs directly proportionally to how much glue I have on my hands or food in my mouth.

I understand the checking thing. I can’t believe how many calls never ring or I am out of earshot when they come in. Especially the text dings or email gongs. Then hours latter (unless your a checker!) you get the snippy “Well I sent you an email” thing Uggh!

I don’t want to be important anymore. Never really was. All Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pitter, & Pat ever did for me was become another arena to put my life on display and worry about whether or not it was enough. And then answer to it. Ding-a-ling!

Ok I’m done now