Episode 81: How to Grow Your AUM Without a Big Team or Budget | Story Snacks Series

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In this edition of Story Snacks, Stacy breaks down:

• Why thought leadership is the ultimate equalizer for smaller funds

• Her Four A’s Framework for using thought leadership to increase AUM without a big team or budget

• How to pick the marketing platform that matches your unique skills (and feels doable for you)

• The biggest mindset trap that keeps fund managers stuck—and how to avoid it

This is Story Snacks! A bite-sized, jam-packed series for fund managers who are ready to master strategic storytelling in less than 20 minutes per week!

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TRANSCRIPT

Below is an AI-generated transcript and therefore it may contain errors. 

[00:00:00] Stacy Havener: Craving more knowledge, but don't always have time to sit down for a five course meal? Take a quick snack break with StorySnacks. Bite sized content to feed your funnel. Each short episode features Stacey digging into one question. This series has her talking stories, sales, and so much more. Oh yeah, it's time for story snacks.

[00:00:25] How can we better leverage our educational content to build trust and credibility, making it easier to introduce our investment products? Okay, great question. I love that we're talking about how to use thought leadership because it's super powerful and also by the way, a great leveler of a very mismatched playing field, meaning that the bigs can fight with a lot of things we don't have, i.

[00:00:51] e. budget, people, resources, economists, strategists, databases, all the things, [00:01:00] but what we can fight with is thought leadership. So it really does level the playing field, if we use it properly. So let's talk about it. This harkens back to a framework that we teach in The Collective, and that is the A4 Assets Framework.

[00:01:17] Authenticity, Authority, Audience, and Alignment. You need those four things, those four A's, to get AUM. Okay, to increase assets. So, in this particular question, what we're assuming, we've got our stories down, we're able to communicate with authenticity around those stories. We've established what our expertise is.

[00:01:47] The thing, the specialty, the niche that we are in authority around, and then we're sort of stuck there. Great. So what we want to do now is figure out two things. For our target market, [00:02:00] where are we going to meet up with them with this thought leadership? Where are they hanging out and consuming thought leadership?

[00:02:09] And we need to make sure that we're there too. We've got options. We could do a blog. We could start a newsletter. We could use LinkedIn. We could go on the podcast circuit. We could try to get a column in a financial publication. There are lots of places that you can sort of establish that authority, which helps you build Your audience, right?

[00:02:38] So it's kind of like who are the people you're targeting your ideal clients. Where do they hang out? How does that dovetail with your skill set and that's the second part of this which is Once you identify where these people are hanging out Now you have to sort of match up. Well, is that a media a medium that?[00:03:00]

[00:03:00] dovetails with your unique abilities, so for example If the idea of speaking on a stage makes you want to throw up, like, don't go on the speaking circuit, okay? If you can't imagine being on video, don't start there, right? Podcasts, Maybe you don't have to be on video, so that could be good for you. Or maybe you're just really comfortable writing, in which case the newsletter, or um, the blog, or even social media might be a good place for you.

[00:03:34] So it's really kind of figuring out how you're going to meet up with these ideal prospects. virtually or in person and establish that authority and that credibility and start to build your audience. I would say typically for us with our clients, we really lean into, um, written to start. It seems to be kind of a path of least resistance.

[00:03:57] An email newsletter is a [00:04:00] great way to kind of take some components of your commentary or repurpose a commentary you're already writing and get people engaged, start building that audience. Um, caveat, asterisk on everything I've just said. You are not allowed to take this podcast and use it as a, an excuse not to try things.

[00:04:21] Okay? Because I'm hearing you, even though you're not talking to me, saying things like, exactly, I don't want to be on video, so I'm not going to do that. There is a difference between, like, literally it's not your skill set, and literally it's just out of your comfort zone. No one's super comfortable on video.

[00:04:43] No one. Okay, very few people, not no one. That is something we practice. That's, that is some, that's a skill we build. So you can't use this as an excuse. I'm going to let you baby step, but I'm, I'm looking at you. How I'm doing that. [00:05:00] Don't know. Cause this is only audio, but I'm looking at you and I'm not letting you use this as an excuse.

[00:05:07] Hope that helps.

[00:05:11] Are you an investment boutique looking to grow your business and need a little help? If you feel like you're fighting for the spotlight and well, still stuck in the shadows of the bigs, join us in the boutique investment collective Havener's new membership community dedicated to the specialist in the investment industry in the collective, we'll guide you through the billion dollar blueprint.

[00:05:30] We've used to help boutiques add over 30 billion in AUM. You'll refine your story. Focus on your ideal target market and practice your pitch. You'll rethink your marketing materials, rewrite your emails, and refresh your differentiators. We'll even help you step up your LinkedIn game and give your profile a makeover.

[00:05:49] You want to grow your biz, we've got your back. Learn more about The Collective, the curriculum, and the amazing coaches who will help you on your journey. Visit havenercapital. com slash [00:06:00] collective. High five! Hope to see you in a coaching session soon.

[00:06:11] This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. The information is not an offer, solicitation, or recommendation of any of the funds, services, or products, or to adopt any investment strategy. Investment values may fluctuate and past performance is not a guide to future performance.

[00:06:30] All opinions expressed by guests on the show are solely their own opinion and do not necessarily reflect those at their firm. Manager's appearance on the show does not constitute an endorsement by Stacey Havener or Havener Capital Partners.

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