Sales Team Coverage

The third part of firm research involves mapping out how the sales team is structured to cover clients by type and location.

How sales teams are organised

While it varies by investment manager, sales teams tend to be organised around the two main client groups — institutional and intermediary — and/or geography. Each team is responsible for managing relationships with key individuals in its assigned segment.

Some firms have a dedicated strategic accounts team to handle the most important relationships identified at a firm-wide level. At larger investment managers, teams may be further specialised — for example, focusing on institutional investment consultants (commonly known as consultant relations) or investment platforms.

In some cases, salespeople within a single team are each assigned specific countries or regions. Any geographic coverage is typically based on the location of the individual contact, not the headquarters of their firm.

To help ensure full coverage, client service or sales support teams may also manage relationships in regions without a dedicated salesperson.