The selling process of funds

In this article, David-Alexandre BLUM (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA), 2019-2023) explains about the selling process of funds.

The process of selling a fund involves several key steps and stakeholders. The fund is built by management teams that develop the strategy, allocation, and follow the macroeconomic scenario of economists. Let’s take the example of Lazard Frères Gestion.

Lazard Frères Gestion is characterized by active management based on fundamental analysis. Financial analysis and knowledge of companies are at the heart of the management process. All institutional management relies on the same macroeconomic scenario. Financial assets are the major source of financing for the real economy. The economy is cyclical. Financial assets are also cyclical. Volatility or bubble effects can cause the market price of an asset to diverge from its fair economic price in the short term, but not in the long term. Over time, it is the ability to capture the different phases of the cycle that creates outperformance.

Lazard Frères Gestion’s investment philosophy is based on both reading the economic cycle and evaluating companies. When products are launched and marketable, the distribution team prospects new clients (through seminars, contacts, or research), responds to tenders, or meets specific client requests.

The client meeting

Once the initial contact has been made, the sales team must prepare a specialized presentation for clients, gathering necessary documents (such as reports, management points, comparative studies, etc.). The preparation of such a presentation is crucial and should not be overlooked. It is important to choose the right arguments to highlight, taking into account the current economic environment and supporting the scenario put forward by the management team.

Selling a fund requires a thorough understanding of the management process, portfolio values, managers’ philosophy, as well as the benchmark performance and various risk and performance indicators of the presented fund.

Once the speech is prepared and the materials finalized, it is up to the seller to showcase the fund’s qualities. If the meeting goes well and negotiations are successful, the transaction can follow quickly or the client may request an entirely different service, such as a dedicated fund (customized fund), if it meets the criteria for accessing the service.

The team then needs to manage the contractual and administrative aspects to finalize the operation. The potential buyer conducts thorough due diligence on the fund, examining financial documents, contracts, internal procedures, and regulatory compliance to ensure there are no hidden issues or unforeseen risks.

Once due diligence is completed and the terms of the transaction are finalized, the parties draft and sign the sales contracts. In addition, they obtain the necessary approvals from the relevant regulatory authorities to transfer the fund’s management to the buyer.

After obtaining regulatory approvals, the client transfers the fund’s assets and liabilities to the buyer. This may include transferring securities, contracts with custodians and fund administrators, as well as communicating with the concerned investors.

Once the transfer is completed, the buyer integrates the fund into their own management structure and takes over the daily management of the fund, ensuring that investment objectives and applicable regulations are met.

Managing the relationship and the customer service

The team’s work does not stop at mere sales. Its role is much more important. It must ensure the proper receipt of financial and legal documents sent to clients periodically. It must also respond to all information requests about the subscribed products and ensure that the services subscribed by the client are performed. It is their duty to do everything possible to justify any underperformance and to nourish the relationship with information and explanations. To do this, they attend various committees and internal meetings to keep abreast of different movements and tactical bets. The sales team can encourage its client to invest more in its product and propose new products that seem to meet the client’s demand. In the event that the client chooses to withdraw from the fund, the relationship does not end there, and it is up to the sales team to work to potentially bring their client back.

From a technical standpoint, the sales team must master the knowledge of its products. The sales team must deeply understand the characteristics of the fund, including investment strategy, objectives, underlying assets, sectoral and geographical allocation, as well as fees and associated costs.

It is essential to know the historical performance of the fund, risk-adjusted returns (such as the Sharpe ratio), and comparisons with benchmark indices or similar funds. The sales team must be able to explain the main risks associated with the fund, such as market, credit, liquidity, and currency risks, as well as the measures taken by the fund manager to mitigate these risks.

Knowledge of regulations applicable to investment funds, such as UCITS or AIFMD directives in Europe, and disclosure and reporting requirements, is crucial to ensure compliance and client trust.

The sales team must be able to identify target investors for the fund, taking into account their risk profile, investment objectives, and liquidity needs.

Team members must master the procedures for subscribing and redeeming fund shares, including deadlines, fees, and specific conditions.

Communication and presentation: Communication and presentation skills are essential for clearly and convincingly explaining the benefits of the fund and addressing potential clients’ questions.

By mastering these technical aspects, the sales team will be able to effectively present the investment fund to potential clients, address their concerns, and assist them in making informed investment decisions.

Why should I be interested in this post?

The sales process of a fund helps to better understand the functioning of the investment fund market and the dynamics between asset management companies, investors, and financial intermediaries.

Investors who understand the sales process of a fund are better equipped to evaluate fund offerings and make informed investment decisions based on their objectives and risk tolerance. Professionals working or considering working in the financial industry, particularly in the areas of asset management, sales, and investment advisory, will benefit from a deep understanding of the fund sales process to enhance their skills and professional performance.

Furthermore, understanding the sales process of a fund can assist investors and financial advisors in comparing different investment products, such as mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and alternative investment funds, to determine the best solution for their specific needs and objectives.

Useful resources

Lazard Frères Gestion

Lazard Frères Gestion Les métiers de la gestion d’actifs (webinaire)

Lazard Frères Gestion Qu’est-ce que la gestion d’actifs ?

Lazard Frères Gestion Quelle allocation d’actifs pour un portefeuille diversifié ?

Hull J., P. Roger (2017) Options futures et autres actifs dérivés Pearson Education.

About the author

The article was written in May 2024 by David-Alexandre BLUM (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA), 2019-2023).

My professional experience as an Institutional Sales Assistant with Lazard Frères Gestion

In this article, David-Alexandre BLUM (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration (GBBA), 2019-2023) shares his professional experience as an Institutional Sales Assistant with Lazard Frères Gestion.

About the company

In 1848, Alexandre, Lazare and Simon Lazard, three French brothers from the Alsace region, founded Lazard Frères & Co in New Orleans as a dry goods merchant, having emigrated to the United States in the early 1840s.

Today, Lazard serves investors worldwide with a broad range of global investment solutions and asset management services. Lazard Asset Management operates in 19 countries across North America, Europe and Asia, as well as in Australia. The group focuses on strategies based on rigorous and detailed analysis and dynamic asset management.

Lazard Frères Gestion combines the power of a large global organization with the flexibility of a small entrepreneurial firm and focuses on asset management and advisory services for individual and institutional clients.

With offices in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Nantes, Brussels and Luxembourg, Lazard Frères Gestion manages €30 billion of assets on behalf of institutional and retail clients.

Lazard Frères Gestion Logo
Logo of Lazard Frères Gestion
Source: Lazard Frères Gestion

The department I joined at Lazard Frères Gestion is the Distribution France sales department. The team handles customer relations and organizes meetings to sell and inform about the company’s funds. The department works closely with the management and marketing teams. Financial analysis and company knowledge are at the heart of Lazard Frères Gestion’s management processes. The model is characterized by an “analyst-manager” approach: the entire team is involved in investment decisions, and each analyst-manager can contribute his or her own valuation and market expertise. In addition, all institutional management is based on the same macroeconomic scenario. Lazard Frères Gestion’s investment philosophy is based on both business cycle analysis and company valuation.

My internship

As an institutional sales assistant, I worked as part of the Distribution France sales team and was in constant contact with customers. Therefore, I took part in all our management committees, videoconferences and events. I worked with management, client servicing, reporting, risk control, legal and middle office.

My missions

Follow the sales activity of the Distribution team (multi-managers, private banks, insurance networks and independent asset managers)
Participate in specific responses to client requests
Help prepare client meetings
Prepare quarterly (or more frequent) management reports on flagship funds for clients
Summarize videoconferences organized on flagship funds and equity, fixed income, convertible and diversified fund management committees
Follow the performance of flagship funds and defined peer groups
Send specific documents from our tools (performance attribution, inventories, allocations, specific performance comments and fund positioning).

Required skills and knowledge

Firstly, the position I held required a broad knowledge of all asset classes. Lazard Frères Gestion offers a wide range of investment solutions: equities, bonds, mutual funds, structured products… It is therefore essential to know all the relevant vocabulary and the specific features of all the asset classes. I needed to know the different financial indicators and ratios in order to understand the different financial analyses carried out by the analyst teams.

Thoroughness and efficiency were the qualities that my superiors expected most of me. There was no room for error, even in an emergency, and in a sales department the unexpected was commonplace. When writing memos on funds intended for clients, it was essential to transpose the managers’ analysis correctly. It was also my responsibility to respond to clients as quickly and accurately as possible.

During this internship, I required to master some essential skills in order to be successful such as rigor, adaptability or efficiency. Adaptability was key as my role was cross-functional. I was in contact with most of the departments at Lazard Frères Gestion. I worked on projects with marketing in conjunction with the management teams, or I had to provide answers thanks to the reporting departments, which sent me the data I needed to make my calculations in response to clients.

What I learned

This experience was a real springboard for learning about the finance profession. I had the opportunity to apply the theoretical aspects to real projects and to work on various subjects under the guidance of experienced professionals. I also had the opportunity to perfect my knowledge of the financial market environment through daily contact with the Management, Reporting, Risk, Legal and Marketing teams. In particular, I improved my knowledge of asset management, understanding of macroeconomics and financial analysis.

In particular, I was able to learn a lot about the different asset classes, thanks to the discussions I had with professionals and the various presentations I attended. Additionally, I was able to follow a number of fund sales and look after a variety of clients. I worked on various client presentations and financial documents such as reports and prospectuses.

Financial concepts related to my internship

Sale of financial products

I learnt a lot about commercial sales techniques. It is important to know what elements to emphasize when prospecting or selling financial products, especially when dealing with professional and highly technical clients.

I was able to familiarize myself with macro-economic and financial indicators that helped me understand certain economic scenarios and management decisions.

I therefore carefully analyzed the financial markets and improved my understanding of the different types of financial markets, such as the stock, bond, foreign exchange (Forex) and derivatives markets.

Through various client meetings, I was able to familiarize and educate myself on the different financial products. I dealt with a variety of financial products, such as equities, bonds, currencies, derivatives (options, futures, swaps) and mutual funds.

Fixed income management

Before this internship, I was much more comfortable with equities than bonds. However, the various committees, training sessions and discussions I’ve had have taught me a lot about bond management. In particular, I was able to follow how the management teams manipulated the funds’ modified duration to take advantage of unprecedented market conditions following the crises at the US regional banks and Crédit Suisse.

I was also able to follow the launch of a bond fund and understand the entire portfolio construction process by following the strategy implemented by the management teams.

Macro-economics

During my internship I was able to acquire knowledge in macroeconomics by studying economic indicators, monetary and fiscal policies, international trade, business cycles, exchange rates, the relationship between financial markets and the economy, and sovereign debt. These skills enable me to better understand the global economic environment, assess investment opportunities and risks, and contribute to investment decision-making. At Lazard, a team of macro-economists gives analyses and predicts a scenario for the coming months, which are taken into account by all the managers in different proportions in order to respect the management process and the objective of their funds. It is therefore essential for the distribution team to know and master this scenario in order to explain the performance and strategies implemented.

Why should I be interested in this post?

If you are looking for a formative experience in finance with responsibilities and challenges combining financial expertise and sales, this internship is for you. You will be working on a wide range of assets and investment universes. Lazard Frères Gestion will require you to be rigorous and hard-working, but you’ll learn a lot about asset management.

Useful resources

Lazard Frères Gestion

Lazard Frères Gestion Les métiers de la gestion d’actifs (webinaire)

Lazard Frères Gestion Qu’est-ce que la gestion d’actifs ?

Lazard Frères Gestion Quelle allocation d’actifs pour un portefeuille diversifié ?

Hull J. and P. Roger (2017) Options futures et autres actifs dérivés Pearson Education.

About the author

The article was written in May 2024 by David-Alexandre BLUM (ESSEC Business School, Global Bachelor in Business Administration, 2019-2023).