Last year, a dude with some personal domain email address signed up to my list.
I make a habit of doing a bit of detective work on new subscribers. This led me to a New York Times article about the dude from 2015.
At that time, said the article, he was the manager of an investment fund with $35 billion under management.
I wrote him a 1-1 email, as I do sometimes with new subscribers, to say hello, to mention the article about him I had dug up in my snooping, and to ask what a person of his profile is doing signing up to a daily email list like mine, about writing and marketing and effective communication. He replied:
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I basically do the same thing I did for the pension fund, but now for a small group of direct clients. I also run quite a bit of money for other investment advisors and their clients. I manage about $1.2 billion total – I’m a solo shop, do it all myself.
I decided a few years ago that I wanted to be out of the public eye – 20 years was enough, so I’m pretty secretive and off the grid.
My results are still among the best in the country, but I’ve learned in the retail investment world perceptions matter more than results. So I generate best in class returns mostly for myself and personal pride.
My business actually runs and grows off the image I portray to clients and prospects. I’ve learned that I’m lucky enough to have the ability to naturally make complex things simple, which people are dying for in the investment business.
I’ve developed a somewhat unique way to communicate, mostly using very focused, simple communications. Especially in the world of AI, I think this skill will matter more than most. So I’ve become a closet student of writing, copywriting, communication, etc. That’s how I can across your newsletter. I bought your book too.
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I thought that was curious and wanted to share it with you.
Here’s a dude who, so you might imagine, lives and breathes by measurable results. I mean, either he makes his investors money, or he doesn’t. Either he outperforms the other guy, or he doesn’t.
Except, as he says, that doesn’t really matter, not as much as perception, as the image he portrays to his clients and prospects.
That’s something to keep in mind, if you yourself work in a field that’s supposedly results-based, and particularly if you work in a field that’s more fuzzy and wooly.
So how do you build up and maintain an image that clients and prospects are willing to pay for?
The message above from the investment advisor spells it out.
I can only add that he also told me he sends “clients and prospects periodic emails about the markets, my strategy, etc.”
Maybe it’s something you could profit from too? If you’d like my help on that: