Investment Data Solutions: Which is Right For Your Firm?

If you’re in the investment industry, you know how hard it can be to trust a database that promises to do it all: provide clean data, ensure you have new leads, and update the accounts and contact within it effectively. How can you be sure they mean what they say? After all, we’ve all been on the receiving end of mass emails offering “databases” that will solve all of our problems. 

Have those databases ever delivered on that promise? We’re willing to bet they haven't. 

The truth is we’d argue that most of them aren’t valuable. But that doesn’t mean every data solution is unreliable. As a data solution provider ourselves, we’ve talked about the benefits of an all-in-one data solution before, along with how much we believe they can help your sales team increase their leads and set up more meetings than ever.

To be clear, we’re not saying that our database is the only answer and we’re not here to talk about ourselves. In fact this article will share some of the best investment-specific data solutions (ours not included), how they work, which platforms they’re compatible with, and how often they are updated, so that you can decide for yourself which is right for your team. 

By the end of this article, you’ll have a complete overview of your options, and will be able to move forward with a platform that meets your needs, and empowers your sales team.

Discovery Data Marketlink API

How it works

The Discovery Data Marketlink API connects your CRM with their database through an API, allowing you to receive regular updates from their database.

Update frequency

You can receive updates in real-time, meaning that as soon as their data is updated, you can receive appended data directly to your CRM through the API.

CRM compatibility

The Marketlink API promises seamless CRM integration, which implies that it has the ability to work with any CRM, Salesforce among others. 

Customization capability

The API can be fully customized to match your CRM account and contact fields.

Who is Discovery Data Marketlink API right for?

This option would be a fit for firms with large datasets that require daily, active updates. Because you can run the API as often as needed, you can ensure that your data is as accurate as possible.

Money Market Directory Data Xpressfeed

How it works

Money Market Directory offers several data management options, including the Xpressfeed API, which connects their data platform to your data management systems. This can be done through your CRM, proprietary analytics, or your financial portals, with the goal of enhancing data before it is used.

Update frequency

Like Discovery Data’s option above, the Xpressfeed API can be run at any time, allowing your team to have control over what data comes over into your system and when. 

CRM compatibility

While Xpressfeed is not a CRM-specific solution, it is compatible with a variety of systems, including CRMs, meaning you can integrate it with the existing data in your CRM for updates as needed.  

Customization capability

Xpressfeed Data is delivered in packages, via the Xpressfeed Loader, so you can customize and receive only what you want and need, or, receive all of the data at once.

Who is Xpressfeed right for?

This solution would be a good fit for anyone with a wide expanse of data on a variety of platforms. Because it can connect to several data management tools, it would allow all your data to be updated as needed, rather than just your CRM data.

MARS Salesfocus Solutions

How it works

The MARS CRM Solution supports the retail and institutional sides of the investment business and includes asset management industry-specific features such as comprehensive channel/territory management, profiling, document management, and overlays MARS CRM and sales data with Google Maps to provide data as well as actionable business insights.

Update frequency

The MARS CRM Solution provides real-time updates to your data, meaning it can be refreshed as often as needed.

CRM compatibility

The Mars solution is specific to Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamic CRMs. 

Customization capability

This option can be customized to include data feeds from outside sources including ETF and DCIO providers, Market Intelligence and RIA Data Providers. 

Who is MARS Salesfocus Solution right for?

This platform is a fit for anyone using Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics specifically. It would also be a good fit for firms looking to incorporate data from several data platforms at once. 

How to decide which data solution is right for you

While it depends on the individual needs and budget of your firm, we think that having an all-in-one data solution can be extremely beneficial. Now that you’ve seen some of the best options available, we’ll dive into which solution might be the best fit for you. 

  • If your team is working with a large dataset that needs constant attention and updating, then Discovery Data’s Marketlink API might be the best fit, since it offers real-time, daily updates to the data. 

  • However, if your dataset is large and spread out across a variety of platforms, then Money Market Directory’s Xpressfeed might be the best choice for you, since this solution allows you to receive data not only to your CRM, but a variety of other platforms as well. 

  • Finally, if you’re using Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics, and want to incorporate many datasource into the data you receive, MARS Salesfocus Solutions would be a fit for your team. 

If you’re still unsure which solution is right for you, we’d like to tell you about our own solution, the Dakota Marketplace for Salesforce App, which is an all-in-one data solution that connects our own Marketplace data with your Salesforce to ensure that your data is updated in real-time. In addition to these updates, you’ll receive notifications when someone in your database changes roles or firms, so that you’re never left to chase down leads, or wonder if your emails are getting through to the right people. 

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Written By: Gui Costin, Founder, CEO

Gui Costin is the Founder and CEO of Dakota.