EP 34: Phil Griffith - Curiosity and Collaboration: The Keys to Successful Equity Sales

Enquire, the Investor Relations podcast

What does a day in the life of an equity salesperson really look like? In this episode, we dive into the world of sell-side equity sales with industry veteran Phil Griffith.

Curiosity and Good Storytelling Are a Salesperson’s Best Tools

We sit down with Phil Griffith, Head of UK Distribution at Stifel Financial Corp. With over 36 years of experience in equity sales, Phil provides an insightful look into the daily routines, challenges, and the evolving world of sell-side equity sales.

Phil has worked in the equity capital markets at UBS, Morgan Stanley, and Exane BNP Paribas. He has managed numerous high-performing equity sales teams and built great client relationships across the UK and beyond, covering Asset & Wealth Managers and Hedge Funds. He has been heavily involved in the Client Strategy role handling resource allocation, relationship discussions, and commercial research agreements post MiFID.

From early morning research digests to corporate meetings and client interactions, Phil paints a picture of the fast-paced world of equity sales and shares insights on effective communication between sales, analysts, and clients. We hear about his experience of working with clients after the MiFID 2 regulations were announced, and why this has posed challenges. Throughout the conversation, Phil highlights how important great communication is and why salespeople and analysts who combine natural curiosity with great storytelling often stand out in client relations.

In This Episode:

• Phil takes us through his career history
• An average day in equity sales
• What Phil looks for when a company comes in to present
• How can companies be more creative in their messaging?
• Touchpoints with investors during a typical day
• What makes a good analyst stand out
• Phil’s take on the MiFID 2 regulations
• Why Phil thinks we’ll see more mergers in the future
• Common frustrations in Phil’s role

Quotes:

“I've always found that people who are curious and are wanting to try and find different angles about things, that they really sort of stand out.”

“I think the duty of a salesperson is first and foremost to put the actual firm's view across, but then to put it into context.”

“The worst thing is a CFO or a CEO going laboriously through the figures and going through their presentation pack. And you go, ‘Come on, guys, I can read this. I don't need you to read it to me’.”

Resources:

• Connect with Phil Griffith