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What is the Fixed Income Sales role?

The sales representative is primarily a relationship manager acting as the conduit between the firm’s investment banking products (research and trading) and the customer (institutional portfolio manager).

The primary function of the sales representative is to market investment ideas and products to institutional clients and to take orders from institutional portfolio managers and buy-side traders. The sales representative then communicates client orders to the trader, who prices the requested product and executes the trade in a timely manner and at the best price available. If the bid or offer price or volume cannot be matched, the trader may counter with another product that is structured to fit the need, which the sales representative, in turn, communicates to the portfolio manager. The sales representative must negotiate on two sides:

  • With clients, to win business
  • With traders, to obtain products

Because the sales representative is often in competition with representatives of competing dealers, maintaining strong interpersonal relationships with clients is a key negotiation strategy. The sales representative maintains strong relations with clients by:

  • Initiating contact with preferred clients
  • Providing market commentary
  • Providing access to the dealer’s economist and other resources
  • Showing appreciation through invitations to sporting events and dinners
  • Negotiating better bids/offers with the trader on behalf of the client

In negotiating with the trader, the sales representative’s key strategy is to convince the trader that the client will go to a competing dealer if the offer is not satisfactory.

What are the responsibilities of this role?

  • Stay abreast of current market analysis and trading information
  • Maintain strong relationships with clients and potential clients
  • Communicate information to the client in a clear and relevant manner
  • Generate trading ideas for clients
  • Prioritize orders to make effective trades
  • Balance the interests of the client and the institution

What is the earning potential for this role?

$100,000-$500,000+/year
Avg Salaries from Canadian job sites

What are the required & recommended credentials and courses?

Below are the courses and credentials required and/or recommended for this career.

Designation

Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)

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