When hedge fund managers think about raising assets, their first instinct is often to focus on performance. After all, isn’t that what investors care about most? While strong returns certainly help, the reality is more complex. Investors allocate capital based on a mix of performance, trust, relationships, and strategic alignment—and fund managers who understand this dynamic significantly improve their ability to raise and retain assets.

Performance: Necessary but Not Sufficient

It’s true that performance opens doors, especially for emerging managers. Investors screen for funds that meet their return and risk objectives, and strong historical results provide a starting point. However, even funds with stellar numbers often struggle to attract capital, while others with only decent performance succeed.

Why? Because investors don’t just buy performance; they buy confidence.

And that’s actually good news, because it turns out that you - the fund manager and key team - have much more influence and control of many non-performance factors than over your performance.

Let’s analyze this.

Beyond Performance: The Factors That Drive Allocations

Institutional investors, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals consider many non-performance factors when choosing hedge funds:

1. Manager Credibility & Track Record 
   Investors favor managers with a proven track record—not just in returns, but in managing risk, navigating crises, and communicating effectively.
2. Institutional-Grade Operations 
   Compliance, risk management, reporting transparency, and operational robustness matter. Many investors won’t allocate unless a fund meets their standards.
3. Storytelling & Differentiation 
   Investors need a compelling reason to believe a manager will outperform going forward. A well-articulated and data-driven investment philosophy, edge, and positioning are essential.
4. Relationships & Access 
   Many allocations happen because of trust built over time. A fund manager who cultivates relationships, engages investors proactively, and stays top-of-mind increases their chances of raising capital.
5. Marketing & Communication 
   A clear, consistent, and professional approach to investor communication—pitch decks, performance updates, and meetings—can make or break a fundraising effort.

This is why fundraising education is crucial:

Knowing how to structure your pitch, frame your track record, communicate your edge, and navigate investor conversations can dramatically increase your chances of securing allocations.

I’ll give you one example.

Did you know the same fund can get five times more meetings confirmed just by using a different introductory text in the solicitation email? Imagine what that could mean for your fundraising efforts—more opportunities, more connections, and ultimately, more capital for your fund.

That's just one example of the powerful tactics you'll master in Step 6: Specialized Tactics for Investor Engagement.

Picture this: You’ll have access to the exact email text that has yielded five times more meeting confirmations compared to what other managers are using. Think about the confidence knowing your outreach is optimized, and will work to attract the right investors.

At www.fundmanager.tools, we provide an online course that teaches fund managers the proven strategies used by the most successful asset-raisers.  The Opalesque Digital Master Class – Asset Raising includes 27 videos (over 6 hours total), 54 Guerrilla Tactics – shortcuts to success you don’t find anyqhere else, 92 Workbook pages – with which you make sure you transfer and execute, presented by 10 VIP Tutors with average 30 years industry experience.

Instead of relying solely on performance, we help fund managers:

✅ Refine their story to stand out in a crowded market
✅ Improve investor outreach through never before disclosed marketing and meeting strategies
✅ Enhance credibility by understanding and delivering what investors really look for
✅ Develop a scalable fundraising process that instantly works and delivers you the results you desire.

For a limited time only – until March 15^th – all our course packages are eligible for a MYSTERY DISCOUNT.