Now Required: Wall Street’s Access to the Top

 Ask any long-oriented portfolio manager for his or her key investment criteria. Inevitably, they will include "management" among their top three. Many believe it's number one.

The Street's perceived credibility of company executives occupying the C-suite has never been more important. Meeting with management, today, is so pivotal in the investment process that many institutional money managers won't place an order unless they or their buy-side analyst have met with the CEO, CFO or both. One could argue, therefore, that investor outreach in the form of conferences, road shows, one-on-ones or group meetings are critical elements of a well-rounded IR program. This is especially true for small- and mid-cap companies with little or no sell-side following.

For the IR pro, this reality translates into motivating your boss or your boss's boss to reserve several days per quarter for investor-related meetings. It requires forward-looking thinking, long-term planning and, perhaps most importantly, a commitment from the top. Here are a few tips that might help in that process.

Investor Outreach Tips

• Ask sell-side coverage firms to organize marketing road show, one-on-one and group meetings.
• Invite sell-side analysts to meet with management at major industry trade conferences and exhibits.
• When presenting at investor conferences, set aside an entire day for breakout and one-on-one meetings.
• Host an annual analyst day in a financial center city or at company headquarters.
• Request that the CEO/CFO commit to scheduling face-to-face meetings twice per year with the company's 10 largest shareholders.
• Monitor CEO/CFO travel schedules and schedule investor meetings in destination cities.