Firm News

Why We Built Ashby & Vane

The old model was built to sell leads. We built something to deliver qualified conversations instead.

April 2026  ·  Ashby & Vane Insights
Why We Built Ashby & Vane

For years, much of retirement marketing has relied on collecting contact information and selling it as leads, leaving the advisor to determine which prospects are reachable, interested, and appropriate to contact. That model can prioritize contact volume over completed conversations, depending on the provider and program.

The shift already underway

In our conversations, some advisors have shifted from measuring only contact volume to also measuring completed, qualified conversations. Nonexclusive or outdated lists may still produce results, but they can also require substantial follow-up time. The relevant comparison is the advisor’s total acquisition cost and outcome data, not list size alone.

Some advisors we speak with now focus less on raw lead volume and more on scheduled conversations that have been confirmed by a person and screened against stated criteria. That approach does not guarantee attendance, suitability, or a sale, but it changes what the advisor is evaluating and paying for.

What we built

Ashby & Vane exists to deliver that model. Under our current process, our team contacts and screens each prospect against the service’s stated criteria before placing an appointment on an advisor’s calendar; prospects do not self-book. Advisors should review the applicable service agreement for current qualification criteria, pricing, replacement terms, and other service conditions. An appointment does not guarantee attendance, suitability, or a completed sale.

Who this is for

We work with advisors who’ve outgrown dinners and cold lists, who value their time enough to stop chasing prospects who don’t understand what they’re being sold, and who’d rather have five real conversations than fifty names on a spreadsheet. If that’s you, we’d like to talk.

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This article describes Ashby & Vane’s business and current service approach as of September 2026. Specific qualification criteria, pricing, replacement terms, and service conditions are governed by the applicable service agreement and may change. Appointment attendance, suitability, and sales results are not guaranteed. Advisors remain responsible for their own licensing, legal and regulatory obligations, recommendations, and client relationships.