What is generally a key characteristic of an institutional sales desk's interaction with clients?

The key characteristic of an institutional sales desk's interaction with clients is that sales representatives often take a passive role, primarily focusing on processing orders. In the context of financial services, this reflects the nature of institutional sales where the interaction is typically more transactional and order-oriented. Sales representatives are expected to manage and execute trades, ensuring that clients' orders are handled efficiently and accurately.

This role does not typically involve a high degree of proactive strategy development or deep engagement in investment planning, which is more commonly seen in wealth management or advisory services. While sales representatives may still provide information or help facilitate communication about products and trading conditions, their primary function is to ensure that orders are processed and transactional needs of institutions are met effectively. Thus, the emphasis is on execution and client order fulfillment rather than intensive client interaction or strategy formulation.