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Rajesh
Koradia of Save and Smile shares how he got his first client.
 My first client was my father in law's brother who had approached me
directly without consulting my father in law. He had never invested in
mutual funds till then. When I tried to explain the concept of mutual funds, he
just said he trusted me and handed me a cheque without understanding
the details.
I had recommended an equity fund to him. He continues
to invest through me even now.
After some time, I asked him what convinced him to
invest through me and that too in an instrument which he did not know
very well. He said, “My hair has not turned grey playing in the sun, but
with experience. I can judge a person by his actions, and felt that
you would not be reckless with my money".
Then I asked him whether being related was the factor
that swayed his decision, his reply was that he was a businessman and did not
make decisions based on emotions.
After hearing this I realised that trust is an
important factor and building trust is the basic ingredient for
business. Another thing which I realised was that people first trust the advisor and
then the product.
Shifali
Satsangee and her husband Sahib of Funds Ve’daa converted Sahib’s existing HNI
clientele availing accountancy services to mutual funds.
 My
husband, Sahib, a chartered accountant, had been providing accounting and legal
services through his firm since 1990. In 2002, while contemplating
diversification, we realized that there was a dearth of professional and
management expertise in the field of investment advisory and portfolio management
services. After foreseeing the need and the lacunae in this domain, we decided
to completely focus our energies on one investment avenue - mutual funds. And
hence Funds Ve’daa was born.
Instead
of looking for new markets, we decided that it would be logical for us to start
by catering to the existing clientele, who were HNIs, and later broaden the
ambit by venturing into unfamiliar territories.
We
decided to focus on one group amongst Sahib’s clients, which was channelizing
their funds only into RBI Bonds at that time and had absolutely no clue about
other investments. And since then there has been no looking back. We are filled
with a sense of both contentment and gratitude that this group is still with us
and has been bringing in new clients through their referrals.
Over
the years, we have realized that being customer-centric (by aligning ourselves
to customer requirements) and not product-centric has worked to our advantage.
And that, the “Marketing” approach has stood us in good stead than the “Selling
“approach.
We
also believe in the power of smart work as much as we believe in hard work.
We
also realized the importance of “Adhyyan, Seva, Vyaayaam”. Adhyyan - with
knowledge comes wisdom and with wisdom comes growth. Seva- unparalleled levels
of service contribute to growth. Vyaayaam- sound mind in a healthy body is the
mantra. If you are unable to remain fit, you won’t do justice to service your
clients.
We
also have the conviction that the only constant in the world is change. And the
only mode of survival is adapting oneself to these changes. One has to be agile
and adaptable to survive in any industry.
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