Meet Mr. Ashish Joshi
It gives us great joy to share the success story & ideas of one of the early members of NJ family - Mr. Ashish Joshi. He has been associated with NJ since 2004. A truly self-made man, Ashishji has been known in NJ for his unassuming demeanor, heartening smile and the commitment to keep his investors happy.
Mr. Ashish has built his practice steadily over the past 10 years under the brand name of Saavy Finance in Valsad city - near Vapi in south of Gujarat.
He has an AUM of over 25 Crores and has over 2,000 investors. He is an active player on the real estate and insurance businesses as well. In addition, he is also an Agency Manager with NJ. We are glad to share below his ideas and his success story in his own words...
The beginning...
Before entering into this business, I was in the home loan distribution business. It was in June 2003 that I came across the 'Be A Successful Mutual Fund Advisor' leaflet by NJ. On the idea of starting MF business, I recall myself being very skeptical and worried. How could I ride on two horses? It was only after a few interactions with the then sales team and a very senior NJ Partner that I could make my mind to start the business.
After becoming a Partner, I did a lot of activities as encouraged by NJ and took the extra efforts to make of the most out of them. I took the leads very sincerely and acted aggressively, asked for joint calls with NJ and so on. My efforts bore fruit and I enjoyed a steady inflow of clients. Within a year, my assets crossed Rs. 1 Crore! I felt more motivated each day! The initial growth reaffirmed my confidence in the business and there was no looking back for me since then...
While making the pitch to join NJ, I was once told by Kulbhushanji (now heading NJ Insurance) - "Ashishji aap home loan business bhool javoge aur sapne mein equity dikhai dene lagega" ("Ashishji, you will forget home loan business and will see equity in your dreams"). Today I wish to tell that every every word of it has come true.
The inspiration and motivation to grow...
My first spark of motivation came from the NJ’s vision of the Indian growth story & the transformation of Indian investment industry. It was this vision which helped me see a stable business model for myself and a role where I could contribute as an individual. Later, as my business grew, the motivation also came from the consistent & growing earnings. However, true motivation only came with the realisation that I was giving the 'right advice' to my investors and guiding them to create & protect wealth. This idea is what inspires and motivates me greatly even today. I have found myself more happy and at peace in doing so...
"I have found myself more happy and at peace."
The process adopted...
I am very clear that 'there is no alternative to not doing activities. You must be active.' We did & we continue to do regular activities. This only reaffirms our commitment to doing marketing activities. There is perhaps no activity which we would not have done at Saavy Finance in the last 10+ years of business. Be it event sponsoring, leaflet distribution, stalls, trade fairs, courier mailing, emailing, messaging, we are ready for everything. I believe that these activities has done wonders in building my brand as also in client acquisition. Though a lot of my clients were acquired through client references, the brand building activities did help there as well.
Client relationship practices...
As an advisor, I have the philosophy of always trying to have 100% of my investor's mind share. And I have even been very successful at it. Since beginning, I made it a point to follow 3 simple things...
- solve investor problems with great priority
- do regular reporting and
- have regular interactions /communication.
At Saavy Finance, we have a set practice of also remembering clients on their special occasions and extending them with small mementos and gifts. It doesn't surprise me that I enjoy a high number of referrals clients...
Incorporating the offerings...
Over time, I have tried to be very open and pragmatic in understanding and adopting the new products and services on offer to me. Today, I have 3 specific things to highlight:
- Technology: I realised very early that technology is the future and I tried to be be a technology savvy person. Partner Desk is something which I treats as among most fundamental tools essential to the business. Not surprisingly, the Partner Desk is my browser home page by default since many years. As a practice, he also makes it a point to create groups and share Client Desk login details with them.
- TADA: TADA is a great shot in the arm for us all and I really appreciate the change in the lives of Partners and investors it has brought about. I am working towards a goal where no investment at Saavy would be made in physical mode and I gladly share that we are moving towards it. I have also made efforts in communicating the transacting facility to my clients. What more can an advisor want?
- MARS: This to me is the third game changer today. After understanding MARS properly, I am convinced that it can address my very old and important concerns in managing portfolio of my investors. It makes my life very easy. I am now making efforts to get more of my clients invested in MARS.
"I feel proud today that my investors are even investing through their smart phones!"
The future plans…
My targets are set in consultation with my friends from NJ. My eyes are now set on the targets for the next 1, 5 and 10 years. Just to share with you, for 2014-15, my target AUM is of Rs.30 Cr. For 2018, the same is Rs.180 Cr. and for 2023, its Rs.300 Cr. I believe with the support of NJ and with good times ahead, I would be able to achieve these figures.
Advice to fellow NJ Partners...
I strongly suggest Partners to continuously follow 3 things...
- Attend the monthly Partner meet very regularly. This would help you keep updated & informed.
- Take advantage of the RE and through RE, the BM and the RM. Try to seek & follow their guidance.
- Plan and work for the next PBC qualification. It is one great place to motivate ourselves.
On PBC, I must share that I am proud one of the very few Partners who has attended all the PBC events. I enjoy meeting and interacting with other Partners, knowing more on vision of NJ and so on. On a personal note, I also makes it a point to know what other Partners are doing and I also compare myself against them. All this greatly adds up. One very important learning he must also share is of technology. Today everyone must realise that "timely technology adoption is the key to growth".
"Timely technology adoption is the key to growth".
Lastly I would like to quote Neeraj sir's comment to me once - "we support each & every Partner equally. It’s up to the Partner how much he encashs it." I often tell to my own Partners, "NJ is a sea, full of pearls. It's up to a Partner how much advantage he takes off it."
Thank you...
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