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by Stephen Parezo

Navjeet Chahal

September 11, 2006—Referrals are the lifeblood of any small business but they can sometimes be tough to come by. Fortunately that’s not the case for Navjeet Chahal, a Fiducial franchisee in San Pablo, CA.

Chahal signed up seven new clients in July thanks to his direct marketing and referral activities and that’s considered quite a feat, according to Roger Bierman, a Fiducial franchise relations manager.

“Navjeet has already surpassed several times over what normally would be the ideal target for landing new clients,” said Bierman.

Many entrepreneurs are looking for instant gratification when it comes to getting referrals but things just don’t happen that way. In Chahal’s case, he planted the seeds months ago for a future harvest.

“How many eggs did he lay a while back?” asked Bierman. “What did he do six months ago? You have to let people know who you are and what you’re able to do. One of the unique things he’s doing is he knows where his niche is and he’s going after it.”

Chahal says there’s no secret formula when it comes to getting referrals.

“Whenever I go out I carry a lot of business cards,” he said. “Whoever I meet I ask them what they do and I send them referrals.”

Before long, he’s on the receiving end of referrals. What provides the impetus is giving business owners sound advice “instead of sugar coating things.” In return, he says that goes a long way with prospective clients.

Getting his card in their wallets

“They appreciate the idea of me being an advisor and someone who can explain that to them,” he said. “It helps a lot.”

Since many owners aren’t up to speed on the laws that govern small businesses, they seek a knowledgeable professional that’s looking out for their best interests.

“They want somebody who can simplify the rules in plain English and tell them exactly what they need to do in terms of compliance, whether it’s the IRS or local payroll authorities,” he said.

When it comes to marketing, Chahal knows that a lot of promotional fliers often wind up in the garbage “but business cards end up in wallets.” And he’s made a number of key contacts, especially with local real estate brokers, to make sure his card stays in their wallets.

Instead of making traditional introductory calls, he prefers to meet small business owners face-to-face.

“I don’t want to come across as a salesman,” he said.

Ramping up customer service

In terms of marketing mail outs, Chahal noted that they send business cards to whoever gets in touch with them.

“We are really trying to ramp up our customer service and don’t want to miss any phone calls,” he said. Joining Chahal in running his business is his wife, Ravneet, who will manage production while he takes care of customer service.

So why is Chahal receiving a constant flow of referrals when most businesses are scratching their heads figuring out how to do it?

“I think you have to get in touch with the right people such as a real estate broker,” he said. “We have a lot of clients that are real estate agents and have a network. We are trying to build rapport with them.”

What’s his advice to those trying to increase referrals?

“Networking—that’s the best way to do it,” he said. “When a referral comes in it’s pretty much of a closed deal. You just have to negotiate the price. Serve your existing clients well, ask for referrals and follow the [Fiducial] system.”

As with any marketing efforts, don’t expect good things to happen automatically.

Added Bierman, “You have to grow these practices of sales and marketing on the inside of your eyelids. You have to see that everyday.”

Stephen Parezo is the Media Manager for Fiducial.

Whatever your small business needs, your Fiducial tax and financial professional can analyze your situation and recommend an appropriate action plan. To locate a Fiducial office nearest you on fiducial.com, see the Zip Code Locator located in the upper right hand corner of the page. Do you have a particular topic that we should be writing about that can help your business? Please send your suggestions to: stephen.parezo@fiducial.com.

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