Life in Partnerships @ ZET

Partnerships never go out of style. Corporates regularly seek partners who bring complementary skills to the table, enabling them to tap into new markets and distribution channels.?

With a continuously evolving business landscape, especially with the advent of new technologies and faster product innovation cycles, these partnerships have become even more relevant.

Today, how a company becomes a “partner of choice” for its clients and acquires a credible name and foothold in the industry depends completely on the people manning this team.?

In this month’s edition of our ongoing series, we decided to speak to Anusuya Saha, doyen of Corporate Partnerships and Core Member at ZET.

But before we dive in, let’s get to know her better!

Hailing from Agartala in the northeastern state of Tripura, Anusuya joined ZET two and a half years ago when it was still in its nascent stages. With over a decade-long career earmarked by some bigwigs, like QwikCilver (now acquired by Pine Labs), Yahoo, HP, PayUMoney, Ola, and Times Internet, she brought to ZET seasoned experience in forging and nurturing value-creating partnerships.?

How did you start your journey in partnerships? Did you always want to get into sales?

When I moved to Bangalore after 12th, I wanted to become a scientist. Coming from a family of doctors, I, too, wanted to get into the medical line and enrolled in Biotech. While interning with Biocon, I realised I had little patience to become a scientist. I pivoted and decided to do an MBA for the want of a typical 9-5 job. I got placed with QwikCilver through Campus, where I was interviewed by the CEO Mr. Kumar Sudarshan, who asked me the most cliche sales question of all times- “Sell this pen to me” (chuckles). Looking back, it was a fruitful stint where I got to work closely with the founder and was asked to do anything and everything that was required to grow a business.?

It was here that I learned how important it is for a sales guy to know their product in and out. You have to convince your client about not just the product but its fitment in their business.?

You worked briefly with Yahoo and HP on the Data Analytics side. What brought you back to Sales?

While I got to learn a lot about advertising analytics and business analysis from my time at Yahoo & HP, I knew well in time that data was not my cup of coffee. It was the shortest stint of my career as I got bored talking to data than humans. It was here that I realised that client servicing is what I enjoy the most. When you talk to people, you get a 360-degree understanding and feedback on your product and how you can make it better. And that is crucial to the growth of both you and your company.?

After working with some stellar names in the industry, how was your transition to an early-stage startup? How has your experience been with ZET?

When I first got to know about ZET, what really inspired me was the mission of the company. I have always been very interested in financial inclusion, and a company driving genuine effort in that direction earned my respect.?

My early days at ZET reminded me of my first job hustle. Today as we’re scaling from 1-10, I’m so proud of all that we’ve achieved. With over 60 top banks and financial institutions partnered across the country, ZET has become a respected player in the fintech ecosystem of India.?

Was it always easy onboarding new clients? What was your most memorable moment at ZET??

In a startup, creating a structure in chaos is very important. We worked very hard getting our first big clients- Axis, SBI, HDFC, and ICICI- and learned a lot on the way. Gaining their trust took some time. Earlier, we were doing open market sourcing. After working with a few top partners, we realised this was a flow we needed to change. So we revamped our entire operational side. Once we got the trust of the top players, the smaller ones followed suit.

My most memorable moment at ZET was the day we did 10K credit cards. No doubt about it! And also the first month when we went live with IDFC Bank. I remember we sold 456 cards & got an appreciation mail from the client. For me, that is the biggest appraisal that I can get.?

As the mother of an 8-year-old son, how do you balance your time between work and family?

The truth is that I don’t. A lot of balancing happens in my head, I have downloaded so many organising apps on my phone, but nothing works. You have to accept that there is no balance to this. Work is a constant, family too is a constant- what you can figure out and balance is your free time.?

A piece of advice you would give to youngsters aspiring to join sales?

Today’s youngsters are so much better placed than us. They have access to information and people pro bono via platforms like LinkedIn. The issue lies not in the decision but in the approach. If you want to join sales or business development roles, please don’t be scared of targets. Don’t look at a target and think, “Oh, it gives me anxiety.” Have a positive thought process in mind. No company will give you a target that is achievable. Your focus should not be on the number but on the quality of work that you’re doing.?

Well, this was Anusuya- one of the most energetic persons at ZET. And rightfully so, her 7/10 hours in the day go into talking to clients. An accompanying morning brew and an occasional game of poker keeps her energy at the right levels!