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B2B Fintech is an exciting and rapidly growing space to work in. With evolving new technologies and innovations, working in B2B Fintech means being at the forefront of a digital transformation. Additionally, the global reach of FinTech means that there are endless opportunities for collaboration and growth, making it a truly dynamic and engaging field to be in. Through our series #ShadowTheCashien, we will have posts by Cashiens that talk in-depth about B2B Fintech, careers and roles.
In this latest edition, we talk to Parth Maheshwari, Senior Manager in the Growth & Strategy team at Cashfree Payments. His role in Enterprise Sales revolves around the process of procuring high-value deals with large companies. It involves dealing with multiple stakeholders and a long sales cycle but brings significant business impact!
So now, let’s hear from Parth about what his typical day looks like, his career in enterprise sales and what sets him up for success every day!
What holds your interest in the B2B space? What are some qualities that your role demands
Right from my MBA days, I had a keen interest in B2B sales, especially enterprise sales. Truly, it has helped me grow key personality traits, proving to be useful in both my personal and professional life.
These qualities are perseverance, persistence, discipline, listening (being the most important), and relationship-building at different levels inside an organisation and beyond in the ecosystem. It has helped me improve my temperament on an overall level and helped me in gaining clarity of thought and prioritise events. This role has also taught me to be gracious in my rejections and humble in my victories.
Describe your typical day at work as a Senior Manager in Enterprise Sales
A typical day at Cashfree Payments starts with me setting up the agenda for the day for the first 30 minutes.
Post that, I schedule my calendar, and then have at least 2 client interactions (mostly in-person meetings) for potential upsell, cross-sell and regular catch-ups to gather market intelligence. This is followed by sharing this feedback with cross-functional teams and incorporating feedback which is about products, processes, and on a personal level.
I do this for four days a week and I keep one day in the week for segment research. These segments would pertain to the clients that I manage at Cashfree Payments. Then, I send best practice recommendations to my clients. These would pertain to digital payment collections in their respective segments, and product training (on a tech and process level). I also brainstorm with my manager and teammates in order to crack lost/churned business and also upsell as well as cross-sell (when there is a need for the involvement of senior leadership).
What are some usual tasks you take on and metrics you chase? What are some tools that supercharge your efforts?
As mentioned earlier, my main tasks include identification of potential upsell, cross-sell, engage with cross-functional teams in order to understand the products and processes better as well as to ensure that the customer experience is not hampered.
There are multiple tools that I use daily since data is king in today’s world and it gives method to your madness. I use Salesforce to manage my upsell cross-sell pipeline, Amazon Quicksight for revenue and P/L tracking for various products and clients as well as internal tools to note certain client details.
What is one of the many recent key initiatives that you are proud of
One key initiative that I took was regarding direct UPI refunds. We made product enhancements based on market feedback and this helped us get business worth Rs. 70 crores a month.
What are some of the best and most challenging aspects of your role?
Perseverance, persistence, managing customer expectations and creating a sense of urgency with support teams and last but not least – staying calm.
In the rigmarole of achieving the targets, there is a good possibility that tempers can flare up with internal stakeholders. But it is very important to understand that none of my victories are possible without a collaborative approach. We need to respect and trust each other (easier said than done!). I try to do this to the best of my potential.
Also when it comes to upselling and cross-selling, it is important to know when to sell and what to sell but also not sound pushy and desperate. Sales is an art as much as it is a science (I would rather tilt towards the artistic part here). Reading the other person and mapping their psyche is the best thing I love about my job; apart from networking.
How do you log off at the end of the day?
I am a sports buff and I like to watch cricket, tennis, football, chess, and F1. Also, I play chess, table tennis, and swim. I am also a music buff and can listen to the same playlist for hours. I find pleasure in discovering one new artist every day, irrespective of genre or language.
On weekends, I love to watch stand-up comics, catch up with friends, and plan a quick trip. So, I connect with loved ones daily and cultivate my hobbies. Some hobbies that I am picking up are singing and playing the guitar. I am also learning the art of perfume making since I am a perfume enthusiast!
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