From a Vodafone store to FinTech: 10 sales lessons from 15 years
I started in 2011 setting up in-store displays for Vodafone. Fifteen years later, these are the sales lessons that held true across telecom, retail, ERP and FinTech.
Key takeaways
- I started in sales in March 2011 at Vodafone in Ahmedabad, then sold across telecom, retail, ERP and FinTech.
- Listen more than you pitch, and sell the outcome rather than the product.
- Channels and a well-trained team multiply results, as with 12,000+ merchants activated in seven months at BharatPe.
- Look after existing customers, follow up persistently and be honest when you are not the right fit.
My sales career started in March 2011 as a Sales Executive in modern trade retail at Vodafone in Ahmedabad, setting up in-store displays and helping customers choose prepaid and postpaid plans. Since then I’ve sold through channels at Kochar Tech, ERP at Pushpam, merchant payments at BharatPe, payment solutions and banking alliances at SabPaisa and PhiCommerce, and SAP at Zieta Technologies.
The products changed completely. These ten lessons didn’t.
1. Listen more than you pitch
The customer at a Vodafone counter and the CXO in an SAP meeting both want the same thing: to be understood first.
2. Sell the outcome, not the product
Nobody wants a payment gateway. They want to get paid faster with fewer problems.
3. Channels multiply you
At Vodafone, opening 10+ new MBO and large-format retail partnerships in Gujarat did more for postpaid activations than any individual effort. Find the partners who already reach your customers.
4. Your team is the strategy
At BharatPe I led a 90+ member field team that activated 12,000+ merchants in seven months. That happened because the team was trained, motivated and clear on what good looked like.
5. The second sale is easier than the first
Cross-selling to happy customers grew monthly revenue by 18% in one of my roles. Look after existing customers before chasing new ones.
6. Make it simple to say yes
Clear pricing, short forms, fast onboarding. Every extra step loses customers.
7. Know the product better than the customer expects
In ERP and payments, credibility comes from answering the third, more technical question confidently.
8. Follow up, then follow up again
Most deals are won in the follow-ups, not the first meeting.
9. Relationships outlast jobs
Former customers, colleagues and partners became the first callers when I started The Harsmit Ventures.
10. Be honest when you're not the right fit
Saying “this isn’t right for you” builds more trust than any closing technique.
Good business development isn't just about selling. It's about understanding the problem, asking the right questions, building trust and finding the right fit for both sides.
If you’re early in your sales career and want to talk, reach out. Someone did the same for me.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important sales lessons for FinTech?
The lessons that held true across telecom, retail, ERP and FinTech are simple: listen more than you pitch, sell the outcome rather than the product, build channels, invest in your team, look after existing customers, make it easy to say yes, know your product deeply, follow up, value relationships and be honest when you are not the right fit.
How do you activate thousands of merchants quickly?
At BharatPe I led a 90+ member field team that activated 12,000+ merchants in seven months. That happened because the team was trained, motivated and clear on what good looked like. Making it simple to say yes also helps: clear pricing, short forms and fast onboarding, because every extra step loses customers.
Why is follow-up important in B2B sales?
Most deals are won in the follow-ups, not the first meeting. Following up, then following up again, keeps you in the conversation. It also helps to know the product better than the customer expects: in ERP and payments, credibility comes from answering the third, more technical question confidently, and that is what makes each follow-up worth taking.