What 12,000+ merchants taught me about selling FinTech
Leading a team that activated 12,000+ merchants in 7 months at BharatPe, and 15 years of selling payments, insurance and software, taught me a few things about how businesses really decide.
Key takeaways
- At BharatPe, I led a team that activated 12,000+ merchants in 7 months.
- Merchants buy trust before features: they want to know who to call when something goes wrong.
- Talk in the merchant's numbers: settlement time, charges per transaction and the cost of failed payments.
- Partnerships with OEMs, service centres, banks and channel partners scale what one person can't.
At BharatPe, I led a team that activated 12,000+ merchants in 7 months. Before and after that, I spent years selling telecom, payments, insurance and ERP software across Gujarat. A few lessons have stayed with me.
1. Merchants buy trust before they buy features
A shop owner rarely compares feature lists. They want to know who to call when something goes wrong, and whether that person will pick up.
2. Speak in their numbers
Settlement time, charges per transaction, what it costs when a payment fails. When the conversation is about their money rather than our product, decisions get faster.
3. Partnerships scale what one person can't
Some of my best growth came from partners: OEMs, service centres, banks and channel partners. The partnerships that lasted were the ones where both sides clearly gained.
These are the same principles I use at The Harsmit Ventures today, when helping businesses choose payments, insurance, lending and software partners.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How do merchants decide which payment provider to use?
Merchants buy trust before they buy features. A shop owner rarely compares feature lists; they want to know who to call when something goes wrong, and whether that person will pick up. Decisions also get faster when the conversation is about their own numbers, such as settlement time, charges per transaction and what it costs when a payment fails.
How do you sell FinTech products to small businesses?
Earn their trust and speak in their numbers. Talk about settlement time, charges per transaction and the cost of a failed payment rather than your product's features, and make sure the merchant knows who to call when something goes wrong. Partners such as OEMs, service centres, banks and channel partners can then scale your reach beyond what one person can manage.
What did activating 12,000+ merchants at BharatPe teach Sumit Kasardekar?
Leading a team that activated 12,000+ merchants in 7 months at BharatPe taught me three lessons: merchants buy trust before features, conversations should be in the merchant's own numbers, and partnerships scale what one person can't. The partnerships that lasted were the ones where both sides clearly gained. I use the same principles at The Harsmit Ventures today.