​

​

​

Step 1 | Introduction

​

​

​

​

Step 2 | User Journey

​

​

Snapdeal's product purchase journey is smooth however during SD's product team did a research on thank you page design. SD's Cx research team gathered insights that users expects other services showcase on the like of Fk's rewards platform.

SD also has launched Co branded Credit Card in collaboration with BOBCards which has high visibility on the platform on thank you page. Survey insights identified that users would like to see more of financial awareness services or short term loans or pay later options.

Based on the insights, a partnership with NBFC to offer credit line / instant loans is possible opportunity to fill the gap

​

​

Step 3 | Litmus Test

​

​

Step 4 | Identifying Right Partners

ICP:

👉🏼 Main ICP:

25+ years old, Male, Self Employed, Service Class Customers living in tier 2+ cities, which total household income is less then 7 lacs per annum. (Affordability over money)

​ 👉🏼 Brand Values:

1. Customer-Centricity
2. Affordability
3. Innovation
4. Quality Service
5. Trust & Transparency
6. Problem Solving Mindset

Potential Partners

• Paysense Owned by PayU
• Prefr Owned by Cred
• Niro.Money

​

💡Ideal Partner Profile / Partner Fitment Test (Scoring: Yes - 1; Maybe - 0.5; No - 0)

​

Although all of these options have the same ranking, Niro.Money has a edge here as they specialise in Embedded finance this could be a potential strategic / tech partnerships , whereas others have there own app and may just to explore the affiliate partnership to start with

Niro has higher potential for scale up compared to other two also from the scale up stand point as being into embedded lending there credit lending policies are co-created with partners where as others have there own standard policies for lending in place

For Niro, Snapdeal partnership will give them access to users in Bharat and provide a platform to offer lending services to 11k + pin codes in India leading for faster scale up in remote areas utilising Snapdeal's Trust Among users.

​

Step 5 - Outreach strategy

Potential POCs:

1. Founders - Chief Growth Officer / CEO
2. Head of Growth / Partnerships
3. Head of Product
4. Business Head - Embedded Finance

​

​

Although the Founders may have the ability to align the team and authorised the team to drive the partnership. HOG/P will be able to move things faster.

First Outreach:

Email: Subject: Exciting Partnership Opportunity with Snapdeal

Hi Aditya and Sankalp,

​

I hope you’re both doing well. My name is Akshay Sethi, and I’m the Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives at Snapdeal.

​

We’ve been following Niro Finance’s impressive journey and your innovative approach to embedded finance. Aditya, I’ve also been following you on LinkedIn and recently interacted with your post about how lending is changing user behavior and trends in Bharat as a fuel for modernisation. This insight resonates strongly with Snapdeal’s vision.

​

Given Snapdeal’s strong presence in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural India (Bharat), and our commitment to building for Bharat customers, we see a fantastic opportunity for collaboration that could benefit both our platforms.

​

Why Partner with Snapdeal?

Snapdeal has a wide reach in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural India (Bharat), and we’re always looking to enhance our offerings for Bharat customers. By integrating Niro's lending services into our ecosystem, we can build robust financial services tailored for our audience.

Win-Win for Both:

This partnership promises a win-win scenario, leveraging our reach and Niro’s innovative solutions to drive growth and financial inclusion. It will also help both organizations reach our revenue and monetisation goals.

Next Steps:

I’d love to chat more about this potential partnership and explore how we can make it happen. Could we set up a brief call or meeting at your earliest convenience? Please let me know when you’re available. If you’d like to include any relevant team members in the discussion, feel free to do so. However, we’d really appreciate having both of you there.

​

Thanks for considering this exciting opportunity. I’m looking forward to the possibility of working together.

​

Best regards,

Akshay Sethi
Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives, CEO's Office
Snapdeal

Considering, one of the founders is very active on Linkedin. We would reach out to him on linkedin to get contact details. Format below ​

​

Hi Aditya,

Good Morning!

​

I hope you’re well. I’ve been following Niro impressive journey and recently engaged with your insightful post on lending and its impact on Bharat. Given Snapdeal’s strong presence in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural India, we see a great opportunity to collaborate.

​

By integrating Niro’s lending services, we can enhance our financial offerings and drive growth and inclusion. This partnership would be a win-win for both our organizations, helping us reach our revenue and monetization goals.

​

Can we connect over WhatsApp for a brief chat and set up a time if our visions align?

​

Best,
Akshay Sethi
Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives, CEO's Office
Snapdeal

​

🚨 Uh oh! Imagine you haven’t received a response for any of your outreaches. Your filled out their partner form, tried contacting them on LinkedIn, found a POC from the company but to no avail.​

Here is the followup / reach out apprach with other key Stake holders

1. Head of Growth:
2. • Providing Value / Data: Highlight how the partnership can drive user acquisition and retention, using data points or case studies from similar collaborations.
   • Addressing Concerns: Preemptively address any potential concerns they might have about the partnership's impact on growth metrics.
   • Sharing Success Stories: Share examples of successful partnerships where similar integrations have led to significant growth.
3. Head of Product:
4. • Expressing Enthusiasm: Show excitement about how Niro's product can enhance Snapdeal’s offerings.
   • Showing Understanding: Demonstrate an understanding of Snapdeal’s product roadmap and how the partnership aligns with it.
   • Sharing a Vision: Paint a picture of the future product landscape with Niro’s lending services integrated into Snapdeal’s ecosystem.
5. Business Head for Lending:
6. • Leveraging Mutual Connections: Mention any mutual connections or industry contacts who can vouch for the potential success of the partnership.
   • Engaging on Social Media: Interact with their posts on professional platforms like LinkedIn to stay on their radar.
   • Attending Industry Events: Attend relevant industry events where you can potentially meet and discuss the partnership in person.

​

​

​

Follow-Up Email Examples

Follow-Up with Head of Growth

Subject: Driving Growth through Strategic Partnership

​

Hi [Head of Growth's Name],

​

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to follow up on the exciting collaboration opportunity I mentioned previously.

​

At Snapdeal, we are continuously looking for innovative ways to drive user acquisition and retention, particularly in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and rural India. Integrating Niro's lending services could be a game-changer for our financial offerings, directly contributing to our growth metrics.

​

We have a proven track record with our co-branded credit card, which has shown significant success. I’d be happy to share the case study or discuss it further during our call.

​

Could we set up a brief call to explore this opportunity in more detail?

Looking forward to your thoughts.

​

Best regards,
Akshay Sethi
Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives, CEO's Office
Snapdeal

Follow-Up with Head of Product

Subject: Enhancing Snapdeal’s Product Offerings powered by Niro

​

Hi [Head of Product's Name],

​

I hope you’re well. I wanted to revisit the potential collaboration between Snapdeal and Niro that I previously mentioned.

​

Our team is enthusiastic about the possibilities this partnership could unlock, particularly in enhancing our financial services. I believe this integration aligns perfectly with Snapdeal’s product roadmap and can offer significant value to our users.

​

We’ve had great success with our co-branded credit card partnership, and I’d love to share the case study or discuss how a similar approach could work with Niro during our call.

​

Can we set up a time for a brief chat?

​

Best regards,
Akshay Sethi
Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives, CEO's Office
Snapdeal

Follow-Up with Business Head for Lending

Subject: Exploring a Strategic Lending Partnership

​

Hi [Business Head's Name],

​

I hope this message finds you well. Following up on my previous message about the potential partnership between Snapdeal and Niro.

​

I’ve noticed we share several mutual connections in the industry who speak highly of Niro’s innovative solutions. Integrating your lending services into Snapdeal could significantly enhance our financial offerings and drive mutual growth.

​

We’ve seen notable success with our co-branded credit card, and I’d be happy to share the case study or discuss this further on a call if you’re interested.

​

Could we connect for a brief chat to explore this further? I’d also love to engage more on this at upcoming industry events.

​

Looking forward to hearing from you.

​

Best regards,
Akshay Sethi
Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives, CEO's Office
Snapdeal

​

Step 6 | Final Call Design

Pre Read Email | Before the call

Pre-Read: Snapdeal and Niro Partnership Discussion

Participants: Aditya [Last Name], Sankalp [Last Name], [Head of Growth's Name] from Niro [Snapdeal CEO's Name], [Snapdeal Head of Growth's Name], Akshay Sethi from Snapdeal

​

Thank you, Aditya for taking the time to discuss our potential partnership on a quick call. and setting up time with the larger team for discussion. We are excited about collaborating to achieve mutual growth and innovation.

​

Acknowledging Niro's Goals:

1. Scale Embedded Partnerships: Expanding Niro’s embedded finance solutions.
2. Access to Credit Products for Bharat Users: Disbursing 500 crore in personal loans and credit lines within this financial year to outpace competitors and reach major cities in India.

Discussion Points:

1. Integration Opportunities:
2. • Integrate Niro’s lending services into Snapdeal’s platform.
   • Technical and operational aspects of embedding these services.
   • Role og Credit Score pull and a bridge for partnership
     
3. Mutual Benefits:
4. • Snapdeal will help Niro acquire customers using Snapdeal's trust.
   • Share success stories from our co-branded credit card partnership.
     
5. Strategic Alignment:​
6. • Snapdeal’s to take grey label approach for lending, offering “Loans Powered by Niro” within our app.
   • Snapdeal to support Niro in building models to enhance lending processes using user scores we've developed over the past 10 years to improve metrics like returns and frauds.

​

We are enthusiastic about this partnership and confident it will drive growth and financial inclusion. Looking forward to connecting on the call and discussing further.

​

Best regards,

During the call | Call Flow

​

​AK: Hey Aditya, hope you're well. Thanks for making time for this call. We're excited about the potential of this partnership.

Aditya: Hi Akshay, glad to connect. What would you like to discuss on this call?

​

AK: I wanted to dive a bit deeper into how our partnership can benefit our mutual customers—particularly Bharat users.

Aditya: Absolutely, that's the core of it. Tell me more.

AK: Well, integrating Niro’s lending services into Snapdeal’s platform can significantly enhance our financial offerings. By leveraging Snapdeal’s trust and user base, we can help Niro acquire more customers. Our grey label approach for lending, branded as "Powered by Niro," within the Snapdeal app, will streamline the user experience.

Aditya: Sounds great. How do you see this impacting user engagement?

AK: Good question. By offering seamless access to credit products within Snapdeal, we keep users engaged. Our extensive reach among Bharat users aligns with Niro’s goals of providing access to credit products and disbursing 500 crore in personal loans within this financial year. With approximately 5 million users engaging on the app every week, we can integrate lending services into the post-order journey, making it very easy to reach our goals. This partnership enhances the user journey, making financial services more accessible.

Aditya: Got it. So, what are we looking at in terms of deliverables?

AK: Initially, we’ll work on the technical integration to ensure a smooth user experience. We can also share success stories from our co-branded credit card partnership to highlight the potential benefits. Additionally, Snapdeal can support Niro in building models to optimize lending processes using user scores we've developed over the past 10 years, improving metrics like returns and frauds.

Aditya: That sounds reasonable. Let's work together to make this seamless for our customers.

AK: Absolutely, I appreciate your openness to this. Lastly, any thoughts on go-to-market opportunities that we could explore?

Aditya: We could leverage our existing user base to introduce the new lending feature. Let's dive deeper into this in our next discussion after we evaluate the partnership contract.

AK: Sounds like a plan. Looking forward to that. Thanks for your time today.

Aditya: You're welcome. Let's make this partnership a success. Have a great day!

​

​

After The Call | Email

Subject: Summary of Our Partnership Discussion

​

Hi Aditya,

I hope this email finds you well. Here’s a brief summary of our recent call to ensure we're aligned on our partnership goals and next steps:

Key Points Discussed:

1. Benefiting Bharat Users: Integrating Niro’s lending services into Snapdeal will enhance access to credit products, improving user experience for our 5 million weekly active users.
2. User Engagement: By integrating lending services in the post-order journey, we aim to keep users engaged and facilitate easier access to credit.
3. Deliverables: Initial steps include technical integration and collaborative efforts to optimize lending processes using Snapdeal’s user scores, enhancing metrics like returns and frauds.
4. GTM Plan: We agreed to leverage our existing user base to introduce the lending feature. We will explore GTM strategies in more detail during our next call.
   

Next Steps:

• Technical Integration: Finalize details to ensure a smooth user experience.
• Marketing Strategies: Collaborate on effective ways to introduce the lending feature.
• GTM Discussion: Dive deeper into GTM opportunities in our next call.
• NDA: We need to sign an NDA to proceed with detailed discussions.

​

Looking forward to our call next week to discuss these points further.

Best regards,

Akshay Sethi

​

Step 7 | Company Buy-in & Alignment

​

Subject: Exploring Partnership with Niro for Enhanced User Lending Options

​

Hi Team,

​

I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to share some exciting news and gather your support as we explore a potential partnership with Niro

to offer our users enhanced lending options.

​

Background:

Based on the recent customer experience survey we conducted for our co-branded credit card, it became clear that our users are looking for more financial options post-order. This insight has led us to explore a partnership with Niro, a leader in embedded finance solutions, to integrate lending services directly into Snapdeal’s platform.

​

User Trust and Strategic Goals:

​

We are grateful for the trust our users have placed in us, which extends beyond being just an e-commerce marketplace. This partnership not only aligns with our strategic goal of expanding our financial services but also supports our broader monetization objectives.

​

Next Steps:

I will be reaching out to each of you individually this week to discuss the specific support and collaboration needed from your respective teams to bring this partnership to life.

​

Key Areas of Focus:

1. Product Integration: Ensuring seamless integration of Niro’s lending services with our platform.
2. Marketing Strategy: Developing a comprehensive campaign to promote the new services to our users.
3. Technical Integration: Creating a robust and reliable integration plan and conducting thorough testing.
4. Data Utilization: Leveraging our user data to build models that optimize lending processes.
5. Legal and Compliance: Ensuring all agreements and integrations adhere to necessary regulations.
6. Financial Planning: Analyzing the revenue impact, aligning the partnership with our monetization goals, and negotiating the payout and incentive structure with the Niro team.
   

Your expertise and support will be crucial in making this partnership successful. I look forward to our discussions and working together to enhance our user offerings.

Thank you for your cooperation and commitment.

Best regards,

Akshay Sethi
Head of Strategic Partnerships & New Initiatives, CEO's Office
Snapdeal

​

​

Step 8 | Building Trust, Improving Transparency & Alignment

Building Trust:

• Clear Communication: Regular updates and prompt responses.
• Shared Goals: Mutual benefits like enhanced user lending options and increased revenue.
• Deliver on Promises: Consistently meet deadlines and commitments.
• Responsiveness: Quick replies and dedicated engagement.
• Transparency in Metrics: Share and review performance metrics regularly.
• ​

Improving Transparency:

• Data Sharing: Provide relevant insights and accurate data.
• Regular Updates: Consistent project status and milestone reports.
• Documentation: Maintain accessible records of agreements and action items.
• Feedback Loops: Establish mechanisms for regular input and adjustments.
• Audit and Reporting: Periodic performance reviews and compliance checks.
  

Increasing Alignment:

• Regular Meetings: Schedule frequent discussions and brainstorming sessions.
• Collaborative Planning: Jointly develop strategies and action plans.
• Training and Resources: Provide necessary training and tools to Niro’s team.
• Recognition: Celebrate achievements and acknowledge contributions.

​

Next Steps:

• Product Integration: (Head of Product) Seamlessly integrate Niro’s lending services.
• Marketing Strategy: (Head of Marketing) Develop campaigns to promote new services.
• Technical Integration: (Head of Technology) Plan, test, and ensure a robust integration.
• Data Utilization: (Head of Data Sciences) Optimize lending processes using Snapdeal’s user data.
• Legal and Compliance: (Legal Head) Ensure regulatory compliance and agreement clarity.
• Financial Planning: (Finance Head) Analyze revenue impact, align monetization goals, and negotiate payout and incentive structures.

​

Step 10: GTM for Snapdeal and Niro Partnership

GTM Approach

1. Define the Problem:

• Problem Solved: Enhance financial options for Snapdeal users by integrating Niro's lending services.
• Demand: Based on customer surveys, there's a significant demand for financial services.
  

2. Identify Target Audience:

• Brand Offering For: Common users of Snapdeal and Niro who are eligible for loans based on their credit score, offer generation based on Niros credit policy and dispersal's propensity.
• ICP's Habits: Majority spend time on e-commerce platforms, WhatsApp, and financial service portals.
  

3. Create a Value Matrix:

• Biggest Problem: Limited access to post-order credit options.
• Solution Sources: Snapdeal’s platform integrated with Niro withing the app for form filling and approval process
• Value Provided: Seamless access to lending services, improved user experience, and financial inclusivity for eligible users.
  

4. Attract, Engage, Delight:

• Attract:
• • WhatsApp Marketing: Use targeted WhatsApp messages to inform eligible users with a high propensity to take loans about the new lending options.
  • Pre-Launch Teasers: Use teasers on the Snapdeal app and website to build anticipation among eligible users.
    
• Engage:
• • Post-Order Communications: Include “Need a Loan?” callouts in order confirmation emails, SMS, and WhatsApp messages, targeted only to eligible users.
  • In-App Notifications: Send personalized notifications to eligible users about the new lending feature.
  • User Education: Provide informative content on how to use the lending services and its benefits, tailored to eligible users.
    
• Delight:
• • Customer Support: Offer dedicated support for users utilizing the lending service.
  • Regular Updates: Keep users informed about new features and benefits through emails and app notifications.
  • User Feedback: Collect and act on user feedback to continuously improve the service.
    

5. Co-Marketing Strategy:

• Teams Involved: Marketing, Product, Technology, Data Sciences, New Initiatives
• Timelines:
• • Pre-Launch: 1 month for preparation and awareness.
  • Launch: 1 month for the official rollout.
  • Post-Launch: Continuous engagement and improvement based on user feedback.
• Effort: Collaborative efforts between Snapdeal and Niro’s marketing and product teams to create content, manage campaigns, and monitor performance.
  

6. Key Metrics to Monitor:

• Engagement on the platform post-order placement.
• Engagement metrics on targeted marketing campaigns.
• Feedback from eligible users regarding the new services.
• Revenue impact and performance against financial goals.

Channels for GTM:

1. WhatsApp Marketing:
2. • Send targeted messages about lending options to eligible users with high loan propensity.
   • Use WhatsApp for customer support and inquiries.
3. In-App Communications:
4. • Add “Need a Loan?” callouts in post-order notifications targeted to eligible users.
   • Include lending service promotions in order confirmation emails and notifications.
   • Use push notifications to alert eligible users about the new service.
5. Email Marketing:
6. • Send newsletters and promotional emails to inform eligible users with high loan propensity about the lending services.
   • Include success stories and user testimonials in emails.
7. On-Platform Promotions:
8. • Feature lending options prominently on Snapdeal’s homepage for eligible users.
   • Use banners and pop-ups to attract user attention, ensuring visibility only to users eligible for loans as per Niro’s policy.
     
     

​