Leaders

The size of the global market for digital marketing software was estimated at USD 56.52 billion in 2021, and it is anticipated to increase at a CAGR of 19.1 percent from 2022 to 2030. As the digital marketing and performance marketing industry grows, the bias against women taking on leadership roles stays the same. Niharika Vats, Head of Business Development at Hawk Ecommerce is a leading example of women taking charge and making meaningful change in organizations through excellence, passion, and dedication.

Breaking stereotypes, she is leading a team to serve clients on a global scale. Here’s the highlights from our interaction with her.

Can you introduce us to the company, Hawk Ecommerce, tell us about some of the features of the company. And also tell us about your expertise as a business head?

Hawk Ecommerce is a 12 year old performance marketing agency based in DLF Corporate Greens, Gurgaon. We assist brands optimize their sales structure through different channels including their website and social media. We are further into optimizing numbers via marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart. In a nutshell, we overlook holistic brand management with the exception of logistics. Through various inorganic campaigns, at lowest customer acquisition costs, we eventually get out clients sales. I’ve been associated with the firm for 2 years, and am one of the 5 directors and the head of the business development team. My team’s expertise lies in onboarding clients. We create pre-sales pitches, connect with clients through socials like LinkedIn, Emails, Cold Calling, and events that keep happening in Delhi NCR.

Can you tell us about your educational background, And also tell us about the pre or industry experience that you bring to the table.?

I pursued my bachelors in fashion from the Pearl Academy of Fashion-Delhi, specializing in fashion retail and marketing; alongside which I completed a degree in English from the Delhi University Open School of Learning. I completed my education in 2017 and have been working since 2015, beginning with an experience with a renowned designer under whom I procured experience in social media, content for PR media queries, and merchandising. I then worked for Pearl Global, in an export house where I received experience of the manufacturing process, interacting with vendors, influencer marketing, social media, and supervising the PR agency. Then I joined another brand, before deciding to join another sector. The first agency I worked with was a startup, where I worked for 2.5 years and in this time, I made marketing plans, executed reports, end-to-end client onboarding, etc. This experience gave me a deep insight into marketing in various segments including Fashion, electronics, F&B, etc. After this I joined Lopamudra Creative as a business development specialist and onboarded various clients amidst the Covid pandemic. Finally, with all this experience, I joined Hawk Ecommerce, and am now one of the directors, and head of the business development team and in this role I believe I have been an integral part in growing the company’s stock and raising an overall ranking in the industry.

As the head of the Business Development at Hawk Ecommerce, can you brief us about your roles and responsibilities? And also the challenges associated with your role?

One of the challenges that we face is with on boarding clients on account of the costs. While initially we offered 4-5 marketing services for a nominal fee of INR 50,000, the firm has grown exponentially, leading us to keep clients on a retainer worth lakhs, which is initially an issue for them. However, within 2-3 months of joining us, and seeing the quality of work being delivered, they understand the worth. To tackle this, we opt for a structured approach of creating detailed presentations for clients elaborating how we will help and what numbers they can expect. My role in this consists of creating a detailed roadmap for lead generation, deciding which markets to target in the next few months, allocating resources, reaching out through social media and email blasts, meeting the firm’s monthly revenue goals, and managing leakages.

Tell us about some of the key business strategies and tools that you leverage to ensure organizational success.

One of the major strategies adopted by us is maintaining consistency and discipline. In business development, while we can generate new leads every day, we cannot get new business everyday. We implement strategies like setting a goal for a fixed period, and meeting these goals one way or another. In the absence of any resources, we utilize other resources as compensation. Further, we conduct monthly reviews wherein we discuss everything including completion of projects, new clients onboarded, revenue generated, etc. We create detailed reports, maintaining transparency, and a properly structured approach as this helps every team involved in executing the marketing work flawlessly.

Throughout your professional journey, what has been the most significant milestone that you have achieved so far? What has been the driving force for your success?

The most significant milestone I would hold is the way this firm has grown in the last two years. The organization provides a very supportive environment which I found in the two CEOs, who guided me through my initial year. Being in the business development team, I worked very closely with Mr. Sumit. Attending client calls with him taught me how to converse with clients, how to pitch, and how to present. Today we have some very big clients including Mr. Mahesh Bhupati, Virat Kohli, Lara Dutta, and ASG Eye Hospitals. Learning the nuances of marketing, algorithms to be used, how the algorithms would change and strategies to implement has been a very enriching experience.

Do you have any advice for the woman and young girls who are aspiring to foray into this business landscape and become a business leader?

My advice would be to not shy away from opportunity. Test out the career field in which you have acquired your education. If that works well, then work to grow in that field. If that is not what you want, try the career you want to have, and master it. In every profession, there are various steps to climb to succeed. Keep growing and mastering your preferences.

Niharika Vats, Head Of Business Development

Niharika Vats, after completing her education in fashion, dabbled in multiple sectors, finally learning that she prefers communication, and does not want a typical 10 hour desk job. Looking for a dynamic career, she found digital marketing and has been excelling in it, and now plans on becoming a TedX speaker.