Lift Off – Transforming Conzerv traces the journey of Hema Hattangady who took over as CEO of Conzerv (then a family-run manufacturer of digital energy meters) in 1996 and grew it to 100-crore market leader in energy management in the next 12 years.
In 2009, Conzerv was acquired by Schneider Electric. Thereafter, Hema has turned to impact investing and community service.
The book starts with Hema’s modest beginnings and how she joined the company established by her late father-in-law, Shri H. Vasanth Rao, a renowned innovator and entrepreneur. How she transformed the family-run business (her husband was in-charge of the company’s R&D) into a well-knit professional company forms the crux of the story.
There’s a lot to celebrate in the story.
- It’s a story of how it’s possible to run an ethical business in India.
- It’s about creating a strong brand in a highly commoditized market.
- It’s about attracting and cultivating the talent necessary to drive the company’s growth.
I can go on. But why don’t you enjoy the book as much as I did?
Here, instead, let me just highlight my 3 biggest takeaways from the book.
Employee Empowerment
Hema recollects attending a 5-day program by Standard Graduate School of Business and HBS. What stayed with her long after the program was a video clip by Fedex’s CEO. At Fedex, he asserted, every employee is “empowered to do whatever it takes to get a package to its destination on time”.
To buttress his point, he mentions an instance where an employee, bogged by bad weather, engaged a helicopter to deliver a package. The invoice was promptly signed: no questions asked.
Back home (at the company), Hema introspected if her behavior was causing employees to not be open enough. She encouraged them to be more forthcoming in terms of feedback and suggestions. She led change management programs and mentioned the Fedex story each time.
As a result, Hema notes, the company became “ready to anticipate, welcome and embrace change”.
From a Product Seller to Energy Efficiency Consultant
As a marketer, this episode resonated with me the most.
To stand out in a commoditized and crowded market, Conzerv needed to reposition itself from an energy meter manufacturer to an energy efficiency specialist.
Hema recalls one of the earliest successful campaigns: she wrote a personalized letter (on her personal letterhead) to the CEOs of top 500 companies with highest energy bills.
It was a simple, yet effective message. The letter compared the company’s energy expenditure in previous and current years, highlighting the percentage increase. It, then, pitched Conzerv’s offer to help control energy costs. Hema appended her personal mobile in the signature. She recalls a 50% response rate!
They formed a team of energy efficiency experts who were trained to make presentations specially for the C-suite. Even the sales team was transformed into energy consultants who could be relied upon to offer high-quality, independent advice to clients on saving energy (and not merely salespeople selling energy meters).
Thought Leadership
Thought leadership is an overused phrase in marketing today. When done right, it gives good publicity like no sponsored marketing activity can.
Hema mentions 3 initiatives that greatly enhanced Conzerv’s thought leadership.
- Conzervina
A network aimed at offering a safety net: by women, for women. Hema recounts many instances where she ensured that engineer-wives of Conzerv employees (who were at home) were provided with pathways to return to work.
- Conserve my campus
This involved two initiatives: 1) conserve at home and 2) conserve at school.
Students were asked to become ‘power detectives’ to detect theft of electricity. They were sensitized to the need to conserve power at home and school. So much that a few parents were schooled on the benefits of energy savings too.
- Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE)
Hema envisioned a non-profit solely focused on energy efficiency. She wanted to create an industry association and network that serves as a collaboration hub for industry people and acts as a collective voice that speaks to the government.
In their website, AEEE claims to have, “continuously strived to foster a culture of energy efficiency in India through supporting policy implementation, business enablement, and knowledge products.”
Thank your thankless job
There was a time when Hema felt overwhelmed by the difficulties of her job. She vented her frustration out to her coach, who, then, shared a quote by Robert Updegraf.
And, this is a quote that we’ll all do well to remember during difficult work days.
“Be thankful for the troubles of your job. They provide half your income. If it were not for the things that go wrong, the difficult people you deal with and the problems of your working day, someone can handle your job for half of what you are paid.”
Musings by Madhav 
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