About Athul:
Athul holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Accounting obtained from Kannur University and is currently pursuing an MBA in Operations from ICFAI Business School Hyderabad, online mode.
He’s a passionate business consultant with an interest in automating business processes using Zoho solutions. He loves traveling and helping and educating people with his skills, knowledge, and expertise.
1. Can you share your journey and what inspired you to become a Zoho consultant?
CloudQ was my first company, and I joined it as a junior executive in the accounts and administration department. I had a finance background and was completely new to the IT industry.
I joined with a Salesforce administrator certificate and did training on Salesforce admin and development tasks. During my Salesforce training, I learned about the Zoho team at CloudQ, and I was transferred there for training by HR.
During my training period, I understood Zoho was more aligned with my field of study along with a lot of business applications and Business flows with technical aspects.
As I loved providing solutions to clients, leading the project deliveries, and providing training and support, I got interested in the consultant profile. CloudQ’s management understood my driving forces and provided me with the best-fit role here, where I was able to balance my interests along with delivering the projects successfully.
2. What’s one aspect of your expertise that most clients might not know but should?
Many clients might not realize that I initially came from a finance background. This unique perspective allows me to understand business needs and challenges from a different angle. I can bridge the gap between finance, HR, marketing, and technology, helping clients find solutions that not only improve their IT systems but also directly impact their bottom line.
3. What do you enjoy most about implementing Zoho solutions for businesses?
I find it incredibly rewarding when we can successfully automate and integrate various parts of a business’s fragmented processes into a single, streamlined workflow. Seeing how these solutions improve efficiency and ultimately satisfy our clients is incredibly motivating. It pushes me to constantly explore new ways to implement similar integrations and continue to exceed client expectations.
4. How do you start your day to ensure a productive and focused mindset?
I start my day with a brief review of my schedule and priorities for the day. I check my calendar and prioritize the tasks one by one for the day. I also engage in a short period of physical activity, whether it’s a quick walk or some light exercise, to energize my body and mind.
5. When faced with challenges during Zoho implementations, do you prefer a proactive or reflective approach?
When challenges arise during a Zoho implementation, I believe in a proactive and collaborative approach. I start by carefully analyzing the situation then work to understand the root cause of the issue. I discuss the challenge with my supportive teammates, leveraging their diverse expertise, and brainstorm potential solutions with them. Open communication and collaboration are essential. By working together and proactively addressing challenges as they arise, we can ensure the project stays on track and ultimately deliver a successful outcome that exceeds our client’s expectations.
6. If you could describe your consulting style in three words, what would they be?
I would describe my consulting style as collaborative, client-centric, and solution-oriented.
7. Can you tell us about a particularly complex Zoho project you’ve worked on and how you successfully delivered it?
One of the most complex Zoho projects that I have worked on is Trident Rental Estate Management. This project had a lot of complex requirements and processes that required us to use multiple Zoho applications along with third-party integrations. The finance flow and process of this project was very complex to organize, and it demanded a lot of hours and effort to implement it. However, we were able to successfully deliver it by working as a team, where everyone contributed equally with their expertise, making the requirements fit smoothly to the process and achieving 100% client satisfaction.
8. What aspect of your work with Zoho energizes you the most?
The aspect of my work with Zoho that energized me the most is Zoho’s seamless integration options and its pool of interesting finance applications. I was always surprised by the way Zoho fits every requirement the clients may have, allowing me to perfectly suggest the best solution for each pain point.
9. Do you have a favorite mantra or quote that keeps you motivated during projects?
One of my favorite quotes that keeps me motivated is “Every project is an opportunity to learn, to figure out problems and challenges, to invent and reinvent.”
10. If you could work from anywhere in the world as a Zoho consultant, where would it be and why?
If I had the option to work from anywhere in the world as a Zoho consultant, I would choose the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, as these are the markets that usually give very challenging software requirements and have a complex process. I would like to explore their complex process and work closely in helping their business to successfully organize their activities, along with working in a flourishing Arabic culture.
11. What’s a non-work-related skill or hobby that you’re proud of and how does it influence your professional approach?
A non-work-related skill I am proud of is singing. Humming and hearing beautiful music while engaging in a project activity is a stress buster for me. One of my favorite hobbies is traveling, which helps me to alleviate my stress, meet new people, go new places, and refresh my mind. This helps me to focus on my professional life by making my mind more refreshed and calm.
12. How do you prefer to celebrate a successful Zoho implementation or a big professional milestone?
I would prefer to celebrate a successful Zoho implementation with my team, either by having a good team lunch or by going on a small outing with my teammates, which helps us to rejoice and calm our minds before getting into another complex project delivery.
13. If you weren’t a Zoho consultant, what other profession do you think you’d excel in?
I always loved to take up management and leadership roles. If I wasn’t a Zoho Consultant, I would have, preferably, taken the role of project manager or a team lead in an IT or non-IT domain where I could contribute my skills for successfully growing my team and teammates.
14. Who has had the biggest impact on your career, and what’s the most valuable advice they’ve given you?
The person who has made the biggest impact on my career is one of my family friends who is closely related to CloudQ. He showed me an alternate path when I was stuck after obtaining my undergraduate degree and also helped me land my first job. His valuable advice on learning about Salesforce CRM software and being certified was a crucial turning point.
15. Do you have any evening routines or rituals to unwind after a busy day of consulting?
I have an evening out with my friends to a nearby café or tea shop, where we have a coffee, discuss all the happenings each day, and mutually communicate our work events.
16. What advice would you give to someone just starting as a Zoho consultant?
The advice I would give is that a consultant role always requires you to be up to date with all the new features and products in Zoho. Also, you need to always face tricky questions and situations; because, as a consultant, you need to guide your teammates and clients.
That’s a wrap on this interview with Athul! We hope you enjoyed learning about his impressive journey. A big thank you to Athul for sharing his story with us. Stay tuned for more interviews with our incredible team members. See you next time!
Want to meet others at CloudQ? We have a fantastic lineup of Get to Know posts here you can browse. Thank you so much for reading!
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