Peer to Peer Blog  

By Dan Vidal, Co-founder and Managing Director, Telecom Advisors Inc.

Are you surviving or thriving? Which “camp” are you in (most of the time)?

Similar questions to consider along these lines:

• Are you helping customers just cut costs or are you helping them create, innovate and grow?
• Are you chasing customers or are you attracting customers?
• Is your business a reflection of someone else or of you, really?
• Are you doing whatever it takes to win, or being a person that finds the true win-win relationships?
• Are you tired or do you have energy?

OK, I think we get the point with most of these questions (and one or two might even seem out of place, but follow me for a moment). It’s pretty clear what camp you probably want to belong to, but it’s quite another thing to really be at that camp and stay there consistently and even effortlessly.

This idea of these two opposing camps makes me think about the hit TV show “Lost.” I won’t even begin to go there in drawing parallels and certainly would not dare dissect such wonderful art, but I will say this notion of two camps and the real-life back and forth through different times/experiences/life stages seems an appropriate analogy.

In a business, it’s not always easy to find meaning or “The Why” at the heart/core. I doubt many of us were kids growing up and thinking, “When I grow up I want to be an agent in the telecommunications channel.” Yet, here we are and “The Why” of what we do in our daily work lives confronts us even if we choose to ignore it. In addition, “The Why” of what we do sends out a clear signal to the people we interact with – all the time.

Why do we do what we do? Is it the money and lifestyle? To some extent of course it is, because we have to make a living as a basic life necessity, and there’s a pretty darn good living to be made in this business. I, for one, love and appreciate my business for what it provides for my family and that is a huge blessing. But I believe a deeper examination is required for it to be a sustainable and fulfilling business where we enjoy an authentic expression of our creative selves (and also for it to really be something special for your clients).

That’s where these questions come in (and by no means is it a complete list of reflective questions). If we don’t take a good look in the mirror and answer them honestly, we’re in serious jeopardy of belonging to that first camp – just surviving, chasing, doing whatever it takes, growing tired and, ultimately, being someone else – almost by default or just following the crowd.

I used to think that you had to do something big and with a grand purpose in your work life in order for it to be meaningful. But then I found out over time, that if treated with respect, if loved and nurtured, if treated with good, core values and principles, if treated like a living entity, then any work you do or business you create can become an expression and extension of yourself in the world. And even though it is definitely harder (at first) to get to that second camp, I cannot imagine ever going back to the first camp by choice.

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the second camp — that grand purpose and meaning I was looking for in my work life found me and was really there all along. I just had to look at things differently to see it. It presented itself as the moment I stopped worrying about the outside world and focused on my inner world. I stopped obsessing on the results and metrics, and started to simply do what I’ve always done very well – treat everyone (including customers) with love and respect. Some relationships fostered and others didn’t. Some customers were attracted and some were repelled by this. But in the process, it all worked and came together, and I am ever grateful for joining that second camp. This ultimately is a choice you make whether you know it or not.

Here is a little secret if you don’t already know this: Customers don’t buy from you because you have the best price or your business model is so great or whatever else you may think. It’s also certainly not because you’ve mastered the latest sales techniques (at least not in the long term). They buy from you if they believe in you (at least that’s a very major part of it). They buy from you if “The Why” of what you do is apparent to them and they see an authentic person in front of them that provides something they need, of course, but more so that you believe in. We all sense this in whom we get into relationships with, including work relationships in this context (some sense it quicker than others). Honest, good customers will sense this as well, and are attracted to this.

Do you really have to win every customer out there or become a $100 million business? Is that your No. 1 goal? Our goals likely will lead us into either the first or second camp by the very nature of the goal itself. So keep a close eye on what goals you create for yourself and “The Why” of those goals. I would suggest a step farther and deeper. Look beyond superficial goals at inner truths. And in doing so, you might just accomplish some of those goals as a byproduct anyway. At the very least, you will thrive with inner peace in an insanely complex and ever-changing outer world.

So back to the original question: Are you surviving or thriving? Your answer is required and will hopefully lead to more required questions and answers.

Enjoy the series finale of “Lost” (if you are a fan) and thanks for reading...

Dan Vidal is the co-founder and managing director of Telecom Advisors Inc., an independent firm that specializes in advising companies on the procurement of voice and data services. He also is a member of the 2009-10 PHONE+/Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board. He can be reached at dvidal@telecomadvisorsinc.com.

User Comments !

Dan,

Wow!  Talk about hitting it out of the park!  I experienced the same feelings and satisfaction as you.  We have the most incredible career anyone could attain.  We are paid by carriers to save our clients money but in reality we are truly paid to be advocates, supporters of our clients with the carriers.  How many people make a six figure income plus and have the opportunity to do it while saving people money?  People buy from people not products.  Trust, caring and sharing are all part of what we do. 

Well stated Dan.  Look forward to meeting many you and many like minded agents at the DC show!

Posted by: Brian Miller | May 19 2010 05:29:50