MANY TELECOM PROFESSIONALS are making the decision to take control of their careers by becoming independent sales professionals - a move that reflects the telecom industry's migration from direct sales to an indirect sales model.

Once the decision to become an independent sales agent has been made, the next decision is whether to go it alone and contract directly with the carriers or contract with an established master agent. This question is best answered by first understanding that today's environment requires a consultative sales approach. Thereby, an agent presents to the prospect the option of several vendors but, based on the agent's expertise, recommends a specific choice.

In order to become a solution seller, going it alone then requires contracting with several carriers. Carrier contracts require revenue commitments and typically pay higher commissions with larger volumes. In contrast, a large master agent with an established base is capable of paying an agent a larger commission with lower revenue commitments than the agent would receive from a carrier directly. Thus, contracting with a master agent provides maximum flexibility - an important criterion when considering the current level of uncertainty in the marketplace.

Whether you are an independent agent, or an agency representing a multitude of subagents, a LAN/WAN integrator, interconnect, or telecom consultant, often it makes sense to partner with a master agent like TBI.