Should We Feel Lucky, Blessed, or Scared All at the Same Time?
During my 8-year stint selling telecommunication solutions in Upstate New York, I have been fortunate to offer high-quality services to my customers. As autumn sets in, I can't help but ponder what the next 5 years have in store, especially with the Broadband Equity Access Deployment (BEAD) funding to be awarded in early 2025.
Here are the three key takeaways I have:
Lucky:
I have considered myself fortunate for the past 8 years, as I have had the opportunity to work for a company that values its principles and has given me the chance to succeed and grow. Additionally, I am grateful to work in a state that has allocated funds towards improving local telecommunication services, enabling them to offer high-speed broadband to their customers. With the upcoming BEAD funding, this process can continue, and it is crucial, as high-speed broadband is as essential to my generation as electricity was to my grandparents.
Blessed:
I feel blessed with the addition of MacLean (MSI) for pole line hardware. As someone positioned to sell products and solutions, I have three principles to help my customers achieve their long-term growth goals. Not everyone in my position has the luxury of selling products and solutions they can truly stand behind. But with MacLean's, CommScope’s, and Viavi’s world-class solutions, I can provide my customers with high-quality broadband offerings that are proven to work and can be relied on forever.
Scared:
Additionally, I am concerned because the pandemic has significantly reduced the number of my customers due to consolidation. Following BEAD funding, most of my customers will have constructed a large majority of their FTTH networks, leaving small projects and miscellaneous items each year to sell. But most of all, I am scared because the solutions you provide are crucial to Upstate New York's socioeconomic growth for generations to come. All these factors put added pressure to ensure I am even more prepared to help all my customers use the next 5 years to set up their networks for whatever challenges are ahead.
Like everything in life, change is inevitable. The fluidity of emotions in this dynamic and uncertain venture combines my feelings of luck, gratitude, and fear, leading to one natural conclusion for me. It is more crucial than ever to strive to be the best at my job. My eight years of experience, track record of successful funding projects, and the addition of MacLean to our team have made me realize that the solutions I provide to my customers have a much more significant impact than just the number of products I sell. The telecommunications industry is at a tipping point for OSP products, a natural progression for any market. However, I consider it an honor and a rare opportunity to provide my customers with the best solutions and products to help them thrive for the next 50 years.
How do you feel about it?