By Vince Bradley, Founder, President and CEO, World Telecom Group


As the Spring Channel Partners Conference & Expo quickly approaches us, I am pleased to say that we will be able to celebrate the all important two-year anniversary for the first non-profit association ever in the telecom industry! Below are some reasons why my peers and I opted to form the Telecom Channel Association (TCA):

• Provide trusted leadership in addressing industry challenges
• Deliver value-added programs and services to meet the identified needs of its members
• Leverage the collective voice of the indirect sales channel community to ensure its success
• Advocate the indirect sales channel as a viable, sustainable alternative to the direct sales
• Develop a knowledgebase of best practices to foster the growth and success of the indirect sales channel and its businesses
• Consolidate market data and metrics to support the impact of the indirect sales channels on the overall success of the industry
• Develop and promote industrywide standards of conduct through collaboration of indirect sales channel partners and vendors

Value is created by becoming a reliable and expert advisor for your clients and their needs. What happens when the value you work so hard to create is undermined by those with lesser scruples than your own? These are the challenges presented to agents on a day-to-day basis, where competition can be fierce for account ownership. Protected account lists, direct-side involvement and price undercutting places a bitter taste in the customers’ mouths and creates smaller margins for all involved. Policies and procedures must be created to ensure fair account practices and equal representation to the agent. Employee groups monitor best practices on the parts of their employers and respond accordingly. Should there not also be a similar group of individuals to address the needs and challenges of the channel, especially given the double-digit percentage of revenue for which agents represent today?


TCA promotes the idea that business can be transacted symbiotically through a code of ethics shaped and formed by the voices of its members (agents and vendors). Through involvement in the association, a forum is fostered where agents and vendors can openly exchange ideas on how to address coming trends and shifts in the channel. We desired to create a proactive body that not just responded to present challenges but also operated with foresight to address the landscape of tomorrow.


Collectively, TCA functions as a body that gains vendor awareness and increased mind share through its hundreds of members. This mind share created by a collective governance of peers ensures that problems are realized and addressed. By working through these problems, we create a channel that is esteemed not only for the monetary value it brings, but also for the best practices it promotes.


Do you have the remote? It is time to change the channel! Check out the TCA site for more information: and feel free to drop me a line at vbradley@wtgcom.com.