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TIAB franchisees and service providers are able to beat the ‘big boys’ of the industry through one main weapon – that of dedicated personal account management and customer support. Having some sort of relationship with the person at the end of the line increases the customer’s trust, gives them peace of mind and dramatically improves the chances of finding a mutually benefitting resolution to any situation.

With this in mind, we figured that you would all benefit from more of an insight into the TIAB teams, their roles and their members. Many of you will have come into contact with most of the TIAB teams at some point or another, however that friendly voice at the end of the line has a face, and with that face is a life inside and (hopefully) outside of Telcoinabox. This regular feature will take you through all of the TIAB teams and staff, giving you an insight into the lifeblood of the company, those that keep it ticking over on a day-to-day basis.

The first team to be profiled is the newly created Business Accountability Manager team, or BAM. Well over half the franchises are benefitting from the services and support provided by their dedicated BAM and are showing considerable growth from the ‘Business Prosperity Course’ that is taught and used to improve the structure and running of their businesses. But BAM isn’t just about telling you how to do your job, it offers personal support and coaching as well as providing Telco knowledge and training.

Those of you who attended November’s roadshows will know that “Your business is just an extension of you”, so BAMs are trained to recognise how to help a franchisee personally in order to allow their business to succeed.

We all have fears, weaknesses, goals and strengths and a BAM ensures that your goals and strengths far outweigh your fears and weaknesses, allowing you to become the person you always wanted to be, owning the business that you always dreamed of. BAM gives you a motivational push and will hold you accountable for reaching the goals that you set. BAM’s mantra is simply “No Excuses’!!

So let’s meet the team that can take you and your franchise to a higher level of success:

Name: Tom Fry
Nickname: Tom the Pom
Hobbies/interests: All sports! Mainly rugby, sailing and golf. I am currently in training to take part in the Oxfam Trailwalker 100Km walk in August. I love an active lifestyle balanced with over-indulgence in fine foods and excessive alcohol! I used to be a DJ and still have a passion for music. I enjoy writing and relax in the evenings by spending at least an hour in the kitchen.
Favourite movie: The Matrix
Favourite music: Funky House, John Butler Trio, Jazz, anything with a good beat!
Favourite food: I can’t answer that…I’m obsessed with all food! Probably a curry, a Lamb Jalfrezi, but you can’t get a decent one in this part of the world!

Professional history: I worked in sales/account management for an IT hardware distribution company in England for three years before travelling the world and getting stuck in Sydney, I had a brief spell working for the NSW Department of Lands in Internal Communications and marketing.
Describe yourself as a person: I am happy-go-lucky with a passion for life. I live life to the full and am constantly on the go, usually surrounding myself with people. I love a challenge and have a competitive streak within me. I tend to lead the drinking and never shy away from making an idiot of myself on the dancefloor! My family means the world to me, which is odd considering I couldn’t live any further from them.
How has being a BAM changed you? Simple – focus and drive. I always thought I’d do well in life, but I never really knew how. I’ve now got control of my life and make of it whatever I want. Being a BAM has shown me that the only thing standing between me and world domination is me. Not only do I now know what I want to get out of life, but I also have a plan for how to make it happen, albeit a work in progress.
Describe life as a BAM: Work hard, play hard! We have a lot of fun in our team, but we have to be on top of our games to get the best out of our clients. It’s not always easy telling the franchisees what they need to hear to get them to break out of their comfort zones, but the rewards are huge when you make a breakthrough and make a difference, not just in their businesses but also in their personal lives too.

Being a BAM has taught me a lot about myself, I am now driven and focused, sure of what I want, and how I’m going to make it happen. Having first-hand experience of changing my way of thinking for the better makes it that much easier to convince others to do the same. If I can get all of my clients in the same frame of mind as me my job is done! It’s as easy as that!

Goals: I have a huge list, but the ones at the forefront of my attention at the moment are: Complete 100km walk in August; Become BAM team leader by Conference; Write a novel; I have completed a load of my other main goals in the last few weeks so it’s probably about time to re-write the list and prioritise them once again!
Something that we don’t know about you: I speak fluent French

Name: Paul Jackson
Nickname: Jacko
Hobbies/interests: XBOX 360, tennis, dining out, being social and generally having a good time.
Favourite movie: Lord of the Rings
Favourite music: Anything from Tiesto to Madonna to Marilyn Manson
Favourite food: Anything Thai

Professional history: Straight out of school I spent 9 ½ years in the Navy in Operational/logistical roles. After that I worked in Team Leader/Account Management roles for companies such as TNT, Hermes Precisa and Sun Microsystems.
Describe yourself as a person: Very outgoing social person, structured and looking to grow as person both personally and professionally. I have a very positive outlook on life, enjoy pushing myself hard and I have quite high expectations for myself. How has being a BAM changed you? BAM has been able to offer me direction in what I want to achieve and has clearly showed me how to achieve this. Although I am very structured in my life I can now realise how easy it is to put your own goals on hold, as you tend to other's needs. It really has been the light at the end of the tunnel that I have needed, even though I was quite stand-offish at first regarding goals etc. I can really see the benefits.

Describe life as a BAM: It’s a really good team and we all get along really well. We work in a fun, dynamic environment; it’s upbeat and very energetic, casual, but highly professional. 6 months has just flown!!
Goals: Quite a few really, I mean we had to write a 100 goals for JJ. But seriously some of my big goals this year are to Travel to the USA, finish renovating my investment property and start developing a new one. On a professional level I aim to further my current skills and advance to a new opportunity.

Name: Aileen Zaballa
Nickname: Ailzy
Hobbies/interests: Travelling, shopping, chocolate, wine (both red and white), dancing
Favourite movie: The Little Mermaid
Favourite music: Any – as long as I can dance to it
Favourite food: Chocolate!

Professional history: I was Customer Operations Exec with Optus for 4 years, then I moved to OnDemand Solutions where I spent a year in account management
Describe yourself as a person: Good things comes in small packages! Fun, outgoing and easy going. I like to try and experience new things that will help me broaden my horizons. I love travelling and meeting new people along the way. Shopping is my weakness, as well as chocolate.
How has being a BAM changed you? I am more goal-driven and focused in achieving my goals, both long and short term.

Describe life as a BAM: It’s been a lot of fun working as a BAM, my most challenging role to date, but also the most enjoyable role I’ve worked in. Working as a BAM has helped me grow both professionally and personally. The team is upbeat and fun to work with – wouldn’t ask for a better group of people to work with, day in and day out!
Goals: Running City 2 Surf (August 2008), Greece (September 2008), Buy my first investment property early 2009
Something that we don’t know about you: I cried at the end of ‘Home Alone’ ... hahaha!

Author: Tom Fry
Email: tom@telcoinabox.com