OK OK OK I hear you!  Or at least I am reading you LOUD and CLEAR!  You want the newsletter back.  Not that I am one to complain but....  I'm not getting paid to do a lot of the work that goes into newsletter publishing and distribution.  Membership dues barely covers web site, computer and other costs for The Telecom Trader.  I guess I am glad that this is one of my passions and I really do adore being your Queen of Telecom Geeks.

So, if I'm going to start this up again I have at least a few conditions.  First, I don't want any grief or snickers over my collection of animations and winky blinkies.  I like them and be it known that I don't care one smidgen of a little bit if some smart youngun' thinks it is all amateurish and girly.  I am the ultimate MgMagee (Medium Good Middle Aged Girl Geek).  That phrase is copyrighted by the way.  By me. I'm practically unique!  Almost trademarked!

Is it really so bad that I can find ways to write about topics that favor the display of my animations?  I think not.

The second in my list of demands is the need for more input from you about topics you'd like covered.  I can only write so many amusing anecdotes about customer complaints regarding technicians' bum cracks.  The idea of just repeating news found on other sites is just not my cup of tea.  Not that I mind linking to great news stories, it is that I have neither the time, patience or internet speed required to surf and seek the best relevant news articles.

I've been soliciting ideas for topics from members.  I'm willing to try almost anything.  Some requests include member opinions about topics ranging from how to ease the pain of laying off employees to finding better ways to generate new business.  I'll consolidate some of these requests and ask further opinions. 

The #1 newsletter request is for more amusing stories about our bidnezz.  Thanks for asking.  Did you hear the one about the guy who got fired for sleeping on the equipment room floor right underneath the MDF?  AND that he smelled of alcohol?  The boss failed to notice that the alcohol smell was stale stinky body odor from the previous night and no bath that morning.  He also forgot to remember that the employee in question was a documented narcolepsy patient.  When he sat on the floor to put in connectors, he just fell asleep.  And THAT is when the boss walked in.  And fired him.

Oh the tangled webs we find ourselves woven in.  This newsletter would be a nice place to feature good works of our employees and staff members. Do you have an example about how a front line worker performed a great customer satisfying service?  Please don't take that the wrong way and keep it reasonably clean. 

My dear old dad says that everyone has a story.  How about yours?   DOD tells a story about a retired telephone man who planned a romantic adventure involving a blanket, pick-a-nick basket and of course, alcohol.  The attempt to spice up his romance went swampy when the neighborhood alligator showed up with a brood of baby alligators and forcibly removed the pick-a-nick basket.  The humans got away with their limbs intact, basket lost, and ardor dampened.  The alligator's name is Spot. Or was that Spottette? Ok, so maybe your stories will never live up to those of my dear old dad.  Don't even try, eh? 

It should be easy to look around your world and see something of interest to the rest of the group.  Grammar and spelling doesn't count.  I can do that part. 

I am hoping to feature a February twenty+ten submission from Tammy and Scott Cooley from way out in Wyoming. Tammy says it might be cold and harsh where they live, but it is better than Alaska where they used to be.  Their company, All Wave Telecommunications provides comprehensive one stop services and specializes in outdoor radio, cell and satellite tower work.  The home page of their website has a spectacular photograph of a winter scene featuring a communications tower.  You have to see it to believe it!  There are also photos on their home page that depict incredible and impossible installation sites.  Check it out soonest possible at  www.allwavetelecom.com  I am very interested in reading more about those photos and what life must be like for telecom contractors working in supremely challenging terrain and weather conditions.  Also makes me wonder how they get porta-potties and basic essentials out to these fantastically remote yet vital outposts.

I have my eye on several members who can contribute ideas and content to topics surrounding minority owned business development including assets, headaches and time involved.   This topic leads itself to a companion series in the success of minority owned business and government contracts.  It might be time for us all to exercise our collective muscle as the industry leaders that we are.

Steven Skeen from Business Access Communications (817-881-5800) in Texas  would like to see member opinion on industry trends.  I agree that it would be helpful to know about the best selling hardware, phone systems, network management equipment and other important factors in our day to day lives.  As a contractor representing the Dallas - Ft. Worth area, his 25 years experience make him a great choice for subcontracting work and he can satisfy all of your technical needs as a turn key provider. From a newsletter perspective, he is interested in topics of value to his company relating to telephone, paging and data installation, service, training and programming for all telecom and IT needs. 

Here's the thing.  If we all work together we should be able to do a better job of sharing information, motivating our peers, helpful hints and stories not to be repeated outside our private circle.

 So here we go again! I have to bring up money. Again.  The arithmetic girl visited a while back and I got a thorough analysis and detailed breakdown of my 10th anniversary rate reduction. Turns out it was a really bad idea.  My intelligence was repeatedly insulted as she tried to explain to me how reducing rates by over one half then reduces income by an equivalent amount.  My logic to recruit twice as new many members met with a skeptical look that included a recitation about how I had not in fact doubled membership.

Next on her list was my apparent inability to keep track of when member dues expire or to initiate the proper procedure for renewals, reminders and so forth ad-nauseum. No kidding, I had to leave the room for a bit!  I think it safe to say that she let me have IT in such a not so subtle way.  Pretty much proves that I really am not so pure and perfect in any way.

So, here's the deal. Until the arithmetic girl catches me again, I'm going to extend the anniversary rate reversal for all new and existing members.  You can extend your membership term by 1 to 4 years at the current 'ridiculously' low rates.  Maybe one day I'll share with you the real reason I've extended this 10th anniversary celebration for so long.  Wouldn't want to make you go all teary eyed on me.

Over the past few months I have been working with a few Telecom Trader members to develop a new Telecom Trader Marketing System.  This three step program is simple, easy to implement and follow-up is a natural progression.  If you want to know more about the new marketing system, then return email me for details.