Master Agent: Enjoying the Responsibilities of a Master Agent

If you are a Master Agent you should be knowledgeable of your responsibilities towards your sub-agents. This is very important factor because it will determine the kind of leadership you have, the way you handle your sub-agents and your leadership qualities will also determine your success as a Master Agent. There is no denying that some companies which acted as master agents of telecom firms have failed in performing their responsibilities. In return, they were not able to deliver what is expected of them to do.

A master agent is a telecommunications company performing back office support for the sub-agents. This includes order tracking, commission tracking, quoting, trouble ticketing and ordering. Among the functions of master agents is to track commissions, quotes and orders. In the usual sense, master agents have employed channel managers who will be responsible in providing support to sub-agents.

It seems that a master agent has given the sole responsibility of focusing on sub-agents total development in business. Well, that is also where the so-called value lies. It is very important that as a master agent company you should provide the needs of your sub-agents. If you are not helpful to their needs and problems, then you are not good to this job and your company may not be able to stay in many years the way you want it to be.

In order to be very successful on this job as master agent, and being the owner of the company, you should clearly identify what is the role of a master agent. Remember that you are selling the products of other highly respected companies. Make sure that your sub-agents adhere to company policies so that you will not encounter problems while in the marketing process of various products and services that you maybe promoting. A very effective master agent does the work professionally and leads by example to his sub-agents.

Okay, let us give more emphasis on the functions and responsibilities of a master agent so that the readers would be able to clearly understand what it takes to become a master agent of a telecom company:

Order Tracking

Since a master agent has sub-agents he would carefully record tracking orders because these are the productivity of his sub-agents. Here, the master agent would be able to track how much commission a sub-agent can receive in a given day, weeks and months. Recording of these orders can be critical and tedious so that this activity needs focus and enough attention too. With the help of office computers recording of daily sales record of sub-agents can be easily recorded and kept in much safer and password protected environment. Manual tracking of product orders can be very difficult for you but using the computers and recording every bit of information can be a recommended option to successful order tracking.

Quoting

The master agent should also help prepare the quotation of a certain product or products that will be ordered by an individual or company. Quotations are very important in business because it is the type of form where buyers and customers would know how much is the price offer of the agent as well as the specifications of the product/s being ordered or asked for a quotation. Since the master agent is manning his own marketing team, he should be able to effectively motivate them especially that most of the people involved in marketing, needs first-hand information of the products from the master agent. How much do you know of a certain product if you do not exactly understand your product lines? Being a master agent also involves total commitment to the business. Otherwise, if you have other priorities, you should be able to train an assistant who will handle the operations of your business.

Commission Tracking

A master agent also tracks the commissions to be received by his agents. This is very important so that the commissions would be given at the right time. Sub-agents need money so that during pay day they also expect to receive their commissions. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the usual sub-agents of a master agent and payments are made in checks address to the company names.  

Commission tracking is another very tedious task of a master agent because you do not only track the sales but also calculate how much of the commission can be received by each of your customers. This commission, which should be payable in checks, must be properly calculated before they are given to the appropriate agent. I don’t know if you can effectively handle the calculations of your sub-agents commissions, if you do not also know math. Just maybe you need the appropriate training in handling
cash

Meanwhile, just recently, reports have it that the Telecom Brokerage, Inc. a master agent company has inked a business tie up with TMCnet for the preferred contracts for the company’s array of telecom service providers. This will surely help partners as well as sub-agents to have access with the country’s top carrier products and other resources that are considered helpful, as well as learn from Mr Jeff’s expertise in consulting, product training and back-office support, being TBIs newly installed National Sales Director.

Master Agent: Identifying the Works of a Master Agent

The question that usually comes to your mind when you see this phrase would be this “what is a master agent?  Well, that is true because this also happened to me when I first meet the word “master agent?

When I visited my friend who is one of the very promising telecommunications businessman in the country I had asked him about the definition of a master agent. He said that generally, that which has direct contact with many carriers is called a master agent. And this position of master agent, according to him, typically is associated with quotas, hence the need for more sub-agents. Form his point of view I understand that you cannot become a master agent if you do not have the so-called sub-agents. Basically, a master agent is a telecommunications company performing back office support for the sub-agents. This includes order tracking, commission tracking, quoting, trouble ticketing and ordering. Among the functions of master agents is to track commissions, quotes and orders. In the usual sense, master agents have employed channel managers who will be responsible in providing support to sub-agents.

Today, we can observe some Master Agencies that sell directly to clients. For instance, PlanetOne’s working contract with a company. This seems at cross aim. It seems that a master agent has given the sole responsibility of focusing on sub-agents total development in business. Well, that is also where the so-called value lies.

Okay, I would like also to touch on commissions. With the consolidation seen lately in the industry, agents are most likely looking for the stability in commissions. One Master, Microcorp, should learn that the company has a Commission Assurance Program. This so-called assurance program is considered a unique benefit.

Level3 and InterNAP, are among the leading telecommunications companies in the country and they are capable of supporting sub-agents to make their master agent program more stable and dependable in terms of actual operations. This means independent agents have to work with a master agent.

The definition of a master agent has also something to do with a certain number of direct contacts plus W-2 employees, as well as a number of sub-agents who are considered in active status, right?

My businessman friend used to have referral partners and sub-agents but he never called or identified himself as a master agency. Well, I think he could be among them but he does not only like the terminology used. However, even then that he doesn’t like it but the fact remains.

Master Agent on the go!

Telecom Brokerage, Inc is a fastest growing master agent in the telecommunications industry. In fact, just recently the company announced the installation of Mr. Jeff Waschler as National Sales Director.

His new role in the company as an NSD means that he is now responsible for the planning and building of new business partners and to create relationships with them. He will be focusing his role also in channel integration as well as developing the company’s Southwest Office. He is also tasked to identify new partners for the master agent while developing his existing relationships. Before he joined TBI, Waschler has worked as the Manager of Commercial Sales for the Cox Business, especially in the so-called Arizona market. During his stay with the said company, he managed a team of direct sales representatives. The group sells a full range of telecommunications products to midsize and large accounts. He was very successful in his role in the company like developing important relationships with partners, most especially in the marketplace.

Since Mr Waschler is now employed by a master agent firm, the said company is also expected to benefit from the solid experience of this man especially with direct sales, sales team management, as well as his active role in supporting referral partners.

“This is a great opportunity for me to assist in strengthening the already established relationships that TBI has with its many partners,” Waschler said. “I look forward to developing a Southwest office that will have the capacity to focus on the diverse carriers that TBI works with to offer comprehensive solutions to our fantastic partners.”

“The channel has grown significantly over the past several years and the opportunity to focus on acquiring new partners and re-engaging existing partners is truly exciting,” added Waschler.

“Jeff strengthens our cableco relationship and focus,” said TBI Chief Strategy Officer Mike Saxby, in a statement. Currently the master agent has direct access to three cablecos and plans to add more in 2012. It has also developed a dedicated back-office to support the cableco, a major differentiator in the industry.

“With Jeff’s background he adds significant depth to our growing cable focus,” said Saxby.

Just recently, reports have it that TBI has inked a business tie up with TMCnet for the preferred contracts for the company’s array of telecom service providers. This will surely help partners as well as sub-agents to have access with the country’s top carrier products and other resources that are considered helpful, as well as Mr Jeff’s expertise in consultation, product training and back-office support.