The Teleconvergence FAQ

Teleconvergence is an independent management consulting firm with expertise in telecommunications, technology, marketing, and strategic operations. We have a business rather than a technical orientation. Our clients range from startups to medium-sized businesses. We're located in Portland, Oregon, and we offer our services in both English and Spanish.

There are three main questions you should have, and each of the three main parts of the site is designed to answer one of them.  Here are the questions:

1. Does Teleconvergence do what I need done?
2. How do you go about it?
3. Do I think I'll like working with you?

If you can't ultimately answer "Yes" to all three, completely and without hesitation, then move on.  Now, for the three answers:

1. Does Teleconvergence do what I need done?  You should know what we do.  If we're not competent to do what you need, why read further? The work we do is covered in two sections.  Communications Consulting includes all telecom projects such as system change and cost reduction. Strategic Consulting Services are oriented more to upper management's needs as opposed to daily operations, and are not exclusively concerned with telecommunications . Strategic Consulting Services include part-time communications management, as well as services we offer entrepreneurs in startups, and to companies that want to enter or expand within the telecom industry, or who need strategic help in moving past the recession, which is where our Conflection Point Planning comes in.
    
2. Do I like how you go about it?  If you don't agree with our methods, why should you trust our results?  Methodologies discusses our methodologies, which we call our Approaches, how we go about what we do.  The Teleconvergence Approach (Not Just Solutions — Results) is our basic perspective; this article begins in the banner on the home page. Those interested in telecom-related projects should read The Teleconvergence Approach to System Selection, and so on.
    
3. Do I think I'll like working with you?  You wouldn't hire a stranger. You shouldn't retain one, either.  The FAQ is in the section About Us, which is pretty self-descriptive. This FAQ will get you started, and there's information about Teleconvergence, our founder, our approach to fees, and more. You can see all the parts to the section by looking at the site map to your left.

• Finally, be sure to go through all three areas, or at least through the parts that are relevant to your needs.  At some point, you should get a sense of how we can help you and a good idea as to whether you'd like us to.  If the answer is yes, or even just tentatively yes, then simply contact us and we can make the determination together.  However, if at that point you're still undecided, we suggest you read the last item on the sitemap to your left, The Last Step: Deciding If Teleconvergence is Right for you. It's a summary, but very straightforward. Just like us. If you like that, then you might just like us, too.

No. No. And No.

Our (Tele)communications Consulting Services are generally projects that include telecom and VoIP system and network analysis and recommendations, telecom risk management, etc. Results include system changes that meet strategic objectives, lowered costs, increased revenue, enhanced productivity, and improved communications. 

Our Strategic Consulting Services represent longer term relationships with both upper and operating management, including IT.  Here, we supplement in-house expertise, sometimes by acting as a part-time (or outsourced) communications manager. Our strategic consulting services bridge the IT-Business Unit divide, may include marketing capabilities such as product development and management, assist companies entering or already in the telecom industry to achieve their objectives, and result in unique business and value propositions, enhanced supply chain relationships, and sustainable competitive positioning. 

Our clients appreciate the fact that we're there with them for the long term, that we learn their business and their style, and that they can either use us whenever they need us or on an ongoing retainer basis. They view Teleconvergence as integral to their success as their other professional advisors.

Our consulting work falls into two areas:

On a Project basis, we perform specific tasks and provide advice and recommendations to help a client reach a particular objective.

On a Retainer basis, we become part of a client's management team, identifying priorities and opportunities, mapping out appropriate strategies, and working with various departments to achieve objectives. We can virtually perform the telecommunications management function for our retainer clients, although not day-to-day administration. We can also help companies define and implement their long term competitive strategies.

Due to the long-term nature of our retainer relationships, we gain insight into our clients' future plans and acquire significant understanding of their business practices and procedures, ensuring that we can continue to leverage our expertise for their best short and long term interests. In fact, it's happened that,  because of client rightsizings and turnover, when it came to questions about processes and procedures in the context of institutional memory, we had more knowledge than the remaining staff put together. It wasn't the plan, but it was a benefit.

Nothing. We will speak with you without charge or rigid time limit to answer your initial questions, and to let us both determine if Teleconvergence can understand your situation and satisfy your needs.  It also gives each of us the opportunity to decide if we'd like to work with the other.

There are two reasons why we hold nothing back during these conversations.

1. First, we consider your time as valuable as ours, so it's a mutual investment.
2. Second, assume we have a two-hour conversation. If we could tell you everything we knew in two hours, there would be no reason to retain us in the first place. Besides, until you’re convinced that Teleconvergence can help you, why should you agree to pay us anything?

We're very direct, both before and after we've been retained. Our clients value our no-nonsense and honest approach. This is especially useful when an existing or even potential client knows he or she needs help, but is not even sure where or how to start.

It may seem unusual, but Teleconvergence is frequently retained first to determine exactly what needs to be done and whether we're the right party to do the work. If we decide we're not, we'll do our best to steer you in the right direction.  We also often invite colleagues with special expertise to work on projects with us. Even the best doctors refer certain patients to other specialists.

Since we're management consultants and not vendors, if you basically just want to buy something and be done with it, then you want a vendor and not a consultant. Similarly, if you're looking for a firm that will say "yes" to whatever you tell them, then you want to speak to someone who gets paid for saying "yes" to a customer, and that's a salesperson, not a consultant. Or at least not a consultant like us. Also, if you're not comfortable with straight talk like this, that's another indication we might not be a good fit for each other.

No. We will not spend time generating a proposal just to see if you like it. We will spend the time with you necessary to determine if we have the basis for a fruitful relationship. Over one or more sessions, we will discuss the scope of what we can do, your objectives and budget and other constraints and details, how much time we would spend on your behalf, and how long it would take us to complete your project. We'll discuss work stages and milestones and fees and all the other elements of a productive and successful relationship. We do that together. 

However, if and only if we agree to a relationship, including first payment and start date, then, with your approval, we will willingly spend a considerable amount of time to prepare and send you a detailed confirmation of everything we've agreed to, including a reasonable kill fee should we not proceed. Our fees are not at all exorbitant. But we will not just send out a proposal solely in the hope it will be accepted; someone has to pay for the time we spend preparing it, and it's not fair to charge other clients for it, however indirectly. Don't you agree?

We have a variety of options available, ranging from hourly or flat fees to a monthly or annual retainer. We always try to give a client compensation alternatives, each of which is revenue neutral to us. That way, a prospective client can retain us on the basis that he or she feels is most appropriate.

Once you’ve read enough to feel comfortable with our perspective and approach, feel free to contact us to discuss your needs.  As we say elsewhere, it's your decision. And it's your call. Our phone number is at the bottom of every page. We'll be here.