Channel Surfing Blog 

By Khali Henderson

Today, you might have received an email from master agency X4 Communications that was a little out of the ordinary.

Instead of a marketing pitch, X4 invited readers to view a comic strip -- not your mass-market Beetle Bailey variety -- but one written for telecom agents. It's a bit like a Dilbert, but for agents.

The new strip, Uncrossed Lines, is a serial comic just like those in the Sunday Funnies, but it will be published bi-monthly on the company's Website and distributed via e-mail broadcast through services like iAgent Network.

The debut strip features the co-owners of a telecom agency -- Al, "the sales guy", and Joel, "the tech guy" -- pitching a customer on a telecom solution. The first installment pokes fun at the differences between the sales and tech guys and by emphasizing the ego of the former and the standoffishness of the latter. Sound like anyone you know?

So, what's the point? I asked Steve Braverman, "the marketing guy" at X4. He says he came up with the idea while waiting in a bar (of course, that's where all ideas are generated) for Craig Schlagbaum, Level 3's VP of channel and his crew.

"[I was] thinking to myself how every e-mail blast with TA and iAgent are all the same. Everyone e-mails info about great commissions, great rates, great service, great contracts, great promos, another big screen TV, I am number one, I just won another bogus award from some made up telecom agency, etc... and said, 'WHO CARES!!' They all look the same and are all saying things that should be a given in our space."

To break from the mold, Steve decided to do a cartoon about the industry. The company's marketing contractor engaged a writer and illustrator to help make it happen.

"The series will be ongoing and its purpose is to make people smile, differentiate ourselves from the rest, and drive traffic to our site where continuations will reside," Braverman said. Of course, while they are there, they can find out about training and promotions that X4 offers.

In addition to the backstory on the idea, I got the backstory on the cartoon: It focuses on Uncrossed Lines Communications, a telecommunications brokerage run by two longtime friends, Al and Joel. They work out of their homes and meet for business lunches at Maria's Diner, where a number of other telecommunications brokers gather to eat and talk business. The strip will discuss issues routinely faced by brokers through the experiences of Al, Joel and the other regulars.

Here's the cast:
Al -- Co-owns Uncrossed Lines with his lifelong friend Joel. Al is the salesman of the team, an outgoing guy determined to keep the company running no matter what.

Joel --Al's partner at Uncrossed Lines. Joel is the team's tech expert. He's on the nerdy, introverted side, and he and Al sometimes get into arguments thanks to their very different personalities and approaches to business. In the end, however, they can always reach an understanding.

Jimmy -- Another communications broker and regular at Maria's. Jimmy is an unscrupulous hotshot who will jump on any bandwagon and take any opportunity to turn a quick profit, even if it hurts his business in the long term. Al and Joel are wary of Jimmy, but they still sometimes get burned by his bad advice.

Rory -- An older broker who's been in the business for years; he sometimes has trouble keeping up with new technologies, but he knows the business inside out and has a lot of wisdom to impart. He sometimes offers advice to Al and Joel.

Maria -- The owner of Maria's and a client of Uncrossed Lines. She's a sassy waitress type who often chats with Al, Joel and the other regulars.

"Topics will focus on sales, product offerings, working as an agent, working with master agents, and there will be a lot of goofy back and forth with old friends from the telecom days who hang out at Maria’s Diner," Steve said.

X4 also is soliciting feedback on the strip -- although the emails are going to X4 President Curt Allen and not Steve. Hmmm!?

Anyway,  I'm sure they wouldn't mind a few good ideas and even if they do, I've no doubt they will be getting them. This is the perfect weapon to get back at your business partner for the last bonehead manuever they made.

It will be interesting to see how daring the strip gets in addressing hot-button issues like compensation and contracts. From an observer's viewpoint, it should be fun to see the the agent world parodied. 

The question is, can agents laugh at themselves? Will it hit too close to home? What do you think?