Interview with TCN’s CEO, Terrel Bird

Terrel Bird Introduction

After graduating from BYU, Terrel moved to his wife’s hometown in Northern Ontario Canada. There he was hired as President of Northern Allied Steel and Propane. After a long “extended stay” in Canada Terrel moved his family to Southern Utah. He always had a love for the red rocks and the great outdoors that Utah has to offer. After researching an emerging technology in 1997 called VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), Terrel felt that there was a need to fill and saw how this technology would evolve over time.

VoIP is telephone communication through the internet. He began to put the pieces together and making partnerships that helped fill this need. A year and a half later TCN was created and began marketing its services world-wide.

Today, agencies need to do more with less. By using TCN’s cloud-based predictive dialing tools and services for the contact center, clients can leverage the most sophisticated Outbound and Inbound calling technologies available, while maximizing available resources and ROI, all without massive capital outlay or new staff. The TCN solution is a complete dialer replacement with full outbound, manual, preview, inbound, and blended functionality with no hardware, no monthly minimums or no maintenance fees.

TCN’s award winning Platform 3.0 (P3) is a multi-tenant, intuitive, Interactive Voice Communication platform that has been revolutionary for contact centers needing dialing and IVR solutions.

Terrel has 10 children and loves to road bike when time permits.

You are the CEO of TCN, a company that offers Software as a Service call center technology. Tell us more about TCN and the services it provides.

TCN is a cloud based virtual call center. TCN manages inbound and outbound call traffic flow for call centers around the world.

Today, call centers need to do more with less. By using TCN’s cloud-based predictive dialing tools and services for the contact center, clients can leverage the most sophisticated Outbound and Inbound calling technologies available while maximizing available resources and ROI, all without massive capital outlay or new staff. The TCN solution is a complete dialer replacement with full outbound, manual, preview, inbound and blended functionality with no hardware, no monthly minimums and no maintenance fees.

TCN’s award winning Platform 3.0 (P3) is a multi-tenant, intuitive, Interactive Voice Communication platform that has been revolutionary for contact centers needing dialing and IVR solutions.

Q: What led to your involvement with TCN?

In 1999, there was a lot of discussion concerning the potential of a new way of communicating called VOIP. This method had great potential and was radically different than standard switched telephone networks that had been in place for many years. Many thought VOIP would not be an effective voice transport system because of latency and potential to have packet loss. I was motivated to get my family moved back to the United States and started studying the opposing arguments. Over time I convinced myself that VOIP would eventually be successful and overcome existing communication methods. Based on this thought, I moved forward. Now everyone knows VOIP as a standard worldwide.

Q: Prior to your work with TCN, you were the President of a steel and propane company in Ontario, Canada. What lessons did you learn from that position that prepared you for your current role at TCN?

Building a good, positive culture where everyone is appreciated is a good place to start. People at the company should have your trust so they feel free to try. If mistakes are made then no negative repercussions will come their way. This encourages everyone to use his or her mind and imagination. Eventually we get it right. The very talented and appreciated team at TCN has produced the very best call center technology in the world.

Q: In 1997, you began researching a new technology called Voice over Internet Protocol and felt it could serve a purpose in the world of business. What gave you the confidence to develop a company around this emerging technology?

My personal motivation came because I wanted to return with my family to the United States. Upon arriving I needed something that would support my very large family of which most of them were teenagers at that time.

Q: Can you tell us about any professional failures you’ve experienced along the way and what you did to overcome them?

As it turns out, I was very early in placing my faith in the VOIP technology. I believed that this technology would soon be vindicated and that my efforts in developing an application over a VOIP network would be vindicated quickly. This was my mistake. In this case being so early I lost a large portion of my capital in the VOIP technology. At this point I could have quit. Many times the second or third investor in a project is the one who benefits. I decided to pick myself up and be that second investor.

Q: What has kept you motivated when the path to success has become difficult?

My motivation has come through faith and a conviction that the course I was following was correct. My thoughts were that many people, not withstanding myself, would all benefit from this endeavor. I am now witnessing the fulfillment of that conviction.

Q: In your experience, what three qualities are essential to becoming a successful entrepreneur?

Three top qualities that I think are important to be successful are work, honesty and giving credit and respect to others.

Q: What is the worst business advice you’ve ever received?

I have learned that when people give you business advice, it is concerning a trend or investment that the general population is aware of and is taking on the feeling of an atmosphere of frenzy—“The buy or invest now or it will be too late.” This is a tell-tale sign that you should not proceed. The best thing to do is follow your own mind and heart by identifying directions and acting on them before they become obvious.

Q: What is your definition of success and have you achieved it?

Have goodwill and friendship with all the people at work and in the family. This is always ongoing and I believe I am successful.

Q: With a family of ten children, how do you maintain a work/life balance?

Balance is more easily achieved by focusing all of your time and energy on only the important things. By not letting that which is most important be at the mercy of that which is least or less important. In my case, it has always been family, work and church. Other personal interests or hobbies not in these three categories were not pursued. It is a matter of priority and focus. Some seemingly important and interesting things not in the top three just have to be left for another day, another year or never. Many years ago I coined this thought: “That which is clearly discerned, consciously work toward, will inevitably be achieved.”

Q: If you could have one super power, what would it be?

I would like to have the energy and ability to continually help more people more often in important ways that lifts and relieves their burdens.

Q: Finally, if you were conducting this interview, what is a question you would have asked yourself?

I would ask “Are you happy?”

Yes.