Back in August 2020, I posted a blog about SOAR stories. SOAR stories are a fantastic way to reflect on Situations that seemed challenging at the time because of certain Obstacles. In order to succeed, you took Action and the Result was something you can be proud of, and which contributed to who you are today. It built character.
You many think that these stories mean nothing. After all, they are just stories. However, ALL stories have a meaning; ALL stories disclose something about the characters in them. The character-traits are what keep people interested and yearning for more.
The story is only one part of what makes doing this exercise valuable. The more important part is rediscovering who you are at your core and what attributes distinguish you from others when faced with challenges.
I'd like to continue sharing some of my personal SOAR stories and the characteristics that they exhibit.
What are some of your SOAR stories? If you can't see your inner #basass, we can work together to rediscover it! I'd love to hear them and publish them on this blog!
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Working as account manager for the largest Japanese telecom company, I sold ATM, Frame Relay and MPLS network solutions to medium and large enterprise companies. One of my customers was migrating from Frame Relay to MPLS. During a meeting with the customer, I realized that my company did not have the necessary geo-locations to further build out the client’s global network.
Being solutions driven, I located a small and eager company who could serve my customer’s needs and brokered a meeting between the parties; this small company was able to accommodate the needs.
Understanding the problem, acknowledging that my company did not have the service offering required to meet the customer's needs, keeping my customer's interest in mind, and finding a solution - even if it meant giving it to a competitor - paid off in the long run.
I facilitated contract negotiations to ensure that my company would not lose their existing business with the customer and maintained a years-long relationship with the client.
The customer appreciated that I found a solution, and it was a win-win-win situation for all parties.