Corporate Discussion with Ambit Energy Co-founders
Over the last several weeks as we have met, interviewed, and talked with many of the consultants, there was a common thread to each conversation: they love this company and they love its leaders. With that said, I have to add that it was an absolute pleasure to visit with Ambit Energy Co-founders Jere W. Thompson, Jr., CEO, and Chris Chambless, Chief Marketing Officer.
Having now talked to the corporate leaders about their company, their plans, and their vision, I can easily say it is no surprise that these two men have not only created an exceptional company, they have also created an exceptional corporate culture that extends far into the ranks of the consultants.
I wanted to know why the corporate culture was able to permeate so deeply throughout the organization, and what the company was doing on a daily and weekly basis to foster and support this success. Chambless suggests, “This is a real business that offers real products, to real customers. We treat our consultants as responsible consultants and our customers as valued customers. When you combine those factors with our legitimate business opportunity, people buy into the corporate culture.”
“It goes further,” Thompson interjects. “Chris is right. Yet even beyond that, we hold ourselves to a very high standard. Our products get delivered correctly on time, every time, so people begin to trust in us and in our ability to reproduce results day after day, month after month. We realize that when our consultants go out into the field, they are putting their reputations on the line, so we do everything in our power to be worthy of their trust.”
Keeping consultants in the loop is a critical element of Ambit Energy’s overall effectiveness. In addition to holding multiple mini-conventions and training seminars throughout the year, the corporation manages a number of sophisticated communications systems to keep consultants informed and motivated. These tools include daily email broadcasts, a state-of-the-art voicemail messaging system and nationwide leadership conference calls.
“Additionally,” Chambless states, “We have a very mature group of respected business leaders, consultants in the field who offer training, support and communications on a continuing basis. When we see the effect they have on the organizational structure and growth, we know they’re earning every bit of the substantial commissions they’re paid.”
By management’s account, Ambit Energy’s business is recession-proof and has a built-in, long-term stickiness factor for both customers and consultants. Thompson says that people will always need electricity, as opposed to products and services other network marketing offer, which are often the first things a consumer stops buying when money is tight. Thompson believes that when you offer the right product at the right price, you create loyalty.
“Many of the most powerful leaders in the direct selling industry have joined our business because they recognize the incredible value of the Ambit opportunity, specifically that every consumer NEEDS our product,” Chambless explained. “That creates a stickiness that is real, that lasts and that people want to be associated with! The leaders who have joined us see the same huge potential we do, the same relevance. When they came on board, they joined as members of our team and family.”
“We have consultants on the front lines teaching people how to use less energy and how to save money. That’s the perfect business model for network marketers.” Chambless said, “People get paid to help other people, and our compensation plan is very attractive because it pays our consultants several levels into the plan without their having to achieve top leadership levels. They just have to bring in at least one customer every four months to be considered active. Meanwhile, we pay them for all of their efforts. These behaviors promote success and keep people engaged, even if they are not a recruiting machine.”
I learned that in the beginning, Ambit Energy took a different approach from most start-up companies. They designed their own operational technology from the ground up. Further, executive management felt strongly that all operational systems had to be completely sound before the company began to offer the opportunity. They wanted to be prepared well enough to handle 10 or 10,000 orders per day without sacrificing anything. Although implementing this took longer to get going and had a significantly higher cost than installing off-the-shelf systems, the company feels it was well worth the effort.
Thompson stresses, “We have never sacrificed integrity for growth. And never will. This philosophy has permeated the entire organization and we repeat it on every broadcast call and at all of our training events. Because we never sacrifice integrity for growth, we feel we have earned our customers’ trust and continue to support our consultants’ successes.”
In only two short years in business, there is a lot of buzz around how Ambit Energy has blown all expectations out of the water. 2007 was the company’s first full calendar year in business. Reports on commission averages and customer savings are not yet public, but the company has plans to release these numbers in the future. Ambit Energy is eager to demonstrate what top consultants are referring to as the ‘most lucrative pay plan’ they have ever seen. The co-founders had no comment on this, other than to suggest they believe they will blow industry standard away.
I am really excited to re-visit Ambit Energy and to do a complete profile on the company over the next several months. It will be exciting to witness the growth of the company as new markets open up with the deregulation of energy in other states. I personally wanted to thank each person for their time, energy and enthusiasm. It has been a great pleasure working with you all!
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