It’s no secret among the Stream Energy employee family that I was a linebacker during my college playing years. But I have to confess that there is one aspect of the offensive side of the ball that I have a weakness for, and that’s the two-minute drill.

The two-minute drill: that time of the game when the offense has to make some pretty dramatic things happen in a short amount of time to win.

With the clock ticking down on 2012, Stream Energy is hitting its “two-minute drill” and we’re going for the win in a huge way. This is a historic time for us, as we’ve officially launched several service areas in the Northeast at the same time.

First, we rolled out natural gas service in the PECO area of Pennsylvania. This in itself is big news, as there are 453,000 eligible gas customers in the PECO footprint.

But to make sure we steamroll 2012 on our way to the end zone, we’re also exploding into the NYSEG and RG&E areas of New York. Together they combine for roughly 1.6 million potential new Stream Energy customer meters.

And we’re still not done, as we have the NatGrid service area of New York (with over 2 million eligible customer meters) hitting the field in mid-December.

As John Madden would say, “Boom!”

These areas represent enormous opportunities for growth for our firm and our Ignite Associates, and they come to life through the combined efforts of many of our team mates working together. I am so proud to be a part of this group.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.

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As with any growing company, the prospect of expansion is incredibly appetizing. The thoughts of expanding into new markets, gaining more customers and generating more revenue become a focal point of business. But Stream Energy is concerned with much more than just aggressive expansion. We must remain committed to the home bases that got us to where we are today.

The recent Power Surge in Atlanta was very needed and very well received by our Ignite Associates. A lot of energy and motivation was generated throughout the weekend.  Expansion can be very exciting, but we need to remember our foundations that provided the framework for our current success. I believe it meant a lot to the people of Georgia for us to come to Atlanta and show them that Georgia is an important piece of the Stream Energy family.

But, we have to remember to take care of everyone. We are in the people business. We have to take care of our customers and Associates as well as the employees here at Stream Energy that take care of the Associates and customers.  Power Surge went a long way to revitalize the Associate force in Georgia. With that came a lot of teamwork. I am very proud of the teamwork that took place at Stream Energy within the last few months that produced the new products for our Georgia customers. Both of the new products offered to our Georgia customers are new opportunities for Stream Energy. We have never offered a free gas promotion or a no-deposit product in which customers are not subjected to a deposit. This new product helps people become Stream Energy customers who might normally have challenges doing so. 

We are in a very competitive environment. There is very little low-hanging fruit out there. We’ve always been a firm that has tried to offer very simple and affordable products in the marketplace. However, as our competitors become craftier with their offerings, we have to be able to adapt and react quickly. In that, the free gas and no deposit promotions are some of the ways that we are trying to compete in the marketplace. The challenges we face with these new products are ensuring accurate reporting on the number of customers Stream Energy acquires via the different products; managing our bad debt exposure on these products; and ensuring that the products continue to be profitable for the firm.

I think it’s important to continue living out the Stream Energy mantras within the corporate walls but also outside the walls. Offering creative products to our Georgia customers further exemplifies Stream Energy’s dedication to those mantras. Bringing up an idea is one thing, but you must also execute the plan. Teamwork is vital to the future success of our firm. Many departments, such as IT, Regulatory, Customer Operations and Ignite Field Development all worked closely together to successfully deliver these new products to our Georgia customers.

Energy commodities are the most volatile traded commodities in the world. We have to monitor them on a daily basis. Weather forecasts constantly change, and that makes it very hard to determine how much electricity and natural gas we should purchase. It’s very challenging when the difference in millions of dollars rests on the shoulders of accurate weather forecasters and analysts.

The hot summer across the nation has put a lot of demands on the Wholesale department at Stream Energy. July has gone down as one of the hottest months on record in the U.S., especially in the Northeast and here in Texas. The consistently high demand for electricity is something we have to be very mindful of as this affects our profitability.

Another weather phenomenon we constantly monitor is hurricanes. Earlier this year, analysts predicted between four and six major hurricanes to affect the U.S. We’ve had a slow start, thus far. However, we have to be very cautious of what could be lurking around the corner. Hurricanes don’t have a huge impact on the natural gas sector unless they come through the Gulf of Mexico and into the production region. What might appear as simple tropical depression with no real structure could suddenly develop overnight into a tropical storm and soon after that into a major hurricane barreling into the Gulf.

The onshore Shale gas production in places like Texas and Louisiana offer a natural gas source that is not threatened by hurricanes. This new drilling technology creates huge natural gas resources. Natural gas has a bright future within the U.S. as analysts believe there is more than 100 years’ worth of natural gas for the current U.S. demand. It is a very attractive industry.

Stream Energy has a bright future in Georgia as well as other markets. We currently manage less than 3% of the market share in Georgia, so expansion within that state is something to focus on in itself. Georgia was the first state to deregulate in natural gas. In terms of deregulation, it is a very mature market. However, because it has been so competitive, there has not been a new market entry since Stream Energy entered the state three years ago. Stream Energy hasn’t done everything perfectly, but we continue to improve every year in a market that is very competitive. Successfully managing the Stream business model in markets we currently serve helps us to build the foundation for continued expansion into other markets.

Buddha once said, “If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path.” The truth in this saying is undeniable. If an individual ever feels down and defeated, a person’s actions or words has the power to bring them back up. Anyone and everyone has been helped at some point in his or her life. There is no doubt that both giving and receiving help is a crucial aspect of life.

There are many organizations in our society that aim to help those less fortunate. Your friends at Stream Energy have selected four particular organizations to support: three of these organizations help low-income families pay their energy bills; the fourth group supports children, which definitely has a special place in the hearts of Stream Energy’s employees, Ignite Associates and customers.

The Fuel Fund of Maryland has been operating since 1981; its purpose is to help low-income individuals and families in Maryland pay their electricity bills. If energy is unaffordable for a family, the Fuel Fund assists them. The Fuel Fund pays for families and individuals with the portion of the bill that they cannot afford.

A similar organization to the Fuel Fund is the Heating Energy Assistance Team (H.E.A.T) of Georgia. H.E.A.T has been helping low-income families and individuals for over 27 years with paying their energy bills. They not only depend on donations and volunteer work, but also on the donations of energy suppliers and corporations.

The Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF) of Pennsylvania is yet another organization that assists those with their electricity bills. In the case of UESF, however, those that are being assisted are not limited to receiving help on only their electricity. They are also assisted with water and gas utilities. UESF’s mission is to help individuals meet the basic needs vital to their survival. 

Although Captain Hope’s Kids of Texas differs from the other three organizations mentioned above, this organization is every bit as relevant. Captain Hope’s Kids is focused on meeting the needs of homeless children. On any given night in North Texas, more than 1,100 children will fall asleep in homeless and domestic violence shelters. Of these, 65 percent will be under the age of nine and 28 percent are infants and toddlers under the age 3 years. Women and children make up 48 percent of Metro Dallas’ homeless population. Many of the employees and customers of Stream Energy have kids of their own and can definitely relate to the need for providing for children.

As a company that emphasizes customer satisfaction, it is fair to say that Stream Energy not only has the ability, but also takes the opportunity to assist those in need. We invite our customers and Ignite Associates to join us in helping those in need “experience the Stream difference.”

Everyone talks about listening, but who actually does it? One of the things our most successful  Ignite Associates tell us about sharing the Ignite Opportunity is that they find out what is important to each prospect and then tell that person how the business can help meet a stated goal. Great promoters and salespeople have always known this not-so-secret technique, but how many of us use it in our daily lives?

You don’t have to be in marketing or sales to take advantage of listening. It’s applicable to whatever job or vocation you have. You may have heard the saying: the key to getting what you want is to help other people get what they want. How true. But don’t most of us feel a little fake by listening to someone just long enough to get clue on how to convince him or her to do something? Well, if you don’t, perhaps you should.

Listening is one aspect of caring. To listen well, you must care about and take an interest in others. Yes, I know it sounds corny. And yes, I also realize I don’t know your set of friends and in-laws, both of whom might make genuine caring and listening Herculean tasks. To be good at caring and listening doesn’t mean we waste time by conversing with people who aren’t open to solutions. We can’t make them open to new ideas, and trying hard when they aren’t will only sap our energy. When they finally open up one day, hopefully they will let us know.

What we are talking about here are the people who are open recipients. Listening to these people is easier. You enjoy caring for them. Here we can make some progress and build relationships. We can really listen to what these people want. However, what was a solution to us at a given time might not be a solution to them. Or, if it is, it perhaps needs to be presented in a different way.

The way someone states the problem helps us determine the solution. What are they trying to do? How urgent is it? What are they willing to give up? If you can, help them arrive at the solution themselves. Sometimes you only need to provide suggestions. They will be more convinced by their own ideas than yours. Lead them along, but respect their autonomy.

You can answer objections, but don’t get into arguments. Use illustrative scenarios of people who solved a similar problem in the way you are suggesting. Try to genuinely help, not convince. No one wants to be convinced.

Finally, this last bit of advice is the kicker and where many people fall short – if someone is not convinced of the solutions you suggest, at the minimum add value to that person’s life anyway. She wants to raise money for her kid’s softball league, but doesn’t like your program? Give her a helpful tip. Send her or her child an encouraging greeting card at the season’s launch. Remember, success is a long-term project. If you are in your line of work for a time, these good deeds will come back to you a thousandfold. If you can’t gain a client initially, at least win a friend. Then eventually, you’ll have plenty of both. Just listen!

There’s a story online attributed to Paul Matthews that goes like this:

A man found a cocoon for a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through the little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared stuck.

The man decided to help the butterfly and with a pair of scissors he cut open the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. Something was strange. The butterfly had a swollen body and shriveled wings. The man watched the butterfly expecting it to take on its correct proportions. But nothing changed.

The butterfly stayed the same. It was never able to fly. In his kindness and haste the man did not realize that the butterfly’s struggle to get through the small opening of the cocoon is nature’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight.

Like the sapling which grows strong from being buffeted by the wind, in life we all need to struggle sometimes to make us strong.

One of the biggest challenges in training, management, and child-rearing is to have the wisdom of knowing when to help, and when we must let others learn by doing. As the butterfly story so aptly illustrates, sometimes helping can actually stunt growth. Brain research has now documented that memory itself is dependent upon an emotional involvement level attached to the facts being learned.  Without that element no long-term memory is established.

I was once speaking to one of our Ignite Senior Directors who was a delightful retired school teacher. She would regularly call in and spend 30 minutes to an hour on the phone getting information for her downline Ignite Managing Directors (MDs) because they “had to work and didn’t have time to do it themselves.” One day when I got her on the phone I asked her if she grew up on a farm. She said she had. I asked her if she knew what happened to plants that went directly from the greenhouse into the field. She said that they were weak and tended to die because they weren’t accustomed to the weather. I suggested to her that she was building a “greenhouse downline” because she was helping her MDs do things they should be doing for themselves! Three days later, she called me and proudly announced that she met with all of her MDs and “laid down the law” that they needed to be doing their own research. She found her sales team to be much stronger and productive after that.

In structuring training for your teams, I encourage you to keep these principles in mind. The training structure should make information helpful, accessible, and clear, but also force trainees to emotionally involve themselves in accessing and applying that information in problem-solving. Only when we take this approach do we create learning situations where mature subject matter experts are created who better both our internal organizations and external sales teams.

Here at Stream Energy, as you may be aware, we market our energy services through a network  of Ignite Independent Associates. I am one of those in the Stream Energy corporate office who works directly with these Associates. In fact, I have long worked with small entrepreneurs and have thus come to know what works for them.  Today, I would like to focus on an important topic for all of you small businesspeople out there and that is goal setting and implementation.    

Business success books are stuffed with tips on goal setting. Unfortunately, much of that advice is really geared toward long-range planning, and not the immediate needs of the small businessperson. 

Although every small business certainly needs to know its long-range plans, goal setting itself should be more of a quarter-to-quarter activity. That’s because most people running a small operation (say 1-10 people) cannot plan effectively beyond about three months. Short increment goal setting works for businesses with limited resources and provides such smaller enterprises with the kind of flexibility and personal energy that is needed in today’s fast-paced business environment. 

Now that we have limited the focus of goal setting-activities to more manageable chunks, it becomes easier to focus on day-to-day efforts. We’ll use a salesperson as an example. If you have been in your business for any length of time, you of course know about how many calls it will take to set an appointment and, further, how many appointments to close a deal. So you just break that down to set your schedule of what needs to be done each day. Let’s say you’ve determined, for instance, that you need to set five appointments a day. Sometimes that will take five calls, and sometimes it will take 25. Regardless, those five appointments are your base. Just focus your numbers, and the results will follow. Be activity focused, not results focused, and move forward, confident that the model you have established actually works.

That sounds simple, right? Almost too simple, in fact. And therein lies the rub.

The good thing about being your own boss is that no one is watching over you. The bad thing about being your own boss is that no one is watching over you. Thus, you have to manage your activities on your own. And you have to actually set aside time for them, not just perform them on the sidelines of life (i.e. after the kids’ daily playground trip). In other words, just because you are not punching someone else’s clock doesn’t mean you are altogether free from the clock. If there is no formal structure in place, then you have to create one and live by that which you have created.

Sure, you can cheat the clock a little every now and then by sneaking out to the museum or running an errand. Nevertheless, you have to hit your numbers. (You’ve heard about the proverbial penny that doubles every day. Take a few days of doubling out of the mix and the total number at month’s end is not only smaller, but exponentially so). In other words, you just have to establish discipline. It may sound like a bad word, but after a few weeks of focused activity, you’ll have established some strong habits that bolster your new goal setting and implementation practices.  After that, just bring on the next quarter, because you’re ready!

With deadlines to face every day, life in the Wholesale Department at Stream Energy is a little hectic. It’s like living a game of chess—every move is highly calculated and the pressure is on to stay two steps (or more) ahead of the competition.

 The deadline I refer to is largely an everyday goal of being perfectly hedged during the process of submitting our energy load requirements.

Every morning, Stream Energy must submit its requirements for the following day directly to AGL and to suppliers who act as Stream Energy’s scheduler (or QSE). This process ensures the firm has forecasted and procured enough energy to meet the needs of every Stream Energy customer. However, the load requirement submitted is simply an estimate of how much energy will be used. If the firm forecasts too high or too low, profits shrink or possibly throw Stream Energy into the red, i.e. “Checkmate.” Inaccuracies or errors can prove costly to the firm, its 260+ employees, and the thousands of Ignite independent network marketing associates that all rely on Stream Energy in order to provide for their families. To say we have to get it right is an understatement.

Many variables are taken into account before we submit our daily schedules or procure power for our customers’ future needs (“our daily move”). We must have an accurate count of the total number of customers Stream Energy provides service to in all three states in which we currently offer service—Texas, Georgia and Pennsylvania. If the customer count is inaccurate we may forecast and submit a load requirement to the supplier or pipeline that is too low or too high. With that said, we could be buying too little or too much energy then we actually need and ultimately we could cost the company thousands of dollars of profit in just a single day.

Also, the price of natural gas must be taken into account each day. It may sound strange to anyone unfamiliar with the energy industry, but the price of natural gas is typically what drives the price of electricity. If natural gas is trading high, electricity rates will be higher and vice versa. With natural gas currently trading fairly low, electricity rates have stabilized over the past year or so at more affordable rates to consumers.

Our customers’ historical usage data and ten-year weather patterns are also analyzed daily before we make our move on the proverbial chessboard. Hypothetically, a customer who lives in a large home in Texas is going to use much more electricity to cool that home in August than in April. Having accurate weather data and historical usage for each premise we provide service to greatly assists our ability to forecast so we can provide our supplier with an accurate load requirement and/or purchase.

The most challenging part of the Wholesale Department’s job is ensuring that purchases and physical flow equal load. We have to buy timely and forecast correctly by purchasing the right amount of energy from the grid at the right location and price. This ensures a successful future for our firm with the ability to expand into new markets.

I can’t stress enough the importance of ensuring that Stream Energy is hedged properly. When our forecasts and purchases are set and we see that our forecasts are coming in correctly, it is a great feeling of accomplishment. We feel very proud because we have assured Stream Energy’s future for all employees and Ignite Independent Associates, and they can continue to enjoy the financial and job security they work so hard for every day.

The victory and celebration are short lived, however. The next move to avoid Checkmate is always only one day away.

As any Ignite Associate will tell you, our market entry efforts into Pennsylvania have been simply terrific. We are seeing the Ignite opportunity grow at an exponential pace and I for one am well pleased with the success that our new Associates in Pennsylvania are already experiencing. I know this is just the beginning of an amazing run this winter, and beyond.

However, our Pennsylvania expansion is just one aspect of what I expect to be a truly memorable holiday season for our Stream Energy and Ignite family. It is in this regard that I am sharing today the launching a new partnership initiative that is sure to make a positive impact.

Please know that Stream Energy & Ignite are partnering again this holiday season with a non-profit organization called Captain Hope’s Kids.

For those of you unaware, Captain Hope’s Kids is a 20-year old group dedicated towards providing basic necessities to the most vulnerable people in our society – namely, homeless children and infants.  In North Texas alone, there are roughly 1,100 children in homeless and domestic violence shelters on any given night – and Captain Hope’s Kids responds to their critical needs.

To support CHK in its mission, Stream Energy is launching a program called “A Big Difference Starts Small” — with the first event of which being a Stream Energy-Ignite toy drive. We are asking all Ignite Associates for their personal participation in this event.

From November 22 until December 10, we are collecting new, unwrapped toys at our Stream Energy-Ignite corporate office in Dallas for donation to Captain Hope’s Kids. During this campaign, we will have toy drive receptacles set up in our offices and invite you to bring a new, unwrapped toy with you when you attend one of our Dallas or Atlanta corporate Business Presentations (or even when you simply stop by for a visit).

For the holiday season of 2009, know that Stream Energy broke Captain Hope’s charity record with 1,711 toys donated, thus helping over 800 children. We are striving to smash all previous toy donation records.  With the combined strength of our corporate and field family members, we can do it.