Ex-Colleagues as Customers: Good or Bad?

Ex-Colleagues as Customers: Advantage or Disadvantage? Business prospects become easier when there are known faces. To start with you don't have to give sales pitches, you don't begin with a zero. The element of familiarity should be comforting. But, if the familiarity is because the prospective customers are ex-colleagues would it be an advantage?  I would say it depends on your past Karma :)   

Many of my peers, bosses, team members are in influential roles. They are either CEOs, VPs, Directors or Senior Managers of large corporates. I was very proud of this vast network when I quit my last job. As an entrepreneur who was intending to build a staffing company, I thought this alumni network is an advantage.  The last year this network has been on trial :)

The Good news is people still pick up my calls :) But, Some emails go nowhere, few WhatsApp messages evoke a response but no outcome. 

That's when I realize this long professional journey has had unknown casualties. Then I ask myself how come I did not realize the quality of my relationships over the last 2 decades.   At the same time, I can't deny the overwhelming support received from many ex-colleagues at the same time.

I am sure you would agree that what goes around comes around :)