Rip Van Winkle awakens to chat up CRM Adoption

I just realized that my last post was June 2010 and writing this I am feeling a lot like Rip Van Winkle. Let’s say I have been asleep that long and let’s say that I have awaken to see on my calendar I have been asked to participate on a webcast on CRM Adoption. (Shameless Plug)

After researching and trying to cram as much information as I could to appear credible I quickly realized that there was not anything too earth shattering that I did not know the summer of 2010 but I did uncover quite a bit to aid me in feeling comfortable discussing this topic. My reference to comfort is the advent of technology that actually stands to finally benefit the users.

The ever present conversations about CRM user adoption I do not think will ever really change but there has been ground gained in making it an easier conversation and actionable results in a shorter time frame. There has been lessons learn on who needs to be involved in this conversation from the decision on the solution to how it will be implemented, rolled out and measured.

What I discovered:

• The internet has changed the rules, it is not so much of a CRM user managing their prospects and customers but more of the user managing their approach, preparation and access to the information they need internally and externally for an audience that controls the conversations.
• The ability to do their jobs without leveraging multiple applications, spending a lot of their time merging or migrating data multiple times during the day basically anywhere, anything, 24/7 is truly possible.
• The comfort knowing that the data they track can be easily shared up the ladder and back down in easy graphical dashboards and reports. In other words keep their leaders off their backs as well as colorful diagrams easily understood by the smallest of brains (mine)
• That if they are typing challenged (like me) there is voice recognition, handwriting recognition, touch and tap technology to leverage. Can I get an amen?!!
• That there is no longer the need to go offline and spend hours synchronizing by having to VPN in. Even on an airplane….hmm…grrrrrr….
• The ability to access this data via device of choice.
• Going back to the first bullet I can pull in external internet buzz and leverage internal conversations as well eliminating a large portion of the 200+ e-mails received in a day? GET OUT!

Okay so I would really think I was still in REM mode and dreaming but in reality this is all possible today. Well, let me reframe that last sentence, the technology is there but the people and process components are still required. The value add of today’s technology is that all of the people involved end up with what they need in the end to do their jobs.

It was also clearly revealed that the economic state we are in would squeeze the adoption grip even tighter. The need to keep the customers you currently have would be in play equally as important as attaining new customers. The ability to service your current customers who can instantly voice their discontent that new customers with uncover will no doubt affect a prospects decision. The need to quickly access your data to react in a timely and effective way will drive adoption to keep your job and the lights on. Adapt or fail is on the same level of adopt or fail.

I look forward to participating in the webcast conversation knowing that the technology limitations, ease of use and access challenges have matured, I can only hope that the maturation of people working together and the capture of repeatable success driven processes will make it a much easier conversation.

Okay, now I need a nap!

The launch of Social Strategy1, managed Social Media Monitoring and Strategy Services

“To Listen closely and reply well is the highest perfections we are able to attain in the art of conversation”

Francois de La Rochefoucauld

I had the opportunity last year to facilitate some sessions with The Wharton School of Business BA and MBA classes on the topic of Social Media meet CRM. This lead to an invite to be a panelist at The Wharton Interactive Media Initiative sharing the stage with Eric Bradlow, Co-Director of Wharton Interactive Media Initiative and Professor of Marketing, Statistics, and Education at Wharton and Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics.

It was at that event that I was introduced to Mike Lewis, graduate of Wharton and ILD Corp Chairman and Dennis Stoutenburgh,  ILD Corp President. We sat down and expanded the panel discussion on the impact of Social Media and the leveraging of the collective voices of the social audience to align a company’s Social CRM strategy and online reputation through monitoring these conversations. ILD Corp. had spent quite a bit of time and resources on this type of initiative and had experienced a great deal of success as well as a solid case study on improving their online reputation and engagement policies.

Armed with this experience I have been working with ILD Corp. on taking their case study and creating a managed Social Media monitoring and strategy solution as a service. The purpose was to combine ILD Corps’ expertise and strategy to other companies wanting to have real-time social media monitoring with Online Reputation Management.

Social Strategy1 was launched this week to provide this service. It provides experienced Social Media Listening Analysts (SMLA) to work with your Marketing, Sales and Support staff to monitor keywords and phrases on your brand to listen, learn and engage in online conversations on behalf of a company’s engagement strategy.

Partnering with Radian6, a leading platform for social media listening and engagement solution coupled with Social Strategy1 managed services can be a valued and much needed solution for companies managing and engaging their online voice.

Econsultancy’s piece on Reputation management to grow in popularity, further expresses the need for companies to implement this type service for their online strategy.

“No man ever listened himself out of a job”  Calvin Coolidge