CRM at the Speed of Light, Fourth Edition: Social CRM 2.0 Strategies, Tools, and Techniques for Engaging Your Customers (Unknown Series) [Hardcover]

Paul Greenberg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 18, 2009 | Series: Unknown Series

A social revolution in how we communicate has taken place in recent years. Smartphones, social web tools, and the instant availability of information in an aggregated and organized way provide real-time intelligence to customers, not just the enterprise.

Social CRM is critical to business success in today's hyper-connected environment. Customers' expectations are so great and their demands so empowered that a Social CRM strategy must be built around collaboration and customers engagement, not traditional operational customer management. It's the company's response to the customer's control of the conversation that makes Social CRM work.

Written by CRM guru Paul Greenberg, CRM at the Speed of Light, Fourth Edition, reveals best practices for a successful Social CRM implementation. Greenberg explains how this new paradigm involves the customer in a synergetic discussion to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted and transparent business environment.

Throughout this definitive volume, you'll find examples of the new strategies for customer engagement and collaboration being used by cutting-edge companies, along with expert guidance on how your organization can and should adopt these innovations.

CRM at the Speed of Light, Fourth Edition, reviews the lat4est technological developments in the operational side of CRM, including vertical applications, and explains the fundamentals of the multifaceted CRM framework.

Find out why Paul Greenberg was named the #1 CRM influencer by InsideCRM in the completely recast edition of this international bestseller.

In addition to being the author of the bestselling CRM at the Speed of Light, Paul Greenberg is President of The 56 Group, LLC, a customer strategy consulting firm focused on cutting-edge CRM strategic services; a founding partner of the CRM training company, BPT Partners, LLC, a training a consulting venture composed of a number of CRM luminaries that has become the certification authority for the CRM industry; co-chairman of Rutgers University's CRM Research Center; Executive Vice President of the CRM Association; and a Board of Advisors member of the Baylor University MBA Program for CRM majors. Paul was named one of the most influential CRM leaders in 2008 by CRM Magazine. He is known for his work on the use of social media in CRM as tools for customer collaboration with a company. Currently, Paul lives in Manassas, Virginia, with his wife and five cats. You can reach him at [e-mail], follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pgreenbe, or join up with him on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Praise for CRM at the Speed of Light

"[This book] is a testament to Greenberg's profound grasp of the control revolution that is upon us. Customers seizing control from business. Citizens demanding control and accountability from their governments. Political campaigns and charities being rewarded by shifting power to their supporters. Quite simply, it is the definitive work for anyone committed to putting the social customer at the center of their operation." -- Brian Komar, Director of Interacitve Marketing and CRM, Center for American Progress

"With great insights, great stories, and great inforamtion, Paul Greenberg analyzes the impact of every major industry development on vendor/customer relationships. Not only is he on top of his game, he makes reading this edition as enjoyable as it was to read the previous three. This is an absolute must-read for anyone serious about understanding how to best serve today's social customer." -- Brent Leary, CRM industry analyst and co-author of Barack 2.0: Social Media Lessons for Small Business

"Web 2.0 hiot and Paul Greenberg couldn't resist telling us what it all means. Lucky for us. This edition is packed with new insights about how online conversations are changing the nature of customer relations. Think the CRM market is crazy now? Hitch a ride on Greenberg's shoulders because you ain't seen nothing yet." -- Paul Gillin, author of The New Influencers and Secrets of Social Media Marketing."

"As we make the shift to SCRM, Paul's insights provide a much needed framework on how to navigate a more connected, social, and collaborative enterprise." -- R "Ray" Wang, Partner, Enterprise Strategy, Altimeter Group, LLC

"Paul Greenberg is one of the most astute minds in CRM and social media today. His book remains the bible for companies employing CRM. The added focus on blending new and social media into Paul's philosophy of CRM will keep this as the first book companies reach for to enhance the customer relationship in the new century." -- Jay Dunn, Vice President of Marketing, Lane Bryant

"Paul Greenberg shares his unparalleled expertise on the dramatic evolution from CRM 1.0 to CRM 2.0 with unique insightful examples. It is a must read for anyone looking to transform the potential of CRM into long-lasting competitive advantage in a rapidly changing business environment." -- Jujhar Singh, Senior Vice President, SAP CRM Product Management

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Greenberg is President of The 56 Group, LLC, and one of the world's leading authorities on CRM.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 698 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 4 edition (November 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071590455
• ISBN-13: 978-0071590457
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 1.6 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #400,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In addition to being the author of the best-selling CRM at the Speed of Light, Paul Greenberg is the Managing Principal of The 56 Group, LLC, a customer strategy consulting firm, focused on cutting edge CRM and Social CRM strategic services. He is a founding partner of the CRM training company, BPT Partners, LLC, a training and consulting venture composed of a number of CRM luminaries that has quickly become the authoritative training for the CRM industry.

His book, CRM at the Speed of Light: Social CRM Strategy, Tools, and Techniques for Engaging Your Customers, now in its fourth edition, is in 9 languages and been called "the bible of the CRM industry". It has been used by more than 70 universities as a primary text. The Asian edition of CIO Magazine named it one of the 12 most important books an Asian CEO will ever read. Paul has also authored two other books including "E-Government for Public Officials" (Thompson Publishing, 2003).

Paul is the Executive Vice President of the CRM Association. He currently is the Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management CRM Centre of Excellence. He has been a Board of Advisors member of the Baylor University MBA Program for CRM majors, and the co-chairman of Rutgers University's CRM Research Center.

He is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for American Progress, the leading policy think tank in Washington D.C.

Paul has developed strategies and helped define CRM and social CRM products for all the major vendors in CRM and in social media. He has developed broad CRM strategies and programs for a significant number of larger enterprises and worked with them from inception of the idea of a CRM strategy through vendor selection when needed.

Paul is considered a thought leader in CRM, having been published in numerous industry and business publications over the years and having traveled the world speaking on cutting edge CRM and topics geared to the contemporary social customer. He has been called "the dean of CRM" and "the godfather of CRM" and even the "Bob Dylan of CRM" by analysts and organizations throughout the industry. In fact, at the end of 2007, he was the #1 non-vendor influencer, by InsideCRM in their annual "25 Most Influential CRM People" announcement. He was also named one of the most influential CRM leaders in 2008 and again in 2012 by CRM Magazine and was elected to magazine's CRM Hall of Fame in 2010 - the first non-vendor related thought leader in its history.

He is known particularly for his work on the use of social media, such as blogs, podcasts and wikis and social networks in CRM as tools for customer collaboration with a company. He is seen often as the "voice of the customer" and is well known within the CRM industry for this work. His blog, PGreenblog (the56group.typepad.com) was named the winner of the first annual CRM "Blog of the Year" in 2005 by SearchCRM and the 2007 "Whatis" Award for CRM Blogs, by their parent company, TechTarget. He also received the #1 CRM Blog Award from InsideCRM at the end of 2007 and in 2008 and was named #1 CRM blogger by ForecastingClouds in January 2010. He now also writes the CRM blog, "Social CRM: The Conversation" for high profile CBS-owned technology media property, ZDNET (http://blogs.zdnet.com/crm)

He is also the founder of the very popular CRM Idol competition, first held in 2011, now in its second season.

In 2012, Paul was named as one of the "Top 50 Sales and Marketing Influencers" by Top Sales Magazine.

Greenberg also thinks that a sense of humor is necessary when it comes to CRM and its social antecedent so he is the host of an edgy podcast called Experience on the Edge and co-hosts the totally insane "CRM Playaz" with fellow thought leader Brent Leary.

He is a member of the Destination CRM Board of Experts, the SearchCRM Expert Advisory Panel, and the Enterprise 2.0 Advisory Board as well as a member of the Board of Advisors for GreaterChinaCEM for many years among many others.

Currently, Paul lives in Manassas, Virginia with his wife and five (yes five!) cats. To reach Paul, please email him at [e-mail], if you are a live human being who wants to talk, not pitch. You can follow him at Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/pgreenbe or join up with him on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you call yourself a CRM consultant, you've gotta read this December 28, 2009

By Michael Boysen

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a "CRM" consultant, it's been hard enough trying to bridge the gap between "CRM software" and what CRM really is. Paul explained the differences (operationally) in his first three editions (I read 1 and 3). While CRM successes have been on the rise, I've seen little change in the markets I work in. Do they fail? No. Do they exceed beyond everyone's wildest expectations? Absolutely not.

We have this problem, as people, that we want things the way we want them. Many businesses want software that solves their problems. Many customers now want businesses to change the way they are engaged. Can you see the problem? No? Then as a business owner, you really owe it to yourself to read this book because it will open your eyes. You'll start looking at your teenager's behaviors and realize that you're not selling to Barney Fife anymore.

And as for you CRM consultants (full disclosure, I'm one of them) you will see how much value you leave on the table each and every day you build a practice around "fields and screens". Yes, software is the answer -- to how to support processes that engage customers in totally new ways. CRM at the Speed of Light 4th Edition will paint a clear picture of the changes we face as business leaders and as consultants who hope to make our businesses, or our clients, more competitive in the loyalty game.

I didn't think I would see ways to bring Social CRM into the middle market arena. But now I see how the social customer is going to demand it. Maybe not tomorrow...but certainly by next week.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive book on the subject of Social CRM December 20, 2009

By Brenton Leary

Format:Hardcover

It takes a special person to write - in the words of numerous industry experts - the bible of customer relationship management (CRM). But it takes Paul Greenberg to do it twice, which is exactly what he's done with the release of the 4th edition of CRM at the Speed of Light.

The previous editions of the book covered all aspects of traditional areas of CRM, from both a technical and strategic standpoint. But much has changed since the 3rd edition was written. Social networks and media - not even a blip on the enterprise screen in 2004 - is front and center now, especially in terms of how customers use it to engage with vendors. This edition of the Speed of Light is all about understanding today's socially-empowered customer, and how to transform traditional CRM strategies in order to more meaningfully connect with them.

The book covers every important development impacting vendor/customer relationships, including cloud computing, SOA/REST platforms, BI/analytics, process mapping, customer experience management, the collaborative value chain, and many other concepts. Greenberg also includes case studies on how organizations in a wide variety of industries (including the public sector)are using tools and strategies to build relationships in the era of social media.

With the book having more than 650 pages, the depth and level of detail Greenberg covers is unmatched by anything else you'll find on the subject of Social CRM.

[...]

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is required reading for anyone trying to create (or update) their strategies and processes for building great customer relationships today and in the future.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It is not a matter of 'if' but 'when' you will need this book January 30, 2010

By Mitchell Lieberman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My intent had been to write a review as soon as I finished reading the entire book. The problem is, I need to admit, I have not finished reading the entire book. This is not due to lack of effort, focus or any other excuse. See, I have read certain chapters 2 or 3 times, this put me behind schedule. The pages are scribbled on and dogeared. Well, there is one other reason, which did cause me to drag my feet a bit, but that is no longer a fair excuse. See, a running theme of the text is about Social - not the hype and buzz - rather why you as someone with customers needs to understand about it. Back to the reason I was dragging my feet, if you read all that Paul has to offer in this book, there will be less of a need for people like me - there I said it. But, that is not very social of me... Sorry for the delay.

I am a CRM practitioner, I help companies of all sizes to understand, develop a strategy and implement CRM solutions. I talk about it and I blog about it. My approach to writing this review is both about giving a potential purchaser a sense of what the content is about, as well as the approach taken by the author. While I might attempt to give you a sense of his writing style, I could not do it justice. Let's face facts, reading several hundred pages on a business topic with a large component of technology included might scare some folks - But NOT when Paul is the author! He talks to you, engages you throughout the text. He is having a conversation with you, about something he is passionate about, and that shines through.

What you might find useful are a couple words about the content. The customer - your customer is a new beast. Empowered, smart, demanding and value driven - by the way, they are vocal too. From cover to cover this is the focus. Whether it is about Sales, Marketing, Operations, Architecture, Technology or Analysis it is filled with information, and it is understandable by people. I do not just mean C-level, IT, Sales folks, Call Center Managers. There is not just 'something for everyone' there is a lot for everyone.

I hope you get as much out of this as I do (It is not a one time read!)