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)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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

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: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,321 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first (and maybe only) book you need to learn about CRM, December 20, 2009

By	Marshall Lager (Queens, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Once upon a time, a smart fellow named Paul Greenberg wrote an awesome book about customer relationship management (CRM) in the modern era. It explained everything businesspeople need to know about how their customers are the ones with power in the relationship. It opened the door to new strategies for earning trust, eliciting feedback, and mollifying displeased customers. Everybody lived happily ever after.

Then the smart fellow named Paul Greenberg wrote a new edition of that awesome book, and it was even better.

CRM at the Speed of Light, Fourth Edition is far more than a reprint with a different cover; it delves into all the changes and additions to CRM practices driven by the rapid growth of social media. Blogging was still in its infancy when Third Edition was published. Today, blogs are a vital part of any enlightened business, along with Twitter, YouTube, and social networking sites. New examples of the highs and lows of customer experience have made their way into the public consciousness. Customers are more in control of companies' brand identities than ever before, and businesses are waking up to the fact that most of the conversations about them happen without their knowledge. This book takes all of this and more into account, and does it in a witty and engaging style.

I can't recommend this book highly enough, and not just because I'm quoted in it. Paul's work continues to be the standard of excellence for CRM analysis and thought leadership, and the changes in the world that happened after the previous edition need to be considered. Reading CRM at the Speed of Light is the smartest move you can make if you're looking for inspiration for your business.

2 of 2 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 (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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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.

2 of 2 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 "CRM industry watcher" (Stockbridge, GA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.