Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I for one was confused at where social media ends and CRM begins. Like many books I read this cannot be done in a weekend. Paul's ideas requires thought and this book needs to be savored. Paul Greenberg himself calls this book dense, I would agree, reading it allowed me to cut through the BS, naming conventions and flawed ideologies.

What I love about this book, besides Paul's humor as a defacto-dictator is he cuts through noise with an in depth look at customer relationships while labeling social media as a tools strategy. Paul's written words define how customer relationships are and where they are going without the jargon of the "tools dejour." If there is one book to read in 2010 this is it.

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!)