A Definition Of Social CRM That You'll Actually Understand
Social Customer Relationship Management (SCRM) is something that the “godfather of CRM,” Paul Greenberg, first defined in his groundbreaking book, CRM at the Speed of Light, a few years ago. The way he wrote the definition was true to the social Web: he gathered a bunch of CRM consultants to write it, collaboratively, on a wiki (a Web site that allows for easy collaboration through interlinked Web pages). The resulting definition is completely accurate, but also consultantese (a language spoken only by management consultants):
Social CRM is a philosophy and a business strategy, supported by a technology platform, business rules, work flow, processes, and social characteristics, designed to engage the customer in a collaborative conversation in order to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted and transparent business environment. It’s the company’s response to the customer’s ownership of the conversation.
Let’s call that the 60-second version of the definition of Social CRM. When you’re writing a definition that’s going to be seen as an elevator pitch by much of your team, however, you’ll want to make it short enough so people understand it in a sentence or two. Here’s the 30-second version of the Social CRM definition:
The customer owns the conversation now, so companies need to change the way they do business. Social CRM is a philosophy and a business strategy that uses technology, work flow, business rules, and social information to talk with (not at) the customer in a transparent way, to make value for both parties.
The 10-second definition is even simpler:
Social CRM is strategy to make conversations with customers who bring you money and make your customers happy.
There you go. Three flavors, all pointing to the same big idea. While you use technology and work flow and all of this crazy social Web data to facilitate Social CRM, it all comes down to this: get the feedback you need to amaze your customers, then actually amaze them with your brand and the total customer experience your brand provides, end-to-end.
Ed. note: This is part of a series of excerpts from The Social Customer, the new guide to social customer acquisition, monetization, and retention by Adam Metz. For the first entry, go here.
This installment is from Chapter 3: Social Customer Relationship Management. We take a moment to define our terms.
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Thomas Wieberneit, on Feb 7, 03:13 PM, wrote:
Hi Adam,
interesting read, however, allow 2 comments :-)
You refer to Greenbergs long definition. In the same post he also has a 10 second version: “The company’s response to the customer’s control of the conversation”. He refers to it as the tweetable one. I like it, because it also implies customer centricity
Your 10 second version goes in a similar direction yet is company centric. It implies that making customers happy is a byproduct. Making money does not really work this way, at least not on the long term. It also omits the possibilities to turn unhappy customers into happy ones or to generate new customers.
How about changing the 10 second version to something along the lines”… is a strategy to make customers happy through conversation and thus earn money.”
Rgds
Thomas
Alan Cornelisen, on Feb 9, 02:28 PM, wrote:
I found this installment in your series to be very timely. I have read a lot lately where authors have been conflating SCRM with an assortment of related but different ideas. Nice to see you lay out the definitions. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.