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Done on the road and sound quality down (Sampson C03 USB mikes are okay but not great), I still manage I think a good one. I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. Salesforce.com & Google announce SFDC-Google Apps "alliance."
2. NetSuite launches One World globalization/localization. Good move.
3. Oracle brings Deal Management 2.0ish to the table.
4. Zoho announces their enterprise CRM edition - for the midmarket - they're smart.

Lists(less): Three Brain Farts I look at three mistakes made by companies I like - all in the same week. That would be:

1. Pardot - The Enterprise Marketing Automation company which otherwise has a very traditionally comprehensive good marketing solution, offers a email capture feature that shouldn't be there.
2. Infusionsoft - a company that I truly like - a VERY useful and powerful "emarketing" (their term) suite (with SFA) denounces CRM far too gratuitously for my taste.
3. Zoho - one of my champs, my stars, attacks Marc Benioff for reasons that really both make no sense and are simply just nasty.

Experience Matters This week I focus on the truly great experience. Check out the virtual tour (mine is verbal but there is a visual on their site) of Sweetwater Audio - one of the finest companies I have ever dealt with and one that gets the customer in every direction - including internally. Music for the Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

Final Note I apologize for the poorer sound this week. Working on the road is a bit more difficult sometimes. I think I've taken care of this. I now have the Apogee Duet which should solve all the sound problems that I have when I go on the road. While the Sampson C03 USB mike is okay, it doesn't meet the standard. If you don't want to go the route of the Apogee which can be a bit pricey there are two other USB mikes to look into - the Rode Podcaster USB mike and the Audio-Technica AT2020 USB mike. Rode sounds good, though looks ugly and feels heavy; don't know about the Audio Technica. I'm going more pro than either.

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This is the "social" episode - not because it wants to date you, but because it focuses on CRM's collaborative side. Sorry.

I Read The News Today Oi Vey

1. Zoho releasing a "social ERP" application called Zoho People
2. Microsoft creates a Windows Live Contact API that will interface with social networks like MySpace and the fast growing Hi5
3. A new study from Entertainment Media Research commissioned by UK entertainment law firm Wiggin on Digital Entertainment Media shows (among many other things) that social networks could the become content distribution platforms of choice. Get the report here.
4. Ringside Networks takes centerstage with an Open Source server to run social networks

The "I Have No Name, Please Adopt Me" Segment

In the "What WERE You Thinking?" segment I look at 2 of Time Magazine's 10 ideas that can change the world. That would be #2 - The End of Customer Service (hmmmmm) and #7 (Synthetic Authenticity) (Yay! Joe Pine. Boo, John Cloud).

Experience Matters

I discuss the difference between meeting benchmarks and exceeding expectations - when it comes to Hewlett Packard and the way they handled a computer order with them.

Sympathy Matters Too
I spend an inordinate amount of time on my abscessed tooth in an overt play for sympathy. But dammit, it hurts!

And of course the music; always the music....

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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This episode is heavy on the "tech." From hi-tech companies, to new tech to Virginia Tech. The last two segments are particularly interesting.

I Read The News Today Oi Vey

1. KANA announced an alliance with IBM to build next gen contact centers
2. NetSuite announced its ecommerce suites - adding another vertical notch to its belt
3. Infor finally uses Epiphany's marketing strengths right with a retail specific interaction engine tailored release

The Doesn't Really Have A Title Segment This one is awesome - I talk about the Fantastic Four - my 4 favorite coming-on-the-scene tech companies worth watching. They are:

1. Neighborhood America
2. Zuora
3. InsideView
4. Loyalty Lab

If you want to know what I say about them, you'll just have to listen

Experience Matters In this segment I focus on the deeply emotional experience that my favorite team by eons - the NY Yankees - evoked with their trip to scarred and troubled Virginia Tech on March 18.

And of course......

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Course Correction: The Leonard Lothen Band
   "I Love Baseball"
   from "America Loves Baseball!"
   (Strait Street Entertainment LLC)
   
   Buy at iTunes Music Store
   Stream from Rhapsody
   Buy at Amazon
   
4. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
5. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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This episode has no News, no Lists, no Experience Matters, and no Paul uncoolness. But it has the thinking of several analysts including Paulie, Denis Pombriant from Beagle Research, Brent Leary from CRM Essentials and Business Technology Radio and Marshall Lager from CRM Magazine on what good and bad came out of Microsoft Convergence 2008. Worth listening to for all kinds of great reasons.

Music for this Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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Episode #8

I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. RightNow Feb 08 Edition has a contextual workspace for contact center agents that's actually interesting
2. NetSuite releases a Business Operating System that focuses on vertical development
3. Google Sites (the artist formerly known as Jotspot) gets Microsoft Sharepoint in its, ahem, sites
4. Netelligent is sponsoring a video dance contest that David Sims claims that several of us are going to dance in - plausible denial is my answer

Lists (The Lame Name)
We look at the The Top 5 Web 2.0 Apps from popular blog Connected Internet Pretty good stuff I must say, old bean. But my loud crying continues when it comes to being an uncool dork because of the name.

Experience Matters Finally, you judge and tell me where you'd shop based on these stories on the difference between Safeway and Whole Foods.

Plus the usual great music - and here it is.

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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Episode #7

I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. The CRM world was rocked by the rumors of salesforce trying to purchase Zoho, Oracle being asked to purchase salesforce, Microsoft trying to purchase Yahoo and Yahoo talking to Rupert Murdoch to stop Microsoft and then Yahoo being sued by its own shareholders who want them to listen to Microsoft - AGGGH
2. Microsoft decided that its communications protocols would be 30,000 pages of open source.
3. Forrester ranks the enterprise marketing companies - none that good

Lists
I look at BNET's 5 Signs of CRM system failure. I lament my 58 year old uncoolness because I still am stuck with the segment name Lists.

Experience Matters
I review a great customer experience focused blog called "The Perfect Customer Experience" run by Cincom, though you wouldn't know it....and I'm not entirely sure about that.

Sponsors
We say hi to our regular sponsor, MyCRMCareer.com and welcome a new one - Isymmetry.

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy it at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers. Buy at Amazon.com
3. News #2 - It Don't Matter by The Moot. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
5. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

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Episode #6

I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. Oracle announces its Single Tenant Enterprise Edition Siebel CRM on Demand
2. IDC study finds that consumers are on the Internet 32.7 hours a week
3. Loyalty Labs announces its Integrated Marketing Platform V.3.0 - and it really is marketing as a conversation!

Lists

I'm still uncool and lame, because no one gave me a new name for this segment. That sucks.However, also sucking somewhat is the Nucleus Research list of Top 5 CRM Deployment Mistakes and I add my own.

Experience Matters

I like the name of this segment at so many levels. I look at the world of experiential marketing and the Whirlpool Insperience showroom where you can stand there naked and wash your dirty clothes in their premium washer dryers. Sorta.

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Muddy Waters Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters. Buy at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

This is a good episode if you like listening to me getting over the flu - and there is a lot of good detail too. Lots. of detail, not phlegm.

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Episode #5

Format Changes There are a number of format changes to the show. Lots & lots.

What are they, you might ask? (no?)

1. Experience on the Edge is once a week - around 35-40 minutes - Tuesdays
2. The interview show will be monthly with an occasional additional special. It'll be a separate show called "Luminescence" (isn't that a COOL name?)
3. Brent Leary and I will be doing CRM Playaz at least twice a month with the launch TBD. Watch these pages and our blogs
4. Finally, EOTE has a new format internally too. The news continues, but then we analyze lists that I find, lists top of... worst of.... lists that I create and I get lists that you create and blab about them. Finally, we do the customer experience story with the lessons learned in that.

I Read the News Today Oi Vey

1. Forrester finds that CRM still doesn't do it for 260 companies
2. Microsoft tries to "acquire" Yahoo. No comment - but Techcrunch has one
3. Emarketer finds that lots of folks listen to podcasts

Lists

I announce a contest to change the lame name "Lists" to something else, invite reader submissions of lists, and take a look at the Inside CRM Top 25 Influencer List in some detail

Experience Matters

By highlighting several examples including one at the Intercontinental Hotel in Toronto, I show how granularly the customer experience is examined by customers and how disproportionately customers weigh results. An individual bad thing can outweigh multiple good things if it irritates the expectations of the customer.

Music for This Episode

1. Intro: Muddy Waters Got My Mojo Working from the album, The Lost Tapes by Muddy Waters Buy at Amazon.com
2. News: I've Got News from the album, The Wheel Man by Watermelon Slim & The Workers Buy at Amazon.com
3. Experience Matters: Use Your Experience by Charles Bobus. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network
4. Outro: Rollin' by Maria Daines. Courtesy of The Podsafe Music Network

This is a good one if you like hearing me calmly rant about things in CRM. Listen in. We're rockin' and rollin' Got GREAT music too.

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Episode #4:

Behold The Future of CRM - Forecast for 2008 from the Experts - and from Me

This final episode of the year looks ahead to the future of CRM in 2008. CRM next year will continue to both rise and to change.

What Can We Expect?
There is a lot that's covered so listen, okay? I can't write without getting knarly fingers and its late so just tune in. But here are a few of the highlights:

1. Software sales expected to be at $8.3 billion (Gartner);
2. Battle for platform leadership will continue to grow as many other players get on board (Pombriant);
3. Social search will come to the fore in 2008(Gillin);
4. Public sector, retail, financial services and health services will be the emotional verticals that will drool over CRM in 2008 (me)

This is only the tip of the holiday iceberg that I cover in my most interesting and possibly frenetic episode.

There are a few announcements to take note of:

1. We are adjourned until January 8 when we come back with our next episode and more content, new music, better sound and a renewed vigor
2. Brent Leary and I have come up with the name of our back and forth monthly edgy segment: The CRM Playaz (don't even TRY to get the URL. Brent already has it)
3. I won the InsideCRM 2007 Blog of the Year Award!! Yay!!

Finally, the music attribution you've been waiting for. This one is REALLY simple:

1. Intro and Closing: Waiting for the World to Change (cover) by Chris Lombardi
2. Forecast from the Cliff: Forecast by GSE Prophet
3. MyCRMCareer Commercial: The Long Train (cover) by Mark Henson Band

SEE YOU ON JANUARY 8TH. HAPPY HOLIDAYS

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Episode #2:

Salesforce and SugarCRM makes some moves; Workday moves some 25 customers; Comcast is pretty damned bad; & MORE!

NEWS
This week's episode is a little spotty on news, but very cool on all other things. The news is around moves in the industry with salesforce.com reinforced their announcement of a new President of Operations/Chief Strategy Officer; SugarCRM carrying out a hiring strategy to grab the ones that covered them; and in a sorta deviation (not that kind!), I follow Workday, the ERP on demand company created by PeopleSoft founder and nicest guy in the entire industry, Dave Duffield.

POVC
I look at Comcast disasters which seems to be a word pairing that is as closely connected as "tone deaf" is.

LOVE YA HATE YA
There's a shoutout to CRM Magazine Senior Editor Marshall Lager, who is not only a great writer and insightful and good guy, but quoted me saying - well, you'll hear. I recommend with 3.5 stars, Gazool, a social search engine with some very cool feature in beta and w/o a revenue model.

MUSIC ATTRIBUTION

1. Intro Music & Closing : Waitin’ on the World to Change” (Cover Song) by Chris Lombardi
2. Forecast from the Cliff: “Forecast” by GsE-Prophet
3. Commercial: The Long Train (Cover Song) by Mark Henson Band
4. POVC: Comcast Connection Blues by Derek K. Miller