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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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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