Sure, this could be my last post as an Oracle employee, given that we sell CRM software But I don't think so. Here's why.
While I can't get much more specific here, a few months ago, a particular video about how a particular transportation company breaks particular musical instruments was all the rage on the most popular online viral video sites. Now, given that this particular transportation company is an Oracle Corporation customer, I won't provide any names here. Besides, I've been a highly faithful customer of this particular transportation company for decades and will continue to have an allegiance with them for many more decades.
But here is the point, and I'm pretty sure you already know this, although it always bears repeating. CRM is about so much more than software. It's about the people and processes that drive your business. It's about the 'how' as well as the 'what.' It's about how you treat and respond to that customer after you break her or his musical instrument. It's about whether you have the insight to respond to them appropriately. And it's about the knowledge of -- when things are going well -- how to serve their needs by offering them something else they may benefit from.
And if the people who drive your sales and customer service processes are not aligned, if your culture is not built around serving the needs and aspirations of your customers, then no technology will bridge that gap.
I'd also submit that the 'people equation' has a lot to do with the domain expertise and experience of your CRM provider. It goes well beyond the applications they offer. And nobody has more domain expertise than Oracle in CRM. I know that sounds brash and aggressive. But it's a fact.
Now, all of this said, if your technology doesn't provide your customer-facing employees with the vital and actionable insights they need to serve "the needs and aspirations of your customers," then they likely won't be able to bridge that gap.
So...if you're interested in learning how to drive sales, marketing and service effectiveness with a company that has helped more organizations like yours than anyone else on the planet to do just that, then come on out to San Francisco and join us at Oracle OpenWorld. We have a lot of 'people' who would love to meet and speak with you.
To find out more about specific sessions, demos, and networking opportunities, take a look at the Focus On guides for Oracle CRM On Demand, Siebel Sales/PRM/Order Management, Siebel Service, Siebel Marketing and Loyalty, and Siebel CRM Infrastructure and Technology.
And please visit the Oracle OpenWorld page to plan, register, and enroll in sessions and activities. OK, I'm out of breath.
