Guillaume du Gardier recounts an experience in a post in the CEO Bloggers’ Club from meeting with the sales team of an international company in which blogging was discussed:
The first reaction of the sale team was negative, as they are afraid to see their client talking about prices or problems they might have when using company’s product, rather then sharing together feedback that might be much more constructive and usefull for the sale team itself.
What better CRM tool can we provide than a blog to get immediate inputs, feedback from users? If a company has to choose one single kind of public to talk to, who should it choose? Client of course. And who speaks to the client: sales team.
Guillaume’s experience brings to my mind the Social Customer Manifesto as envisioned by Christopher Carfi, and what customers might say to that sales team:
- I want to have a say.
- I don’t want to do business with idiots.
- I want to know when something is wrong, and what you’re going to do to fix it.
- I want to help shape things that I’ll find useful.
- I want to connect with others who are working on similar problems.
- I don’t want to be called by another salesperson. Ever. (Unless they have something useful. Then I want it yesterday.)
- I want to buy things on my schedule, not yours. I don’t care if it’s the end of your quarter.
- I want to know your selling process.
- I want to tell you when you’re screwing up. Conversely, I’m happy to tell you the things that you are doing well. I may even tell you what your competitors are doing.
- I want to do business with companies that act in a transparent and ethical manner.
- I want to know what’s next. We’re in partnership…where should we go?
Christopher also writes a CRM blog at IT Toolbox. He knows a thing or two about CRM and blogs.