Happy Holidays From ISM!

By Barton Goldenberg

I hope you are enjoying the holidays with friends, family and co-workers alike.

During 2016, ISM pioneered the important new concept of Integrated Customer-Centric Strategy, and I had the pleasure of presenting it at several conferences and company events around the country. Throughout the year, we have helped clients thrive in the digital marketplace by leveraging CRM, Social Media, Big Data Analytics, Customer Experience Management, eCommerce and Emerging Technologies to increase customer loyalty, satisfaction and advocacy.

2016 was also an exciting year for me both personally and professionally. On the personal side, I was deeply honored to be selected as District Governor Nominee for my Rotary District 7620 that covers central Maryland and Washington, D.C.  I really enjoy serving others and feel that Rotary is one of the best ways to realize ‘Service Above Self’ on a local, national and international basis.

On the professional side, I had the pleasure to make several keynotes around the new Integrated Customer-Centric Strategy concept at both private events and public conferences and these keynotes were overwhelmingly well-received.  My take: organizations can no longer rest on the old ‘off-line’ business model for success.  Integrating off-line and on-line data is now a key success factor for every organization’s survival.  As many of you know, Integrated Customer-Centric Strategy is the theme of my new book, which I expect to be published during the first half of 2017.

I am also pleased to observe that in 2016, CRM and related technology vendors showed increased sensitivity to the importance of the ‘people/process/technology’ critical mix.  In a nutshell, in successful CRM implementations, whether they be a first or a fifth-time CRM implementation, organizational readiness (people) accounts for 50% of the success of the implementation, meaningful customer-facing business processes accounts for 30% and technology accounts for the remaining 20%.  Said differently, achieving successful customer-centric strategy has never been and can never be a technology play!

For 2017, keep your eyes open to an increased focus on capturing customer digital insights with Internet of Things sensors, wearable and augmented and virtual reality.  Be prepared to welcome easier-to-use business analytical processes and tools, better ways to integrate off-line and on-line data, and more effective use of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer-facing functions including sales, marketing and customer service.

All of us at ISM have greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with you and your organization in the past, and we would welcome any opportunity to renew our relationship in 2017.

Have a healthy and prosperous new year, and please let me know if I can be of service in any way.

Best regards,
Barton

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Barton Goldenberg, is the founder and president of ISM Inc., customer-centric strategists/implementers serving best-in-class organizations globally. As a CRM leader for 30 years, he was among the first three inductees in the CRM Hall of Fame. Recognized as a leading “customer-focused” author, his latest book, The Definitive Guide to Social CRM, is hailed as the roadmap for Social CRM success. Barton is a popular speaker on “maximizing customer relationships to gain market insights, customers and profits”. He is a long-term columnist for CRM Magazine and speaker for CRMevolution and frequently quoted in the media.