The buzz: Their way. CEOs worldwide have identified customer transformation among their top three initiatives. Why? The customer experience is suffering. Mobile and e-commerce have morphed customer engagement. We as customers now expect to be able to buy products and services with the same ease regardless of where and how we choose to engage with a brand. How can your company solve these fundamental business challenges in our increasingly omni-channel world? The answer: Omni-Channel Commerce. The experts speak. Randy Kohl, Gorilla Group: “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic (Arthur C. Clarke). Angelica Valentine, Wiser: “The sooner we drop the ‘e’ out of ‘e-commerce’ and just call it commerce, the better” (Bob Willett). Eric Marotta, SAP hybris: “I hate to mention age, but I come from an era when we weren't consumed by technology and television” (Jimmy Buffett). Join us for Transforming CRM Sales and Service Around Commerce.

The buzz: Marketing Technology. Consumers are leading your business into a brave new world where they expect consistent and seamless engagement across all channels where they choose to find you. Beyond developing adaptive customer engagement strategies, smart marketers are realizing the need for an integrated marketing technology foundation. Do you have one yet? The experts speak. Michael Darviche, Bridge-22: “All roads lead to Rome… and there were times when it might have struck us that almost every branch of study or subject of conversation skirted forbidden ground.” (Henry James, Turn of the Screw) David Raab, Industry Analyst: “Dr. Conrad Zimsky: ‘Static discharges in the atmosphere will create superstorms with hundreds of lightning strikes per square mile.’ Dr. Josh Keyes: ‘After that it gets bad.’” (Film, The Core) Bernard Chung, SAP: “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department. (David Packard) Join us for How to Build a Marketing Technology Strategy.

The buzz: Their Way If you’re seeing a transformation in your relationship with customers, you are not alone. Digital transformation is empowering today’s consumers with information, insights, and the power to control their experiences with products, services and companies. No longer following the traditional linear customer journey, they can redesign the path whenever they research products and solutions, make a purchase decision, and seek post-sale support. Are you giving them a great experience on every channel, every time? The experts speak. Craig Borowski, Software Advice: “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department. (David Packard) Teri Sun, White Rhino: “Think left and think right, think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” (Dr. Seuss) Ryan O’Neil, SAP: “Man, they keep trying to impress me!” (9-year-old boy watching kid product ads on TV) Join us for Modern Customer Journey: Having It Their Way – Part 2.

The buzz: The Journey brbr We are witnessing a great transformation in the relationship between companies and customers. The modern customer journey no longer follows a traditional linear path. It can start, stop, go backwards, forwards, or in loops, crossing multiple channels and touch points. Even more challenging for marketers, the journey is unique to each customer and each time they set out to buy something. Do the math to see why you must be prepared to address infinite possibilities with real-time, relevant, contextual experiences. Are you ready? The experts speak. brbr Craig Borowski, Software Advice: “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” (Bill Gates) Teri Sun, White Rhino: “The toughest thing about the power of trust is that it's very difficult to build and very easy to destroy. (Thomas J. Watson) Ryan O’Neil, SAP: “Wherever you go, there you are.” (Clint Black) Join us for Modern Customer Journey: Forget the Marketing Funnel.

The buzz: Marketing. The marketing campaign as we know it is dead. Innovative marketers are entering a new era of managing the adaptive customer engagement. But first, their organizations need clear insights into customers’ needs and desires, plus the ability to proactively adapt and react in real-time. Still stuck in old campaign mode? Learn the key components to hit the ground running. The experts speak. Liz Miller, CMO Council : “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month” (Theodore Roosevelt). Jeff Tanner, Baylor University: “The only sustainable competitive advantage is to learn faster than your competition” (Peter Senge). Bernard Chung, SAP: ““If customer advocacy is the destination, customer engagement is the journey.” Join us for New Era of Marketing: Adaptive Customer Engagement.

The buzz: Marriage. It’s no secret that sales and marketing typically work in parallel and rarely together. But at today’s successful companies, these teams are forging a strong, collaborative alliance that enables them to know their audience better, grow sales, and boost loyalty in this age of the connected, empowered customer. Can this marriage last? The experts speak. Jeff Tanner, Professor: “Salespeople are being abused in the name of marketing in far too many organizations. Free the salespeople!” Barry Trailer, CSO Insights: “The traditional relationship: Sales says to Marketing, ‘The leads suck.’ Marketing says to Sales, ‘No, YOU suck.’ Life can be better than this and firms that have figured out how are getting great results.” Daisy Hernandez, SAP: The balance has shifted from a world of information asymmetry, caveat emptor – buyer beware – to a world of information parity, caveat venditor – seller beware” (Daniel H. Pink). Join us for Sales and Marketing - Perfect Marriage?

The buzz: Customer service. Many companies are in the Customer Service Hall of Shame for less-than-stellar practices, from harassing customers trying to cancel a service to fining someone for a bad Yelp review. It’s time to go back to school to revisit modern fundamentals of exceptional customer service: social channels for engagement, an efficient self-service model, and making customer service the heart of your marketing and brand experience. The experts speak. Shep Hyken, Customer Service Expert: “Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy to be embraced by every person in any position within an organization.” Robin Fray Carey, Social Media Today: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true” (Abraham Lincoln). Kai Petzelt, SAP: “Businesses are no longer the sole creator of a brand; it is co-created by consumers through shared experiences and defined by…online searches and conversations” (Brian Solis). Join us for Back to School: Lessons in Customer Service.

The buzz: Selling brbr The selling process has changed. Before interacting with your sales team, prospects have completed nearly 60% of their purchasing decision. Your challenge: deliver greater value throughout every step of the buying journey so they choose you. But how? Successful companies are taking advantage of Insightful Selling techniques to win and retain the right customers. brbr The experts speak. brbr Britton Manasco, Visible Impact: “Everything we see hides another thing. We always want to see what is hidden by what we see.” (Rene Magritte). brbr Heidi Tucker, InsideView: “Imagine if your salespeople could shine a light of insight on today’s empowered customers so that they no longer underestimate the cost of the status quo and the benefits of change … they would know how to sell value and differentiate your product.” (Michael Harris). brbr Shalini Mitha, SAP: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” (Maya Angelou). brbr Join us for Next Gen Sales: Winning with Insights.

The buzz: Marketing Technology. Consumers are leading your business into a brave new world where they expect consistent and seamless engagement across all channels where they choose to find you. Beyond developing adaptive customer engagement strategies, smart marketers are realizing the need for an integrated marketing technology foundation. Do you have one yet? The experts speak. Michael Darviche, Bridge-22: “All roads lead to Rome… and there were times when it might have struck us that almost every branch of study or subject of conversation skirted forbidden ground.” (Henry James, Turn of the Screw) David Raab, Industry Analyst: “Dr. Conrad Zimsky: ‘Static discharges in the atmosphere will create superstorms with hundreds of lightning strikes per square mile.’ Dr. Josh Keyes: ‘After that it gets bad.’” (Film, The Core) Bernard Chung, SAP: “Marketing is too important to be left to the marketing department. (David Packard) Join us for How to Build a Marketing Technology Strategy.

The buzz: Customer service. Many companies are in the Customer Service Hall of Shame for less-than-stellar practices, from harassing customers trying to cancel a service to fining someone for a bad Yelp review. It’s time to go back to school to revisit modern fundamentals of exceptional customer service: social channels for engagement, an efficient self-service model, and making customer service the heart of your marketing and brand experience. The experts speak. Shep Hyken, Customer Service Expert: “Customer service is not a department. It is a philosophy to be embraced by every person in any position within an organization.” Robin Fray Carey, Social Media Today: “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true” (Abraham Lincoln). Kai Petzelt, SAP: “Businesses are no longer the sole creator of a brand; it is co-created by consumers through shared experiences and defined by…online searches and conversations” (Brian Solis). Join us for Back to School: Lessons in Customer Service.

The buzz: Field service. Does your company consider field service a cost center, with an eye on minimizing costs while delivering exceptional customer service? News flash! Successful companies are evolving their customer engagement strategies, using field service reps’ front-line interactions as a critical touch point in strengthening customer relationships and driving new revenue opportunities. Ready for a makeover? The experts speak. John Ragsdale, Technology Services Industry Association: “In many companies, field service is the last organization in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Multiple industry drivers, including mobility, social, and retiring baby boomers, are forcing field service teams—sometimes kicking and screaming—into the 21st century.” Sumair Dutta, The Service Council: “In order to be great, you’ve got to be bad.” (Prof. Frances X. Frei) Hansen Lieu, SAP: “Don’t be Kramer’s cable guy!” Join us for Ultimate Makeover: Field Service Reps into Customer Ambassadors.

The buzz: Field service. Does your company consider field service a cost center, with an eye on minimizing costs while delivering exceptional customer service? News flash! Successful companies are evolving their customer engagement strategies, using field service reps’ front-line interactions as a critical touch point in strengthening customer relationships and driving new revenue opportunities. Ready for a makeover? The experts speak. John Ragsdale, Technology Services Industry Association: “In many companies, field service is the last organization in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Multiple industry drivers, including mobility, social, and retiring baby boomers, are forcing field service teams—sometimes kicking and screaming—into the 21st century.” Sumair Dutta, The Service Council: “In order to be great, you’ve got to be bad.” (Prof. Frances X. Frei) Hansen Lieu, SAP: “Don’t be Kramer’s cable guy!” Join us for Ultimate Makeover: Field Service Reps into Customer Ambassadors.

The buzz: Marketing. The marketing campaign as we know it is dead. Innovative marketers are entering a new era of managing the adaptive customer engagement. But first, their organizations need clear insights into customers’ needs and desires, plus the ability to proactively adapt and react in real-time. Still stuck in old campaign mode? Learn the key components to hit the ground running. The experts speak. Liz Miller, CMO Council : “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn't sit for a month” (Theodore Roosevelt). Jeff Tanner, Baylor University: “The only sustainable competitive advantage is to learn faster than your competition” (Peter Senge). Bernard Chung, SAP: ““If customer advocacy is the destination, customer engagement is the journey.” Join us for New Era of Marketing: Adaptive Customer Engagement.

The buzz: Marriage. It’s no secret that sales and marketing typically work in parallel and rarely together. But at today’s successful companies, these teams are forging a strong, collaborative alliance that enables them to know their audience better, grow sales, and boost loyalty in this age of the connected, empowered customer. Can this marriage last? The experts speak. Jeff Tanner, Professor: “Salespeople are being abused in the name of marketing in far too many organizations. Free the salespeople!” Barry Trailer, CSO Insights: “The traditional relationship: Sales says to Marketing, ‘The leads suck.’ Marketing says to Sales, ‘No, YOU suck.’ Life can be better than this and firms that have figured out how are getting great results.” Daisy Hernandez, SAP: The balance has shifted from a world of information asymmetry, caveat emptor – buyer beware – to a world of information parity, caveat venditor – seller beware” (Daniel H. Pink). Join us for Sales and Marketing - Perfect Marriage?

The buzz: Marriage. It’s no secret that sales and marketing typically work in parallel and rarely together. But at today’s successful companies, these teams are forging a strong, collaborative alliance that enables them to know their audience better, grow sales, and boost loyalty in this age of the connected, empowered customer. Can this marriage last? The experts speak. Jeff Tanner, Professor: “Salespeople are being abused in the name of marketing in far too many organizations. Free the salespeople!” Barry Trailer, CSO Insights: “The traditional relationship: Sales says to Marketing, ‘The leads suck.’ Marketing says to Sales, ‘No, YOU suck.’ Life can be better than this and firms that have figured out how are getting great results.” Daisy Hernandez, SAP: The balance has shifted from a world of information asymmetry, caveat emptor – buyer beware – to a world of information parity, caveat venditor – seller beware” (Daniel H. Pink). Join us for Sales and Marketing - Perfect Marriage?