BPT CRM Cert Program

Just finished sitting in on a morning session of BPT Partners' CRM 2.0 Certification program, and I have to say, they're doing a really good thing with this offering. I'd like to thank Paul Greenberg for letting me slip in.

OK, so the topic of the day was social networks, about which I've done a lot of writing, speaking and -- above all -- thinking. Chris Carfi of Cerado gave that part of the presentation, and did a fabulous job -- a great balance of describing the big sociological and technology shifts businesses should know about as well as specific examples of how social networks are expressed through current technology.

The best part was the hour he spent going through URLs of sites that showed the principles in action: UGC (user generated content), public tagging, mash-ups, FaceBook-style communities, and much more. It was a great example of how Web 2.0 technology combines with the power of social networks to create a new, more concentrated form of consumer and (shall I dare say it?) people power. After all, we're only consumers because businesses think of us that way. We're really people who, at some point, consume something.

Paul Greenberg then launched into the whys and hows of podcasting. He does a great podcast that really captures his personality and voice -- very conversational, and jam-packed with insight and opinion. I love Paul's sense of play and humor, too, and it all comes across in his podcasts. Check them out. The great thing about his presentation was his quick recap of how to set up a computer for audio production. I've got a long audio production background that goes way back to engineering on 2-inch analog tape at 30ips (I've got a multitrack tape in my closet still, and I'm afraid to open the box because I guarantee you it is shedding all my music). Paul did a great job of explaining why on earth you'd need compressor/limiters and aural exciters (yes, he told the requisite jokes about that).

The audience was filled with marketing professionals and not a few senior executives, and they were at the edge of their seats. The session today (which I'm missing) is the wrap-up, the big So What, in which participants get a chance to model how they'd apply CRM 2.0 principles to their market issues.

It's the big question in general: technology now enables the spontaneous creation of communities whose ideas, personalities and opinions can be expressed and REMEMBERED, and then, of course, found on Google. In a well-meshed network, news travels fast, ideas are iterated fast -- it's where innovation can happen, where mass opinion can turn from liquid gelatin to jello, or from wet concrete to the foundation of a really strong communal edifice. These opinions influence brand equity, affect reputations, and can therefore affect markets. That changes your ability to sell, to raise capital, and to manage crises.

Does CRM 2.0 matter?

You bet.