February | 2011 | Bill Johnston: Social Media & Online Community Strategy

Monthly Archives: February 2011

Our Panel for Social Media Week: Closing the Gap Between Theory and Practice in Relationship Management San Francisco

Posted on February 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

Discussion Panel: “Closing the Gap Between Practice and Theory in Relationship Management”

Panelists:

Bill Johnston, Head of Global Community at Dell

Jacob Morgan, Principal/Co-Founder, Chess Media Group

Paul Mabray, Chief Strategy Officer, VinTank

Moderator: Rich Reader, Chief Engagement Officer, VineBuzz

Going beyond (while still embracing) customer relations, it is increasingly necessary that enterprises of every scale do more to improve social relationships with employees, suppliers, contractors, utilities, financial markets, stockholders, competitors, government, educators, and non-governmental organizatons. In part, it’s a matter of drinking our own snake oil. Until we are comfortable with our socialized business relations, we can’t expect our customers to more fully engage with us.

A few questions have emerged in early discussions with the panelists:

How do smart enterprises identify and pursue the best directions from which to improve their overall engagement practices?

Why are we falling behind in growing/delivering the value that we need to provide to our customers?

What strategic goals/concepts need to be achieved?

Which organizational behaviors are due for modification?

Whose ox shall be sheltered in consideration for facilitating necessary changes?

Spoiler Alert: This meeting is about strategic goals and objectives, as well as the core practices that facilitate those goals and objectives. It is not a hawkfest for tactical brands, tools, packages, software-as-a-service, retainers, or any other manner of picks and shovels. Based upon what we already know about the agenda of #SMWSF, you should have already had more than ample opportunity to sell everything under the sun to each other.