Frederic Gilbert – A European Perspective On CRM Trends

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Recently I had the very good fortune to connect with Frederic Gilbert who resides in Lyon, France. I think that it is important to share that our relationship began on Twitter. If we had not chosen to engage directly, it may have ended there. Behold the power of social media and the great disappointment to be had if you do not move your newly found connections to the next level.  I for one am very glad that we made the efforts! We share a common interest in CRM and Social CRM. Frederic is an amazingly bright fellow and it’s neat to get his take on what is happening in this field over in Europe!

Frederic, could you please give us a little bit of info about your background, your company, and your interests? 

Starting with my background, I have a bachelor of arts in English-American Civilization and have also an MSc in International Marketing and Sales and an MSc in Business Law & Management. I  started  in the web industry 11 years ago as a webmaster and web designer and for the past 9 years I have been evolving in Business Development, mostly in France but, also in the USA for a couple of years. I had the chance as a child to spend 3 years in Denver between the ages of 4 and 11. I now work as a Director of Sales & Marketing in a software company which proposes a SaaS platform for professional associations and lobby groups. We are also launching a great platform for non-profit organizations to enhance gift transparency and traceability.

My fields of interest are non-profit activities, social media, Social CRM, social enterprise and how to get people working together and sharing visions. But, I also love reading, drinking good wine, trekking here in the Alps, and spending time with friends and my beloved ones.

Social CRM is getting a lot of attention these days. Are you evaluating/working with any vertical markets where you see great potential?

I think that people are both skeptical and unconvinced of social media as a business opportunity. I consider that as the integration of social interactions within CRM initiatives. But, as regards to potential markets, as I explained in the previous question, we are looking seriously toward non-profit markets. First reason is that, here in Europe, the welfare state is coming to an end. We believe here that the state as a duty and is now stepping out of its responsibilities which leaves gaps in the social environment. Non-profit organizations are booming in order to compensate for the empty space left by the state and this creates a climate of competition for gifts, grants, etc. It means that these organizations need to set up efficient business processes to demonstrate good use of the money they collected through fundraising and use it a competitive advantage. That is where we have created software enabling benefactors to track every penny they collected and see where and how it was used both in projects or funds.

I think here Social CRM will naturally integrate itself as non-profits have understood the need for having loyal donors and creating strong bonds with them. Engaging through multiple channels and mobilizing people through social media, tracking these interactions and helping the organizations demonstrate their commitment, is key and resolutely the future to me. 

What do you see as major obstacles to the successful deployment of any CRM or Social CRM initiative? 

We talked about it on a Skype meeting but, my role as sales director is also to ensure that all the parties involved in the projects I sell will be heard, listened to, and being taken into account for the final delivery. Otherwise failure is guaranteed. You and I agreed that we heard only the marketers and the different marketing doctors talk of Social CRM. Very view indeed talked about a key factor of CRM: the sales person himself! Our friend Mark Tamis wrote a great article on the new role of the sales person in regards to the emergence of social media. You see where I am coming to. If you don’t let the people who use the tools tell you what they need and why they need it, then you are doomed to failure!

Another reason is simply adding another tool on top of another without justifying needs and demonstrating the benefits for the users. They have to work with it and not participate in the conception, building and launching of the app. It’s all about involving everyone on board.

Where do you think we are going with cross-channel vs. multi-channel marketing?

I think that people who are still managing their channels as separate silos are going in the wrong direction… The companies that create a true synergy between their channels are gaining market shares at light speed. The key here is mostly education. If our programs continue on opposing channels, and the people specializing, then it is doomed. Whereas, if the customer is to be the true beneficiary, everyone must learn to dance together. Once again it is about sharing the vision between people and breaking the silos and that is where Customer Experience Management comes in play. Create the vision, share it, have them love it, and then have everyone build a great relationship with your customer.

Do you see any missing elements, departments or personnel not being properly addressed, in the current discussion of Social CRM? 

We have discussed this together and I do feel concerned about the fact that very rarely are sales people mentioned. Our friend Mark Tamis wrote a great post on this topic and how the role of the sales people has to be redefined. I agree! What I am reading is that this department is definitely out of the discussion. I have the feeling that most of the companies forget that field people would appreciate having new business leads thanks to social media interactions. For example, if I am in a neighborhood I’d like to have an alert on my smart phone that I have a happy or unhappy customer who interacts frequently with us or has mentioned us. This would be an opportunity to pay him a visit. That is a basic use but the tools are there. Open the silos and let the sales people understand what’s at stake and take advantage of what’s out there. 

Do you see Europe approaching Social CRM differently than we are in the U.S. and what might those differences be? 

In Europe we don’t engage too quickly into technologies or too cutting edge trends. There are several reasons for that:

  • We like to invest in markets that are secured or that have a proven feasibility and ROI
  • US investors can make a decision by instinct while not relying only on rock solid market studies – you may have an army of market researchers and still fail
  • In the US you always look for innovation. It is a tradition of trying and trying again until it works! In Europe, entrepreneurship is very different, even though it is hard to generalize.

I believe that here we will come to Social CRM without seeing any true change. I believe that this ongoing process of transformation will slowly (in web time J ) penetrate companies. Once one or two companies (not American) have efficiently used social media, and proven ROI with replicable best practices, and then it will happen naturally. But the next issue is using the data, because we are also far from having proper CRM practices! But I am optimistic! Once you know the markets and have knowledge of various key factors, it only takes time and good strategy to succeed! Social CRM will follow this rule, and I know where it will start.

Please connect with Frederic. You will be glad you did!

LinkedIn: http://fr.linkedin.com/in/fredericgilbert1976

Blog: www.netskyf.com/en

Twitter: @netskyf

FaceBook : http://www.facebook.com/netskyf

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Craig M. Jamieson

Craig M. Jamieson

Managing Member at Adaptive Business Services
Craig M. Jamieson is a lifelong B2B salesperson, manager, owner, and a networking enthusiast. Adaptive Business Services provides solutions related to the sales professional. We are a Nimble CRM Solution Partner. Craig also conducts training and workshops primarily in social selling and communication skills. Craig is also the author of "The Small Business' Guide to Social CRM", now available on Amazon!
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