Another Day, Another Random Set of Moments

I have to admit, there are times where I just like writing snippets based on what I see around me that might be interesting. No long tome. Just kind of random wanderings

This is definitely one of those days

Wanderlust

• Free CRM No Judgment, No Foul - I found a list of free CRM products published in Line56 magazine yesterday that were all from sourceforge.net. I have no idea how good or bad these are.. They are all open source. All but one seem to be aimed at at least the same three audiences - end user, financial services and telcos with the exception of Cream CRM which is a media org-friendly little trickster . Their descriptions of themselves are all standard and boring - definitely in the blah, blah, blah category. But they may be good applications. The one that I was able to demo - SourceTap was a hardcore SFA application that was simple, a a clean easy interface and much of the functionality you'd want, though its clearly for small companies who want a do-it-yourself-approach. At least for what I saw. For example, if you're into sales process, this wasn't for you. Its more than contact management though and could do for a small company's first SFA app. Try them at your own risk, but hey, at least they're available. Caveat emptor.
• ""You Like Me, You Really Like Me" - Adrants, which I've said that you should subscribe to a million times and shame on you for not listening, did a great small piece called "Boomers Boom, Gen X/Y Flat, Over 50 The New Black" that is great because it validates what I've been saying about my generation. Power to the Over 50- People Baby! It seems that results gleaned from a survey released by Survey Sampling International shows that the post-50 numbers will grow from that current now 89.3 million to 111.3 million in 2016 a.k.a. 25% increase when the world famed and oft ridiculous "demographic" of 18-49 that ad agencies just love to appeal to will grow 1 percent. Oops. But even more telling the post-50 posse sees itself in early middle age with old age beginning at 75. But the under 40 crew, who make up the "hip" ad agencies and creatives, think anyone over 56 is just ancient (phew. Luckily I'm 56, not OVER 56, though technically I suppose one day past my birthday is over 56. God NO!!!). I can't wait to see all the cool branded experience marketing folks figure out how to handle that one. Once again, a presumption for the customer isn't likely to be how the customer actually is thinking. Hee. Hee. Life might not be cool all the time, but it is grand.
• Sometimes a Great Notion - Ed Schlesinger is the creator of studentforce, the salesforce AppExchange service for students of all stripes and hues as long as they go to high school, college or later. It is a functionally comprehensive service with a lot of cool features, all of which were student suggested. Ed gets that the customers know what they want, so you see things like a research feature that Googles for you and a feature that allows you to IM from within the application with your friends. In fact, if it were combined with Facebook, it would be the complete university experience online, minus the stuff that goes on in your dorm room when you or your roommate have to stay out of the room for awhile. I've given it a once over and will be doing something more thorough on it later on down the line either here or on my podcast. Ed has this son, Craig, 15, who as we say in Yiddish, he is so proud of, he kvells . His son doesn't just want to be a sportswriter, he IS a sportswriter (and a student) who writes a weekly column/article for the Home News Tribune that covers Central New Jersey and even won an award for one of his articles. I know Ed because of Rutgers CRM Research Center which happens to be in coverage area of the newspaper. Ed has a relationship with Rutgers and frankly, I just really like the guy. Well, the purpose of this musing is that when Ed told me his story I realized he was following what is a real path to a dream he's had for quite some time. He's taken risks, he's a true believer in the studentforce services he's created, not just a dude with marketing hype and he's actually listened to the students.(CRM practitioners, listen and learn from that). While reading his son's article entitled "My Own Field of Dreams' both Craig's talented writing and Ed's determined travels to his dream merged into a single thread with the last line from the essay/article that Craig wrote. "After all, if we didn't think the impossible could happen, we wouldn't be on our way there." Great line, great dream, great kid, great dad and guy. Ed should kvell - about Craig, but also about himself.


• "You Didn't Like It, You Really Didn't Like It" - Okay, I surrender. You win. Nobody but me seemed to get the title or be thrilled by the name of my upcoming podcast. I WAS going to call it "You Are What You Eat" but that didn't elict much response other than puzzled looks in person or silence at the end of the phone. So the name clearly sucks. I need a new name for the show. While I diligently will be working to use the facile part of my cortex, that's kind of hard to trust fully, so I'd like your ideas on a new show name. If you give me one I use, I will give you a $100.00 Amazon.com gift certificate. I NEED A NEW NAME FOR MY PODCAST. I WANT TO TAPE THE FIRST ONE THE WEEK AFTER NEXT. HELP!!!
• NetSuite Gets Sexier, Sweeter, Yummy - Next Week - As some of you know, I'm often called an "industry influencer." That leads many things including being hired frequently by vendors and integrators to speak at conferences and to write white papers and to do consulting. I've had that relationship with most every vendor in the industry of major note in some fashion, I would say. Among those many clients has been one of my always favorites, NetSuite. Well, next week, I'm going to be in San Francisco, at their behest, to attend the launch of NetSuite 11.0 which,from what I've seen so far, is very, very cool. But that's from conversation. I'll give you more of a picture on the suite and what to expect after the launch, since I gots ta see it for myself and then I'll review it down the line too with the all the sex and the post-coital reality of the suite, too. You know the old saying. "Honesty is the Best Policy?" One thing my clients always know is that I have the right to be ascerbic and tough on them, regardless of the relationship I have with them. Period. So forget what's under the suite's covers, it's going to be what's under the sheets. So watch here and we'll see what goes down. I think it'll be good. You'll know if it will be or not. One thing I can say unequivocally though is NetSuite has style. They have remarkable base of stylish, upscale, lifestyle-focused clients like Jubilee Chocolates - a superpremium chocolate producer, My Flat in London, a super trendy London fashion accessories boutique and the Oakland A's (No link. They are the enemy.) - so when they do a launch - whoa what a launch!. That's primarily because both their CEO., Zach Nelson and their VP of PR, Mei Li, have this amazing sense of not just PR, but how to provide a genuinely exciting experience - one that they like as much a those they provide it to. The company is both classy and just gets how to do an Oscar-worthy program. Speaking metaphorically here, if the food tastes as good as the presentation, the new 11.0 is gonna be something to chew on.. But I will reserve judgment on that one until post-launch.

Have a great weekend, all.

Ahead on this blog - my stupid, cobwebbed, old school view of the platform wars, thoroughly revised. Stay tuned.

Comments

[Graham Hill]

Paul

Hey dude. You are 56 (says so above). You are still getting plenty of kicks out of life. Combine them along the lines of the old Stones song and Hey Presto, your blog is called "Route 56" which is short for "Get Your Kicks on Route 56".

Best regards from Kölle, Graham