Customer Reviews

CRM at the Speed of Light, Third Edition: Essential Customer Strategies for the 21st Century

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent book for those interested in understanding the strategy behind CRM.

This is the bible for defining what CRM is, and is not, as well as categorizing all the technology offerings and giving good advice as to how to choose the right technology. I also read "CRM For The Common Man" by Russ Lombardo and thought it was a great precursor to CRM at the Speed of Light. CRM For The Common Man describes how to plan your CRM strategy up front, while Greenberg's book takes you to the next steps involving the technology. A great pair.

This book was truly one of the greatest educational books I've read. Whether it was intended for this or not, I don't know but what a great business overview of what CRM is as a whole. Paul's ability to simplify and his great sense of humour makes this book easy to read, easy to understand and was actually one of the most fun and informative books I've read in awhile. If your looking for a great understanding of CRM with a book that is hard to put down, this is the one. I can't wait for his second edition!

It is a great reference tool...but it will be dated by the time it hits paperback.
I didn't like all of the editorials up front especially since they were written by executive staffs of CRM vendors...Leads me to believe they insisted on a read-through...which would tend to keep the book a little too generic. Many were also rambling, thinly veiled marketing spiels.
regardless...if you are stuck trying to figure out what CRM is and how it may fit in your organization...this won't answer the question for you...but it will help you build your foundation of understanding.

A very good book.. but let's get some passion back in there! Real people and real relationships don't live in the software - the software has to support the human warmth and empathy that we can have between us and our customers.

An author like Max Mckeown captures that passion and the organisational and technological practicalities required to build processes around people rather than force innocent people to fit into the software that we buy.

E-Customer & Why They Don't Buy have made a big impact in Europe but are only just starting to get the recognition that they deserve in the USA. One day they will be regarded as classics!

Buy a copy and check out ... for more about a new kind of thinker.

I also read Dick Lee's book, The CRM Survival Guide. I found both books excellent in illustrating the CRM industry and landscape from slightly different perspectives and writing styles. I've been a Technical Project Manager for large and small CRM projects since 1997, before the phrase CRM was coined. I highly suggest both books. The content of these books is very relevant and provide the essentials to a successful CRM initiative. But beware, the CRM landscape changes by the week and a small number of points in both these books are now outdated.

Paul has his own style of writing and thinking. Though he always demonstrates certain degree of 'bias', actually he is trying to tell the 'truth' in a subjective way. Paul is knowledgeable in CRM industry. This is the best CRM book I've read so far. No bs. Straight to the point. Particularly good in practical and real life cases / demonstrations. Most of the references Paul quoted are useful and worth to study further. Excellent CRM book!

Greenberg's book features pointed advice regarding the most common CRM topics(SFA, Marketing...). Another chapter I found useful was the chapter detailing the layout of CRM implementations. Although a good read, I have some criticisms: 1. The author is a bit biased to some vendors. 2. Not the best written book. The grammar and structure is not very conducive to "demystifying" CRM. Not a great pleasure to read this book (although quite informative).

Perhaps the best feature of this book is the great CRM business ideas that it features. It gets the reader thinking "maybe I should start a company and use some of these business ideas". Case in point: read the PRM and verticals chapter. Good for people looking to start their own CRM consultancy.

Paul was able to take decades of theory on Consumer Relationship Management and tie it together with emerging technologies in a way that is easy to understand, and above all: accurate.

A must read for any business interested in staying in business by meeting the demands of their consumers.

Using the Internet to attract, manage, and retain customers will be a requirement for businesses to grow in the new economy.

Paul was able to take decades of theory on Consumer Relationship Management and tie it together with emerging technologies in a way that is easy to understand, and above all: accurate.

A must read for any business interested in staying in business by meeting the demands of their consumers through the deployment of CRM solutions.

Using the Internet to attract, manage, and retain customers will be a requirement for businesses to grow in the new economy. Of special interest to me was the section on emerging Native Application Service Providers (NASP's) and how they are able to deploy solid eCRM solutions in weeks as opposed to the months/years (if ever) for the delivery of traditional CRM solutions.