Wednesday, January 25, 2012

 Update on the 2012 Summit on Customer Engagement

Michael Stephenson, Sr. Director of Oracle 2000 Referencing will show how Oracle integrates customer references into firm strategy. "Customer referencing is an after-thought in many organizations," says Stephenson. "Reference teams end up accepting almost any customer who is willing to provide a testimonial, regardless of how and where that customer fits with the organization's strategy."

In a world in which customers are your best spokes- and sales people, that approach will undermine a major opportunity to put your best foot--your best customer advocates--forward.

Instead customer reference programs can become marginalized in terms of resources and executive mindshare because the group is seen as being outside the mainstream of the organization's strategy. Stephenson will show how you can break this cycle and ensure that the customers you engage for referencing are the right customers – the highest value and the most strategic customers. Examples from Oracle's successful referencing program will be provided.