A few weeks ago, I wanted to know what role “social” plays in researching enterprise software. Every one of the billion dollar companies that responded to my inquiry said that blogs, social networks (from Twitter to LinkedIn), and online forums weighed heavily in their initial research and opinion formulation process. Of course, the traditional research houses (Gartner, Forrester, IDC) are still the strongest sources of unbiased insights and strategic guidance on large enterprise software. But, the emphasis on searching social sources for initial inquiries confirmed what I believe strongly – if you’re selling enterprise software, you need to be a part of the conversation online.
After a very long-threaded discussion, we came up with this mapping to indicate where sources fit in the context of a very nuanced process to research new software players. See if it resonates with you.
This map courtesy of Joachim Stroh.
In related research news, I have had the pleasure this year to work with Jane McConnell on developing input to her annual Digital Workplace Trends report. I suggested she develop a customized Digital Workplace Scorecard for this year’s report. It will be very handy to track these scorecards over time as enterprises mature. It can become a benchmark to demonstrate the material returns on transformation initiatives. The research will be done in February, and I’m looking forward to presenting it here in the U.S. You have until October 28 to contribute to the survey. Learn more here.
As you should know, we are working hard on Change Agents Worldwide. We are currently testing our models in the market with customers. Once we’ve moved a few customers through our unique approach to delivering on the business of world-changing, we will be making a formal announcement that explains our goals for the company. As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions.