Disqus - Latest Comments for Steve Mann

Re: CODA blogs progress of saas app build

Steve Mann — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 23:55:40 -0000

Very interesting. I'd like to learn more. lets talk!

Re: CODA blogs progress of saas app build

Steve Mann — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:02:37 -0000

Wow. CODA. Now that's a firm I haven't heard about in a long time. Do they have a chance?

Re: Redefining relationship through a collaborative Twitter project

Steve Mann — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 21:48:17 -0000

Awesome stuff!

Re: Getting The Point

Steve Mann — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:55:10 -0000

Strikes me as a great platform for non-profits to expand their fund raising footprint!

Re: Blog influence

Steve Mann — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:17:19 -0000

Very cool in either case. But is it a case of influencing the market or influencing which benefited Loic?

Re: Breaking the geek v. suit divide

Steve Mann — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 13:43:09 -0000

thomas.. don't forget to give em a dose of a design thinking!

Re: Flashing open the A1S kimono

Steve Mann — Tue, 01 May 2007 09:41:57 -0000

Very on target Dennis... let me know if there are other questions you have.

Steve

Re: Selling the truth at SAP

Steve Mann — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:14:08 -0000

oh... and i completely agree with these sentiments:

* Customers are asking for service which includes references and case studies. In other words they want to â€™seeâ€™ and interact with their peers whenever they need. SAP will have to get out the way.
* Its job will be to facilitate discussions.
* SAP may own the network, but wonâ€™t control it.
* SAP service will need to be embedded in the sales process. Because theyâ€™re going to be dealing with less than perfect news.
* Customers will bitch and moan so get used to it and be prepared to respond.

Re: Selling the truth at SAP

Steve Mann — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 18:12:05 -0000

Dennis... thanx for your comments. Let me shed further lite on what we are doing...

Regarding ethnography... is never done in a sales situation.. its done to observe behavior and what the rules of that behavior are... the participatory interview we did afterwards confirmed our insights into customer behavior.

Why we did this? It was NOT to improve the experience of our products, although a very worthwhile endeavor (both Microsoft and Intel employs teams of business ethnographers to enhance the customer experience). It was to get feedback on new user experience designs for the web which are being developed. The feedback is important...EVEN if intuitively obvious to you for a number of reasons.

1. Your marketing executive said it:
...we forget that customers have real business problems. Instead we try and dazzle them with our technology. Because by then it is all about ME. And not about the customer.
That's exactly correct... for years, SAP has created an "US" experience on the web as well as in our products.. more about us than our customers... while not completely devoid of customer input, it certainly has not had enough... you know the rap.."you'll learn to use the software no matter how counter intuitive it might be, you'll find the information you need no matter how buried it is..." It needs to be a ME experience... a me experience is an engagement that empowers customers and delivers them tangible value every time. Its a focus on the individual...because only individuals have perceptions.

2. No one inside of SAP found it necessary to find this information... however, it it weren't done, the resulting user experience would have been a disaster...why? Its not in our DNA to create a ME experience for individuals. Customer at SAP = the Coca Cola company NOT the person John/Jane Smith, CFO, father/mother, amateur chef and blogger.

3. When was the last time you spoke to a customer? Asking that question inside of SAP yields vastly different answers... but most folks involved in the design of the customer experience...whether involving the design and communication around an invoice, to the design of the web experience or product, don't speak to customers often enough... granted some groups much more than others... but the key is not just to speak to then but to actually co-innovate on the solution with them... that's what we are attempting to do... Engage and Co-innovate.

Thanx again for your comments.
Steve

Re: Jeff Nolan, most vocal Silicon Valley VC blogger, leaves business

Steve Mann — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 02:03:36 -0000

Matt... I agree that Jeff is prolific both in his blogging as well as in his deal making. But its all upside from my perspective. Jeff is coming to work for me.

All the best,
Steve

Re: On Loren Feldman's statement about Shel Israel and FastCompany

Steve Mann — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:54:06 -0000

Dennis Howlett and Allen Stern do not a community make...do you have any other feedback?

Re: Back from OpenWorld

Steve Mann — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:41:10 -0000

Nice post Jake. I hope I CAN attend OOW next year... I do have questions for Charles... I did send a few to Jeff :)

Best,
Steve

Re: Back from OpenWorld

Steve Mann — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:42:41 -0000

Oh.. and thanx to the invite to Oracle Mix... I'm going to knock around a few days and talk about then!

Re: On Acquiring Innovation

Steve Mann — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:09:37 -0000

Jake... wrote a piece on Acquisition Innovation during OOW.

http://ablebrains.typepad.com/ablebrains/2007/1...

Hope you are well.

Steve

Re: Customer Support, the HP Way

Steve Mann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:04:41 -0000

Zoli.. this is so sad. HP has a huge emphasis (and team) dedicated to Customer Experience. Clearly they have not been spending enough time on the support side, which as any CE dude will tell you is one of those fundamental things YOU HAVE TO GET RIGHT or else all the slick and easy to use web experience is for crap!

Re: Customer Support, the HP Way

Steve Mann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:04:41 -0000

Re: Customer Support, the HP Way

Steve Mann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:32:21 -0000

Well.. let me know if you want me to hook you up directly with the CE folks!

Re: Customer Support, the HP Way

Steve Mann — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:32:21 -0000

Well.. let me know if you want me to hook you up directly with the CE folks!

Re: Beating Social Media’s 90:9:1 Rule in the Enterprise

Steve Mann — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:16:35 -0000

Zoli -- nice post. I posted a few months back on work reported by BusinessWeek on Social Media demographics which dovetails nicely into your post.

http://ablebrains.typepad.com/ablebrains/2007/0...

Re: Beating Social Media’s 90:9:1 Rule in the Enterprise

Steve Mann — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:16:35 -0000

Zoli -- nice post. I posted a few months back on work reported by BusinessWeek on Social Media demographics which dovetails nicely into your post.

http://ablebrains.typepad.com/ablebrains/2007/0...

Re: The Enterprise Irregulars Button Up

Steve Mann — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:00:40 -0000

Besides the upward (downward?) trending fashion statements, Charles doesn't look too happy!

Re: The Enterprise Irregulars Button Up

Steve Mann — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 10:00:40 -0000

Besides the upward (downward?) trending fashion statements, Charles doesn't look too happy!

Re: iPod Becomes iPhone? (Sans AT&T)

Steve Mann — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:06:29 -0000

Tres cool!

Re: iPod Becomes iPhone? (Sans AT&T)

Steve Mann — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:06:29 -0000

Tres cool!

Re: SAP Marketing Community Virtual Meeting

Steve Mann — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:07:58 -0000

Thank you Zoli. Its really a team effort, with me responsible for helping to project lead the blogging effort. Its a great experiment.

Best,
Steve

Re: SAP Marketing Community Virtual Meeting

Steve Mann — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:07:58 -0000

Thank you Zoli. Its really a team effort, with me responsible for helping to project lead the blogging effort. Its a great experiment.

Best,
Steve

Re: Wow. I’m on The Industry Standard’s Top 25 B-to-Z List …

Steve Mann — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:03:23 -0000

Fantastic Zoli!!! Congratulations.

Re: Wow. I’m on The Industry Standard’s Top 25 B-to-Z List …

Steve Mann — Thu, 15 May 2008 16:03:23 -0000

Fantastic Zoli!!! Congratulations.

Re: Paperclip Guy Trading Up (?) his House

Steve Mann — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:27:28 -0000

just watched the 20/20 piece.. simply amazing.

Re: Paperclip Guy Trading Up (?) his House

Steve Mann — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 16:27:28 -0000

just watched the 20/20 piece.. simply amazing.

Re: Seattle blogging pioneer dies

Steve Mann — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:08:54 -0000

So sorry for your loss Robert. May you know no more pain.