Credit where due: SAP social media team
- Summary:
- SAP's social media team gets little credit. That's a serious mis-step.
This is a 'behind the scenes' story that we hope readers will appreciate as part of understanding what we do at diginomica. We also hope it will inspire others.
Regular readers will know that SAP is a premier diginomica partner. The company accounts for just shy of 20% of our traffic.
What they won't necessarily know is that it is the social media team inside SAP that makes things happen. >> check this image at right.
I'd like to to take this moment to explain why we care about this team, what they do and why they are by far the best enterprise tech social media outfit on the planet. In short - why this matters.
Buyers who read our work depend upon us to provide unfiltered fact based views and opinion based upon what we see. We determined very early on it would require a particular kind of vendor to 'get' that and SAP was the first to come and say 'hell yeah - let's do it.' Others were quick to follow and continue to do so (watch this space.)
As in all relationships, initial enthusiasm gives way to 365 day reality but nevertheless, we have always have a consistently supportive team behind us. Here is what the team do for us:
- Get us access at the highest levels of the company - want a meet with Bill McD? - they make it happen.
- Proactively serve - SAP got a talking point? Get the team on a call to understand what's going on.
- Get us the answers we need - parsing high technology back to a business audience is tough work. They make those connections.
- Manage our time - our team attends many SAP events and this crew makes sure our time is spent in as efficient manner as possible
- No excuses - no timetable runs smoothly 100% of the time. When things go sideways this crew explains the issue - and offers alternatives.
- Open - software companies are remarkably secretive yet this team gets us into the back door to test reality, providing everyone with a safe environment against which to pitch the important questions.
- Respect - this team knows we will be tough but we always manage to work out the boundaries of how that works in a responsible manner.
- Trust - IT is a people business and we all depend upon the relationships we have. This team has its job to do but it is built upon a relationship of trust that is hugely valuable. There have for example been times when I have had to tell the team I got zero value and have nothing to say in the public domain. Disappointed? For sure. Understood? Absolutely.
Does this always work in smooth fashion? Of course not. There are plenty of occasions when I get the: 'Heh Den, we need to talk....' phone call, usually a prelude to something SAP doesn't like. It goes with the turf and we engage in mutually respectful fashion. Sometimes they win and that's OK.
Does this color the manner of our public discourse? You be the judge. I hope not.
To the most obvious if sleaziest question - do we share bread and wine? Of course we do...we also share toilet stalls on occasion. But if you want the real reason behind this story....it is this:
During a call the other day I asked if the company had seen some great results from something we had to say. The answer? "Sorry - I only get bad news." This is our attempt at balancing the books.
I get asked many times about how you build a program for people like us and I always point them back to SAP. Now you know why. Thanks Mike, Stacey and Andrea - the best vendor team on the planet.
PS - no more softballs ;)
Disclosure: SAP is a premier partner at time of writing. SAP is a short term current client on communications topics.