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Interview With Barry Libert, Rapid Insights (Abstract)

Cashel, Jim. Interview with Barry Libert, Rapid Insights. (Online Community Report, April 2003)

If you're interested in on-line community building check out the last part of an Interview with Barry Libert of Rapid Insights (referred to me by Lee LeFever from Common Craft) I'll summarize a few elements that I think are valuable to understanding how to use your website to build customer and employee relationships.

The following definitions are terms mentioned in the article, but not necessarily defined in Barry Libert's own words or derived from the Interview.* The term itself links to a source with additional details:

Relationship capital-- The investment or value of such investment, a company places in the connection between people and other intangible resources. This can include communications channels, building of trust, strategic partnerships, and customer loyalty.

Intellectual assets-- Intangible or invisible assets not reported on a corporate balance sheet that relate to the knowledge internal to an organization. Could include the experience and know-how of groups of employees, or collected knowledge on business process.

Collaborative communities-- Various groups working together for common objectives hosted in an environment that facilitates learning and resource acquisition for a positive result. Often involving the customer or end-user of derived product or service.

*Libert is the author of two books that cover these topics in more detail. Consider Cracking the Value Code and Value RX for more information. I'll also be covering these terms in the "Glossary of Strategic Relations Terms in Business"

Points to consider with commentary:

1. On-line communities don't exist without interacting with off-line channels of communications. Channels of communications include telephone, fax, personal meetings, and traditional communications methods. All channels are essential to building a healthy and successful community.
2. Purely on-line communities won't exist in the future. In the same way people will realize that you can't only manage customer relationships, but have to consider all business relationships for a healthy company -- people will also learn that communities can't survive in a single medium.
3. Off-line communities like trade associations, conferences, and events can be enhanced with on-line resources. Organizations that wouldn't normally use on-line channels can greatly benefit from what the Internet provides. It however, shouldn't be their sole focus -- the key is to give customers choice.
4. On-line elements of community building cross geopolitical boundaries. On-line communities have the potential to extend an individuals reach to any other individual with an Internet connection. Incorporate this in your marketing strategy, but reinforce it with time tested methods.

/ b2b-websites | clearly-communicate /

By Justin Hitt at September 12, 2003 11:08 PM  Subscribe in a reader