Connectivity and Spheres of Influence

In Chapter 5, “Connectivity and Spheres of Influence,” the book considers the ways that individuals within the customer and prospect communities can sway the thought processes and consequently the decisions of others. One conventional example is the “customer reference” or recommendation in which one customer’s positive experience is used as a testimonial to encourage others to make a purchase. Alternatively, customers with negative experiences may broadcast their dissatisfaction with a vendor to their friends and neighbors and convince them not to become engaged with that vendor. The chapter explores concepts of modeling different types of customer connections, metrics for understanding social network connectivity, and how those metrics can be deployed to identify key parties with strategic influence across the customer communities.