What do you get when combine the traditional conference panel with Rockband and some hors d’œuvre?

You get some really great conversations.

Last night I attended a panel about social CRM, sponsored by Radian6 and moderated by Chris Brogan.   The panel was a conventional question and answer format with Chris Brogan roaming the audience and twitter for questions (you can follow some of the conversation by searching for #soccrm). What was a bit unconventional about the night was the power of the personalities on stage and the debate it inspired, online and off.

The major theme of the night was that it wasn’t about customer management anymore but engagement.  What was need they said wasn’t “Sales 2.0″ but “Helpful 1.0″.  Stories were shared about compelling human relationships between brands and people.

The panel also talked about how the term CRM was outdated but convenient.  Different names and acronyms were thrown around to better described the work that was being done with social media but in the end they pointed out that it was the work not the name that mattered.

The discussion recognized that with social media it was the customers that were managing the relationships now, not the other way around.  Paul Greenberg pointed out  that “Traditional CRM people are not realizing that the customer is in control now.”

The panel inspired a lot of side discussion and the real value of the night was meeting a ton of really smart people and having some good conversation (and wine).  I had great time and hope to see more interesting panel sessions like this in the future.