While Salesforce1 and the Internet of Customers led the buzz at this year's Dreamforce, there was a second topic that has even more impact, but it's sublime. The phrase "Managed Customer Experience" came up in a number of keynotes and sessions, and it's the true heart of the Marketing revolution.

For many business, thinking in terms of the customer experience is a foreign idea. The crime of yesterday's thinking is: "Let's tell everybody what we make, try to look cool, and hope they buy it." For more agile and successful organizations the thinking is: "Let's talk about why we do what we do, how we make our customers look cool, and not sit around hoping."

One of my favorite quotes from Bill Gates is:

"We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten."

This is no more evident than in Marketing Automation where for years it's been promised that it "Changes Everything" but only now, after being around for over a decade, are marketing professionals getting the idea that this is not about old school broadcasting, it's that you finally have the data and tools to get closer to a managed and personal experience for every prospect and customer.

Three aspects of Dreamforce that reinforced this for me:

1. QR Codes and RFID

Although QR gets a bad rap because adoption is taking place at a human pace (the mainstream media hype cycle promises instant world change, and nearly every technology fails to meet the expectation of the hype), and RFID is an easy target for privacy arguements, these technologies are being adopted now. The reality is that there's never been this great of an opportunity to make sure that every person's experience at an event or in a store meets or exceeds their expectations.

2. Domo Demo

Besides being a fun phrase to write, Domo killed it on the Dreamforce Expo floor. A lot of time went into planning the experience of the booth visitor. Going the extra mile here makes it obvious you are at the front of the pack in your ability to tell your story and generate excitement about what you do. My Marketing Over Coffee co-host, Christopher S. Penn, also wrote about them getting it right at their booth.

3. Smartphone as the dashboard of your life

Mobile continued to dominate the conversation, and rightfully so. The platform shift to mobile gives unprecedented access to everyone's daily life. It's like the internet and 1996 all over again. If you weren't around for the parade the first time, here's your chance.

If you've seen anyone doing an exemplary job of treating their customers right please send it over, I'll share anything interesting in a future post. Ping me @johnjwall.

Check out this helpful marketing ebook for marketers like John Wall, at the button below.