There is a lot of chatter among lawyers and marketers about social networking. “Are you on LinkedIn?” prompts a proud, “Yes!” by many lawyers. I am also on LinkedIn, FaceBook and Plaxo. But this article isn’t about the benefits — perceived or real — of these networking sites. This is a story about Sabre and how its company social networking site, SABRE TOWN, led to quantifiable business. Real, bottom line business.
Sabre’s model should be considered by multi-office law firms, especially those with offices in numerous time zones around the world.
In today’s Dallas Morning News (www.dallasnews.com), an article called “Closer Connections” describes how Sabre launched its online community.
According to Sabre spokesman, Al Comeaux, Sabre came up with the idea after hearing complaints by employees around the world of feeling disconnected (they have 9,000 employees in 59 countries). Read the article to get the full story.
But to preview the dollars and cents value of this: 1) SABRE TOWN saved Sabre more than half a million dollars in its first year through reduced travel, time savings and lower professional fees. 2) An employee needed a translator to help with a sales pitch to the Vatican. On SABRE TOWN, he found a Southlake, TX employee who grew up in Italy and knew the industry lingo. Sabre signed this deal with the Vatican (size of deal not disclosed), but saved $3,000 in translation fees, not to mention the time savings.
In June, Sabre began marketing “cubeless” (small “c” intentional) so other companies could enjoy the benefits of this social networking platform. Below is a description taken directly from Sabre Holdings Web site.
Cubeless is the enterprise social networking platform that allows organizations to tap into the collective intelligence of their employees or members. Built from the ground up specifically for secure internal company or organization use, cubeless allows employees or organization members to connect and collaborate across geographic, functional and hierarchal lines. In a cubeless community, members can share their skills, expertise and knowledge to help others work more efficiently and effectively. Through interactions and inclusion, cubeless also helps build strong culture and community within the organization.