By Chris Bucholtz

One of the neat things about editing this site is the opportunity to meet so many people who are thought leaders in CRM. One indication that they truly believe in what they’re saying is that they’re nice people – the ability to build personal relationships is an underpinning for building customer relationships, I think. That’s why Paul Greenberg, Brent Leary, Michael Thomas, and many others who truly lead the way in spreading a better understanding of CRM are themselves very kind, friendly and generous people. They live the ideas they espouse. If these folks were businesses, customers couldn’t stay away from them.

I’m adding David Taber to that group. David’s an author who will begin contributing to Inside CRM starting next week, and he brings a pretty respectable pedigree with him. His latest book, “Salesforce.com Secrets of Success: Best Practices for Growth and Profitability” hits the shelves (both physical and electronic) in May, and he’s had a 25-year career in marketing and technology. His company, SalesLogistix, is a certified implementer of Salesforce.com, so he has plenty of first-hand experience with the technology of CRM, and his eight years serving as a vice president or higher-ranking member of corporate organizations gives him a great perspective on the business side of getting CRM to work. He’s an accomplished writer and speaker, and he’s been a guest lecturer at the University of California and at Carnegie-Mellon University. Plus, he’s a very nice guy – which gives him that basic qualification I talked about a moment ago.

David’s first column for us is on the five biggest lead management mistakes. In an economy where mishandling leads can mean the difference between survival and extinction, this is a subject that demands attention. Look for it next Tuesday on Inside CRM.