Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the single most pressing problem facing any business. This text aims to provide business decision-makers with straightforward advice and information on how to use the CRM software and the Internet to manage customer relationships. It covers the evolution of CRM from old-school sales management techniques to current practices, current CRM companies and clear explanations of what each has to offer.
In addition to being the author of the best-selling CRM at the Speed of Light: Essential Customer Strategies for the 21st Century Paul Greenberg is President of The 56 Group, LLC, a customer strategy consulting firm, focused on cutting edge CRM strategic services and a founding partner of the CRM training company, BPT Partners, LLC, a training and consulting venture composed of a number of CRM luminaries that has quickly become the certification authority for the CRM industry.
His book, CRM at the Speed of Light: Essential Customer Strategies for the 21st Century, now in its third edition, is in 8 languages and been called "the bible of the CRM industry". It is used by more than 70 universities as a primary text. It was named "the number 1 CRM book" by SearchCRM.com in 2002 and is one of two books recommended by CustomerThink. The Asian edition of CIO Magazine named it one of the 12 most important books an Asian CEO will ever read. Paul has also authored two other books including "E-Government for Public Officials" (Thompson Publishing, 2003).
Currently, he is working on the 4th Edition of CRM at the Speed of Light which is due for publication by McGraw-Hill in November 2009
Paul is also the co-chairman of Rutgers University's CRM Research Center and the Executive Vice President of the CRM Association. He is a Board of Advisors member of the Baylor University MBA Program for CRM majors, a unique national program.
Paul is considered a thought leader in CRM, having been published in numerous industry and business publications over the years and having traveled the world speaking on cutting edge CRM and topics geared to the contemporary social customer. He has been called "the dean of CRM" and "the godfather of CRM" and even the "Walt Whitman of CRM" by analysts and organizations throughout the industry. In fact, at the end of 2007, he was the #1 non-vendor influencer, by InsideCRM in their annual "25 Most Influential CRM People" announcement. He was also named one of the most influential CRM leaders in 2008 by CRM Magazine. He is known particularly for his work on the use of social media, such as blogs, podcasts and wikis and social networks in CRM as tools for customer collaboration with a company. He is seen often as the "voice of the customer" and is well known within the CRM industry for this work. His blog, PGreenblog was named the winner of the first annual CRM "Blog of the Year" in 2005 by SearchCRM and the 2007 "Whatis" Award for CRM Blogs, by their parent company, TechTarget. He also received the #1 CRM Blog Award from InsideCRM at the end of 2007 and in 2008. The blog is also the central focus of KnowledgeStorm's CRM Blog community. He now also writes the CRM blog for high profile technology media property, ZDNET.
He partners with another CRM industry influencer Brent Leary to do the popular industry based irreverent show, The CRM Playaz.
He is a member of the Destination CRM Board of Experts and the SearchCRM Expert Advisory Panel as well as a member of the Board of Advisors for GreaterChinaCRM for many years among many others.
Currently, Paul lives in Manassas, Virginia with his wife and five (yes five!) cats. You can follow him at Twitter or join up with him on LinkedIn or Facebook.
