CRM Guru.com: Bob Thompson, founder and head honcho of CRMGuru.com, runs one of the finest educational and resource locator sites in any industry. His editorial contributors are top notch. The CRMGuru Advisory Council reads like a who’s who in CRM. And outstanding editor Gwynne Young makes sure every article posted has quality content and quality writing.

CustomerAdvocate: Gary Lemke runs a wonderful CRM news site with lots of download and resource links. Also, he reserves the top of his page to pose interesting and relevant questions and post reader feedback.

CSO Insights: Co-leaders Jim Dickie (top photo) and Barry Trailer might be the original “twin sons of different mothers.” They’re joined at the brain, and together they put out fascinating insights and insightful research on what’s going senior sales executives are seeing and thinking.

Sellmorenow: Rich Bohn, who is Sellmorenow, is a CRM icon who’s been engaged since the very beginning. Rich’s specialty is reviewing and recommending CRM software options, and he studies the field like no one else does.

CRMGuru Panel: The combined CRMGuru panel has more CRM expertise than any consulting firm on the planet. With Dick Lee one of the original panel members, we take pride in being able to call on any one of these folks for coverage in their specialized areas—or geographies. With members across the globe, these relationships greatly enhance HYM’s international reach.

Aldata: Mike Harris, the founder and head of Aldata, and his company are among the top resources nationally for supporting addressable communication programs. Mike himself is the consummate list expert and Aldata a premiere list broker. In addition, Aldata provides a full range of customer/prospect data processing and data hygiene services, which have benefited many an HYM client company. Mike and HYM founder Dick Lee have worked together for more than 25 years because, friendship aside, Aldata was putting the customer in the center of its business circle long before that was fashionable.

Greater Inc./Sienna Solutions: Greater is the technology consulting arm and Sienna the development and implementation side of a company founded and managed by Dan DeBellis. Dan is among the most dynamic entrepreneurs working in the customer-related technology space and among the most meticulous about maintaining first class client relationships. When the situation is right, HYM and Greater work together in an informal joint venture called Greater Methods, with HYM working the business aspects and Greater the tech side.

Mangen Research Associates: Company principals David Mangen and Dick Lee of HYM have been working together and writing together for many years. Dick believes that David is the “top of the top” when it comes to customer research. Mangen’s statistical skills are off the map; he’s an exceptional analyst; and far from being just a “science” guy, he has outstanding interpretive skills. When HYM and MRA work together, we plus each others skills and produce very dynamic work for clients.

Optimum Human Resource Systems: What’s a human resources consulting group doing in the middle of a customer-centricity site? Easy—in fact twice easy. First, Visual Workflow is extremely effective in reforming HR departments to increase throughput, at a time when HR staffs are often capped despite company growth. Second, employee relationship management is a first cousin to CRM, and HYM works in the former space. Besides, Optimum head Dick Warren and Dick Lee have been good colleagues for years.

Performark: Although one of the very early players in the sales lead management industry, Performark continues to outshine the competitive field with superior program development/management resources; outstanding internal processes, plus the capability to help whip client sales and marketing into process shape; and extremely innovative technologies. Best of all, they get customers—both their own and their clients’ customers as well. For fair disclosure purposes, we’ll share with you that Performark is a long-time HYM client, but we’d offer the same high praise regardless

Jeff Prince: Sales training often drives a substantial percentage of ROI from CRM—especially when customer contact folks are not professional salespeople. Jeff trains them all—professionals and non-professionals—with outstanding skill and “touch.” Among Jeff’s strengths are custom training program development.

Round: You can tell how like-minded David Rance, founder and head of Round, and Dick Lee are by David’s ability to persuade Dick to “cross the pond” on Northwest Airlines so they could spend a few quiet days talking shop. David has developed a truly innovative customer-centric planning system that permeates the client company the way no other planning methodology. Ironically, it took a Brit to convert a baseball diamond into a planning field, but the result is a powerful visual and intuitive element in Round’s planning regimen.