Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Data management is improvisation

By Wes Trochlil | September 16, 2026

Data management is improvisation I was listening to a podcast recently featuring TV writer Rob Long. During the podcast he said (I’m paraphrasing) that, in order to be successful, one needs to learn to improvise, because nothing in life ever goes as planned. One of my favorite sayings is, “If you want to make God […]

Who own the AMS company is like the weather…

By Wes Trochlil | September 9, 2026

Who own the AMS company is like the weather… When I work with clients to find a new AMS, one of the most common questions I get is: “Is the software company owned by private equity or is it privately owned?” While I think this is a legitimate question to ask and have answered, it […]

“As good or better than me.”

By Wes Trochlil | September 2, 2026

“As good or better than me.” I was recently speaking with a software developer working on AI and we were discussing using natural language querying in an AMS. I told him, “The biggest challenge you face is that the first time the AI is wrong, staff will never use it again.” He agreed but then added: “The […]

Documentation is insurance

By Wes Trochlil | August 26, 2026

Documentation is insurance In a conversation with a client about their data management needs, the client pointed out that if they lost one or two key staff members, so much institutional knowledge would go with them that the association would have real difficulty managing their AMS. I recommended that they should document all of their key processes so […]

It all comes down to fundamentals

By Wes Trochlil | August 12, 2026

It all comes down to fundamentals I’m preparing for a webinar that I’m presenting in a couple of weeks, on using data to improve marketing and communications. This is a presentation (in one form or another) that I’ve made for nearly 20 years, and it includes an excellent case study of one association that dramatically improved their […]

Older Posts

Are you suffering from "Turtle Syndrome"?

June 2, 2009

I first heard this at a workshop presented by Alan Weiss. The turtle syndrome: Companies aren’t moving forward or backward, […]

Forrester Research Validates My Writing

May 28, 2009

Here is Forrester Research on user how to get more value from your CRM implementation: “The biggest culprit in keeping […]

Social Media as a Time Sucker

May 26, 2009

I have accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin, and I write blog posts here at least twice a week. I […]

How to Choose a Database Consultant

May 21, 2009

I recently spoke at a meeting for the Canadian Society of Association Executives on how to use my seven step […]

More Transparency from AMS Vendors

May 20, 2009

I like to give props to AMS vendors when they do something really smart. I’ve written about Avectra’s publicly available […]

My fifth favorite tip…

May 19, 2009

This is the last in a series of tips from my book, Put Your Data to Work: 52 Tips and […]

My fourth favorite tip…

May 18, 2009

This is the fourth in a series of tips from my book, Put Your Data to Work: 52 Tips and […]

My third favorite tip…

May 15, 2009

This is the third in a series of tips from my book, Put Your Data to Work: 52 Tips and […]

My second favorite tip…

May 14, 2009

This is the second in a series of tips from my book, Put Your Data to Work: 52 Tips and […]

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