Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

[ai_chat_window]

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

The Power of the Users Group (and open source software)

November 1, 2007

James Michael-Hill, Web/Database Manager for the Utilities Telecom Council, posted a note to the Avectra Users Group, explaining how he has […]

More evidence that people want to pay online

October 31, 2007

It would seem this would be self-evident at this point in the game, but in case it's not, here's more […]

Quoted in CRMBuyer.com

October 29, 2007

I provided my thoughts on the Gartner CRM Summit these posts. But I was recently quoted on CRMBuyer.com for my […]

Avectra Scores BIG VC Money

October 26, 2007

The association management software world is known more for its smaller “mom and pop” vendors than for big software players. […]

The Wisdom of Children

October 25, 2007

At the dinner table with my family the other day, I was discussing an issue as my nine-year-old son listened […]

Data Management Malpractice

October 15, 2007

UPDATE: Link fixed  Terry Dowdy forwarded me his thoughts about this recent story in The Washington Post about The Nature Conservancy's […]

Soliciting Feedback from Members and Customers

October 12, 2007

Aside from your annual “member survey,” what kind of mechanisms does your organization have in place to collect feedback from […]

"Overreacting to Blips"

October 10, 2007

At the Gartner CRM conference I attended recently (see my posts here), an analyst listed five key points about metrics. […]

Impressive Customer Service Follow Up

October 5, 2007

I recently placed an online order at Jockey.com for some t-shirts. My order was delivered as promised, but what really got […]

Scroll to Top