Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Improvement is never linear

By Wes Trochlil | June 10, 2026

Improvement is never linear One of the many lessons one learns over a lifetime is that improvement, regardless of what you’re trying to improve, is never linear. That is, you’ll always have days where you’re better, and days where you don’t improve, or maybe even fall back. And so it is with data management. Even if you […]

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture!

By Wes Trochlil | June 3, 2026

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture! Whenever I start on a big home clean up or renovation project, I like to take a “before” picture, so that I can see the progress that was made when the project is complete. (Ironically, even though I’m the son of an award-winning amateur photographer, I often forget […]

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?

By Wes Trochlil | May 27, 2026

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish? Two quick customer service stories to illustrate a point: First story: I’ve used the same email provider for more than 20 years. But for technical reasons, recently I needed to switch providers, so I canceled my service with them a few weeks in advance of my renewal. […]

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you

By Wes Trochlil | May 20, 2026

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you I’ve been working in and with AMS products for 36 years (27 years of consulting, nine years as an association staffer). And I can say with great confidence that the systems available today are much better than they were 36 years ago! (Shocking, I know.) But […]

Using AI beyond content generation

By Wes Trochlil | May 13, 2026

Using AI beyond content generation Recent surveys by ASAE and others suggest nearly 90% of associations are using AI for some type of content generation (e.g., creating blog posts, newsletter articles, “canned” responses to inquiries, etc.). That is great, but when it comes to data management, there are so many more opportunities for leveraging AI. Here are some ideas […]

Older Posts

Bad Data = Bad System

November 28, 2016

In over 17 years of consulting, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a conversation similar to this […]

New Article Posted – Sales is NOT a Dirty Word

November 16, 2016

Every association is in the sales business. Whether you’re selling membership, event registrations, products, or certification programs, the fact is, […]

Database Maintenance: The Unsung Hero

November 2, 2016

A recent episode of the Freakonomics Podcast was entitled “In Praise of Maintenance,” and asked the question: “Has our culture’s […]

Bad Systems Can Make Good People Leave

November 1, 2016

In the past week I’ve met with two different associations who are struggling with their current AMS systems. A common theme […]

"Can't you just tell me which shovel is best?"

October 26, 2016

When I work with clients on selecting a new AMS, it’s not uncommon for me to hear some variation of […]

This is NOT what business development looks like

October 24, 2016

A client of mine wanted to send an RFP for redesign of their website to a design company I had […]

"Our old system used to…"

October 21, 2016

In my experience, when associations make a database system change, staff will sometimes talk about how the old system used to work. […]

80% is good enough – data edition

October 19, 2016

I’ve written elsewhere that 80% is Good Enough when it comes to selecting a new AMS. That is,  if you […]

Just like children, we all need boundaries

October 17, 2016

Recently I was discussing with a client their rules for how they manage event registration. As my client described the […]

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