Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI?

By Wes Trochlil | October 14, 2026

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI? As AI becomes increasingly powerful, the value of using an AMS selection consultant (and many other types of consultants!) starts to come into question. After all, with very well-constructed prompts and responses, an association could develop a very solid needs analysis and RFP that could be used to […]

Guardrails can be helpful!

By Wes Trochlil | October 7, 2026

Guardrails can be helpful! When selecting a new AMS, I find my clients are often very tempted by custom software or “platform” systems (e.g., built on Salesforce or MS Dynamics) because these systems are infinitely configurable. After all, if I can make the system do anything I want, that’s a good thing, right? Well, maybe. In […]

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?”

By Wes Trochlil | September 30, 2026

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?” I had a conversation with a client recently about developing KPIs, reports, and queries from their forthcoming data warehouse. My client said: “We have a ton of requests for KPIs and reports. How do we determine which to focus on first?” My response: “When someone requests a dashboard […]

Showing is not teaching

By Wes Trochlil | September 23, 2026

Showing is not teaching In my experience, when new staff members are taught how to use their AMS (or LMS, CMS, FMS, etc.) they aren’t really taught how to use the system, they are shown how to use it. So what’s the difference? In a nutshell, showing only covers the “how” and “what.” But teaching […]

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 […]

Older Posts

What do you think of your AMS? I'd love to know…

January 17, 2017

I’m conducting a brief survey on association’s opinions of their current AMS. I’ve already got over 100 participants and I’d […]

Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer

January 10, 2017

When I’m working with a new client on a project, for example, selection of a new AMS, they’ll often ask […]

Is anyone monitoring your "contact us" form?

January 9, 2017

I’ve written about this twice in the past year (here and here) so obviously some companies are not reading my blog! […]

How well are you managing your database?

January 4, 2017

Ever wonder how effectively you’re managing your database? This quiz I created, posted on the WildApricot blog, can help you figure […]

Have the courage of your convictions

December 7, 2016

To have the courage of your convictions means to do or say what you think is right no matter who […]

Are your business rules hurting your business?

December 5, 2016

I’ve written a LOT about business rules over the years. The reason I do is because business rules are generally […]

Credit card fees are a cost of doing business

December 2, 2016

Over the years, and even recently, I’ve had clients tell me they want to discourage their members and customers from […]

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, […]

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