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

Want to improve user adoption? Get rid of the screen noise

September 11, 2015

As a former association executive who spent many years working in the association database, I remember the days of having […]

Seek first to understand – Redux

September 10, 2015

I’ve written about this before (here and here), but it’s so pervasive in my meetings with clients and vendors that […]

An excellent interview – with me!

September 9, 2015

Here’s an interview of me conducted recently by Celisa Steele of Tagoras Consulting around data management. A nice quick 20 […]

Why are you hiding my password from me?!?

September 8, 2015

For website developers, a simple question: When you force me to create a new login for your website and ask […]

A must-attend for senior-level execs in professional development

September 4, 2015

  I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be serving as one of the select faculty at the Leading Learning Symposium, […]

Sales is about emotion

September 3, 2015

When you are selling your association products, whether its membership, sponsorships, or exhibits, are you connecting with your buyers at […]

Simple Business Rules Make for Easier Data Management

September 2, 2015

Over the years of working with hundreds of clients, I’ve discovered that one of the biggest challenges associations have with […]

Have you tested your backups?

September 1, 2015

  I recently spoke with a small association about the possibility of them acquiring a new data management system. In […]

Two New Articles Posted – What could possibly go wrong during selection and implementation?

August 31, 2015

[et_pb_section][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] What could possibly go wrong during the selection and implementation phases of […]

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