Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

[ai_chat_window]

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

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 […]

New Article Posted – Association Data Management Trends for 2015

June 18, 2015

Over the course of the past 16 years of consulting, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of associations, […]

Annual Informz Email Benchmark Report Now Available

May 21, 2015

My clients always ask me about how they’re doing on email as compared to other associations. Ask no longer! Informz […]

New Article Posted – You Have to Actively Manage Your Database

May 20, 2015

I encounter people (often executive staff!) who perceive association management software (AMS) to be similar to other software products like […]

There's still time to participate

May 19, 2015

There’s still time to participate in my industry-first benchmarking study of association data management practices. You can participate here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EDMBMSURVEY

New Article Posted – Using SMART Objectives to Manage Your Database

May 6, 2015

According to Wikipedia, the SMART mnemonic was developed by George T. Doran in 1981. I was first exposed to it […]

Scroll to Top