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

Champagne Tastes on a Beer Budget

May 1, 2013

You’ve probably heard that phrase before. Essentially it means wanting much nicer things than we can actually afford. Or expecting […]

You Can't Measure Success without Clear Objectives

April 29, 2013

I was speaking with two contacts at a client of mine about their multiple membership programs. One of the programs […]

New Article Posted – The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same

April 24, 2013

I’ve posted a new article on my website. From what I read and hear, it seems engagement, and particularly member engagement, […]

Big Data – which is good, which is not?

April 1, 2013

I saw this quote recently and think it’s dead on: “‘Big data’ is what happens when the cost of storing […]

New Article Posted – Getting it Done: Who, How, and with What

March 21, 2013

I’ve posted a new article on my website. The intersection of people, process, and technology  occurs throughout every organization. For any […]

Small things can make a BIG difference

March 11, 2013

I continually surprise myself when I make what are seemingly minor changes in how I do something and find that […]

New Article Posted – Are you a Control Freak?

March 8, 2013

I’ve posted a new article on my website. What happens when someone on your staff is stealing money? And what can […]

More Best Practices: Creating and Executing Exception Reports

February 26, 2013

Here’s a quick (under three minutes) video from me, via TMA Resources, on creating and executing exception reports.

Too many choices? That's why you need a consultant

February 13, 2013

In the book “Switch” by Chip and Dan Heath, they tell the story of a jam sale conducted by gourmet […]

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