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

Amazon continues to Amaze

February 25, 2011

Regular readers of my blogs and articles know that I’m a huge fan of Amazon. I’ve been buying from Amazon for well over a decade now and they continue to impress me with the things they do. Here’s my recent experience:
I was searching for a specialized…

"Uptalking" Makes You Sound Confused and Unsure

February 22, 2011

For those who don’t know, “uptalking” is when the speaker has a tendency to end any sentence on an “up” note, thus making it sound like a question rather than a statement. For example say to yourself…

CiviCRM a Year Later

February 17, 2011

Just over a year ago I posted this item on how the Evangelical Press Association is using CiviCRM as its association management software system. To my knowledge, CiviCRM is the only open source product on the market that directly addresses…

New Article Posted – Skills Required of a Database Manager

February 16, 2011

I’ve posted a new article on my website. Increasingly I’m hearing from my clients that they want to create a […]

Often it's about service, not product

February 10, 2011

Association management software (AMS) has existed for over 20 years, so I think we can fairly say the market has […]

Focus on Outcomes, not Inputs

February 8, 2011

When I work with my clients on selecting a new association management system, one of the first steps we take […]

Are your self-service web pages working?

February 3, 2011

According to research firm Gartner, 65 percent of self-service interactions currently escalate beyond the Web to an agent. In other words, […]

Here's my money, but keep the premium

February 1, 2011

I recently made a donation to my local Boy Scouts of America chapter. In return for my donation (although I […]

New Article Posted – Oh, The Changes I've Seen!

January 21, 2011

I’ve posted a new article on my website. I’ve been working in association management system (AMS) software since 1990. That makes me […]

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