Welcome to Phil’s Salesforce Tip of the Week #500 – a Special Edition!
When I started this blog in 2012, the aim was to share some of the things I had learned that week. It was designed to be a quick read, something where my Salesforce friends and colleagues could take a quick glance and hopefully find at least one of the Tips useful each week. I try to write this ‘live’ each and every Friday, to keep it fresh and relevant. And 499 weeks later, hopefully I am managing to do that…but I definitely wanted help this week!
To help me celebrate this BIG milestone, I reached out to the Salesforce Community/Ohana to some friends old and new, to share what their Tips would be.
Thank you to each of my special guests. I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience!!
And thank YOU for reading, replying, sharing… you are what makes this!
THANK YOU
Jessica Langston, Senior Director, Trailblazer Community
“With millions of Trailblazers around the world, one of the most special parts of the Salesforce ecosystem is the Trailblazer Community. Whether you’re connecting online or attending an in-person community event, the impact of sharing your knowledge and learning from others is monumental.
Be willing to put yourself out there by asking questions and providing guidance. The connections and experience you will gain is a proven game-changer.”
Ben McCarthy, aka SalesforceBen
“If you’re new to the Salesforce ecosystem, welcome! I hope you are finding this industry fun and exciting. Whilst routes into the ecosystem are fairly standard (E.g. Entry-level Admin, Developer, or Consultant), as you become more senior, you will no doubt need to specialise in a certain field, whether that is a niche role, product, or industry.
My advice is to pay attention to the aspects of your role you enjoy. Find out what tasks you find fun, and what elements of your job you want to focus on. The opportunities available in the Salesforce ecosystem are endless, and by focussing on what you actually enjoy, you can ensure you have a long and happy career.“
Amanda Nelson, Senior Director, Salesforce AppExchange
“The Community is always there to help you, answer your questions, and share solutions.
I’ve learned so much from fellow Trailblazers, so dive right in, be #appy, and #alwaysbelearning.”
Evaldas Zaranka, Salesforce Certified with over 1,500 Trailhead Badges
“What’s the best thing I’ve learnt from speaking to people within the Community?”
“There are so many talented Trailblazers joining the community events, and they are willing to share their knowledge and experience with Trailblazers.
In my role, the most important thing to learn is… Active listening from soft skills helps me build trust and understand our user’s needs.
I’m a Salesforce Administrator, so my Salesforce flow knowledge helps our business automate complex business processes and manual data entry. Our users can work smarter, not harder.“
Doria Hamelryk, North Africa Dreamin’ Founder, Salesforce MVP
“The best thing I’ve learned in this community is to always be grateful. There was a time when I knew nothing about Salesforce.
And I was lucky to be surrounded by people who helped me in my learning. They were there when I needed them to answer my questions, whether technical or more generally about my career development. When I became more experienced, I also wanted to help beginners.
There is an Arabic proverb that says: “teach and you will learn”. I think when you’re able to teach others, that’s when you can consider yourself an expert.“
Tony Nguyen, Salesforce Admin and Golden Hoodie recipient
“Hi new Trailblazers! If there were only 1 tip that I could give you all. It would be falling in love with learning. I think this is one of the most important aspects when it comes to Salesforce and the Tech industry.
The world is always evolving and technology does at an even greater speed. Falling in love with learning would help you adapt to those changes!“
Heather Black, CEO Supermums
“My top tip would be that every Salesforce professional should have not only have the technical knowledge, but also professional training and skill set of business analysis, agile project management and change management to successfully implement Salesforce successfully and achieve high user adoption.
In my experience it’s the lack of application of these professional skills that causes Salesforce projects to go wrong. So if you are starting out or progressing in your career then make sure you invest in suitable training to ramp up your knowledge beyond Salesforce certifications.“
Marciana Davis, Independent Salesforce Consultant, and Salesforce MVP
“The best thing I learned from the community is to have faith and believe in yourself. You will have obstacles that will make a lot of noise, just make sure your dreams are louder.
The things you do matter and don’t ever forget that!“
Zahra Bahrololoumi, CEO Salesforce UK&I
Q. What is the one free app/tool you can’t live without?
“For me – and so many of my Salesforce colleagues – it would have to be Slack. We’re in an all-digital, work from anywhere world, and Slack really is our digital HQ. I love that I can send a video update, connect easily to anyone, create a group, prioritise my top channels, share files – the list goes on!
And some stats – for our Salesforce colleagues emails sent per user, per day are down 46% and individual and team productivity went up 16% and 13%, respectively. What’s not to love!“
Melissa Hill Dees, Co-Founder of NonProfit Dreamin, Salesforce MVP
“Automate what can be automated so humans have more time to do what should not be automated. Participate in an Open Source Community Sprint whether you are a brand new Salesforce admin or a seasoned veteran architect; everyone can learn and contribute!
And, remember: 501(c)3 is a tax designation–NOT a business model. Don’t forget to leverage all the standard corporate Salesforce tools as well as Nonprofit Cloud. #domoregood”
Lizzy Roberts, Manager of Global Community Engagement at Salesforce.Org
“Ask for help and don’t go it alone! There are no silly questions and there is an amazingly supportive community to help you find answers. There is SO much knowledge in the Salesforce community, whether virtually in the Trailblazer Community or in person at a user group that there is truly always someone ready to offer a helping hand (or even just to say hi!). Two specific groups I would recommend are the 1) Salesforce.org Hub and 2) Coffee Chats in the Trailblazer Community.”
And finally…
Leah McGowen-Hare, SVP Trailblazer Community
“Never. Stop. Learning! Take full advantage of the free access to learning that Salesforce offers. On Trailhead, you can learn tech skills, business, and soft skills, then test your knowledge with hands-on challenges and earn credentials. On Salesforce+, you can tune into virtual learning content for business professionals and inspiring original series, like Trailblazer.
The best part is, that you don’t have to go on this journey alone. Tap into the amazing Trailblazer Community – a global network of people who want to help. With access to learning content, incredible stories of inspiration, and a global community cheering you on, all you need to bring is your determination!”
