Category Archives: Admins

How Clean is Your Data?

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Every time I hear someone talk about data quality, I’m reminded of something I learned many years ago. Data is the life-blood of most any organization. It’s the new Gold, the new hot commodity. Every organization wants access to more and more data about their customers. Why? Because having good data is what drives business forward, what helps organizations better engage with their clients and constituents. There’s one big problem, though – the data you report out is only as good as the data you take in.  

Did you miss the recent webinar I participated in called Data Quality: Top 5 Ways to Prevent Garbage in, Garbage out – that took place on Thursday, August 11th? I discussed this very problem with Sviat Lobach, Vice President of Product at Revenue Grid. Some of the things we talked about included:

  • The impact bad data has on organizations – not just poor decision-making, but also the dollar impact on a company’s bottom line.
  • Why most approaches to data management don’t properly address this issue.
  • How automation can improve CRM data quality.
  • The best ways to have clean and complete data in your CRM.

Want to learn more? Check out the recording!

How Dirty is Your Data?

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Every time I hear someone talk about data quality, I’m reminded of something I learned many years ago. Data is everything. It’s the life-blood of most any organization. Data is what drives business forward, what helps organizations better engage with their customers, clients and constituents. The data you report out is only as good as the data you take in. There seems to have been two different schools of thought that have evolved on this subject over the years:

Garbage in, garbage out – An early IBM programmer and instructor named George Fuechsel is generally given credit for coining the term. It is said that he used “garbage in, garbage out” as an easy way of reminding his students that a computer just processes whatever data it is given. The term has expanded way beyond the computer science world and now “garbage in, garbage out” is often used to refer to situations in the non-digital world, where bad decision-making occurs as a result of incomplete or dirty information.

Garbage in, gospel out – This is a slightly newer variation on the same subject, where people tend to believe and trust statistics, and data that are computer generated. The thought here is that if a report has been produced by a computer, it must, inherently be accurate and contain valuable information to base decision-making on. 

In the upcoming webinar Data Quality: Top 5 Ways to Prevent Garbage in, Garbage out, taking place at 11am Central on Thursday, August 11th, I will discuss this very problem with Sviat Lobach, Vice President of Product at Revenue Grid. What you’ll learn from this session:

  • The impact bad data has on organizations – not just poor decision-making, but also the dollar impact on a company’s bottom line.
  • Why most approaches to data management don’t properly address this issue.
  • How automation can improve CRM data quality.
  • The best ways to have clean and complete data in your CRM.

Save your spot today!

Hurry! Special Dreamforce Offer Expires at 11:59 PM Central Time, September 3, 2022!

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Want to Attend Dreamforce 2022, and Help Homeless Children at the Same Time?

If you had the chance to do something (that you do every year) and help a great cause at the same time, would you do it?

Yes, that was a rhetorical question, but do me a favor, think about it and answer the question anyway.

My answer would be a resounding ‘Yes!’ I try to give back to the Salesforce community every chance I get. I’ve been fortunate enough to have secured a full pass to Dreamforce that I could auction off with the proceeds going to Project Night Night.

Today I’m thrilled to launch the 2022 edition of the “Attend Dreamforce, Help Homeless Children” auction. The rules are pretty simple:

  1. Place you bid here.
  2. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM Central Time on September 3, 2022.
  3. The highest bid wins.
  4. Free pass covers conference registration fees only. All travel and other accomodations are the responsibility of the winner.

Registration for Dreamforce 2022 is already open, and once the early bird rate expires on August 9th, the cost for a full Dreamforce pass will be $1,999.00.

The lucky high bidder in this auction will get a full pass to attend Dreamforce 2022, taking place September 20-22, 2022.  And in the process the winner will be helping many homeless children get a NightNight pack from Project Night Night so that they can have sweeter dreams, no matter where they happen to call home for the night.

Please answer these two questions:

  1. Do you, or someone you know, still need a pass to Dreamforce, or want to save money on the pass you already have?
  2. Do you want to help children have sweeter dreams at the same time?

If you answered yes to both questions, please place your bids here. To see the current high bid, follow me on Twitter and search for #DF22PNN_HIGHBID.

The bidding will close at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, September 3, 2022.

If you happened to answer the first question with a no, please visit Project Night Night to learn more about their mission and consider making a donation through my special “bacon donation” to Project Night Night.

Either way, please follow Project Night Night on Twitter and support their cause with prayers!

Thanks!

3 Things You May Not Know About Mulesoft Composer

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Mulesoft Composer became generally available for Salesforce customers in mid-March, in the middle of the pandemic. And even with the lack of normalcy in the world, it didn’t go unnoticed. 

“The idea behind MuleSoft Composer is to give business teams a simple way to leverage data any way necessary to create new digital services.”

Data Integration Solutions News

A Brief History

Mulesoft was founded in 2006, as MuleSource. In 2009 the name was changed to Mulesoft. Over the next several years the company became a leader in the application integration space, with continuous  growth and innovation, and was acquired by Salesforce in 2018. Mulesoft Composer became generally available in March, 2021. 

Here’s 3 things you might not know about Mulesoft Composer. 

  1. Mulesoft Composer is code-free, point & click 

Mulesoft Composer is helping to grow citizen developers with its code-free, point & click environment that previews connections as you build them. Wow – a preview of the connections as you build them. That certainly solves the problem that end users don’t always know what data they want to integrate until they see it, and since it’s also point & click, those citizen developers (end users) don’t have to wait for IT teams to build those integrations either! 

Mulesoft Composer screen shot
  1. Business Technologists are power users

According to a Gartner report, the number of business technologists will exceed the number of IT professionals by a factor of 4 within the next 2 years. Mulesoft Composer was built specifically with the line-of-business (LOB) end user, the power user, the Business Technologist, in mind. This empowers end users to help IT teams better scale the organization as it grows.

  1. Speeds Integrations & boost collaboration with pre-built Connectors

WIth many pre-built connectors, it is fast and easy to connect data from applications like NetSuite, Workday, Slack, Google Sheets, Tableau CRM, and Salesforce. And since Mulesoft Composer is built on the Anypoint Platform, it shares the same enterprise-grade runtime, security, governance & scalability capabilities, which helps to boost collaboration between lines of business (LOB) and IT.

Mulesoft Composer Use Cases

So…what are you waiting for? Just think of all the amazing things your business could be doing thanks to Mulesoft Composer. Want to learn more about the amazing capabilities of Mulesoft Composer, check out these product spotlights, then contact Salesforce to get started. 

5 Things you may not know about FormAssembly

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Form Builder

FormAssembly is an all-in-one web form builder and data collection platform.

With an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop form builder, FormAssembly makes it simpler than ever to build sophisticated online forms. Users can change the layout and design of their forms to match their company’s unique branding for a seamless user experience, tailoring their forms to their specific use case and audience.

FormAssembly users can build an unlimited number of forms and collect an unlimited number of responses, which can all be found conveniently within the user’s FormAssembly account.

FormAssembly’s robust Salesforce integration helps Salesforce users get more out of their data.

With FormAssembly’s Salesforce connector, you can use form submissions to seamlessly set up records in Salesforce. FormAssembly can be used to create or update standard and custom objects, as shown below. This helps users avoid duplicate data. 

form builder

You can also prefill forms with data from Salesforce to streamline the data collection process for your customers. This robust integration helps Salesforce users eliminate tedious manual data entry and therefore save time, money, and resources. Visit FormAssembly on the Salesforce AppExchange to learn more.

FormAssembly also connects with other systems and tools, such as PayPal, Stripe, Mailchimp, and many others.

FormAssembly is suitable for endless use cases in all industries and departments, with helpful templates to help you get started.

Thousands of organizations in all industries trust FormAssembly for simple, secure data collection. FormAssembly’s versatile platform is used by large enterprises and small to mid-sized businesses alike, including financial services companies, healthcare organizations, higher education institutions, nonprofits, government agencies, and more. Because the platform is so customizable, it can be used in multiple departments of the same company, with endless use case potential.
FormAssembly’s recently updated Template Library makes it easy to start building sophisticated web forms, with customizable, ready-made templates for everything from secure payment forms to medical history forms. You may start FormAssembly for one specific use case, then find other use case ideas while looking through the Template Library. Below, you’ll see an example of a HIPAA medical form template:

form builder

FormAssembly prioritizes data privacy and security and is compliant with many data privacy regulations.

FormAssembly’s mission is to help its customers become better stewards of the data entrusted to them. With this mission in mind, FormAssembly offers encryption at rest and compliance with GDPR, CCPA, and PCI DSS Level 1 on all plans. FormAssembly’s Compliance Cloud plan is also compliant with HIPAA and GLBA, making it the ideal data collection platform for handling sensitive healthcare or financial information.

FormAssembly has a world-class Customer Success team.

When you read FormAssembly’s reviews on the Salesforce AppExchange, you’ll notice many mentions of their reliable Customer Success team. All customers receive unlimited world-class support, and Compliance Cloud customers receive priority support with 1-hour response times guaranteed 24/7 Monday through Friday.

FormAssembly offers Implementation Services for organizations that need extra support with customization and getting started. Packages include onboarding assistance, group training, and other options to help customers get the absolute most out of FormAssembly. FormAssembly also has extensive support documentation and helpful resources readily available for customers. 
Want to experience FormAssembly’s powerful, Salesforce-connected data collection platform for yourself? Sign up for a personalized demo or start a 14-day free trial today, no credit card required.

5 Things You Can do at Dreamforce Without Attending a Single Session

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Guest post from James Lloyd-Townshend, CEO of Mason Frank International. James Lloyd-Townshend is the CEO of Mason Frank International, a specialist Salesforce recruiter and long-time Dreamforce sponsor. He has provided us with the following insight into what you can get up to at Dreamforce 2018, the biggest Salesforce event of the year.

Dreamforce truly is a dream for Salesforce professionals. With 3,000+ sessions over the four-day event, there’s every opportunity to learn more about your specialism or focus product within the Salesforce ecosystem, and gather insights into the future of the technology.

Arguably the best thing about Dreamforce, however, is the volume of exciting activities you can engage in without even visiting a breakout session. Some of the most innovative technology companies in the world are exhibiting in San Francisco this year and, like any good festival, sometimes you have to venture off the beaten path to find the real magic.

Here are five things you can do at Dreamforce 2018 without attending a single session:

Discounted training and certification

Salesforce has a fantastic open education portal that encourages professionals to learn at their own pace, wherever and whenever they like. This extends to its certification routes, as it’s now easier than ever to take online-proctored exams, meaning you don’t even have to leave your house to become a certified Salesforce pro.

One of the perks of attending Dreamforce, however, is the discounts you can get on both training and certification. Trailhead Bootcamps, led by seasoned Salesforce experts, are being held early in the week, and you can receive up to a 50% discount on certification exams if you register via the online portal. If you’ve been weighing up whether you can justify the expense of certification, you’ve just found your answer.

Find a job

The Salesforce Partner ecosystem is rich with growing enterprises, while End Users are always on the hunt for new talent. If you’re looking for a fresh new challenge, or you navigate the contract market, Dreamforce could be the perfect chance to link up with your next employer. However, if you don’t fancy wandering around resume in-hand, you could always take the opportunity to speak to a recruiter exhibiting at Dreamforce.

Mason Frank International is the largest recruiter of Salesforce jobs in the world and, having sponsored Dreamforce five years in a row, is well equipped to advise you on your next career move; even if that’s just giving you a few tips on where to look for jobs or how to optimize your resume for prospective employers.

Customer Success Expo

Are you interested in exploring the latest solutions created by ISVs? Dreamforce’s Customer Success Expo offers the perfect chance to test drive an independent application that could make your life a whole lot easier. With more than 400 Salesforce Partners showcasing their expertise at this event, consider it a Comic Con for Salesforce geeks, only instead of comic books and movie memorabilia, you might end up coming away with an innovative solution that doubles your earning potential.

Give back to the community (and see Metallica!)

Salesforce co-founder, Marc Benioff, is no stranger to philanthropy, and the fundraising efforts at Dreamforce 2018 demonstrate that perfectly. Attendees are being encouraged to complete Dreamforce Quests via the mobile app or at Quest Towers located throughout the campus; each completed Quest unlocks a $50 donation towards local charities in the San Francisco Bay area, in an effort to help end homelessness.

If that wasn’t enough, Salesforce’s legendary Dreamfest benefit concert has been supporting UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals for several years now, and the 2018 show will push the boat out even further by featuring rock legends Metallica. So whether you want to seek and destroy free cocktails, fade to black in the mosh pit, or nothing else matters to you except learning more about Salesforce, register your place for this concert for an unforgettable experience while raising money for children in need.

Party…party hard

There’s a reason why Dreamforce is affectionately nicknamed drunkforce by the Salesforce community. As well as the event itself doing its best to create a party atmosphere, the number of Dreamforce after-parties being hosted by partners and user groups will almost certainly set you up for a sore head. Check out Salesforce Ben’s Dreamforce party guide for a better idea of what’s in store, but you’re likely to end up being invited to several parties once you’re at the event. These parties offer a great opportunity to network, but you could always just play ping pong; nothing wrong with that!

Enjoy your time in San Francisco, and be sure to cram as much into your Dreamforce experience as possible. This is the biggest Salesforce event of the year, and of all time, so make the most of every second, whether that involves learning more about your focus product or watching MC Hammer do his thing at an after-party. This is what being part of the Salesforce Ohana is all about—see you there!

Hurry! Offer Expires at 11:59 PM Central Time, July 31, 2018!

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Want to Attend Dreamforce 2018, and Help Homeless Children at the Same Time?

If you had the chance to do something (that you do every year) and help a great cause at the same time, would you do it?

Yes, that was a rhetorical question, but do me a favor, answer it anyway.

My answer would be a resounding ‘Yes!’ I try to give back to the Salesforce community every chance I get. So I reached out into my network of connections in search of a pass to Dreamforce that I could auction off with the proceeds going to Project Night Night. I was very fortunate in that the first person I emailed replied back with a resounding “Happy to provide that for you.”

Today I’m thrilled to launch the 2018 edition of the “Attend Dreamforce, Help a Homeless Child” auction. The rules are pretty simple:

  1. Place you bid here.
  2. All entries must be received by 11:59 PM Central Time on July 31, 2018.
  3. The highest bid wins.
  4. Free pass covers conference registration fees only. All travel and other accomodations are the responsibility of the winner.

When registration for Dreamforce 2018 opens, the rate for a full Dreamforce pass will be $1,899.

One lucky winner will get a free pass to attend Dreamforce and many homeless children will get a NightNight pack from Project Night Night.

Please answer these two questions:

  1. Do you, or someone you know, still need a pass to Dreamforce, or want to save money on the pass you already have?
  2. Do you want to help children have sweeter dreams at the same time?

If you answered yes to both questions, please place your bids here. To see the current high bid, follow me on Twitter and search for #DF18PNN_HIGHBID.

The bidding will close at 11:59 PM on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.

If you happened to answer the first question with a no, please visit Project Night Night and consider making a donation.

Either way, please follow Project Night Night on Twitter and support their cause with prayers!

Thanks!

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Lauren Touyet

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This is the forty-seventh post in my blog series in which I feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.) Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce the founder of Salesforce Ohana Coffee, and Salesforce FanGirl (her words,  not mine), Lauren Touyet.

Lauren

What’s your job title? Senior Systems Analyst, DocuSign, and Host of Salesforce Ohana Coffee! (EFD – DocuSign?!?  I love DocuSign. I’ve used them for a few years to manage all the sponsorship agreements for Midwest Dreamin’!)

What does that mean you do? Obviously, I talk about how amazing Salesforce is but I also am the only Salesforce professional in Europe for my company so I wear a few hats: I am a trainer, making sure we are using the system the way we should and stopping the bad habits; I am a sounding board for all the ideas the business has; I am an Admin who solves problems with Salesforce, I am a ninja who fixes all the gremlins in the system; I am a process adviser making sure processes match the system design and finally I am a gate keeper of our security making sure the apps and plug ins we install are above board. (EFD – I have just one question, ok, maybe three: 1.) With all that stuff you do, how do you find time to sleep? 2.) If you are the gate keeper, who is the key master? and 3.) What prompted you to start Salesforce Ohana Coffee, and what is it all about?)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I started using Salesforce when I was order processing in my old job. We used it for discounting customers’ orders – that was back in 2009. I remember the training we received (it was nothing fancy) but I remember thinking finally a system we can use that doesn’t have the hassle of chasing Sales people for approval codes. From there I tried to learn as much as I could. In 2011 that company was rolling out email to case and a few managers encouraged me to apply for the Salesforce admin position, and the rest, as they say is history!.  (EFD – Hey! It sounds like you may not have been an “Accidental Admin”! )

Bacon or sausage? It’s Bacon, or nothing!

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know? While is it definitely imperative to know your stuff, you can’t be expected to know everything which is why who you know is so important. That’s why I love the community – if I get stuck I can reach out and I know they all have my back. To me, the community is more than people who do the same job as me, they are family and my best friends! I know that is silly to say about people who are half way around the world and who I only see at Dreamforce but true I talk to the Ohana daily. That is why I love Ohana Coffee so much. I meet up with my friends to talk work, life, events and everything else! (EFD – I guess that answers my 3rd question from above. One word of caution – if you join the Ohana Coffee sessions, be aware that Lauren says she will post unflattering pictures of everyone on Twitter. It’s true…check out the pics below!)

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How did our relationship start, and when? I followed you on twitter for a while and then we met at a Dreamforce party, however I didn’t know it was you until after the party! But our relationship definitely grew when you started attending Ohana Coffee and we got to chat more and share stories and experiences. The timing is hard to pinpoint. I was twitter stalking you for a good while before Dreamforce, but wasn’t sure if you were a catfish. So I would say the Dreamforce Party on a rooftop (I think it was the Apttus party.)  (EFD – And now I’m Googling “catfish” to see what that really means. Should I be insulted, or flattered?)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? When I was a kid, I used to work on movie sets in Ireland with my Dad. We would rewire the stars’ trailers as they were brought in from America and were a different voltage! I have worked on the sets of “Michael Collins”, “Mrs Browns Boys”, “Veronica Guerin” and “Agnes Brown”. (EFD – So you might have rubbed elbows with some celebrities…and now you are a celebrity in the Salesforce ecosystem! It’s really true: what goes around, comes around.)

You can find Lauren on Twitter. Be sure to also follow Ohana Coffee.

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Ryan Lorenzen

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This is the forty-fourth post in my blog series in which I feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.) Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce four-time Salesforce Certified, Ryan Lorenzen.

rlorenzen

What’s your job title? Salesforce Solutions Architect, PayPal. (EFD – That sounds impressive. When you get your paycheck is it deposited into a PayPal account?)

What does that mean you do? I’m the Salesforce solutions architect for PayPal’s largest business unit, Global Operations. The user base we support consists of 1300 users based in APAC, EMEA, and NA who work in sales, account management, business support, product integration, and underwriting…to name a few. I also lead a team of awesome admins based in the US, India, China, and Ireland. Everyday I get to talk to people all over the world and help design solutions for them. For a kid from Nebraska, that’s pretty cool. (EFD – That IS really cool!  So there’s more than just corn in Nebraska…)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I’ve been using Salesforce for about 11 years and have been a System Admin for the past 7.  Got my start as a user while working in Sales Ops.  (EFD – 11 years…I bet you’ve seen a change or two-hundred!)

Bacon or sausage? I love bacon. I love black pudding more. (Blood sausage, popular in the UK/Ireland) (EFD – Uh…not sure I’d eat anything with “blood” in the name, but to each their own!)

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know? To me, they’re equal.  Those who are talented and surround themselves with the right people will be successful. (EFD – I used to think who you knew was more important than what you know, but the more I publish this post and see other people’s views, the more I tend to agree with your statement that they are equally important.)

How did our relationship start, and when? Our relationship started on Twitter, in the Summer of 2015, I think. I was sitting at 100 followers and DM’d you to ask how you managed to amass 3k followers. Since then, I’ve got your advice on other things as well, which I really appreciate. I look forward to meeting you in person someday. (EFD – And since then, you’ve increased your followers like 12-fold, and I’ve not quite doubled mine. Hmm…the student might be performing better than the teacher. I’m looking forward to an in-person meeting with you someday too!)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? I came very close to being a Firefighter.  I went to college for computer programming, but I barely graduated and failed to find a job in that field.  I gave up on software and spent 2 years in my city’s Firefighter hiring process.  I passed all the tests, and right before the final interview, I realized it wasn’t for me and withdrew.  I’m fortunate to have found a career that I truly love, and I still get to put out lots of fires, just in a different way.  (EFD – While the fires you put out now may not be life-threatening, I’m sure some of them feel just as exhilarating and stressful as fighting an actual fire might be.)

You can find Ryan on Twitter.

I’m the (Kevin) Bacon of the Salesforce Community – Introducing Parth Vasani

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This is the thirty-ninth post in my blog series in which I feature people I know from the community: Salesforce employees, MVPs, User Group Leaders, Partners, and honestly, anyone who I’m connected with who is willing to share with me the answers to five simple questions. I hoping that this blog series will help everyone out in the community get better connected to others who are either like them, can help them, are nothing like them, can’t help them, or are simply people they haven’t met yet! After all, a stranger is simply a friend you don’t know yet.

For me, one of the greatest strengths of the Salesforce Ecosystem is its people and the connections that are shared.

So, if you are brave enough, even if you’ve never met me in person, fill out this form and I’ll feature you in an upcoming post. (In case I have confused anyone, the questions on the form about our relationship refers to you, the reader, and me, the author, Eric Dreshfield, and not the featured person in this post.) Just beware, by completing the form, you are giving me permission to use that information in a future post, as well as allowing me to interject some of my own thoughts into your responses!

And now I introduce the triple certified, leader of the Pune, India, User Group, Parth Vasani.

Parth_Vasani

 

What’s your job title? Salesforce Developer / Consultant, Eternus Solutions Pvt Ltd. (EFD – Eternus Solutions got its start in India in 2010, and has been experiencing great growth since then. They have enjoyed success helping clients in a wide variety of industries, both for-profit and not-for-profit, and they established a United States presence in 2016. To learn more, visit their site. That’s what I did!)

What does that mean you do? I’m involved in mainly all things development, but there are times when I do admin stuff as well, overall I make clients happy and and help them understand the possibilities of the platform. Apart from the usual work, I deliver Salesforce passionately and strongly believe in giving back to the Salesforce community. I have trained and mentored more than 600 students and 800 end users. I am happy to share that some of them have been working on Salesforce platform now and certified admin and developers. I am a big fan of answers community and quite active on it. I lead the Salesforce User Group in Pune (India) and have 180+ community members with 80 (on an average) attendance and have been doing this for about a year. I also lead Pune Marketing Cloud User Group which is the first Marketing Cloud user group in India, and should be having its first meeting soon. Apart from User Groups , also lead Pune Salesforce Students Developer Group and Surat Salesforce Developer Group. (EFD – You are one busy man! Kudos to you for all you do to mentor future Salesforce Community leaders. #ForewardLookingStatement #MyOpinion – I wouldn’t be too surprised to see you making the ranks of Salesforce MVP in the future.)

How long have you been involved with Salesforce.com (as a customer and/or an employee)? I started working on the platform in 2012 while I was in college. Salesforce was introduced to me by one of the genuine and well known personalities in the Pune IT industry. He advised me to explore Salesforce and my first reaction was “Wow! You just need a computer and an internet connection to start with”.  Salesforce has been a really great company and a platform to work with. There was a time when I only saw all darkness after completing my college, it was only because of the Salesforce that I landed with my first job. From that very day, I decided to contribute selflessly to students, and end users (also known as the community) to switch them to Salesforce , train them and certify them. I hope to be able to continue to transform lives so that they can serve the same community. (EFD – Yes! Another life transformed by the power of the Salesforce Platform. And another person dedicated to giving back to others. That’s what it’s all about – helping others!)

Bacon or sausage? Can’t I have both? Don’t make me decide.

What’s more important: Who you know, or what you know? Its all about collaboration, but both of them are important. Who you know, because the power of the community is stronger than anything. Its like you build the network and connect with others to help the community to figure out what to do and then its all about giving back and helping others find their success. On the other side, you need to be up-to-date with your knowledge and I have learned a lot from the community and learn everyday. If you don’t know, you need to learn, only then you can help the community and this is how “What you know” is also important. (EFD – When I first started this blog series, my opinion [there’s that word again!] was very strongly “Who you know” is way more important, but as I feature more and more people, and hear their views, I’m thinking now that they are nearly equal in importance.)

How did our relationship start, and when? My first exposure to you was via Twitter. I asked for your help and you responded immediately. Also we are connected through the User Group Leader community which itself is a vibrant community. I hope we can meet in person one day soon. (EFD – Twitter…oh yes. The “great connector.” I take pride in trying to respond personally, and quickly to anyone who reaches out to me, asking for help. As for one day meeting in person…I’m sure that will happen at some point. I’ll be at Dreamforce 2016…2017…2018…2019…I think you get my point.)

And now the bonus question – What’s one fact about you that few people know, that will surprise me and my blog readers? I Love Music and am a Violinist! Still learning it but playing it on low notes suites me best now.  (EFD – A budding musician…very nice. I started on the piano when I was about 8 years old, moved onto clarinet and saxophone through out my middle school and high school days. Making music is challenging and great fun. I’ve always heard the violin is NOT easy to play. Good luck with that.)

You can find Parth on Twitter.