Make Sure You Know Their Qualifications!

If you are looking for a Salesforce consultant or developer, I always recommend that you look first at your Salesforce User Group, which gives you the chance to learn about who is in your area either in person or online. (Nonprofit User Groups are linked here.)

No matter how you go about finding help, you should always verify that they actually have the certifications they claim.  Salesforce now offers an online database of certified professionals.  With  someone's first and last name or email address, you can find a list of their certifications and see if their claims are true. Be warned, spelling counts!  For the most accurate information on an individual, just ask them to send you a link to their verification page in case their name or email address may be entered in a slightly different fashion than you have for that individual.

Not all consultants are alike, verify their certifications before hiring.

For example, you can view my certifications by clicking here, or click the photo of me on the right side of the page.  Yet if you were to search for me using the more traditional spelling of my first name, "Bonnie", you would not find me at all.  Similarly, you might know him as "Mike Gerholdt", but you won't find him listed unless you search for him by his formal name, "Michael".

Verification makes finding the appropriate individual for a job even easier, but for the best accuracy, just ask for the certification.salesforce.com link.  Since the data is maintained by Salesforce, you can trust that it is up to date.

First Time At Dreamforce As A Speaker

I am addicted to Dreamforce!  As you can tell from my bag collection, I have already been to a few of these events over the years (unfortunately, I cannot locate the 2008 and 2009 bags), but this is the first year I will be attending as a speaker.

Oh no!  I can't find my bags from 2008 and 2009!

If you are interested in learning more about my sessions, I’ve got them summarized here:

Be a Groupie! (Why You Should Get Involved With a Salesforce.com User Group)

Join User Group Leaders with nearly 25 years of combined experience running Salesforce.com user groups, many of whom are also Salesforce MVPs, as they debunk the myth that user groups are nothing more than social groups. They will answer questions such as: What is a user group, what kinds are there, and who runs them? Where can I find them and how do I join one? And most importantly, What's in it for me? Find your local user group at https://success.salesforce.com/usergroups ... And keep the Dreamforce excitement going all year long! Community-Led Session

Time & Location

Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Imperial A | Monday, November 18th: 11:45 AM - 12:40 PM

Pro-bono MVP Office Hours for Non-profits

Are you a non-profit user with questions about donation management, campaign management, reports & dashboards, or using Communities in Salesforce? Join this hands-on, community office hours to get help from salesforce.com Community MVPs. Bring your laptop or tablet to access your Salesforce org.

Time & Location

Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Foundation HUB | Tuesday, November 19th: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Answers Live # 1 - Nonprofit HUB

When Nonprofit users and administrators have questions, they know that the Power of Us Hub is the place to get answers from the Salesforce nonprofit community. Join us, bring your questions, and work through your greatest challenges at this live Q&A session with our all-star team of experts. By drawing on their 25+ years of nonprofit-focused Salesforce experience, you will gain multiple perspectives on your most pressing issues, and everyone from new users to seasoned veterans is guaranteed to learn something new. Community-Led Session

Time & Location

Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Yosemite A / B | Wednesday, November 20th: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Using Visual Flow

Visual Flow can help with data consistency and offers you the ability to walk users through each data entry process. Learn how to create them yourself! This session is held in the Success Community Zone Mini-Theater at the Hilton Grand Ballroom.

Time & Location

Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Success Community Zone | Wednesday, November 20th: 10:00 AM - 10:45 AM

AppExchange Speed Dating: 20 Hot Apps You Might Fall in Love With

Are you looking for that perfect set of apps to complete your nonprofit or higher ed institution? With so many to choose from, it can be hard to find the ones that will help you the most. Join us as we review 20+ AppExchange products that are nonprofit-friendly and take you out on a very short coffee date with our favorites.

Time & Location

Hilton San Francisco Union Square, Imperial B | Wednesday, November 20th: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Sometimes We All Need A Hand

It is entirely possible to be stuck and not even know it.   Recently, I found a small bird trapped in a glassed-in stairwell.  The stairwell was bright and well ventilated, and the bird perched on the window pane was moderately comfortable, but I thought he could use a hand getting out of the tight spot he didn’t even know he was in.  It was only when he accepted my help that I noticed he’d been banging his head against the wall over and over again, running into the same obstacles when he tried to expand his own reach.

No more bagging your head against the wall.

By joining a Salesforce user group, you can get yourself unstuck.  Find resources to help you expand what you are doing in Salesforce, learn about features you aren’t using fully and see what your peers are doing with their Salesforce organizations.  While you are at it, see what you can do to help someone else get unstuck.