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Prior to leaving for Techweek Chicago, if you had asked me what I thought the main themes would be, I probably would have listed terms like big data, connected devices, and wearable technology. But that seems all too obvious, and like any good conference, the themes and lessons were much more transcendent. So, in case you missed Techweek Chicago, here are my top five takeaways for Salesforce Admins:
It can be easy for Admins to clump users into one big category and forget that they’re people, too—people with unique experiences and backgrounds that may or may not include technology and mobile devices. As we work with our executives, stakeholders, and managers, we must also consider the people who will be consuming the data and how they will consume it. This means it’s important to try different page layouts for different profiles and consider the environments in which people consume data, whether it’s a noisy call center or a quiet office.
Salesforce Admins work with many different departments and areas of the company. One question to keep asking is: “Are you collecting data that will help you make a business decision?” Honest data helps move the company forward and helps staff make key decisions. If logging every interaction with a customer is important, ensure that the data logged can be used to make better decisions about interacting with that customer and isn’t just “left voicemail.”
In the age of constant iteration and upgrades, it’s easy to always be moving forward with new functionality. But in the spirit of constant iteration, we must also look back at how our people are using the platform. Why are fields not being populated? Learning how users are interacting with Salesforce, and how they leverage features rolled out to them, offers important insight on how they will learn about new features and functionality.
When was the last time you had to remind a child to play a video game? We love challenges, and we love rewards. Badges, like those in Work.com, are a great way to motivate users to become and stay engaged. You can even badge outside of Salesforce by having a traveling reward that can sit at a Super User’s desk. As Admins, we should always be thinking about how to motivate and reward positive behaviors.
People are most motivated when they have a central location to call home—a central place to gather and share the information they need to be successful. Chatter is a great hub for users to get company information, and Chatter groups are a great way to give users a home where they can collaborate with their team on a project, or communicate with everyone in their department.
Techweek is a great chance for Admins to learn about new areas of technology, and for me, it was an opportunity to learn more about the human factor behind technology. Click here to find out about upcoming Techweek events, or register for Dreamforce '14 to learn more about the intersection between humans and technology.
