Salesforce stands behind the largest and best-known cloud-based platform for CRM solutions. They offer cloud-based applications for sales, service, marketing, and more.

Salesforce has already been numerous times awarded by the Forbes magazine as the most innovative company in the world. They offer many apps and add-ons to customise your CRM as much as possible. One of these apps is also Nicereply.

There are many inspiring people working with Salesforce who share their knowledge and experience and are important part of this community. Therefore we’ve prepared series of interviews with Salesforce influencers to get you closer to this CRM platform. In the meantime, read about another inspirational Salesforce MVPs, Amy Oplinger and Enrico Murru.

Bill Powell

• 8x Salesforce certified
• Salesforce MVP
• #AwesomeAdmin Award Winner
• NJ Salesforce Saturday Founder
• Senior Salesforce Solutions Engineer

1. You are an #AwesomeAdmin Award Winner. What would you advise other admins that are aspiring to achieve something similar? What do you do to differ from others and be the best admin?

Personally, I never recommend to anyone I mentor or give advice to seek out awards. I’m a firm believer that if you are always focused on helping others succeed whether its your family, customer or peer, that good things will always come back to you. Frankly, during my sales career that faith was challenged many many times, but being part of the Salesforce community has proven that my faith was well founded. 

I would say that the best way to be an #AwesomeAdmin is find ways to provide a positive impact for your local community, your company, peers and coworkers, to help them succeed. Whether it’s creating a validation rule to help another department clean up their data, or providing career advice to a new Trailblazer, you are an awesome admin, public reward or not.

2. You went through difficult career transition from the position of a salesperson. What were the biggest hurdles you had to overcome during this transition? What would you advise other salespeople that are looking for a new start and seek new job areas to master?

The biggest hurdle was getting hands on experience, which I wrote about in my blog.

Going from no experience to getting a job to get documented experience is by far the toughest challenge. I think still, in 2018, almost 20 years since Salesforce first launched, a large majority of companies still don’t quite “get” what an admin does or what qualifications a solid admin should have.

Also, I’ve seen a lot of smaller orgs volunteer an internal employee to be the new admin making them an #accidentalAdmin, so instead of filling an admin role, they move folks within. This happens quite often.

My best advice for those starting out is to go to local user groups, get to know your local community, go outside the Salesforce circles into tech meetups, make your face known. Build a “personal brand” as some may call it. I would also find out if there are local Salesforce non profit groups. Non profits may or may not have the budget for an admin, so they could desperately need help building reports, a few fields, or something as simple as generic user training. Most of those opportunities are pro-bono/volunteer, but when doing those opportunities, ALWAYS ask for a referral or recommendation in return.

3. In one of your posts you mentioned that you wanted work in salesforce for the rest of your life. What are the things you like the most about the Salesforce? What are the things that distinguish Salesforce from others and everyone should use it?

I think what distinguishes the Salesforce ecosystem from all other careers are 2 things. Innovation, and people. Salesforce is focused on providing the best solutions for their customers and partners so they are always innovating, and not just technologically.

The technology innovations are fantastic, but there are so many other things Salesforce has done to provide positive change. Salesforce.org and giving 1%, their fight for equality and diversity, combatting aids and homelessness, and so much more. Never in my life could I say wholeheartedly that I’m proud to work in a specific industry, and I can say that today.

Let’s talk about the people. The people in this ecosystem are just…amazing. Frankly, without the kind, amazing people that helped me in my journey, and continue to, I and many others wouldn’t be where we are today. Never in my career could I sit down, have a meal with a direct competitor and enjoy our friendship. Sure, we don’t talk customers, but we both work to help one another and not stab each other in the back. It was a huge culture change for me when I joined this ecosystem coming from cutthroat sales roles.

4. One of the things you appreciate the most about Salesforce community is it’s will to help and educate others without expecting something in return. Why do you think this mindset is important in business?

A good relationship has an equal exchange of value whether its physically, emotionally, financially, and a bunch of other “ly” words I’m sure I’m missing. If your ultimate goal is to gain, then its not really a relationship, but a transaction.

Great businesses are built on relationships with employees, stakeholders, customers, communities. If there is no relationship, there is no business.

Take a look at Toys R’ Us, Sears, and many many other businesses. Their business became transactional, not relationship driven. Toys R’ Us used to have great relationships with their communities, but one day that stopped, and they strived to be a company driven strictly on revenue, and failed.

If you’d like to learn more about the insights from the best known Salesforce influencers make sure you subscribe to our blog! We will be releasing interviews with Salesforce personalities and professionals as well as other content covering the whole spectrum of themes from customer service to marketing on regular basis. Check previous interview with Amy Oplinger and Enrico Murru.

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