Have you ever found yourself trying to figure out how to create a flow, update a page layout, or create a complex formula field, and you can’t get it to work? I sure have. One of the things that I am constantly reminded of working in the Salesforce ecosystem is that there are always new things to learn, and the platform and its number of product offerings continue to grow. Salesforce also believes in continuous learning, and in 2014, they launched Trailhead.

Trailhead is a learning platform built by Salesforce to allow seasoned Salesforce veterans and people new to the platform the ability to get hands-on Salesforce experience.

So when you are trying to get started with Trailhead, knowing where and how to start can be a daunting task. First, you need to create a profile and login to Trailhead. Login in allows you to track your progress, create your own trailhead orgs, and begin learning the Salesforce basics!

Trailhead’s training is broken down into 4 different main options: 

1. Modules– Modules introduce you to specific topics in bite-sized units. Each module takes anywhere between 5 to 45 minutes to complete. The goal is to learn a particular feature, when it’s helpful, and how to use it. 
2. Projects– Projects give you hands-on practice with different Salesforce technologies with step-by-step instructions. This offers you the ability to learn a new skill and gives you the experience of completing this skill in an actual demo environment.
3. Trails– Trails are guided learning paths that group both Modules and Projects together. These teach you skills and knowledge about a specific topic with carefully curated modules and projects to streamline your learning experience. 

Trailmixes– Trailmixes are custom learning modules that combine modules, projects, and trails into the most in-depth learning experience on the Trailhead.

You will earn Trailhead badges as you complete your modules, projects, and trails. To keep track of your progress and show how your skills have grown, Trailhead utilizes Trailblazer Ranks. These ranks show how many badges you have completed as you work your way up to Trailblazer’s highest badge, the Ranger Badge! 

Whether your Organization is already on Salesforce, your team is considering adding a new Salesforce product like Sales or Service Cloud, or your team is just interested in the capabilities you and your team can begin trailhead journey.

Many Associations and Nonprofit Organizations have many of their team members wearing multiple hats within the Organization. By investing in Salesforce, your Organization is adopting the #1 Cloud Platform, and your Organization will begin to immediately feel the benefit of the clicks, not code configuration that Salesforce provides organizations. Additionally, by utilizing Trailhead, your Organization can provide its team members a free and fun way to learn Salesforce on their own time and at their own pace.

1. Salesforce Platform Basics– This module will get you introduced to the platform, help navigate potential uses for Salesforce, and introduce you to the AppExchange.
2. Data Modeling– This module will explain the structure of the information within Salesforce and introduce you to the modeling basics of objects, fields, and relationships
3. Reporting & Dashboarding– With Salesforce, the way your Organization reports and displays its data will be changed forever. Gone are the days when reports could only be built by one person. With this module, you will be able to see how easy it is to create reports using Salesforce’s drag and drop functionality. 

If your organization is interested in creating a tailored and custom learning experience for your employees, customers, or partners, you can leverage myTrailhead!

myTrailhead platform provides organizations a one-of-a-kind learning experience that allows the delivery of custom, engaging, and contextual learning. myTrailhead can be used for:

• Trail Maker- Allows your Organization to quickly create custom learning modules and learning paths unique to your Organization.
• Makes learning engaging and personalized- Motivate and reward learners with points, badges, and a gamified digital experience.
• Track Learning and Progress- Track employees complete training, trends, and performance data to see business value and impact.
• Deliver Learning in Flow of Work- Ensure that the training provided is relevant to your business.

One thing to always remember is that with Salesforce, you are never alone! If you get stuck on how to do something, are looking for best practices, or are just interested in connecting with other ecosystem members, the Trailblazer Community is here to help! Within the Trailblazer Community, you can ask questions, join groups, share ideas and even join local groups for meet-ups!

Our team will be happy to help answer any questions and provide insight on how best to start the Salesforce journey together.

REACH OUT TO OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS!!

While simplicity and minimalism are easy to understand, the challenge remains on “how” to construct the sitemap, or what to put there. So here are some ways to look at that problem.

• Functional Areas: Segment the menu into the main functional areas. For a professional association, these functional areas could include Membership, Publications, Education, and Events. For a trade organization, this could include Membership, Advocacy, and Industry Data and Trends.
• Audience-based: Who is your target audience? If the audience can be logically put in distinct buckets, then the menu could be segmented according to the audience. So existing members could go to one section of the site, non-members could go to an another, and organization members could have their own section. Each section would then have a distinct navigation menu, with links that are relevant to that member group. These, of course, don’t need to be wholly separate sections, but could just be top-level menu items.

What has many people excited to start, in tears by the end, and is not a Tom Hanks drama? Your website redesign! People start out with such high hopes that they’ll have an amazing new website with lots of new features and a seamless user experience. Then with the blink of an eye the project is two weeks past due, at 180% of the original budget, and the vendor is requesting approval for ANOTHER change order. Now, before you start hyperventilating, let me hand you a figurative paper bag and tell you there is another way. Redesigning your website does not have to become a monstrosity of a project. Instead, your organization should consider using the minimum viable product strategy when developing your website.

What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?

A minimum viable product (MVP) is the simplest version of your website you are able to create that still has all the necessary features for you to continue to do business. For associations, this might mean that the site allows customer to purchase memberships online, to register for events, and to access any members-only benefits that your organization has promised. The site will have a new design, there will be a fully functional menu, and business can continue. At the same time, an MVP may not have every single widget built out. Some of the functionality may be fairly simple, and there won’t be every single feature that everyone has ever wanted. You basically ask the question, “Will not having this feature prevent me from performing business critical tasks?” If the answer is no, then you probably don’t need it initially to launch your MVP site.

What is the advantage of a MVP?

An MVP site allows your organization to make decisions based on information instead of speculation. You have a plethora of problems with your current site – the site is not mobile friendly, it lacks new functionality, it does not integrate with your other system, and the navigation is poorly thought out. To address these issues, your organization has compiled a lengthy list of necessary requirements. But are they all truly necessary? Probably not. With a MVP site you’re better able to test out functionality without committing to the feature, and without giving up a great deal of capitol up front.

Succeeding with a MVP

The end is just the beginning – For many projects, they end once the system is delivered. With an MVP site, getting the site live is just the first step. From there, the team needs to continue building and testing in an ongoing basis. I would argue that for all IT projects there should be constant improvement, but there is no way around that process with an MVP project.

The right system – Ideally an MVP is done within a system that offers some flexibility. Some system that have a limited number of options. Changing directions after you start can be very challenging if not impossible. Instead, MVP tends to work best on a system or platform that can be customized. If you’re building a new website, consider an open-source system such as WordPress or Drupal. Open source offers a truly limitless number of options.

The right development partner – Because there is this ongoing process of improvement and development, your organization needs to have someone who can perform that work. That could be in the form of a technical staff member. It could also be in the form of a partner you are working with who can perform the work.

Managing resources – Throughout the process there is a temptation to just ask for new features to be done ASAP. Don’t. Always understand the level of effort for any new features prior to development. This ensures the budget stays under control. Establish a process for requesting new features that includes effort at the start of the project.

Managing expectations – For some customers and even staff, there may be confusion initially about what is going on. Sharing details before the project starts and during the project on the status of work. Explain why you’re using the MVP methodology, and how people can contribute will ensure long term success.

Ready to jump in?

While the process requires a change to how your organization approaches projects, the benefits are substantial. A more efficient use of resources means the ability to do more with less. When you’re done, hopefully creating a MVP will have made you the MVP off your organization.