A race condition is when multiple transactions are happening at more or less the same time, and they conflict.
Let’s say both transaction A and B look to see if a record exists. If it doesn’t, they create it. Now if A and B happen virtually simultaneously, they both create records and therefore cause duplicates.… Read the rest
In a flow, it’s usually a good idea to keep the labels of elements short and sweet. For example, you don’t need to specify which field(s) you’re actually updating in an update element.
I’ve seen consultants use “Update Billing Address on Account” for such an element.… Read the rest
It is with great pleasure to announce that I’ll be attending the True North Dreamin’ (TND) conference this year.
TND was absent during the pandemic, so this is first reappearance in many years. There aren’t a ton of community-led Salesforce conferences in Canada, so each one counts.… Read the rest
There’s an important distinction between navigating and searching.
Navigating a site is usually a user’s first action. They visit your Experience Cloud, scan the content and perhaps click on a few menus. They usually have a reason to come to the site, and are looking for something in particular.… Read the rest
A fellow Salesforce consultant recently published a tool that allows you to generate a banner image with all your Salesforce credentials.
This includes the
Here’s an example of the output.… Read the rest
As users become more familiar with your Salesforce implementation, you may want to consider allowing them to speed things up.
Let’s say you’ve created a 5 step process that guides users through a complex flow. First time users will need as much help as possible, as it’ll be completely new to them.… Read the rest
A reader enjoyed yesterday’s email about the differences between novice and advanced users, but they asked for an example.
Here’s the first one that came to mind.
I built a Salesforce app that allows Canadian and American nonprofits to generate tax receipts for their donors.… Read the rest
You probably work with Salesforce on a daily basis. At least on a weekly basis. So you are very familiar with the navigation, where to go to find things, and even how to update things.
Users are not you. They might login daily, but it might only be yearly.… Read the rest
Error detection is defined as the ability to find and report errors. Validation rules, flows, and apex classes can all report errors. In all cases, remember that a good user experience means you don’t just report the error. You also need to provide guidance on how to avoid or correct the error.… Read the rest
The nominations for the Salesforce MVP class of 2025 is now open.
Salesforce MVPs are individuals who contribute to the community and the ecosystem by following the principles of
Currently, there are more than 300 Salesforce MVPs across 31 countries worldwide, although it’s not clear if there is a limit of new MVPs each year.… Read the rest
Offering three options in your Salesforce proposal provides you with a greater chance of closing the project.
Each option can build on the previous one, and priced accordingly. So the client chooses the small, medium, or large t-shirt.
Across all options, there are often some common elements.… Read the rest
Let’s imagine you’re drafting a proposal to a potential client. You’ve discovered their needs and their budget and are now writing the three options.
Since option 1 or 2 should include everything the client needs, what should option 3 include?
In short, this is the place for you to add extra value.… Read the rest
When pricing projects, it’s in everyone’s advantage for the potential client to share their budget. Once they do, at least one option in your proposal should be above this budget.
Taking a step back for a moment, it’s a great ideal to offer three options in a proposal.… Read the rest
Let’s imagine you’re talking to a potential client. They passed the dinner date test and you’re in the middle of asking them all types of questions to understand their current situation and desired outcome.
Do you ever ask them how much their budget is?… Read the rest
Psst, did anyone ever tell you? There are more than one Salesforce freelancers. And there are more than one Salesforce agency. Shocking, isn’t it?!
So when a client is considering hiring you or your team, what sets you apart from all the others?… Read the rest
I’m currently working with a client that has some technical knowledge, but without any Salesforce experience.
In today’s working session, my colleague updated a field mapping document with the client. The document describes the mapping from the legacy table and field to the upcoming Salesforce object and field.… Read the rest
I had a call with a new coaching student today. He brought up multiple topics, but the one that really caught my attention was about career direction.
For context, he’s currently a partner at a boutique Salesforce agency. He manages a few subcontractors, works very long hours, and is relatively unhappy about his effective hourly rate.… Read the rest
When you started your Salesforce career, you were probably overwhelmed at first. There’s a megaton of information to absorb, and sometimes it can feel like too much.
But bit by bit, you eventually found your way. And adopting a curious mindset can really accelerate your learning.… Read the rest
A few readers were interested in knowing the “why” of the previous email. Why were these apps chosen, and why did they merit paying for them?
CRM
Q: Why not Salesforce?
A: I’ve always felt Salesforce was designed for larger organizations.… Read the rest
There was a recent conversation in a Salesforce Slack community about which tools and applications independent consultants use.
When you’re not billing by the hour, being efficient is important. Various tools and apps can make a significant difference.
If you’re billing by the hour, why even buy a faster computer?… Read the rest
I’ve seen this situation far too many times. Regardless of how well you plan, regardless of how much time you allocate for UAT, it still happens.
That’s right. The client promises to test your Salesforce project when called upon. They positively respond to all your communications about it, what is expected of them, and how you’ll tirage their feedback.… Read the rest
Before conducting any technical meeting with the client, how are you sure you’re prepared? And, is the rest of your team aware of the context?
Let’s imagine a Salesforce partner that just started working with a new client. The project is in the design phase, and there are tons of questions that need to be answered.… Read the rest
Yesterday I was in a meeting with a client, and one of my team members was hosting the working session.
There were a handful of people on our team and another handful on the client side. Some were technical people, others not so much.… Read the rest
Not surprisingly, there are tons of articles and videos about how to invoke a screen flow from a custom button on a list view. What is surprising is how nearly all of them are incomplete.
To bring you up to speed, to invoke a screen flow from a list view, you need to create a list button instead of an action.… Read the rest
And we are back! Welcome to 2025, my dear reader.
I’ve already started the year poorly by sending this email at the 11th hour. But that’s what happens when you get distracted by trying to catch up on tons of emails.… Read the rest
I was planning to continue writing these emails until Friday before taking a much needed break. It turns out, I need the break more than I thought.
So today will be the last email until Jan 6th, 2025.
During the break, I plan to spend most of the time with family and close friends.… Read the rest
Mastery isn’t a straight and consistent path. It won’t even be the same path taken by anyone else.
This is because time keeps moving forward. With time progressing, random circumstances are constantly introduced. They say you never step into the same river twice, and that’s because of the flow of time.… Read the rest
No one really seems to enjoy multi-value picklists (MVPs). Like many things in the ecosystem, while it seems great in theory, it adds complications in practice. Even Salesforce recently added a warning message before you create one.
So what are the alternatives to MVPs?… Read the rest
Today was the Agentforce World Tour in Toronto, and I wish I had a recap for you.
Let’s start at the beginning. I was prepared for a long day. The flight from Montreal departed at 6.45am and arrived in Toronto around 8.30am.… Read the rest
My colleague is getting more and more frustrated with his immovable client. They simply don’t want to, or are incapable of, articulating their requirements.
He and I discussed the issue, and came up with a novel approach.
The client loves their existing system, so why not start there?… Read the rest