In this episode of the Salesforce Posse podcast, host Francis Pender engages with Vanessa Grant, a Los Angeles-based business analyst and consultant with over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. Vanessa discusses the critical role of quality business analysis in Salesforce projects, sharing insights from her experience and emphasizing the importance of effective stakeholder management. Ideal for Salesforce professionals seeking to enhance their BA skills or understand its impact, this episode is packed with valuable advice and fun anecdotes from Vanessa’s career journey.

What you will learn

  • What is a Salesforce Business Analyst?
  • Why developing strong business analysis skills is crucial for Salesforce admins and developers.
  • The significance of quality business analysis in Salesforce projects.
  • Vanessa Grant’s journey from music to Salesforce and her approach to business analysis.
  • Strategies for managing complex stakeholder relationships effectively.
  • The challenges business analysts face in the Salesforce ecosystem and how to overcome them.

Welcome to another riveting episode of the Salesforce Posse Podcast! In this episode, we’re diving deep into the fascinating intersection of Salesforce and the nonprofit sector. Our special guest is Lawrence Newcombe, a Lead Technical Architect and Certified Technical Architect (CTA) at giveclarity.org. With years of experience in the charity and nonprofit sectors, Lawrence is the go-to expert on how Salesforce architecture is being leveraged to bring about positive change.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • Getting Started: Lawrence shares his journey of how he entered the nonprofit world and the role Salesforce played in that evolution.
  • Salesforce and Nonprofits: Discover the primary reasons why nonprofits and charities are adopting Salesforce for essential tasks like fundraising and program management.
  • Implementation Nuances: Learn about the distinct strategies employed when implementing Salesforce in small vs large nonprofit organisations.
  • Career Tips: Hear Lawrence’s advice for anyone looking to gain experience and build a career working with Salesforce in the nonprofit sector.
  • Challenges: Understand the hurdles nonprofits face, including the difficulties in recruiting the right talent for Salesforce roles.
  • Future Outlook: Get a glimpse into what’s on the horizon for Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud and how data analytics and artificial intelligence might shape the future. If you’re interested in the Salesforce ecosystem, particularly in a nonprofit or charity setting, then this episode will offer a wealth of knowledge and insights. Don’t miss out! Tune in to enrich your understanding of how Salesforce is not just a CRM but a powerful architecture that can drive change and impact in the nonprofit and charity sectors.

00:00 – Introduction
02:21 – How Lawrence got started in nonprofits and Salesforce
03:21
– What are nonprofits and charities?
04:33 – Why nonprofits use Salesforce
07:38 – Examples of how Salesforce is used by nonprofits
10:46 – Ecosystem products used by nonprofits
12:11 – Advice for getting experience at a nonprofit
13:52 – Differences between small and large nonprofit implementations
16:08 – Tips for volunteering at a nonprofit
18:08 – Building experience by creating a project for a small nonprofit
22:12
– Challenges of small vs medium nonprofit implementations
25:16 – Workforce challenges for nonprofits
27:22 – What nonprofits look for in candidates
29:57 – The future of nonprofits and Salesforce
32:51 – New products and areas of focus
35:52 – Final thoughts
38:14 – Final question: Advice to past self