Not only was Silverliner Danielle Laffey named a 2020 Salesforce MVP, but she also received recognition as a member of the first class of Salesforce Marketing Champions (along with fellow Silverliner JP Owens). I got the chance to chat with her about the year ahead.
Congratulations on being named a Salesforce Marketing Champion! How did this come about?
I have been a very active thought leader in the ecosystem working as a subject matter expert on cross-cloud solutions. These solutions I have architected create a high-caliber, personalized experience across the entire lifecycle of the customer that many people want to hear more about. I have been asked to speak at many Salesforce events to showcase the successful client implementations leveraging Sales, Service, and Marketing Clouds.
I have served on several panels, written blogs, created presentations, and answered questions on the Trailblazer community. The Salesforce team recognized the contributions and reached out regarding the program. I also had a previous client and fellow community member nominate me for the position.
What are the responsibilities and opportunities associated with this new title? What most excites you?
“Marketing Champions is a peer-to-peer Trailblazer program that uplifts and empowers experts across Marketing Cloud, Pardot, and Datorama to share their knowledge and strengthen the community.”
What does that mean for me? I keep on evangelizing the cool solutions and experiences you can create using the Salesforce platform. The program is a year-long commitment and I’m expected to do at least one activity per quarter — such as speaking sessions, workshops, blogs, event organization, office hours, or pro bono work. Similar to the MVP program I was recently accepted into, this program gives me access to specific Salesforce Product Managers and some training. It also brings me the opportunity for activities that I might not know about such as a webinar guest speaker option or helping to lead a workshop.
As 1-1 personalized communication has become essential in all industries, I’m thrilled this program has launched to help elevate and allow visibility to all the amazing folks making it possible. Marketing has transformed into the full customer communication experience and drives much of the IT budgets and programs, but doesn’t necessarily get the recognition it deserves. Traditionally in the ecosystem, Marketing folks are looked at as second fiddle players to Sales and Service experts. This helps change that.
How does being recognized in this way change your day-to-day experience in the Salesforce ecosystem?
My day-to-day experience stays pretty close to the same as it was before, as I am so actively involved in the community. I am continually advocating for personalized communication aspects to solutions. I’m excited to share my experiences with others, while also learning from others.
What are some perks or advantages to being a Marketing Champion?
Perks to the program include access to training, product managers, opportunities to speak and give back…and SWAG of course!
Any words of wisdom for hopeful future Salesforce Marketing Champions?
If you’re a marketer looking to grow your career, learn multiple clouds! It’s a skill set in high demand and not enough people know how the clouds work together.
Want to work with our team of Salesforce champions? We’re hiring.