My name is Sarah, and I've had the pleasure of working in the CRM space for nearly 12 years now! I started my career as a support representative in a call center where I first encountered CRM technology using Microsoft Dynamics. That early experience sparked a passion for CRM, and over the years, I transitioned from user to administrator to consultant, ultimately becoming the Salesforce Architect at a software company in Strongsville, Ohio.
Today, I lead a fantastic team of two Salesforce Admins, working together to design and implement CRM solutions that empower our teams and improve our customer experiences. Being part of the CRM community has been incredibly rewarding—it's a dynamic space where we're constantly learning and innovating.
How long have you been using DemandTools, and what initially drew you to it?
I was first introduced to DemandTools in my first Salesforce role back in 2017. Initially, I didn’t fully appreciate its power, but the more I used it, the more I became hooked. As a Salesforce professional who’s famously bad at Excel, DemandTools became my go-to tool for bridging that gap—it made data manipulation easy and intuitive.
In fact, I was so hooked on DemandTools that when DemandTools V was released, I downloaded it the very day it launched—even though I was on maternity leave! I couldn’t wait to explore all the new features and see how they could further enhance my workflows. Now, DemandTools is a must-have for me. Every time I interview for a new role, I make sure DemandTools will be part of the toolkit if the organization doesn’t already have it. It’s simply that essential for achieving clean, accurate data in Salesforce.
How does DemandTools help you be successful at what you do or what challenges does it help you overcome?
DemandTools helps me overcome several key challenges, particularly in managing large volumes of data with both accuracy and efficiency. As someone who’s notoriously bad at Excel, I rely on DemandTools to manipulate data quickly and confidently. The ability to filter and work directly within the tool—without needing to export reports or deal with complex spreadsheets—has saved me countless hours and made data manipulation much more streamlined.
What’s more, DemandTools has made me a superhero in the eyes of my users and stakeholders. Whether it’s manipulating hundreds of thousands of records, loading new records in bulk, or quickly deduplicating data, I can tackle these tasks in just a few minutes. The speed and ease with which I can handle complex data tasks has made me the go-to person for anything data-related, and it’s helped me maintain data integrity while meeting the demands of my growing organization.
What features of DemandTools do you use the most, and why?
I primarily use DemandTools' Import Module and DupeBlocker features. The Import Module is indispensable for quickly manipulating large datasets without the headache of Excel. I can filter and modify data right within the tool, making processes much more efficient than relying on traditional report exports.
DupeBlocker, on the other hand, has been a game-changer in helping me maintain clean data, especially with the increased complexity of handling data from acquisitions. It automatically identifies and prevents duplicates, which is essential for keeping our Salesforce data accurate and up to date.
For someone who is new to DemandTools, what advice would you give to get started and make the most of it?
In the words of the great Uncle Ben, 'With great power comes great responsibility.' DemandTools is an incredibly powerful tool, so my first piece of advice would be to use a sandbox whenever possible to experiment without risking your live data. And don't forget to take advantage of the preview option within DemandTools—it allows you to see how your changes will impact the data before applying them.
Also, don't hesitate to tap into the Validity Community. It's a fantastic resource where you can ask questions, learn from others, and share insights. And be sure to attend the Validity Expert Office Hours—you’ll not only get expert advice, but you’ll also discover how others are using the tool in creative ways. You might even pick up a formula or two that you can schedule to run overnight, helping you keep your data clean and organized with minimal effort!
What do you love the most about the Validity Community?
I absolutely love that, no matter how novice my question may seem, there's always a supportive group of like-minded data enthusiasts ready to offer advice. It’s great to be part of a community where everyone—from beginners to experts—is willing to help each other out, share insights, and learn together. The collaborative environment makes it easy to find solutions and feel confident in the data decisions I'm making.
Here's Sarah with Tony Aponte, one of our Customer Success Managers, at Dreamforce:
