Kara brings eight years of project management and client relationship building to her position as a Client Manager. Three of those years she was dedicated to Salesforce and to finessing her end-user expertise. When she is not busy as a client evangelist, she is brainstorming on ways to increase her clients’ ROI or to streamline their ever-evolving CRM.

Kara left the life of a digital marketing specialist to pursue her passion for Salesforce technology. Today, she is focused on helping ApostleTech clients enhance their sales and marketing operations. Kara recently celebrated her first ApostleTech-iversary and is looking forward to celebrating many more. We recently sat down with Kara to learn more about her experience.

Tell us about what you do as a Client Manager and what your typical day entails?

As an ApostleTech Client Manager my responsibilities include keeping projects running on time and within budget.  I also ensure deliverables are being met, provide strategic guidance and most importantly, build long-term relationships with our clients and the ApostleTech team.

A typical day includes meetings, delivering status updates, creating agendas, following up on project deliverables, planning and strategizing, and sharing impromptu gifs in the team slack channel. A big part of my day is spent organizing and bringing together the many moving parts, which is what makes my job fun. No two days are ever the same.

What are some of the biggest challenges your clients face and how do you help them overcome those challenges?

With technology and CRM solutions, one of the common challenges is the speed at which technology evolves. My job is to keep clients up to date with the changes. For example, Salesforce releases new updates three times a year. I review the release notes and share the updates my clients should implement to remain current and provide value to their business operations. As a Client Manager, it’s vital to understand your client’s business and to proactively look for opportunities that will allow them to operate more effectively.

Another challenge is facilitating adaptation of new technology. The companies we partner with have anywhere from 50 – 1000 users. Regardless of a company’s size, it is often difficult to get employees to adopt change. Change is scary for most people, especially if it requires learning a new skill or system. To facilitate the adoption process and help them overcome their resistance, I put myself in their shoes, empathize with their fears and serve as a resource for them through implementation and beyond. When you work as an extension of your client’s business and build a strong partnership that’s when challenges are much easier to overcome.

Can you share an example of how your CRM solution has helped your client enhance their operations?

I’m currently working with a home builder that is in the process of implementing our HCP CRM solution. The biggest “aha” moment came when we were able to help decrease their contract processing time from five hours down to five minutes. When you’re trying to close a sale, every minute counts.

What do you enjoy most about working as a Client Manager for ApostleTech?

The most enjoyable part of my work as a Client Manager at ApostleTech is the opportunity to learn something new every day. Each day presents new challenges, especially when you work in technology and with clients. Being able to take on the challenges and offer creative solutions is really rewarding.

When you are not working, how do you like spending your time?

When I’m off the clock, you’ll find me at my favorite cycling studio, cycling at home, or playing video games on my Nintendo Switch (everyone needs to unplug with a mindless activity, occasionally). I also have two Boston Terriers that are a handful, but lots of fun.

What might we find you listening to on Spotify or binging on Netflix?

I recently cut the cable cord, so I’ve been spending a lot of down time streaming. My latest obsession is the show Yellowstone. The story is set in Montana, which is close to where I originally grew up in Idaho, and I’m a big Kevin Costner fan.