How Admins Can Embrace the AI Shift

Today on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we talk to Prag Ravichandran Kamalaveni, Founder & CEO of Skilled Cohort and the Founder & Co-Chair of Salesforce Saturday Cohort Canada. Join us as we chat about his Dreamforce presentation on AI readiness and how to be a better storyteller. You should subscribe for the full episode, but here are a few takeaways from our conversation with Prag Ravichandran Kamalaveni. Why AI is moving technology from clicks to chats I caught up with Prag fresh off his Dreamforce presentation about AI readiness. The idea for his talk came from thinking about what people were saying years ago, when he started attending the conference, compared to now. If we're talking about Agentforce this year, what will we be talking about in five years? In ten years? "We are moving away from clicks and moving towards chats," Prag says. AI currently sits in the application layer, working as a tool on top of your org. But as these functionalities become more deeply embedded in everything we do, Prag predicts that an "agentic layer" will sit directly on top of your data. What this all means is that data cleanup and data quality need to be top priorities for your organization to get the most out of AI. How to find presentation topics As a 10-time Dreamforce speaker, Prag has a simple and effective approach for how he turns ideas into presentations. It starts with the topics—pick something you're excited to talk about. The best topics are in areas where you have some experience but want to learn more. "Curiosity is fundamental for success," Prag says. Write out a list of topics that you're curious about, and then look at the big picture of how they might fit together in a presentation. Prag also points out that you don't need to write a fully finished 20-minute script to submit for a conference. Technology moves so quickly that by the time you're actually giving your talk, half of the information will be out of date. Write a good abstract and focus on the core concepts. Finally, keep a sense of perspective and don't get discouraged by rejection. As an event organizer myself, I see plenty of great presentation ideas that just don't fit with the event as a whole. It's all about persistence, so keep at it. Forget the script—go for flexibility and rehearsal So you've submitted some great topics and booked that speaking gig—how do you prepare? As he's gained more experience as a speaker, Prag has stopped trying to write a detailed script. Instead of focusing on the exact words you have to say, think about what you want your audience to understand. Practice makes perfect, so make sure to take the time to rehearse your speech in front of friends, family, and anyone who will give you input. Prag has found ChatGPT to be effective for doing a few practice runs, once he prompted it to stop being so complimentary and give him direct feedback. Listen to the full episode for more insights from Prag about AI readiness and how to be a great presenter. And don't forget to subscribe to the Salesforce Admins Podcast to catch us every Thursday. Podcast swag Salesforce Admins on the Trailhead Store Learn more Dreamforce for Admins playlist on Salesforce+ Salesforce Admins Podcast Episode: Essential Tips for Creating Effective Presentations Admin Trailblazers Group Admin Trailblazers Community Group Social Prag on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on LinkedIn Salesforce Admins on X Mike on Bluesky social Mike on Threads Mike on X Full show transcript Mike: This week on the Salesforce Admins Podcast, we're joined by Prag to talk all things AI readiness, from Dreamforce stages to real world slide decks, so if you've ever wondered how to prep for a major presentation in a fast moving AI world, or how tools like ChatGPT can play coach, creator and confidence booster, I promise you, you're in for a treat. Now, Prag shares what it takes to go from idea to impactful delivery, plus the pivotal role that data plays in getting AI ready. Now, whether you're planning your next big talk or just curious how AI fits into your workflow, this episode has something for you. So with that, let's get Prag on the podcast. So Prag, welcome to the podcast. Prag: Pleasure to be here, Mike, with you. Mike: Let's get started, for those people that didn't see your presentation at Dreamforce or haven't bumped into you in the community, let's do a little bit, tell me how you got started in the Salesforce community and what you presented at Dreamforce this year. Prag: Wow, okay. So you are backdating probably 15 years ago, that's when I started Salesforce. This was the pre-Salesforce classic version is when I started, and Salesforce evolved a lot, and I couldn't believe that it's already 15 years past, and I think this Dreamforce is my sixth or maybe seventh. Mike: Wow. Prag: But every Dreamforce for me is pretty amazing because of the energy and people around the globe who could able to come join us, exchange ideas, mostly the ...