Mark is the author of Creating Actionable Insights Using Tableau CRM, we got the chance to sit down with him and find out more about his experience of writing with Packt.
Q: What is/are your specialist tech area(s)?
Mark: CRM, data analytics, and machine learning, including Salesforce, Tableau CRM, Tableau, and DataRobot.
Q: How did you become an author for Packt? Tell us about your journey. What was your motivation for writing this book?
Mark: I was invited by Reshma. It has been incredibly challenging but I am glad I did not quit. Initially, I needed the money, but now it is more about giving back to the community.
Q: What kind of research did you do, and how long did you spend researching before beginning the book?
Mark: A lot of research was not generally required, as I have been using Tableau CRM for almost 5 years. However, I did perform detailed research in online TCRM documentation to ensure that my technical details were up to date with the latest platform release.
Q: Did you face any challenges during the writing process? How did you overcome them?
Mark: Absolutely, such as fatigue, lack of time, strict requirements, etc. Writing a book while concurrently running a business has been very challenging. The team has been very supportive, and I just hate quitting!
Q: What’s your take on the technologies discussed in the book? Where do you see these technologies heading in the future?
Mark: I see Tableau and Tableau CRM becoming more dependent upon AI and machine learning to surface, highlight and augment insights.
Q: Why should readers choose this book over others already on the market? How would you differentiate your book from its competition?
Mark: Practical examples and thought leadership.
Q. What are the key takeaways you want readers to come away from the book with?
Mark: The goal is for someone who has never used Tableau CRM to gain a medium level of expertise and be enabled to build dashboards in Tableau CRM.
Q. What advice would you give to readers learning tech? Do you have any top tips?
Mark: Never stop learning!
Q. Do you have a blog that readers can follow?
Mark: https://marktossell.com/
Q. Can you share any blogs, websites, and forums to help readers gain a holistic view of the tech they are learning?
Mark: https://www.salesforceben.com/, https://www.youtube.com/c/LetsPlaySalesforce, https://www.salesforceblogger.com/author/rikkehovgaard-org/
Q. How did you organize, plan, and prioritize your work and write the book?
Mark: I worked from the outline and made time every weekend to keep to the schedule that Packt created for me.
Q. How would you describe your author journey with Packt? Would you recommend Packt to aspiring authors?
Mark: Challenging but rewarding. Yes, but they need to think carefully before agreeing to write, due to the high demands on their time.
Q. What is the one writing tip that you found most crucial and would like to share with aspiring authors?
Mark: Schedule writing time every week and, no matter how you feel, write something!
Don’t forget to follow Mark on his social handles: LinkedIn, Twitter
You can find Mark’s book on Amazon by following this link click.
