Salesforce is the future of businesses of all sizes and scales. This futuristic technology has been doing wonders for all those who have opted for the Salesforce consulting services.
The integration of Salesforce with businesses has enabled companies to enjoy a greater sales funnel, more leads, enhanced marketing strategies, and above all, greater customer relationships.
If you are looking forward to Salesforce implementation services, then you have come to the right place. In this blog, we will discuss all the points that will help you hire a Salesforce consulting partner.
Now, do not take Salesforce consultants and Salesforce consulting partners as the same. In a broad sense, both are the same, but there is a fine line between them. And in this post, we will tell you answers on how to hire a Salesforce consulting partner? What mistakes to avoid, and what steps one should consider at the time of selecting a suitable Salesforce consulting partner.
Let’s begin!
Different Types of Salesforce Consultants and Salesforce Job Titles
The ecosystem of Salesforce is vast. There are available lots of Salesforce-based roles that are entitled to different responsibilities that tackle different kinds of operations and challenges.
Multiple synonymous roles often confuse users who are looking for a Salesforce consulting partner or a Salesforce consultant. Below are mentioned all the major Salesforce job titles along with the details such as what one does in that job title and what qualities one have to possess to hold that job title.
A. Salesforce Administrator – Salesforce administrator is also known as Admin. An admin ensures that the system is clean & monitors all the seasonal releases. One also automates the complex business processes & offers value to businesses.
Salesforce Administrator Job Responsibilities
- Setting-up new users
- User maintenance
- Role hierarchy
- Training new users on using Salesforce
- Permissions
- Workflow rules
- Security & data management, and many more.
Salesforce Administrator Key Skills Set
- Exceptional communication skills.
- Good listener, who understands customer problems.
- Influential and motivating.
- Solution-focused.
- Result-driven approach follower.
B. Salesforce Business Analyst
It is a role that involves more data analysis than Salesforce admin. The Salesforce BA works closely with the Salesforce administrator and implements an end-to-end Salesforce solution. One also possesses good knowledge about the limits & capabilities of Salesforce.
Salesforce Business Analyst Job Responsibilities
- Keep a proper document of baseline info & requirements.
- Drive forward Salesforce projects.
- Solve issues at the time of testing.
- Develop & define project roadmaps.
- Analyze Salesforce implementation and many more.
Salesforce Business Analyst Key Skills Set
- One must have an analytical thinking & working approach.
- One must be found of data.
- Ability to make a fast decision.
- Ability to take the initiative.
C. Salesforce Developer
He or she is an API integration & code expert who is skilled in creating complex workflows, triggers, APEX development, etc.
Salesforce Developer Job Responsibilities
- Create complex workflows.
- APEX development
- Maintenance
- Installation & testing
- Debugging
- Integration with other systems
- Creating triggers
- Developing complex workflows, etc.
Salesforce Developer Key Skills Set
- A good problem solver.
- Focused
- One who writes clean code
- Tenacious
Here are some more different types of Salesforce consultants who deliver Salesforce implementation service, migration service, custom app development service to business:
- Sales cloud consultant
- Salesforce functional consultant
- Service cloud consultant
- Marketing cloud consultant
- Salesforce platform manager
- Einstein analytics and Discovery consultant
- CPQ Specialist
- Salesforce solution architect
- Field service lightning consultant
- Community cloud consultant
- Non-profit cloud consultant
- Salesforce technical architect
- Education cloud consultant
- Salesforce project manager
- Pardot consultant
Tips To Avoid Mistakes When Hiring Salesforce Consulting Partner
So many different job roles and every role is having its key responsibilities. Amidst so many consultants, it is evident that a user gets confused and ends up taking the wrong decision.
To help you avoid any such situation, here we are going to discuss the most common mistakes that users generally make when hiring a Salesforce consulting partner.
Never Avoid Business Pain Points
Before you hire any Salesforce consulting company, it is necessary for you to evaluate different aspects so that you won’t end up wasting your money. Make sure exactly what your business objective is and the solution that you are developing will fulfill your business goals.
Define the timeline of your project and identify the budget range in which you are going to invest. Ensure what your partnership model would be with the Salesforce consultant. Also, appoint key stakeholders of a project along with the roles of Salesforce partners.
Lack of Knowledge
It is a very common but very obvious mistake that business often does. They hire a Salesforce consulting partner without the basic knowledge of Salesforce.
It is advisable to watch free product demos, basic knowledge-based videos about Salesforce so that when you interact with the consultant, you speak the same terminology, and both parties can negotiate on the same level.
Not Worrying About Quality
It is a human tendency to go for the best suitable option at a cheap price but, sometimes this tendency can cost you severally, especially when it comes to Salesforce consulting services.
There is no harm in choosing a value for money consultant. Just make sure if it does not result in higher running costs and does not stretch the implementation timeframe than planned.
If you short-term nonprofit and educational project, then you can leverage the Pro Bono Volunteer Program. It provides guidance of a Salesforce expert that can work on your project without compromising on the quality.
Under Prioritizing Reviews
Reviews and ratings are pivotal in deciding which Salesforce consulting partner is suitable. Portfolios and testimonials on official websites are a good way to learn about the authenticity of a partner company, but reviews on independent platforms like AppExchange will help you more to measure the customer satisfaction rate.
The customer reviews and ratings on the AppExchange profile will give a complete and true picture because these reviews can neither be removed nor modified by the partners.
You can also look for reviews on other IT services based review and rating platforms such as Clutch.co or G2.com.
Lack of Marketing Background
Salesforce is known for offering solutions that enable businesses to build a strong relationship with their customers. It would not be wrong if we call Salesforce a pioneer of a digital marketing company that empowers businesses to track leads and measure ROI effectively.
We advise you to hire a Salesforce consultant who has hands-on experience in digital marketing. It will ensure a high return on Salesforce CRM investment.
An experienced Salesforce consulting partner will assist you with solution implementation, deployment of the solution, its customization, and moreover help you align with your marketing goals.
Things to Consider Before Hiring Salesforce Consulting Partner
Following are the prerequisites that you should consider before you hire Salesforce consulting partner:
- Make sure your consulting company has all the essential certifications.
- Hire an expert that fits in your budget.
- Always choose the expert who matches with your expectation.
- Always cross-check with their previous clients.
- There must be clear communication between you two parties.
- Ask for a free trial. Many Salesforce consultants provide the same.
- Always pre-decide the timeframe within which you require the project completed.
- Check if there aren’t any scalability issues in the future.
10 Steps to Choose the Best Salesforce Consulting Partner
Step 1 – Research properly.
Step 2 – Look for skills and certificates.
Step 3 – Never settle. Always look for a Salesforce consultant.
Step 4 – Never make the budget a priority factor.
Step 5 – Always look for long-term engagement.
Step 6 – Be assured of enough team members.
Step 7 – Check AppExchange for more Salesforce consultant options.
Step 8 – Be versed in the roles of consultants & your in-house team.
Step 9 – Check the project management report.
Step 10 – Ask Salesforce for certified partners that suit well with your project.
Conclusion
Is investing in Salesforce a huge step? Yes, it is indeed. Therefore, it should be done with proper planning so that you can leverage all the benefits of the Salesforce solution in the long run as well.
FEXLE Services is a top-rated Salesforce consulting company. It is a Salesforce Gold consulting partner and caters to a diverse range of industries across the world. If you are planning to opt for Salesforce implementation services or Salesforce consulting services, then you can trust FEXLE Services any time. The seasoned professionals at FEXLE are always ready to deploy their expertise at your disposal.
