If you’ve chosen Salesforce as the best CRM solution for your organization, the next logical step is to find a Salesforce partner or consultant that fits all of your needs and company culture. Here are seven tips that can help you in your decision-making process.
Choosing a Salesforce partner should take into account more than who is currently available or who is the cheapest. It’s a decision you should consider properly, because a poor choice puts you at a disadvantage to your competitors, while a thoughtful choice will bring significant benefits to you and your customers. Go through the following points to help you choose the best Salesforce partner.
1. Project management methodology
Understanding a potential partner’s project management methodology is a key indicator of likely success, so don’t hesitate to ask your future consultants questions about their practices. Let’s face it, there are two types of contracts for delivering work: time and materials-based or project-based.
In the case of a time and materials based operational services contract, you need to make sure you understand the transparency of the process, e.g. how issue tracking, reporting of hours expended or check calls to verify the status of the work is handled. Project-based contracts require a more sophisticated approach for how to manage the initial stages of a project, and a transparent methodology will reassure you that the partner is the right fit.
Salesforce is a unique ecosystem and requires a project manager with technological knowledge of that ecosystem. Therefore, I recommend working with a partner where Salesforce knowledge is present at all levels. Discuss what happens after the project is complete. If you want to embark on a truly deep implementation, you need to find a partner who is capable of managing the follow-up support for such a system.
Another critical factor in a potential partner is the ability to work as a business analyst and technology specialist at the same time. Make sure your partner is prepared to challenge what you think you want and offer thoughtful alternatives to get you to test the logic of your decisions.
Identify and involve people who know your department’s business processes and systems before starting the project. Involving specific managers at all stages of implementation is key. Your employees should know the benefits Salesforce will bring to them, and they should also understand why each element of the new system is being implemented. It’s a good idea to involve stakeholders from each department so that they work as a team.
2. Company size
Projects are successful if they are implemented by the right people. Therefore, you should know whether your partner has enough staff in the team with the necessary skills, so there is a guarantee that the delivery will be on time.
Also, be careful not to pay huge sums for a Salesforce implementation just because the company is reputable. There are a number of small and medium sized companies where your project or customer will be the top priority. It’s not wise to exclude companies just because of their size (small or large), but don’t let size be the only selection criteria.
3. Salesforce Certification and Technical Capabilities
The Salesforce platform has established a certification program to confirm that the partner has the proven Salesforce knowledge and the necessary experience to master the implementation. This way, you can ensure that those you are dealing with actually have up-to-date knowledge regarding the latest Salesforce insights.
There are several certifications that prove that the partner’s expertise is divided between, for example, administrators, developers, application developers, consultants or specialists. At a minimum, your partner should have certifications for administrators, developers, consultants or specialists. The rest depends on your specific needs. Look for a partner that has staff certified in multiple disciplines.
One of my favorite features of Salesforce is point-and-click (declarative) development. It provides the ability to create complex data models and automated business processes without writing code. Yet there are limitations to what can be done in Salesforce without custom development. If you expect your Salesforce needs to grow, choose a partner that has the knowledge and technical know-how to keep pace as your project evolves and your requirements grow in complexity.
If you’re a large company, it’s a good idea for your Salesforce partner to have experience with large customers, the ability to respond in a fluid, flexible manner, and the experience and expertise to manage and lead large projects.
The following questions will help you evaluate a potential vendor (partner):
- What level of Salesforce consultant has he/she achieved (Registered, Silver, Gold, etc.)?
- How many people in the company are certified? Which certifications do they hold?
- Is it able to cover specialization and technological possibilities?
- Does the potential vendor also have advanced certifications (e.g. Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II)?
4. Partner’s vision and values
Make sure that your vision and values match those of your partner. I believe that great business partnerships are built primarily on these shared values: transparency, creativity and teamwork. A good partner is always ready to provide support and assistance when you want to expand your services; they are even able to help increase sales because selling Salesforce solutions should be a team effort that benefits all parties involved. It is also essential to trust your partner. Collaboration and trust-based relationships are the most effective factors that move processes forward. The right partner can help you close more deals and build stronger, long-term customer relationships.
5. Client reviews and feedback
One of the best ways to ensure the successful development of your project is to check your partner’s track record. Don’t just believe their proclamations, ask for references. A satisfied customer is always happy to provide them. You are the expert in your field and what you need and are looking for is a partner who can translate your business requirements into a workable solution. The more experience a Salesforce partner has, the more diversified their client portfolio is, and therefore the more experience they have to offer in addressing your needs or the needs of your customers. At the same time, this allows the partner to develop the most effective, tailored solution.
6. Quality versus price
You and your partner should be in the same league, so to speak. You should never have to choose between quality and price – you deserve both. Make sure your potential partner understands the importance of quality. A documented quality system of work and a dedicated quality team is ideal. I recommend that you dig deeper and ask your partner to explain the processes leading to high quality delivery.
Ask the potential seller the following:
- How does it handle delivery in a multi-vendor environment?
- How does it identify possible deviations from the agreed scope, deadline and budget?
- How does it evaluate the quality of its delivery?
- Does it have a dedicated quality assurance team?
- Does it have a quality assurance methodology in place?
- Does it use an automated approach to quality assurance?
A truly high-quality partner can add additional value with a broader offering that complements the original project. At our Salesforce Competency Center, we know that there are many ways to provide additional value to current and future clients who use Salesforce. By creating multiple integration points between digital platforms and through the growing list of Salesforce products and solutions, we are able to expand the functionality and value of these digital platforms. Platform extension services will continue to be a critical part of the Salesforce ecosystem, both for large, complex programs and for specific strategic functionality enhancements, and will help clients take full advantage of their Salesforce solutions.
7. Get more knowledge
If you want to be a well-informed customer, there are many freely available resources that you can study. There are thousands of free demo videos on Salesforce.com and Salesforce.org, and you can also find various forums, blogs, and white papers. Get a sense of what’s possible.
Some resources I recommend visiting:
Trailhead is the most popular free training resource with over 150 individual modules covering over 40 different “trails”. A guide will lead you through the trail and introduce you to specific features and elements.
Dreamforce video channel on YouTube. Here you will find many key ideas from Dreamforce (Salesforce’s annual event). This is a great opportunity to learn directly from the experts who attended the event.
The Salesforce Success Community is the main page of the Salesforce community and a place where you can find many resources related to help and training, answers to various questions, etc.
Conclusion
A CRM, especially one as extensive as Salesforce, can help or hurt how your company connects and engages with its customers. Take advantage of the resources available to you and follow these guidelines when looking for a qualified Salesforce consultant to set your company on the path to success with a partner who can act as an extension of your team, realize your business goals, and ensure your success.
Don’t hesitate to contact our Salesforce Competency Center. With access to Ness’s global network, we are able to deliver solutions that are tailored to the best possible fit for individual clients, no matter where they operate in the world. We specialize in architecting, deploying, customizing, and integrating a wide range of Salesforce products and can leverage our software engineering skills and complete Salesforce portfolio to support our clients’ business needs. For more information, please click here.