When vetting a Salesforce consulting partner, you might be inclined to go straight for references. These are important, but your screening process should go deeper to ensure your chosen vendor can help you achieve specific objectives.
The following five questions can help you determine your consultant’s suitability to deliver on your expectations and get the best results for your project.
#1 – Choose a Certified Administrator
Salesforce isn’t your typical CRM. It’s the largest, most powerful, and most complex CRM solution. Since its development in 1999, it’s become the Gold Standard of what CRM can do, how it should function, and why it’s necessary for spurring business growth.
There’s much for businesses to gain via Salesforce, but complicated implementation and deployment often forces companies to sacrifice some of these benefits. That’s why Salesforce consulting partners exist – to give companies a clear path to deployment without the need for in-house expertise.
Salesforce consultants should be Certified Administrators that are skilled and trained in Salesforce. Certified partners are up to date on the latest Salesforce features and techniques and have more than theoretical knowledge of the CRM.
#2 – Ask About Their Technical Skills
Salesforce consultants should have the right technical skills to make your implementation successful.
It’s up to you to make sure their technical skills align with your needs and expectations. Discovering these details during the project rather than before could delay deployment and your expected ROI.
#3 – Check Their Marketing Background
Not all Salesforce consultants have marketing backgrounds, but in order for you to get the most benefits from your investments, you should find one that does.
As it is not mandatory for your Salesforce implementation partner/consultant to have a digital marketing background, it is very helpful as you will be running your leads through Salesforce. In essence, you not only need help with implementation, setup, training, and design but also with how these things connect with your marketing. Make no mistake, Salesforce is a digital marketing company. They not only help people manage customer relationships but also enable marketers to report on campaigns, track leads to revenue and measure ROI.
Your consultant should be able to guide you through what you don’t know with ease, even when you don’t know the right questions to ask.
#4 – Inquire About Previous Experience with Implementation
Past experience with various implementations is helpful, but someone with experience on the new Lightning Experience is mandatory. Whether you’re brand new to Salesforce or switching from Classic version to Lightning, you will only be able to trust an expert who stays up on the latest and greatest updates.
Learning Salesforce in its entirety only comes with experience. Don’t be afraid to ask in-depth questions about a consultant’s experience with Salesforce to give you an idea of whether they can handle your project scope.
#5 – Opt for Simplicity
One of the most overlooked benefits of hiring a Salesforce consultant is the simplicity they bring to the project. They’re taking a huge piece of labor off your shoulders and can often make it better and more effective than you could do on your own.
But not all consultants value simplicity the same way. You want to avoid overcomplicating an implementation, as this will likely force your staff to take on extra tasks that reduce any benefits of hiring a Salesforce consulting partner.
Find the Best Salesforce Consulting Partner.
Use this five-point checklist when vetting your Salesforce consulting partner. When goals align, you have a much better chance of achieving your objectives that can take your business to the next level.