How to Choose the Best Salesforce Consulting Partner?

Salesforce consultants should have a profound knowledge of the industry in which they are operating. This involves not only knowing the typical difficulties and pain points that organizations experience, but also being abreast with the emerging trends and best practices. A consultant who understands the industry can also provide information that will enable businesses to get the highest ROI.

As an example, a healthcare consultant is expected to be aware of industry-specific needs such as HIPAA compliance and electronic medical records (EMR) integration. Meanwhile, consultants in the retail sector should know how to optimize platforms for inventory management and customer engagement.

Success requires technical knowledge of Salesforce. Consultants are required to be technical experts, with profound understanding of Salesforce products, which include Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Community Cloud. The technical consultant should also be capable of offering advice in the field of custom applications development, data migrations, and integrating other systems into Salesforce.

The Salesforce partner must also be knowledgeable in both the Classic experience and the Lightning experience, and be well versed in the Apex language of code writing, the Visual force framework, and Lightning web components. Lastly, your Salesforce partner must possess a documentation system like Salesforce certifications, e.g., Certified Salesforce Administrator (ADM-201), Certified Salesforce Developer (DEV-401), or Certified Salesforce Consultant (CON-200).

A Salesforce consultant must possess high-level communication skills. They should be able to articulate complex technical issues in a simple manner to non-technical stakeholders and provide recommendations that fit the client's goals and objectives. Good communication skills are particularly vital in project management and problem-solving situations.

For instance, if a business is facing data quality issues, a consultant with strong communication skills should be able to troubleshoot the issue and clearly explain the root cause along with suggested solutions. They should also present this information in an easily understandable way for the client to take action on.

Salesforce‍‌‍‍‌ keeps changing all the time, and a consultant must be able to adjust to new features and best practices. They need to be proactive in following up with the trends and have the capability to incorporate the new technology into their job.

For instance, a consultant knowledgeable about the recent Salesforce features such as Einstein Analytics can assist companies in utilizing these instruments to get a deeper knowledge of their customers and generate increased business results. A consultant who embraces new technology will become indispensable to his clients and will have the capacity to create more innovative ‍‌‍‍‌solutions.

Ultimately, a Salesforce consulting firm should take a customer-first approach. It must look to understand its customers and work with them to create an effective and successful solution. The more a consultant works in a customer-first manner, the more likely they will produce solutions that can produce substantial business value for clients.

For instance, a consultant who is focused on their customers could identify ways for a client to improve their sales process by suggesting how to streamline their lead management or enhance the accuracy of their sales forecasts.

One of the best ways to know which of the Salesforce CRM consultants is the right fit is by checking their track record. You want to know if they are trustworthy. A solid track record speaks volumes and is the best indicator of future success.

• Find success stories on the consultant’s website with client challenges, interventions and results.
• Ask for 2 to 3 references of current or past clients with comparable project requirements.
• Call references and ask questions about communication, problem-resolution, staying on budget and if they would rehire the firm.
• Look at reviews and ratings on Salesforce AppExchange, paying attention to the general opinion.
• Take note of any recognition and awards and consider that Gold or Platinum partners in Salesforce’s Partner Program signify trust.

In order to minimize your risk and ensure a successful Salesforce project, you need an understanding of how the partner operates. Knowing how they work can help you to work well with them.

• Demonstrate clear needs through thoughtful questions about business challenges and company goals.
• Ability to rephrase problems accurately, indicating comprehension of requirements.
• Defined methodology with a step-by-step process for each project phase: discovery, design, implementation, testing, training, and go-live.
• Regular communication plan established to keep clients updated, addressing issues or delays promptly.
• Change management approach that includes training, documentation and support to facilitate the team in adjusting to the new system.
• What post-implementation support do they provide (eg, optimization tips, troubleshooting, enhancement services.

Consider the service offerings provided by your consulting partner after the implementation of Salesforce, which may consist of:

• Additional customization and configuration options for Salesforce to fit any specialized needs your business might require
• Data transfer from legacy systems into Salesforce
• Integration with other business applications and systems already established within your company
• Training programs for users and helping them adopt Salesforce effectively into regular daily routines
• Ongoing support, maintenance and further optimization of the existing Salesforce platform

Also evaluate the scalability of this partner in providing these types of services as your organization and business change and grow over time. The consulting partner should be able to help you build a long-term Salesforce strategy while being able to add capabilities over time and adapting to additional demand based on changes within your organization.

Document project goals, scope, key features, and key business pain points.

Assess the partner company’s current Salesforce Partner Tier (Base, Ridge, Crest, Summit). This will help you determine what level of complexity and the ability to meet the requirements of your project.

Verify that the partner firm has Salesforce certifications and has successfully completed several industry-related projects.

Look at their AppExchange reviews. Speak with at least two references from a similar project type that they conducted with that client.

Evaluate their communication style and work ethic and determine if they are compatible with your organizational mission. Are they open and responsive?

Determine how well they define their deliverables. Is there a clearly defined process (e.g., Discovery, Design, Build, Testing, and Deployment)?

Request a detailed line item quote based on the three pricing structures, with accompanying documentation, for the complete understanding of all applicable costs associated with that quote. (i.e., Fixed Price, T&M, and Retainer Price)

Evidence of a written plan for post-implementation support, ongoing maintenance, and post-implementation user training.