Listen to this articleBusinesses across segments adopt Salesforce solutions as a way to increase work efficiency and productivity. But when the stakes are tied to returns, optimizing a platform that operates on mission-critical data is best left to experts. Whether you’re starting from square one or need to customize your existing Salesforce platform, your very first step should be getting a trusted, knowledgeable Salesforce consulting partner to weigh in.
For maxing out returns from the Salesforce implementation platform, Salesforce customizations should match company goals and requirements. And to get the best customizations that truly add-value, you’ll need to find the service of the best Salesforce Consultant. Companies looking to attain rapid growth and improve their customer satisfaction level surely need Salesforce consultant services to revitalize their relationships with customers across all channels.
While looking for a Salesforce consultant, it’s common to expect to find someone who can provide your business with Salesforce customization to reap out the best results from your Salesforce setup. With numerous Salesforce consulting services, it can certainly be difficult to choose just one for your business. There’s a pile of to-do things that fall in the lap of the consultants, and you need to find the one that can handle it all efficiently. To make the right choice of Salesforce consulting partner, here are some things you must consider:
1. Check for Salesforce certifications
The Salesforce certifications are proof of the credibility of Salesforce consulting services. The right service should have several certifications to help companies in many capacities. There are over 30 Salesforce certifications, but your partner doesn’t necessarily need all of them. It ultimately depends on your business needs and your expectations from the consulting service.
2. Look for an expert, not an order-taker
Order-takers are simply the developers who would do as you’ll tell them. But an expert Salesforce consulting service knows better and will ask probing questions till they understand your business and your expectations. They’ve seen hundreds of projects like yours before and know what the pre-conditions for success are. They’ve developed a process they can walk you through. Always look for such expertise when you choose your Salesforce consultant.
3. Ask for the onboarding process
A good Salesforce consulting partner should be able to lay out a clear process for you from beginning to end. They should have a well-defined process that covers each step. The consultant you pick should be able to understand your business process thoroughly and transparently present the complete process to be followed while adopting Salesforce.
4. Beware of data migration costs
Don’t underestimate the value and the difficulty of bringing your legacy data into Salesforce. Salesforce might not be hard but dealing with all the data is. Moreover, even after Salesforce implementation and data migration, there’s much more maintenance work to continue. So, spilling over your entire budget over data migration may not be a wise decision. You should always interrogate the consulting service about the data migration costs involved before making the final decision.
5. Go through previous projects and case studies
You wouldn’t want any newbies or unsupervised developers near critical projects. Be a smart buyer, and keep an eye out for previous successful projects of the Salesforce consulting service you wish to choose. That’s how you’ll get an idea about the kind of work they’ve done and what you can expect from them.
Finding a Salesforce consultant isn’t something you’ll do over and over. Look for a service that can be trusted and can stay with you for the long haul. If you’re going for a deep, extensive implementation, you need to find a partner that has experience and proven success with similar commitments, prioritized support, and a key-account management program as you consider future improvements.
