Publish date:

• 19th July, 2024

Salesforce implementation can be completed independently, but for an ideal outcome within time and budget, we recommend hiring a Salesforce specialist. This approach significantly boosts ROI.

Hiring a Salesforce consultant allows employees to focus on their core tasks, saving productivity time. Expert consultants have solutions for complex problems and streamline setup, customization, and configuration processes, thus enhancing ROI.

Salesforce partners adhere to high coding standards and implementation practices, reducing failure risk and improving product quality and stability. They provide ongoing support and flexibility, fostering development, productivity, and business opportunities that maximize ROI and boost performance.

Businesses benefit greatly from working with Salesforce consulting partners, especially for data migration from legacy systems or upgrading to an advanced CRM like Salesforce. Despite its user-friendly nature and advantages over other CRMs, implementing Salesforce can be complex, particularly for firms with established systems or processes.

Successful Salesforce implementation requires proactive planning and technical expertise. Project management challenges contribute to the failure of 18–69% of CRM initiatives. Therefore, businesses rely on Salesforce consulting partners to enhance operations, ensure client success, and maximize ROI.

What is a Salesforce consulting partner?

Salesforce Consulting Partners are companies with the expertise and authority to lead innovation and help businesses connect with their customers more effectively while keeping costs low. These firms market their Salesforce skills to clients needing assistance with software migration, implementation, systems integration, or custom app development. They demonstrate their expertise by maintaining up-to-date Salesforce certifications and showcasing successful project portfolios, thereby helping businesses grow and enhance user experiences.

Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring a Salesforce Partner Company

Hiring Salesforce professionals can be challenging, which is why recruitment companies like ours exist! Here are some common mistakes to avoid when making your next Salesforce hire:

Salesforce is the world's No. 1 CRM product, leading to a surge in demand for Salesforce implementation and administration services. Businesses globally need skilled Salesforce specialists who can effectively configure and manage their systems, train team members, and create custom solutions that drive their businesses forward.

Hiring experienced professionals is no simple task. Certain positions may be harder to fill than expected, and with increased salary expectations due to high demand, sourcing talent can become costly. Thus, making the right hiring decisions is crucial to avoid unnecessary expenses and ensure the best outcomes for your business.

Not Knowing Your Requirements

When hiring Salesforce professionals, it's okay if you're unsure about the specific roles or job titles you need at first. Sometimes, starting the process with an open mind can be beneficial as you learn more about what fits your needs. It’s important to understand the issues you’re facing with Salesforce, identify the solutions or job roles that would help address those challenges, and outline the daily tasks for new hires. With this information, you can either consult with a Salesforce expert who can recommend suitable roles or approach a recruitment specialist like us to connect you with candidates who have the relevant experience.

Neglecting to Explore Candidate’s Experience

Salesforce professionals often specialize in specific products, roles, or industries, which is great for assessing their skills quickly. However, focusing too much on job titles or specific products can be a drawback if it means overlooking whether a candidate's experience matches your business needs.

Salesforce Trailhead and certifications provide a strong foundation for technology and knowledge development. However, training alone isn't enough if candidates lack real-world experience with Salesforce in a business setting.

Experience is crucial, but it’s more important to choose a candidate with relevant and comprehensive experience that aligns with your business needs rather than just someone with numerous Trailhead badges.

Shortcomings in the Hiring Process

Many businesses new to Salesforce find hiring difficult because they have never hired a professional with this expertise before. They often struggle to understand the challenges, perks, and benefits that should be addressed during interviews for such specialized roles. This makes it hard to create accurate job specifications or include the right information about job roles and technologies.

Job ads with unnecessary details can fail to attract candidates in this specialized field. While your recruit may want to know about your company culture and values, they are more interested in the day-to-day responsibilities, the products they will use, future goals with Salesforce, and potential growth opportunities.

Once you find a potential candidate, planning the interview process is crucial. While general questions about goals, ambitions, and hobbies can help assess cultural fit, it is more challenging to evaluate their experience without specific Salesforce knowledge. Knowing which questions to ask can make the interview a valuable assessment tool.

Not Knowing Enough About the Market

Businesses often struggle to hire skilled candidates within their budget because they don't understand the value of each specialist's work compared to another, such as a Salesforce Commerce Cloud expert. Without understanding the technology or the talent market, it's difficult to know how much to pay staff.

A common mistake is assuming that candidates with advanced certifications demand higher salaries. While this may be true for some professionals, certification alone does not determine salary; experience and the ability to deliver results are more important factors in determining a candidate's value.

Different Kinds of Salesforce Consultants and Job Titles

Salesforce's ecosystem is vast, offering many roles with distinct responsibilities focused on various operations or challenges. Users searching for Salesforce consulting partners or consultants often get confused by the multiple synonymous roles. Here, we list major Salesforce job titles, detailing what each entails and the qualities needed for each.

Salesforce Administrator

A Salesforce Administrator ensures the system remains clean, monitors updates, automates business processes, and adds value to the business.

Job Responsibilities:

• Setting up new users

• Maintaining user accounts

• Training new users on Salesforce permissions

• Managing workflow rules

• Handling security and data management

Key Skills:

• Excellent communication abilities

• Strong data management knowledge

• Security acumen

• Effective problem-solving

• Motivational and solution-oriented mindset

Salesforce Business Analyst

A Salesforce Business Analyst focuses on data analysis more than a Salesforce admin. They work closely with administrators to develop end-to-end Salesforce solutions and have extensive knowledge of Salesforce's capabilities and limitations.

Job Responsibilities:

• Maintain accurate documentation of baseline information and requirements

• Drive Salesforce projects forward

• Solve issues during testing

• Build and define project roadmaps

• Analyze Salesforce implementations

Key Skills:

• Comprehensive documentation skills

• Strong project management

• Problem-solving during project execution

Salesforce Developer

Salesforce Developers are code and API integration experts, skilled in creating complex workflows, APEX development, triggers, and more.

Job Responsibilities:

• Create complex workflows

• Develop with APEX

• Maintain and test systems

• Debug issues

• Integrate with other systems

• Create triggers

Key Skills:

• Proficiency in APEX development

• Strong debugging skills

• Integration expertise

• Ability to develop complex workflows

How to Choose the Right Salesforce Partner

Choosing the right Salesforce partner is crucial as your organization embarks on its Salesforce journey. Many organizations do not have full-time Salesforce admins or systems integrators, so they contract consulting firms or independent consultants for assistance. Here are some tips to help you narrow down your list and choose the best Salesforce partner for your needs.

Do Your Research

Finding a good Salesforce partner is similar to finding a reliable electrician or attorney—it requires thorough research. Here are some steps to guide you:

• Consult Your Salesforce Account Executive: If you have one, they can provide valuable recommendations.

• Join Salesforce User Groups: Poll other customers for their experiences and recommendations.

• Read Online Reviews: Look for testimonials or case studies on platforms like Salesforce AppExchange to see feedback from other users.

• Seek Recommendations: Ask friends, colleagues, or professional agencies within your industry for their insights.

After identifying potential partners, validate their credentials, review their experience, and ask for customer references to ensure they are a good fit for your needs.

Make Sure Your Values and Vision Align

Your company's uniqueness sets it apart. Ensure your Salesforce partner understands what makes your niche different and the values important to your organization. Whether real-time customer analytics, transparency, integrity, or quick response times are your priorities, these should also be important to your partner.

Beyond making sure they understand your priorities, ensure you can communicate with them easily and in your preferred method—whether through text messaging, emails, phone calls, or in-person meetings.

They Need to Understand Your Industry

The ideal Salesforce partner should have experience across various industries and specific expertise in your industry. They need to understand your unique needs and challenges and how others in your field use Salesforce to address similar issues. This experience allows them to provide tailored advice and solve problems more efficiently.

Experience in customizing Salesforce to meet the unique requirements of your industry can make implementation faster and more cost-effective. Your partner should also be aware of any industry-specific regulations, such as confidentiality or security concerns, to reduce potential liability and minimize risks.

Experience Working on Similar Projects

A good Salesforce partner should understand how your industry operates and have experience handling projects similar to yours. If your business has multiple regional offices, look for partners specializing in large-scale implementations. Conversely, if your startup has niche requirements, seek partners experienced in small-scale, specialized projects. When interviewing potential Salesforce partners, ask for references or case studies demonstrating their relevant industry and project experience, as well as any applicable Salesforce certifications.

Check Into Their Salesforce Certifications

Salesforce offers over 40 certifications, including Certified Salesforce Administrator, Advanced Administrator, Sales Cloud Consultant, Service Cloud Consultant, and Platform App Builder. At a minimum, any consultant you hire should hold an administrator certification. For specific needs or additional expertise, look for partners with more credentials or specializations, such as IoT solutions.

Sufficient and Ongoing Support

Your business might need a Salesforce partner that offers full 24/7/365 support or something simpler, like prompt responses to issues and billing for services on demand. Ensure the partner's team has the expertise and knowledge to meet your needs.

Consider how your Salesforce partner will help manage updates and scaling over time. Salesforce regularly evolves, issuing updates three times a year. Your partner should help prepare for and implement these updates, troubleshoot any issues, and keep users informed of best practices in response to changes.

Growth Focused

One of Salesforce's strengths is its adaptability to meet the changing needs of growing organizations. Your Salesforce partner can help configure and optimize its features to grow with your organization, avoiding the need for a complete overhaul.

Successful scaling requires planning for growth from the start. Your Salesforce partner should understand how your business may evolve and develop strategies with sufficient resources to support expansion.

Reasons to Hire a Salesforce Partner Company

Salesforce can seem complex with its wide range of services. While it might be tempting to save money with DIY strategies, this should be avoided. Effective and professional deployment by a Salesforce partner can bring significant benefits to your business operations.

Salesforce offers comprehensive services in several categories:

• Sales

• Services

• Marketing

• Community

• Data

• Manufacturing

• Analytics

To get the most value from your platform, you need comprehensive management of implementation, maintenance, and development. This can be overwhelming, so consider engaging a SFDC Partner to handle these tasks effectively.

Get it Right

Investing in Salesforce is about saving time and money, but the platform can seem complex at first. Learning and implementing any new system involves trial and error, fixes, and a steep learning curve.

By hiring a Salesforce partner, you can alleviate this stress. They stay updated on the latest Salesforce features and know how to leverage them effectively, avoiding costly mistakes.

They Know What They're Talking About

Salesforce is constantly evolving, with three updates a year. While these updates enhance the platform, keeping up with them can be challenging for busy business owners. Managing all the associated documentation can be overwhelming.

A best Salesforce partner tailors solutions to your business needs, ensuring you benefit from updates, apps, and custom features. They continuously improve your Salesforce setup, anticipating future issues, needs, and opportunities to maximize its value over time. This proactive approach helps avoid unnecessary purchases or customizations, allowing your team to implement changes smoothly.

Spare Your Team

Your team is a well-oiled machine, working together seamlessly thanks to your dedication, training, and hard work. A Salesforce partner can complement your team’s efforts by ensuring Salesforce integrates fully into your business processes, maximizing your CRM investment without becoming just another siloed solution.

Once implementation, customization, and data migration are completed, your team can reap the full benefits of Salesforce. Here are some advantages of partnering with a Salesforce expert:

• Clear communication

• Streamlined workflows

• Improved productivity

• Reduced costs

• Enhanced customer service experiences

• Increased security

Finding Flaws

Identifying and addressing flaws in your current business model requires courage and an unbiased evaluation. A Salesforce partner can help with this process.

Employees may develop blind spots over time, becoming accustomed to existing processes and workarounds. Issues like security breaches, customer service gaps, and communication problems can become the norm. A third-party Salesforce partner offers a fresh perspective, identifying gaps and providing impartial opinions for fast planning, software development, and implementation.

A skilled Salesforce partner has the experience needed to execute your plans without data loss, security gaps, or errors, ensuring the success of your business.

Help You Successfully Adopt Salesforce

Have you ever invested in new software, hardware, or processes, only to find your initial excitement fading? The same can happen with Salesforce adoption.

Change management is crucial if your team struggles with new platforms. Without proper guidance, adopting Salesforce can be challenging for many employees. You can't simply introduce a new system without providing instructions on how to use it, adapt processes, or implement best practices.

Engaging a Salesforce partner can help uncover business priorities, recognize gaps that Salesforce will address, and assist employees in transitioning smoothly. Good partners offer training, support, documentation, and more, ensuring their impact is felt across your company rather than in isolated areas.

Cost of Hiring Salesforce Consultants

In 2023, the cost of hiring Salesforce consultants varies based on experience, location, project scope, and the services requested.

• Experience: More experienced consultants charge higher fees due to their expertise and knowledge.

• Location: Living costs vary across regions, affecting how consultants charge for their services.

• Project Size: Larger and more complex projects typically cost more than simpler ones.

• Required Services: The cost varies widely depending on the services needed. Basic implementation costs less than comprehensive customization, integration, and Salesforce support services.

Average hourly charges for Salesforce consulting services range from $100 to $200 per hour.

Rough Cost Estimation:

• Fixed Cost: For larger projects, hiring a Salesforce consultant at a fixed cost provides certainty and incentivizes quick and effective work. This typically ranges from $500 to $1000.

• Monthly Basis: For ongoing projects lasting 1 to 2 months, consider hiring a Salesforce consultant on a retainer basis for approximately $200–$350 per month.

• Hourly Consultants: Freelance Salesforce consultants can be hired for $20–$250 per hour, while consulting companies often charge $80+ per hour.

Leveraging the Latest Salesforce Features and Updates

Salesforce is one of the top customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, constantly evolving with regular updates and new features. Keeping up with these changes is crucial as businesses grow and customer expectations shift. Working with an authorized Salesforce partner ensures that organizations effectively use the latest features to boost productivity, drive innovation, and enhance customer experiences.

Embracing Innovation

Salesforce frequently introduces new features and enhancements that provide businesses with advanced tools and improved user experiences. However, keeping up with these changes and understanding how to integrate them can be challenging for in-house teams. A Salesforce Partner helps organizations stay updated on developments and offers guidance on adopting features that meet their specific business needs.

Access to Expertise

SFDC Partners offers access to certified professionals with extensive knowledge of the platform. These experts are familiar with the latest features and updates and can identify opportunities for business growth and optimization. By leveraging their expertise, organizations can make informed decisions on which features to adopt and how to implement them efficiently for specific use cases.

Customization and Personalization

Salesforce updates often bring enhanced customization options, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their needs. SFDC Partners have the expertise to align these features with an organization's specific processes and goals. This customization improves user adoption and team efficiency, leading to better interactions between customers, employees, and service providers, and resulting in higher overall satisfaction for all parties involved.

Improved User Adoption

Implementing new features or updates without proper planning or training can lead to low adoption rates and employee resistance. Salesforce Partners specializes in change management and user adoption strategies, ensuring teams can easily adopt and utilize updates with minimal disruption. This smooth transition boosts productivity and leads to faster returns on investment for Salesforce projects.

Integration with Existing Systems

Organizations often have a complex network of systems and applications supporting their operations. Salesforce Partners excel at integrating new features with existing systems, ensuring seamless data flow between platforms. This integration enhances decision-making and streamlines processes, providing an all-encompassing view of customers and operations.

Enhanced Reporting and Analytics

New Salesforce features can improve reporting and analytics capabilities, giving businesses deeper insights into their data. Working with a Salesforce Partner, organizations can build advanced dashboards, monitor key performance indicators, and uncover actionable insights. This data-driven approach supports informed decision-making and identifies areas for growth.

Scalability and Future-Proofing

As businesses grow, their CRM needs evolve. Salesforce Partners offers strategic guidance for scaling by incorporating features that adapt to changing business requirements. This approach protects long-term investments and prevents the need for costly reimplementation.

The Key Takeaway

Hiring a Salesforce development company for any Salesforce-related project offers numerous advantages that can streamline an organization's CRM implementation process. By leveraging the specialized skills of certified Salesforce professionals and benefiting from tailored solutions and seamless integrations, businesses can save valuable time and reduce overall project costs significantly.

One of the primary benefits of working with a Salesforce partner is their ability to customize Salesforce to meet the specific needs of your business. By aligning Salesforce with your existing processes, they ensure smooth adoption by employees, leading to higher user adoption rates and increased productivity.

SFDC Partners excel in change management strategies, helping organizations successfully navigate transitions. By optimizing the platform’s potential and enhancing customer experiences, businesses can maximize their return on investment.

These partners also keep organizations updated with the latest Salesforce features and updates, providing access to cutting-edge tools for improved efficiency and customer engagement.

Salesforce Partners offers ongoing support and maintenance to keep the system optimized as your organization evolves. This allows businesses to focus on their core competencies while leaving Salesforce implementation and management to the specialists.

In summary, working with a Salesforce partner company is a valuable decision that ensures successful deployment and utilization of the Salesforce platform. By tapping into their expertise, organizations can enhance customer relationships, drive innovation, and achieve long-term business growth. Access to certified professionals, customized solutions, and seamless integration ensure businesses stay ahead of the competition and fully benefit from this powerful technology platform. Partnering with an expert sets the stage for improved operational efficiencies and sustained excellence over time.