Salesforce consulting partners: how do they work?

With Salesforce consulting partners, you get help implementing projects, creating custom solutions, and scaling your platform. It’s cheaper to hire a contract or hourly admin than to hire a full-time employee. Your team will get the guidance and expertise they need from them because they’re confident in their role.

A Salesforce partner is a certified administrator who can solve problems and come up with new solutions for your company. Salesforce doesn’t have them in-house, so you can let them interact with your team as much or as little as you want – depending on the project. They can also bring new perspectives and innovative ideas to help your business thrive.

What makes a Salesforce consulting partner worth trusting?

Applicants must meet specific criteria and provide Salesforce with the information they need to become Salesforce-certified partners. To join Salesforce Partner Community, they need to agree to the Salesforce Consulting Partner Program terms. Next, they have to go through the minimum requirements for acceptance. 

If they prove they’re good at it, they become provisional partners. In order to become a non-provisional partner, they have to pay fees and get certifications. Once this is done, the partner is put into the official program at the “Base” level.

Are there different levels of Salesforce consulting partners?

Salesforce Consulting Partner Program tiers are based on something called a Trailblazer Score. This score measures innovation, growth, customer success, and impact (previously called “leads”). 

These partners are passionate about sales and marketing growth, know how to think outside the box to solve challenging problems, and value diversity, inclusion, and community impact.

There are four tiers to categorize consulting partners: Base, Ridge, Crest, and Summit. Each partner gets a score of 0-1,000 in the first month after a Salesforce fiscal quarter ends. In Salesforce, higher tiers get more resources to take their customers to the next level.

Does Salesforce consulting make sense?

In general, Salesforce (or CRM) consulting is needed by two groups: those considering Salesforce and those already using it.

Businesses thinking about buying Salesforce

Your business might need a consulting partner if you’re thinking about using Salesforce for customer relations (CRM). Salesforce consultants can help you figure out if and how Salesforce can help your company grow. They’ll help you figure out if it’s the right platform for you. 

You can start brainstorming for your first consultation by answering these questions:

• Salesforce can help your company reach its goals, right?

• What are the top three things you can do to make your CRM investment successful?

• How are your sales and revenue goals being hindered?

After you’ve answered these questions and shared them with your Salesforce consulting partner, they can help you decide if Salesforce is right for you. If it is, they can help you get started on the following:

• Give executive leadership the tools they need to make smart, strategic decisions.

• Improve your tech stack and save money with innovative recommendations. 

• Put your company on the road to long-term success by laying a solid foundation.

Customers using Salesforce

Consider partnering with a consultant if you already use Salesforce but need expert help. A Salesforce partner can help you migrate and organize data, implement new technology, update old processes or systems, and find effective, innovative solutions to longstanding problems.

If this is the case, your Salesforce consulting partner should help you with: 

• Determine what’s holding you back from achieving your sales and revenue goals.

• Make a roadmap that highlights the top three things you can do right now to make quick progress.

• Ensure long-term success with an accelerated on-ramp for ongoing support.

• Give your executive leadership the tools they need to make critical, strategic decisions.

• Resolve bugs and defects preventing your team from leveraging Salesforce.

• Optimize your tech stack and reduce costs with innovative recommendations.

This will help you get the most out of your Salesforce investment by setting it up for maximum success.

Salesforce Consulting Partner Expertise: How to Choose

How well do they know your industry? How many years do they have worked with other businesses? How often do they learn to stay up to date with current trends and technology? Find out what past customers think about the company by asking for case studies and testimonials. You can find reviews on business websites and independent platforms like Google, Facebook, and G2.

Experience with Salesforce

Check out their Salesforce certifications and experience. What types of solutions do they suggest for your business? How will Salesforce help you reach your goals? Do they know everything your business needs to move forward?

Ability to solve problems

Can your potential partner come up with new ways to reach your goals? Can they tailor solutions to fit your company’s unique needs? Do they know what integrations and functionality to add to make your CRM system work?

Methods that work

What is your Salesforce consulting partner’s process for implementing the CRM and training your team to use it well? Are they great communicators and teachers? Are they friendly and helpful?

Support over the long run

Then what? If you don’t find a partner that offers ongoing support, you could have major problems after implementation. Salesforce should scale with your company. If your business and customer base grows, you’ll need more features, functionality, and integrations. 

Salesforce partners that offer ongoing support can help you update, troubleshoot, and train on new tools and features. 

What does it cost? 

Do you know how much consulting costs? Choosing a consultant that offers fair pricing is important, but not hiring a consultant or internal admin can cost more. 70% of CRM projects that fail go to those who try to implement Salesforce on their own – or already have. 

You’ll save a lot of time and money if your Salesforce implementation fails. Hiring a consultant can help you avoid common pitfalls underprepared companies face. Setting priorities, building a foundation for success, integrating technology correctly, and improving user experience can all be done with your partner.

Weigh all the pros and cons when evaluating the value of your potential partner, including the size of the team you’re partnering with.

Skills that complement each other

Is the consulting partner able to lend other skills to your business besides Salesforce? Look for someone who has skills that complement Salesforce setup, training, and support. If you need help building a more holistic solution, a partner with experience in digital marketing and sales could help.

Get Salesforce consulting from SumoLab.

We’re proud to be a Salesforce Consulting Partner, and we’d love to help you! Just tell us what you’re working on and how we can help. 

Let us help you set up a successful CRM or make your current Salesforce system work for you. If you already have a business website, we can connect it with Salesforce seamlessly.