Gradually, Salesforce has established itself as a significant provider of Customer Relationship Management Support. Even with this, many CRM projects do not see the light of the day. This is not surprising as Salesforce is complex and trying to implement it on your own implies making changes that might be hard for your business.
This is where Buffalo tech consulting experts come in. They are skilled at giving businesses, especially startups, a customized Salesforce CRM based on their needs. However, getting the perfect Salesforce expert for your business is a task in itself.
Since many people and consulting companies claim to be reliable Salesforce backup consulting experts, one might be confused about the perfect choice. This article will make the process easy for you by shedding light on important things to look for when searching for the right salesforce expert.
Consider this article as a checklist to select the best and reliable salesforce expert that will suit your startup.
1. Look for Reviews from Public Client
An average consumer trusts reviews from past users before committing to a product. This explains why big eCommerce platforms like Amazon have a dedicated section for customer feedback and rating. This is expected as customer feedback can reveal a lot about a firm and its services. Titan Survey is an app for survey integrated with salesforce with easy to use features.
Reviews and feedback are like the summary of the overall experience of collaboration with a firm. Clients also suggest feedback alongside things they like and do not like. So it provides the perfect opportunity for the firm to discover areas of improvement.
A good company with nothing to hide will gladly display the reviews of its client. For reviews of the Salesforce company, check AppExchange Pages or other review sites like Google reviews or Trustpilot.
If the review of a company is missing, or the study is only filled with positive feedback, that is a red flag. Such reviews might be doctored, or the firm is only interested in showing its good sides.
2. Check for Ongoing Support
Working with a salesforce firm is not about getting the service and calling it a day. However, you need to know what the consulting expert will offer once implementation is complete as an after-sales service. In other words, can you expect them to provide ongoing support?
Ensure to prioritize a firm that is abreast on all Salesforce updates to help keep your company in line with such updates. With this, your firm will easily be ahead of the competition. You should also know if your partner will not prioritize the needs of other large organizations or projects over yours. Ongoing maintenance and support from Salesforce consulting companies are essential, which you should look for.
3. Consider Industry Expertise
The expertise of the industry you are considering is essential to judging the firm’s ability to meet project expectations, work with the most suitable implementation strategies and even meet project deadlines. Your partner of choice should have a detailed insight into your project and advise you on adequately implementing Salesforce to address the problem.
If you can work with Salesforce experts with expertise in implementing solutions similar to yours, that will be nice. The implementation process will be smooth, and it will take way less time to get the issue under control.
Also read: Top 6 Startups for the Future of Retail and Grocery Tech in 2021
4. Check for an official Relationship with Salesforce.
In choosing a salesforce consulting expert, make sure the company has an official relationship with Salesforce. A company that has an official relationship with Salesforce will be part of the Salesforce Consulting Partner Program. With this, the firm can offer consulting status as it already gets a consultant status.
Working with a firm that is not an authorized consulting partner of Salesforce is a risk. There is a high probability that you might not be satisfied with the outcome, and you risk getting a horrible service since the firm is not regulated.
This is not to mark firms with no official link with Salesforce, as they might offer salesforce development services even without the connection. However, such a connection guarantees that your interest is protected if things do not go as planned.
5. Be on the Same Page with Pricing
Don’t make the mistake of thinking pricing and budget goes hand in hand. You need to be on the same page when it comes to price to avoid surprises down the line. This comes down to a knowledge of the per-hour pricing that you expect to see on your invoice.
Here are some questions that can help you get a better idea of what to expect when it comes to the fees in hiring a salesforce consultant
- Will there be an onboarding fee?
- Should you expect any extra fee besides the agreed hourly rate? For example, will there be extra charges for Project Management or other duties attached, or should you expect an overall project cost?
- Should you expect charges for discovery sessions, initial presentations and meetings? Will you be billed for on-site meetings?
Ensure to understand the terms of your contract and ask questions before committing yourself fully to a team. You can expect a huge fee if any answer to the question above is affirmative.
6. Consider their Expertise Level
A Salesforce consulting partner should be experienced in various areas essential to your business, like project management, Sales, and essential technologies.
- Project management: You need a salesforce partner who is grounded in project management. This will go a long way to guarantee the timely delivery, execution, and overall success of your project.
- Sales: they should have a sales manager that can help upgrade your sales team on the relevant and updated method of doing things
- Essential Technology: A team with expertise across various technologies is critical, like custom software applications and software development.
7. Check the Portfolio
A reputable salesforce firm will gladly showcase its portfolio – a compendium of successful projects the company already executed. This allows you to check varieties of custom solutions that might be similar to your business needs. With this, you will easily choose between collaborating with the firm or not.
Enlisting the services of a salesforce company without a portfolio is a risk that is not worth taking. However, requesting past projects will give an insight into their professional expertise and let you know if they suit your requirement.
Conclusion
It might be a complicated task trying to select the best salesforce consulting firm for your business. However, an idea of these seven qualities can guide you towards the best choice that will tick all your boxes.