Companies and individuals are in business to make profits; other reasons are primarily secondary. The higher the profits, the better.
As an individual entrepreneur or business entity, you need to consider Salesforce for your customer relations management. Yes, Salesforce can be your surest route to reaching your desired business goals.
However, there are lots of Salesforce consulting partners out there. It can be baffling to know who to work with. To find the right Salesforce consulting partner for your team, you’ll have to know what to look for.
Here’s some help:
What to consider when choosing the right Salesforce partner:
To be able to identify your ideal Salesforce consulting partner, you’ll want to look at a few pointers. Here’s a list:
- Clients reviews,
- Client’s diversity,
- Certification,
- Values, and;
- Longevity.
And – some details to make it easier to understand each of these elements better:
1. Go through existing client reviews
You can tell the right partner by going through what other people are saying about the partner. This means looking at the record of the consulting partner.
A good Salesforce partner will have more of a positive track record. You don’t expect anyone to have only positive feedback from all the customers they’ve served. However, the number of happy customers should exceed that of disgruntled customers.
You should pay more attention to the negative reviews – they are likely to paint a more accurate picture of which areas the Salesforce partner needs to work on. And the way the partner addresses or responds to negative reviews will also help you determine who is a responsible partner.
Ideally, you are looking for someone who takes customer concerns seriously and works on improving service.
So, what are people saying about the partner? How is the partner interacting with the feedback gathered from the reviewers? And, when were the reviews posted? Some posts may be outdated, thus misleading you. Whichever way you look at it, you can’t get it wrong from the reviews.
2. Go for a Salesforce partner with a rich level of diversity
Salesforce consulting partners must be diverse to meet your needs under one roof. It would be best if you looked for a consulting partner with more skills and experience in different areas, so you don’t have to spread yourself around.
More experienced consulting partners have gained more industry experience from serving different businesses with exacting needs. As such, they are more likely to be better placed to suit your needs better than their less experienced cousins.
To tell if the consulting partner is diverse, take time to look at their portfolio and customer history, you should be able to learn something useful.
3. Is the partner Salesforce certified?
No certification, no deal. That should be your guiding principle if you’re going to get the right Salesforce consulting partner. Certification is proof that you are settling for a credible service provider approved by Salesforce.com.
4. What are their corporate values?
Mission, vision, values; you know the drill. This is precisely what we’re referring to. Every serious business has them. The value statement isn’t just a formality thing; it should tell you what the prospective partner stands for.
Be sure to go for someone whose values relate to your project. The Salesforce consulting partners with values that correspond with what you need should deliver the level of service you want.
It’s best not to fall blindly for their values in literature; ensure you find some sort of proof that they are true to their values. You can learn this by asking around; checking with those who have had experience working with them.
5. Consider the longevity of the consulting service
Other than the length of time the partner has been in the business, you want to know how long they’ll serve you. Mere completion of the project does not mean success. A good Salesforce consulting partner should provide you with after services. These may include follow-up activities and support on dealing with technical issues. The best consultant for you is the one who is there to help you when a difficulty arises.
In addition to these elements, some additional considerations will further help you filter the right partner from the crowd. These considerations include:
6. Location of the consulting partner
Working with the local Salesforce consulting partners is more accessible than a partner located away from your project premises. You will be able to enjoy easy access to support services from the partners. If need be, it would be easier to get more personalized service from such a partner. You can establish a personal relationship that you wouldn’t achieve with a remote partner.
7. The partner’s consulting methodology
Since there are many competing Salesforce consulting partners, each is striving to be the best. To be the best, you must be unique. But the path to uniqueness shouldn’t come at the expense of quality. So be sure that you guarantee getting what you’re paying for based on the processes the partner is employing.
8. The partner’s tools
The right Salesforce consulting partners have the latest tools, which have many different characteristics to satisfy all your needs. For instance, mechanisms must be cost-effective, time-efficient, and multi-purpose. In a business area, cost-effectiveness is highly upheld; a lower cost of production equals higher profits.
Consider seeking referrals for Salesforce consultants from businesses similar to your industry
For you to find the best expert, you need to be careful when choosing. Your network is the best resource to help you find the best partners. It would be best if you did proper network scanning. There are so many consultants on the network platform. You will be amazed at the number and the quality of the consultants. From their data and mentioned resources, you can select the consultant who is fit for your project.
Trust is the most crucial thing to consider when choosing a partner. Referrals can be a great way to learn about who is trustworthy and who isn’t.
Wrong Salesforce consulting partners will make your project fail. Even after identifying the consultant with the best skills and experience, you need to determine the trustworthiness of the consultant further. Their track cord should be your source of truthful information.
How will you know that a partner is trustworthy? A trusted partner is ready to work on long-term projects. This is because they know that their work is of good quality. You can even pay the long-term consultants when you have had complete confidence that their work is perfect – and not earlier.
Choosing the right Salesforce consulting partner takes a great deal of work, but if done right, it’s work that pays. You need to be armed with information and tips that will point you in the right direction. We’ve given these tips to you. It’s your turn to make use of them to get your best Salesforce consulting partner.