Introduction

Salesforce takes a leading position as the #1 CRM provider for the seventh consecutive year. However, CIO magazine reports that around one-third of all CRM projects fail. This happens because it takes a lot of time to figure out all the benefits of Salesforce services for your business and carry out the necessary change management stages.

Fortunately, Salesforce integration partners can support you in customizing Salesforce CRM according to your needs. So, your main task is to find a professional Salesforce consulting partner.

There is a wide range of Salesforce consulting companies, so you could be confused about which one to choose. In this post, you’ll find the required competencies to look for while searching for your Salesforce integration partner. You’ll learn the essential characteristics of a reliable Salesforce consulting company and which red flags to pay attention to. Moreover, you’ll get a detailed checklist with questions for potential consulting partners.

Key Attributes of A Reliable Salesforce Consulting Company

Salesforce consultants can help to configure different blocks of a Salesforce platform according to your business needs, using Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, AppExchange marketplace, and other Salesforce clouds. You will find the main attributes, which you should pay attention to when you’re looking for a Salesforce consulting company, below.

Salesforce Consulting Partner Status

There are different Salesforce certifications, both on a company and personal levels. Take a look at your consultant’s tier:

• Registered
• Silver
• Gold
• Platinum
• Global Strategic

Aside from a partner status, there is also the Salesforce certification for individuals. For example, MagicFuse professionals have the following certifications:

• Platform Developer I
• Platform Developer II
• Platform App Builder
• Salesforce Administrator

Guides you to an optimal Salesforce solution

A Salesforce consulting companies examine your business goals and identify the real needs of your business; analyses the market, competitors, etc. and comes up with a tailored solution.

Makes sure the solution is technically sound

Salesforce integration partners guarantee the functionality and compatibility of a Salesforce custom solution. It means the project is built at a level where you can customize and scale it.

Navigates the risks to the project’s scope, timeline, and budget

Great consultants will not only adjust the estimates if the scope changes, but they’ll also help to prioritise the scope and split it into milestones. We call it “the partner” approach, which goes beyond the Salesforce status.

Less of an order taker and more of a partner approach

It is easy and relatively cheap to find great order takers who follow your guidelines and adapt the solution as you tell them to.

But there’s a hidden issue with the order-taking approach. When you’re dealing with a new software ecosystem, like Salesforce AppExchange integrations, or Einstein AI, you might be looking for an expert who can navigate you through it. Yes, your consulting partner may tell you something, but a great Salesforce platform development partner will help you to navigate through and maybe even adapt your business processes.

Red Flags in Choosing Salesforce Consulting Partners

Lack of information can lead you down the wrong road when choosing Salesforce integration partners. There are some essential red flags that you should consider during your search:

No public client reviews

According to Reputation X, consumers read an average of 7 reviews before trusting a business. It isn’t a surprising fact. Customer feedback can tell you a lot about a company and the Salesforce managed services it provides.

People usually leave reviews to share their personal experience of collaboration with a company - the pros and cons - and suggest improvements, if necessary. It’s a good opportunity for potential clients to see what the company can and can’t do. Moreover, you can observe how a company replies to its reviews and what tone of voice is used.

Salesforce consulting companies that use a transparent and honest approach when providing their services gladly show feedback to their clients. You can find a review section on AppExchange pages or sites like Trustpilot, Google Reviews, or Capterra platforms.

So, it looks suspicious if you can’t find any public client reviews about the company or see only good feedback. It can mean the company wants to demonstrate only its good sides but hide its drawbacks. Anyway, it’s important to read reviews and form your opinion about the company before approaching it.

No official relationships with Salesforce

A company should join the Salesforce Consulting Partner Program to have an official relationship with Salesforce. If a company isn’t an authorized consult partner of Salesforce, you risk getting bad quality services and being unsatisfied with a final solution.

Yes, companies can provide Salesforce development services without an official connection to Salesforce. Still, this connection ensures that the client’s interests will be protected in case things go awry.

No certified people or hidden development team

A Salesforce consulting company should include professionals who know how it and its related products function. All experts should have one or more Salesforce consultant statuses confirming their skills.

Try to avoid working with companies who:

• have low online presence
• don’t have their team showcased on their corporate Linkedin page
• don’t have any official connections with AppExchange

No portfolio

It’s a common practice to showcase a portfolio of the company’s successful cases for prospects. You can see varied custom solutions, which can be similar to your business requirements, and decide whether you want to collaborate with the company or not.

In case there aren’t examples of previous work, most likely, you’ll get a pig in the poke as a result. So, ask for the projects that were done to be provided, to understand their professional approach and overcome potential challenges.

No feeling of cultural match and communication

It’s important to speak the same language as the Salesforce integration partner. Whether you need help with Salesforce configuration management or Salesforce integration consulting doesn't matter. Communication should be clear and understandable. Also, the company must understand a niche market, business challenges, and personal goals. It simplifies communication and helps to achieve the desired results.

Final Thoughts

Implementing Salesforce solutions is full of pitfalls. When you turn to Salesforce integration partners, you’ll avoid unexpected difficulties and save yourself time.

MagicFuse is your go-to partner in technical implementation, custom development, and integration for the Salesforce platform. A team of Salesforce-certified professionals will be on hand to provide you with ready-to-use or custom solutions according to your business requirements.

FAQ

1. What is a Salesforce Consulting Partner?

   A Salesforce consulting partner is a company that has been recognized by Salesforce for having the expertise and experience to help clients with Salesforce implementation, customization, and support. Salesforce Consulting Partners have met specific requirements and have demonstrated their ability to deliver high-quality solutions on the Salesforce platform.

   
   

2. What are the benefits of Salesforce Consulting Partner?

   Firstly, company can accelerate time-to-value, as consulting partners can help organizations implement Salesforce more efficiently and effectively because of their experience working with clients across industries. Additionally, consulting partners provide ongoing support and maintenance to ensure that organizations continue to get the most out of their Salesforce investment over time.

   
   

3. What does a Salesforce Consulting Partner do?

   A Salesforce Consulting Partner helps clients with Salesforce implementation, customization, and support. These services can include everything from initial planning and scoping to post-implementation support and maintenance. The specific services provided by a Salesforce consulting partner will depend on the client's needs and the partner's expertise.