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How to Choose the Right Salesforce Consulting Partner?

Salesforce development

11 min

31 Oct 2023

Tips for choosing the right salesforce consulting partner

Pavel Vehera

Content Manager

Pavel is a well-seasoned writer and content creator with more than 6 years of experience. He has a background in fintech, finance, innovative technologies, healthcare, and fitness. Pavel is a gym rat, coffee lover, and an audiophile. He's passionate about outdoor activities, and he believes in the power of words.

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Choosing the Salesforce platform for building and distributing apps is the right idea. After all, Salesforce is used by nearly 23% of companies worldwide, meaning that the share of potentially interested users is huge.

If you intend to get started with a Salesforce-based project, you and your teams are either experts on this matter looking for external expertise or outsourcing resources or are in search of a trusted tech provider. Anyway, you will find this post useful for your search.

You’ll discover how to choose a Salesforce consulting partner, including what factors to consider and what criteria to look out for. You’ll also get to understand the need for Salesforce consulting services.

Why Do You Need a Salesforce Consulting Partner?

Well, depending on your objectives and whether you represent a tech or a non-tech business, the rationale behind partnering with an external Salesforce consulting service provider will vary:

Businesses out of the Salesforce ecosystem

Such companies, which may be from manufacturing, insurance, e-commerce, or other industries, which is not essential, often lack the in-house Salesforce expertise and resources to effectively harness the power of this CRM. Partnering with a Salesforce consulting firm provides access to specialized knowledge and skills. They can guide the business in configuring, customizing, and implementing Salesforce to align with their specific needs, enhancing customer relationship management, sales processes, and marketing strategies.

Additionally, consulting partners offer training and support, ensuring that non-tech businesses can leverage Salesforce without the burden of extensive technical knowledge.

Tech business in the Salesforce ecosystem

Tech businesses that not only have development expertise but also have experience with Salesforce may already possess the technical know-how. Yet, partnering with a Salesforce consulting partner offers distinct competitive advantages. These firms bring industry-specific insights and best practices, enhancing the tech business’s Salesforce implementation. They can introduce innovative solutions, integrate Salesforce with existing systems, and provide scalability and flexibility to accommodate growth.

Even if your company is familiar with Salesforce development or probably specializes in it, you may lack staff or may need the fast involvement of outsourcing providers to assist in achieving some of your intermediary goals. The Synebo team has a track record of cases when we entered a project within days to assist a tech provider on some resource-intensive matters.

How to Select a Salesforce Consulting Partner?

Before you proceed with selecting your best provider of Salesforce services, consider these major tips:

Aspects to Consider When Choosing a Salesforce Consulting Partner

Get to Know Project Requirements Properly

Ensure that you and your team have a complete understanding of the project requirements you will be discussing with your future partner. Yes, sometimes you can just ask for a call and request a representative to help you with basically everything, providing the minimum information about the project. Yet, even if they agree to analyze your business, your needs, your objectives, etc., it will likely result in an extra 10-30 hours of their paid work.

Besides, if you don’t get your own project right, after initial analysis, a provider may discover major vulnerabilities in the idea that may result in the cancellation of the project.

Define the following:

Objectives

Preliminary scope of work

Expected outcomes

Timeline and milestones

Budget

Additionally, you may need to define data management and integration needs, user requirements, compliance and security, etc.

This clarity will help you communicate your needs effectively to potential partners and ensure that they can deliver a tailored solution. Take the time to gather input from all stakeholders and document your requirements in detail to avoid misunderstandings later in the process.

Evaluate Your Need

Different Salesforce consulting partners may excel in various areas, such as implementation, customization, or integration. Determine whether you need a partner to assist with a full-scale implementation, ongoing support, or specific tasks. Matching your needs with a partner’s expertise is critical for a successful collaboration.

Avoid Being in Rush

Take the time to research and interview potential partners. Rushed decisions can lead to costly mistakes and a mismatch between your needs and their capabilities. Thoroughly vet each candidate, request proposals, and conduct due diligence to ensure they align with your expectations. A deliberate, methodical approach will result in a more fruitful partnership.

Besides, when evaluating multiple options, it’s important to dedicate ample time to the decision-making process. Additionally, you may want to request demos, proof of concept (POC), case studies, and other pertinent materials from these potential partners. The most reputable Salesforce consulting firm should be capable of developing an implementation strategy that takes into account the unique business requirements before initiating projects with new clients.

Don’t Let Budget Decide Your Selection

While budget is an important consideration, it should not be the sole determining factor in selecting a Salesforce consulting partner. Prioritize the partner’s expertise, reputation, and ability to meet your project requirements.

A partner that offers the lowest price may not provide the quality or reliability you require. Weigh the cost against the value and long-term benefits of the professional services provided. Invest wisely in a partner who can deliver the results your organization needs.

Remember, investment in a well-thought-out project will return manifold, while failure with a project will be an expense regardless of the finance spent on it.

Looking for a trusted provider of Salesforce consulting services? Drop Synebo team a line and let’s discuss!

Criteria for Choosing a Salesforce Consulting Partner

Once you understand the strategy for the project and have an idea of what provider can suit you the best, it’s time to select one. When you’re forming a shortlist of Salesforce consulting companies, you should guide your choosing with the following criteria:

Certified Salesforce Consultant

Engaging a Salesforce consultant the team of which is certified is pivotal. Salesforce certifications indicate a deep industry expertise and adherence to best practices. Confirm that your partner’s consultants hold relevant Salesforce certifications, such as Salesforce Certified Administrator or Salesforce Certified Developer. Certified consultants possess the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful implementation.

Industry-Specific Expertise

Selecting a Salesforce consulting partner demands a meticulous evaluation of their industry-specific expertise. After all, creating solutions for the fintech and manufacturing spheres poses different challenges.

Your partner should demonstrate a deep understanding of your sector, its unique challenges, and compliance requirements. A proven track record of successful implementations in your industry speaks volumes about their competence.

The company can only remain competitive when its team members constantly work on the improvement of their skills. A vivid example of how a provider should approach this matter is Synebo — a Salesforce consulting partner, which has an internal system for training. Beyond working on Salesforce projects, the team members’ expertise is being constantly enhanced through:

Internal workshops. Synebo employees, often in pairs, create and discuss complex projects for learning in small groups (about 8 participants). The projects are completed independently within specified deadlines, with instructors providing individual feedback.

Synebo talks. Regular internal lectures that cover technical topics in current focus. Lecturers are often chosen from within the company based on recommendations and participant interests.

Sharing sessions. In this format, technical specialists conduct sessions to enhance the technical knowledge of non-technical staff. Alternatively, we conduct knowledge sharing among project management teams.

Feedback is collected upon the completion of each training to improve the process.

This way the company manages to stay tuned to the latest Salesforce trends and best practices and ensure all the specialists are no lower than strong middle level.

Scope of Services

Ensure your provider can offer comprehensive Salesforce services, including initial assessment, solution design, development, implementation, training, ongoing support, and everything else that you will need within the scope of the intended project.

A holistic approach ensures seamless transitions and long-term success. Moreover, the partner’s ability to customize services to suit your organization’s size, goals, and complexity is crucial for a tailored solution.

Another big idea is that you, as a customer, may be eligible to request a demo or a trial. It may be a small number of hours devoted to a certain part of your project, but only if the scope of potential work is vast and the perspectives for collaboration are long-term.

The Synebo team offers an audit of a project as a trial. Not only it showcases the expertise of the company and provides insight into the potential collaboration, but it can also mitigate negative experience with prior outsource agencies, should you have any.

Pricing and Project Management Strategies

Evaluate your partner’s pricing and project management strategies carefully. Transparent and competitive pricing is essential, with no hidden costs or surprises down the line. An effective project management approach should include defined timelines, milestones, and regular progress reports.

Additionally, a well-structured change management plan and risk mitigation strategy will ensure project success and cost control. Choose a partner whose pricing and project management align with your budget and expectations.

For example, Synebo company offers a range of cooperation models and pricing options, tailored to varying needs of customers. Some of the ways to engage the Synebo team are shown in the below infographic:

Trustworthiness and Customer Reviews

Prioritize trustworthiness when selecting a Salesforce consulting partner. Look for testimonials, case studies, and client references to gauge their reputation and reliability. Customer reviews and feedback are invaluable sources of information about their performance, ethics, and commitment. A partner with a strong record of trustworthiness will inspire confidence in your collaboration.

You can assess a company’s trustworthiness and how positively customers tend to speak about it by vising its Clutch profile. Some firms may also have testimonials posted on their website or via social media.

Post-Implementation Support and Maintenance

Sustainable success hinges on robust post-implementation support and maintenance. Ensure your chosen partner offers comprehensive support services, including troubleshooting, updates, and user training.

A well-structured maintenance plan guarantees the continued effectiveness of your Salesforce solutions. Reliable support minimizes downtime, maximizes productivity, and safeguards your investment.

As a vivid example, you can familiarize yourself with the scope of certifications of Synebo, a trusted Salesforce consulting firm.

Scalability and Flexibility

Your Salesforce solution should be scalable and flexible to adapt to your evolving business needs. Verify that your partner’s approach allows for future enhancements and adjustments without major disruptions. Scalability ensures your system can grow with your organization, accommodating increased data, users, and complexity.

The Synebo team is proud to claim that compared to European providers we face less bureaucracy, can enter the project in a matter of days, and communicate swiftly and our team members not only have years of experience behind their belts but also hundreds of projects completed.

Familiarity with Similar Projects

A partner’s familiarity with similar projects within your industry or business is advantageous. Experience in comparable implementations means they understand the nuances and challenges specific to your context.

The provider’s knowledge of best practices for a particular project can expedite the project’s success and effectiveness. Look for a partner with a portfolio that aligns with your requirements and objectives.

Consider Synebo Your Trusted Salesforce Consulting Partner

Synebo is a provider of Salesforce consulting and development services. With more than 8 years in the industry and over 1000 projects successfully completed, we are ready, willing, and able to aid you with your best project.

We specialize in delivering custom Salesforce development solutions to business needs. Some of our service lines include:

The listed services ensure end-to-end coverage of most of your Salesforce development needs, as each of the three lines is composed of multiple service components. The provision of other services can be discussed upon request.

Not only do we proactively drive your projects, but we also help you with advice. For example, within the scope of consulting, we can help strategize for passing business and security reviews and listing on Salesforce AppExchange. This will expand the opportunities for a product to become high-demanded and attract new clients.

We also have a list of openly available Salesforce products, which you can try and test yourself. They include Salesforce Logins, LULC, Rich Text Editor, Colligo, and Query AI.

Without further ado, some key reasons why tech and non-tech businesses need a strategic technology partner like Synebo are provided in the simple infographic below:

Do you have a business idea in mind or a Salesforce project? Contact Synebo and let’s discuss the opportunities!

Final Take

The business value of professional Salesforce consulting is hard to overestimate. It has a chance to impact your business on multiple levels, influencing positively both workflow and communication with customers.

Whether you are a representative of a fintech or a non-fintech business intending to create a software solution on Salesforce and, probably, list it on AppExchange, you should consider partnering with a trusted vendor. The criteria for choosing one are certifications, flexibility, trustworthiness, support and maintenance, and more.

Should you require Salesforce services reach out to Synebo.

FAQ

What specifically should I look for in a Salesforce consulting partner's experience and expertise?

When selecting a Salesforce consulting partner, focus on their certification levels, project experience, and expertise in your specific industry or business domain. Look for a partner with a proven track record of implementing complex Salesforce solutions and their ability to leverage Salesforce technologies effectively. Prioritize those with advanced certifications and specializations that align with your business requirements.

How do I ensure the consulting partner understands my business needs?

To ensure the consulting partner understands your business needs, clearly communicate your objectives, challenges, and expectations from the outset. Consider conducting thorough interviews or discussions to gauge their understanding of your industry and business processes. Opt for a partner who asks insightful questions and shows a genuine interest in aligning their approach with your strategic goals.

What should I consider regarding the post-implementation support offered by the consulting partner?

Regarding post-implementation support, evaluate the consulting partner's support structure, availability, and the types of services offered after the project is completed. Inquire about their response times, support tiers, and whether they provide ongoing training and updates. Consider partners that offer customizable support plans that can adapt to your evolving business needs, ensuring they can handle future modifications or troubleshooting efficiently.

What are the tiers of consulting partners in Salesforce?

Salesforce consulting partners are typically categorized into tiers based on their expertise, performance, and customer satisfaction rates. The main tiers are Registered, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Global Strategic Partners. Higher tiers indicate more certified consultants, broader expertise, and a proven track record of delivering high-quality solutions across various industries and project complexities.