There’s no doubt that the Salesforce platform has emerged as one of the most desirable cloud software, providing ample opportunities for businesses to scale up their processes while making them more efficient.

So, if you are also one of those who wish to leverage the many wonderful features and opportunities that Salesforce provides but don’t have the skill or expertise or means to do it, this guide will show you the way forward.

Trust us, you are not the only one struggling to get your head around understanding Salesforce and maximizing its features. There are many like you who wish they knew it all but have to make do with the little knowledge they have of the platform.

However, it is not enough to help your business grow. This is where a Salesforce implementation partner steps in.

Salesforce Implementation Partner Explained

It is quite widely known that Salesforce is quite an efficient platform that helps businesses make their processes more efficient and Salesforce implementation can provide your business with the right solution. However, What is a Salesforce CRM Implementation Partner?

Salesforce implementation partners are outside companies with Salesforce expertise. They help you choose, design, implement and expand the right Salesforce processes, customized for your business. Your Salesforce partner will deploy dedicated personnel to make your work easy.

These could be Salesforce administrators, developers, consultants or architects to execute proper project management. How big is the implementation team will depend on the complexity and enormity of the project.

Georgia Lloyd, Communicator and Content Creator at Salesforce defines Salesforce Implementation Partner as, “In simple terms, an implementation partner is an organisation that has been reviewed and approved by Salesforce to implement CRM solutions on Salesforce’s behalf.” 

She adds, “Each implementation partner specialises in particular areas, industries, or applications. This means that there’s a partner that caters to every need, challenge, business, product, industry, region, and step along the Salesforce journey.”

Salesforce implementation requires specialized skills and dedicated work hours to ensure everything is in place. Data shows that almost 91% of companies now work with a CRM like Salesforce. However, the failure rate of CRM implementation is as high as 70%. This is why it is important to hire the right Salesforce consultant.

But before we get to the nitty gritty of Salesforce partners, let’s first see what Salesforce implementation is.

What is Salesforce Implementation

Salesforce implementation is a multi-stage process for the implementation and deployment of the Salesforce platform for your business processes.

The implementation process involves a lot more than just the technical part. It would also require your Salesforce consulting partner to train your employees, integrate your applications, data cleansing, etc to ensure that the software seamlessly integrates with your organization’s processes and every member of your workforce is able to use it efficiently, irrespective of their technical skills.

Furthermore, the implementation process also maximizes the CRM features of Salesforce by uniting the 3 most common CRM product types including analytical, operational, and collaborative.

Salesforce implementation steps 

Salesforce implementation is an important step for your business and so you must take the implementation process seriously. Here are the steps you must ensure:

• Bring all your business stakeholders together
• All internal processes must be documented properly
• Set a clearly defined project timeline and budget
• Put together clear communication channels
• Define success metrics
• Define project outcomes
• Identify and chart out project stakeholders
• Find out about your source data
• Get a thorough understanding of Salesforce structure and UI
• Develop a change management plan

Salesforce Implementation Partner – It benefits everyone involved 

Having the right Salesforce Implementation Partner on board is a huge benefit for everyone involved in the process. Let’s take a look at how it helps in turning things out well for different partners:

Benefits for the Salesforce customers

• The best Salesforce provides a quick return on investment
• Access to resources without having to build an in-house team
• Fulfill all business objectives
• The expertise of your Implementation Partner brings industry best practices and better solutions

Benefits for Salesforce Implementation Partners

• Strong relationship building with customers and Salesforce
• Access to satisfied customers who might bring more business to the partner
• Develop a positive image through great reviews from Salesforce implementation customers
• More Salesforce implementation projects mean higher expertise in complex projects

When to Hire a Salesforce Implementation Partner

It is never too late to hire a Salesforce consultant. Whether you are only thinking of Salesforce implementation or you have already begun the process, having an expert on board is the right solution.

If you hire a Salesforce Implementation Partner early on in the process, it will reduce the chances of going wrong in your implementation process to a large extent. However, you can hire Salesforce Implementation Partners at any time in Salesforce implementations.

Selecting a Salesforce Consultant

Important things must be done right. And the process to implement Salesforce requires proper planning and execution so that businesses can make the most of this amazing platform.

Some of the most successful businesses are those that involve all their stakeholders and users right from the beginning of Salesforce implementations.

The HBR researchers found that successful organizations follow four practices: “They establish one undisputed source of performance data; they give decision-makers at all levels near real-time feedback; they consciously articulate their business rules and regularly update them in response to facts; and they provide high-quality coaching to employees who make decisions on a regular basis.”

Things to Consider when Selecting Salesforce Implementation Partner

When it comes to choosing the right Implementation Partner, there are a number of things you must consider. And these factors go beyond just the technical skills of your Salesforce Implementation Partner. It is just a part of what you would need for a successful and fruitful partnership.

Here are a few things you must look for in your Salesforce experts:

Sharing the company’s vision, culture and work ethics

This might sound out of place, but having a partner whose language of communication, work ethic, vision and work culture matches yours goes a long way in harboring a long-term partnership.

This is important because your Salesforce Implementation Partner will not only provide technical support, customized solutions and carry forward the Salesforce implementation but they will also advise you and work along making your several business processes better.

If you share your vision, culture and work ethic with your partner, things will work out smoother.

Industry expertise and Software solution-providing capabilities 

Your Salesforce implementation Partner might have the right technical skills and expertise, however, if the Salesforce partner’s experience regarding your industry is not solid, chances are that Salesforce deployment done by such a Salesforce consultant will not meet your success metrics.

This is especially true for business operations that are niche in their nature and require dedicated custom development. In such cases, your Salesforce Partner must have extensive experience in that particular industry to understand your needs and design and implement the right Salesforce solution.

So, choose an implementation partner who has a proven track record in your industry and has handled several other similar projects in the past.

Right certifications and skills 

Most Salesforce Partners boast of several Salesforce certificates that exhibit their expertise and skill sets. However, not all certificates will be required by your business and such certifications come at a price.

So, choose Salesforce consultants who have the right certificates and comply with the kind of services and expertise you need for your Salesforce implementation. There is no point in hiring those who are not properly Salesforce certified.

Their location

The location of your Salesforce implementation Partner will come into play depending on the kind of service agreement you wish to have with them. If you feel having your Salesforce implementation Partner physically present for their services works well for you, then choose someone who is located nearby.

Alternatively, if you are fine with working with a remote Salesforce solution provider, then the location will have no bearing on your choice.

Competency 

How well your Salesforce implementation Partner can handle projects is an important factor. You must pay attention to the company’s ratings and the number of projects they have completed.

Such ratings are indicative of well a Salesforce implementation Partner is able to provide a satisfactory Salesforce solution. If your need is to handle complex projects, you must go for a highly skilled and experienced Salesforce solutions provider.

Customer Feedback Record 

It is always a good practice to ask for customer references or case studies of other similar projects handled and executed by your prospective Salesforce implementation Partner. This will help you get an idea about how your Salesforce solutions provider interacts and delivers with its customers.

Having an implementation team that boasts of a great customer satisfaction record would give your business a great boost. Additionally, the partnership will also result in a successful Salesforce platform deployment.

Their training capability

Salesforce implementation is a long process and employee training is an important part of it. Your external partner might require your employees to train and support them through the Salesforce implementation journey.

You must check how capable your Salesforce Partner is of providing training and support. Check if they can provide different training materials like educational videos, sandbox versions, after-training support, etc to train your employees.

How Cloud Street Services – Your Trusted Implementation Partner Can Help 

Expertise is the first and foremost requirement to implement the Salesforce platform. And are one of the most trusted Salesforce consulting partners who design a focused Salesforce implementation strategy that meets your unique business needs.

We also develop a risk management plan by identifying the possible risks and providing ways of overcoming them. Data migration, customization, app development and system integration are some of our other implemented Salesforce features.

Furthermore, we identify your business requirements, processes and strengths and weaknesses so that you get a better understanding of what kind of internal specialists you need and what external specialists you need for proper Salesforce implementation.

Our Salesforce Implementation Services have helped a number of businesses scale new heights and improve their processes for better productivity.

Frequently Asked Questions About Salesforce Implementation Partner

How does a Salesforce implementation Partner help businesses?

Technical expertise and constant support are a few things that are important for successful Salesforce implementation. And this is what a Salesforce implementation Partner provides.

The right partner will help you execute and implement Salesforce without any hassle, increase the value of your business and increase ROI and business productivity. Salesforce investment also saves you a lot of your time and money, resulting in reduced employee downtime and enhancing your overall business needs.

How to choose the best Salesforce implementation Partner?

Here are a few things that you must look into while hiring a Salesforce implementation Partner. They must have the right Salesforce certifications, industry experience, technical expertise, and great customer reviews, they must provide quality services at affordable prices.

However, most importantly, they must have knowledge of your industry so that they can implement Salesforce in a way that fits your requirements.

Which industries are now utilizing Salesforce as a platform?

Today, one of the most common CRM across industries is Salesforce. This software is being used by a variety of industries including banking, retail, healthcare, manufacturing, financial services, communication and media, and even certain government departments.

Conclusion

Salesforce implementation Partners are a significant asset in today’s competitive Salesforce marketplace. These partners will help you implement Salesforce properly to not only maximize the benefits of the existing systems but also bring new features for future updates. If you are looking for the right Salesforce implementation partner, Contact Us.