You will likely require the skills of a Salesforce consulting partner whether you want to enhance an existing Salesforce instance in your company or start from scratch with a Salesforce deployment.

As the No. 1 CRM platform in the world has become more widely used, the network of Salesforce consulting partners has expanded over time. These partners, which range from individual consultants to large worldwide partner companies, have substantial expertise in a variety of Salesforce products, markets, and third-party apps.

But how can you locate a CRM expert who is ideal for you? The top nine mistakes businesses typically make when working with a Salesforce consulting company are listed below, along with suggestions for resolving them.

Most common mistakes on the way to choosing a salesforce CRM consultant

1. Disregarding clear definition of business goals

You're on the wrong track if you expect a consultant to lead the way in terms of good business practices.

You must comprehend the business requirement for the solution, the issues it should address, and the overall objectives of the company before settling on any form of product deployment.

Without carefully assessing each of these factors, you risk wasting time and money on a CRM system that you'll never be able to utilize fully.

You must be familiar with the following in order to lay the proper groundwork for your Salesforce partnership:

• Your business goal

Make a list of objectives that you have for the Salesforce platform today and over the course of the next two or three years time frame.

• Your ideal project timeline

Keep in mind that no project implementation for mid-size businesses can be finished in three weeks. so try to be reasonable with your expectations.

• Your partnership model

Choose your project's implementation scenarios, such as whether your partner will handle all implementations, you will split up the work, or you will follow your salesforce consulting company’s lead.

• Your budget range

Do some research and decide the amount of budget you will spend on consultation, installation, and management of your solution.

• Your project stakeholders

Appoint key members of your team who will participate in the project, such as an executive sponsor and a product owner, etc.

• Your salesforce partners’ roles

Consider the project duties that can be handled by outside professionals, such as change management consultant.

2. Lack of basic Salesforce understanding

To be on the same page with your Salesforce implementation partner or consultant, you need to be familiar with the most frequently used terms and capabilities of the Salesforce platform. Educate yourself by reading product demos, Case Studies, and Whitepapers on the Salesforce websites to learn about the features pertinent to your business domain. By understanding how Salesforce has aided companies around the world in your domain, you'll be able to communicate with your partner more effectively.

3. Neglecting the marketing background of Salesforce CRM consultant

Salesforce is primarily a digital marketing firm that supports individuals in managing client connections and gives marketers the tools to trace leads to sales and calculate ROI.

Despite the fact that it's not a requirement, not all Salesforce consultants really have real-world expertise in digital marketing. Find one that does, though, in order to get the most out of your CRM expenditures.

After all, you require support not just with the customization, deployment, or Salesforce implementation services but also with how these aspects relate to your marketing objectives.

4. Understanding the power of reviews

Every company builds a beautiful website. And why don't they? They want you to believe that they are the finest at what they do. That, however, does not represent the entire picture. But what are their customers saying about them? AppExchange customer evaluations are a terrific way to gauge how satisfied customers are. To learn what's good and bad about a product or software, read reviews. Additionally, there are independent websites that post evaluations of businesses and their offerings.

5. Prioritizing price quality over price

You do want the right and experienced salesforce consulting company you can afford. A constant inclination is to be drawn to offerings that are less expensive. However, there can be cost overruns when choosing a low-cost alternative when your budget is limited, and selecting that consultant can actually lead to running expenses that are much greater than what was initially anticipated, timetable delays, or in the worst case scenario, project failure.

You may ultimately opt to invest exclusively in Salesforce engineers. At first glance, it can appear to be profitable. You can wind up with an implementation that is either undeveloped or highly developed but not widely embraced by your end customers if your developers lack comprehensive understanding in the domain and the product.

That's why Salesforce advises working with Salesforce Certified developers to avoid unpleasant surprises down the road. Although it is more expensive than other options, the odds of success are substantially greater.

6. Hiring less experienced Salesforce consultants

On the AppExchange platform, there is no shortage of highly qualified technical specialists, as you will discover. But would having these credentials be sufficient to guarantee the success of your project?

Without a doubt, having the necessary technical know-how is essential for a successful Salesforce deployment, thus you should always place a high priority on your partner's team's consultants' qualifications.  Domain knowledge is yet as crucial.

What if Salesforce doesn't provide ready-made solutions for your industry? The next step is to find specialists that can adapt Salesforce to your particular company requirements.

Lack of proper and pertinent industry knowledge might result in a flawed implementation, which would then affect team adoption and ROI.

7. Choosing a YES man rather than an expert

Why is hiring an implementation partner necessary? Consider that your firm doesn't have people with that degree and type of expertise and experience. A spouse who quickly accepts every idea you make is the last thing you need in a relationship.

What you need is a true expert who can thoroughly study and investigate your business and who can boldly take the initiative and offer the best course of action. This expert should have both technical and industrial skills.

Because they've learned the hard way, certified Salesforce consultants avoid typical blunders and will recommend the optimal course of action, even if it doesn't seem right to you at the time.  In other words, they won't think twice to express their disapproval.

8. Taking a hasty decision

The choice to invest in a Salesforce deployment is significant. Absolutely no justification exists for rushing into it simply because your rivals are. Take your time, consider the benefits of a partner, and make a well-informed choice.

Ask people in your network for recommendations, and go via Salesforce resources like AppExchange and the Trailblazer Community to find more consulting firms. Examine their portfolios carefully. Check at their customer case studies for projects that are comparable to yours, evaluate if their work history matches what you require, and make comparisons.

9. Looking for short-term collaboration

One of the most widespread misunderstandings among organizations is that their relationship with their implementation partner ends with the adoption of Salesforce.

But the reality is just the opposite. After installation, your project will move into a period when you'll require a different sort of professional support: to encourage platform user acceptance, make sure your platform is set up properly after every Salesforce release, and troubleshoot any problems with your solution.

Over time, both your company and your CRM should expand. Working with a trusted Salesforce development company that is familiar with your project from the bottom up is considerably more efficient and simpler when new additions or modifications are required.

Today's successful organizations emphasize on developing deep, lasting partnerships that add innovation to their core services.

Investment in Salesforce is a significant step that has to be done with careful consideration. And shaking hands with Salesforce means that both the client and the partner are working toward the same objectives and shouldering the same duties.

Final Ideas

In light of this, it's crucial to understand that choosing to work in collaboration with a CRM consultant entails a collaborative effort in which both parties have shared objectives and accountability. Especially if you are investing in a robust platform like Salesforce, this strategy will assist guarantee that you fully utilize the advantages of your CRM system. You may avoid frequent pitfalls and provide long-term value by treating your consultant as a trusted adviser and working together to create a thorough strategy. The success of your CRM installation will ultimately depend on the quality of your collaboration. Therefore it's critical to pick a Salesforce Consulting services provider you can trust and who is aware of your company's requirements.

GUEST BLOGGER AUTHOR:

RAKESH DONGA