Publish date:

• 12th February, 2024

“A Salesforce implementation partner is a positive game changer for businesses and their fortune, thanks to their customised tech solutions on the Salesforce platform” – Quote by RS Maan, Global CRO of Codleo Consulting.

The leading CRM software (Customer Relationship Management) in the market globally is Salesforce Inc from the USA. With a majority of the Fortune 500 companies using the same to manage their tricky client engagement, it is on most companies’ agenda as part of their tech stack for the future. Some people think that because it is a Low code platform they can opt for the “do it yourself “mode, whereas the reality is way different. In this blog, we look at why companies need to have Salesforce implementation partner, how they work and how they help companies achieve success.

 Salesforce is cloud-based CRM tool. It makes it simpler for businesses to locate more leads, enhance sales and link with clients in a whole new way, so they can deliver superior service at they grow. Salesforce collates all the data, received from different sources. Customer 360 links the sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT departments with a unified view of client data. With artificial intelligence linked across all goods, Salesforce assist all employees within an organisation work more productively and be savvy in delivering customised experiences clients expect from their choice of brands. It helps teams work better together. A company could invest in a single Customer 360 app, or a bouquet of many. By enhancing employee communications, automating repetitive & mundane tasks, and obtaining valuable insights thanks to AI, our clients fuel business success. Collating customer related information in a centralised place to create informed campaign strategy, audiences, and content. Leverage generative AI to curate customised messages & deliver them to leads at the right time. When audience show interest on your ad or website via a click, an automated note should reach the sales team, informing them of a potential customer.

Next let’s talk about Salesforce implementation. It is defined as a multi-stage process of the Salesforce org implementation and adoption in a business. Salesforce implementation goes beyond the technical aspects, it includes data cleaning, app integrations, employee training, and steps such as support services so that adoption by the employees is achieved and business goal. So, in brief, a Salesforce implementation partner is an external vendor that collaborates with a business to choose the right tech tools that deliver desired business results.

Below is listed what a Salesforce implementation partner does for a business:

• Consultancy on Salesforce solutions that are ideal for a business.

• Consultancy on optimal Salesforce pricing.

• Recommend business apps listed in Salesforce AppExchange and avoid building apps.

• Ensuring that the solution is ideal to prevent future issues with future updates, data modelling and hyper personalisation.

• Lowering risks associated with the project’s scope, schedule, and cost.

• Suggesting & addressing change management if required for users to take well to the tool.

Who are the various experts who work in Salesforce implementation partner:

Salesforce administrator - Simply put they engage with prospective clients in-detail and understand their needs & requirements to start the creation of a personalized and curated platform. They help customers to gain maximum benefit from Salesforce and its tools. They best know how to make Salesforce and its products prove useful for their clientele. They collaborate with the stakeholders to understand the requirements and then customise the Salesforce tools to meet them. They are the best people to obtain maximum results for your business and you from Salesforce universe.

Salesforce Consultant - They carry out a detailed business analysis with to comprehend a company’s business objectives & processes, comprehend issues & challenges and opportunities for revamping the set-up, and possess the technical knowledge to execute relevant solutions. The range of consultants include those specialising in Sales cloud, Service cloud, Community Cloud, Nonprofit Cloud and Education.

Salesforce Technical architect - A Salesforce Architect collaborates with business stakeholders to curate a roadmap & architecture for a solution to any work-related challenges & pain points. The certifications include integration Architecture Designer, Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer and Application Architect.

Salesforce Developer – They are programmers who build & implement solutions with the framework of the Salesforce platform. These are needed if your Salesforce implementation includes database modeling & org customization. The different types of Salesforce-certified developers are Platform Developer I, Platform Developer II, and JavaScript Developer I.

Pardot consultant - They have experience with Pardot administration & configuration, and carry out successful execution of Pardot solutions as per the client’s needs, are maintainable and scalable.

How is tying up with a Salesforce implementation partner beneficial for businesses:

1. Professional expertise – Salesforce development partner have a dedicated team of professionals with relevant expertise. The team engages to understand the business processes, metrics, business goals, and business models. They also try to identify gaps or scope of improvement in the current workflows and processes. The result is a document listing customised solutions using tech tools that solve your worries and sets you up for success.

2. Increase client delight – As we all know, more sales for a business comes by keeping audiences loyal and happy. The Salesforce certified and experienced team assist in the creation & execution of customised strategies that result in a superior customer experience. They plug the chinks in the armour leading to customer satisfaction and delight.

3. Customisations to the org – The best part of Salesforce is its depth of customisations. And this can only be leveraged by someone who has deep dived into its depths over years. This is an advantage of signing up with a Salesforce Development Partner. They can help you develop unique orgs for teams and even people.

4. Solving major business issues - A salesforce consulting partner as the name itself suggests primary work is providing consultancy. Based on the intensive and continuous engagement, they produce solutions for problems vexing a business, small or large, family run or an enterprise. These solutions revolve around tech tools. The tech tools are suggested to solve various business problems. These solutions are quick and relevant.

5. Saving precious working time - Enhancing productivity and efficiency with tech solutions is a time saver.  Deals are sealed quicker.

6. Improved productivity of employees - With a host of tech solutions implemented by the salesforce consulting partner, the productivity of each employee shows a drastic uptick. Lots more can be achieved by each person in the same number of hours. This is predominantly because they carry out automation of workflows and processes that are mundane and daily. Thus, the humans carry out high value tasks & assignments.

7. Search for the right customer base - The smart way of storing records and lead viewing assists in improving sales. The Salesforce consulting partner analyses the lead minutely & gives sound advice on its relevancy.

8. High quality expertise at disposal- A professional opinion is always welcome. An external perspective opens new vistas for a firm. So if you are looking to revamp your tech stack or get a new one , hiring a Salesforce consulting partner is an excellent choice.

How to find the right Salesforce implementation partner:

1. Clarity on business goals. Be clear about the intended Salesforce business goals. It could be increasing sales, improving client experience, or optimising processes, a focused vision for the Salesforce journey will assist in the partner selection. No Salesforce journey can begin with clarity. It is a recipe for disaster.

2. Collaboration oriented Salesforce implementation partner. Effective communication is critical for the success of a Salesforce project.  Select a partner who fosters collaboration, comprehends a client’s business requirements, and communicates effectively during the project lifecycle.

3. Review experience & expertise. Hunt a partner with an impeccable track record & rich experience in Salesforce implementation, personalisation, and integration. Industry-specific expertise is always welcome.

4. Salesforce certifications. Ask the Salesforce implementation partners in the running if their team members are Salesforce certified. The more the certification each team member has, the better it is for the you the customer as certifications are a validation of learning & expertise. For example, in Codleo the senior management has leaders with 15 certifications, 10 certifications and so on. They are the leading lights of a Salesforce implementation partner. A partner with its team having 100% certifications is an ideal partner to have as an ally in the Salesforce journey.

5. References of clients. Ask around in your business circles for references. They are the best source of finding the right Salesforce implementation partner in 2024. Businesses who have used or heard positive news give unbiased reviews and that’s always helpful.

6. Industry expertise. No company wants a Salesforce implementation partner who doesn’t have any relevant industry expertise as that can impact the projects, its nuances and intricacies. Always seek those that have had experience in terms of year & projects in your industry. For example, Codleo has expertise in health, education, nonprofit, manufacturing, and financial services.

7. Budget. Always opt for a smaller and boutique company Like Codleo who don’t charge a bomb unlike the bigger partners.

8. Large team of experts – A Salesforce implementation partner who has a large team of Salesforce certified personnel with different expertise that are needed in any type of Salesforce project.

What are the Salesforce implementation roles performed by the stakeholders?

Customer:  The most important role belongs to the Business Executive Sponsor who oversees the implementation & communication, and is the leader of the project. There is an IT Executive Sponsor who finalises the priorities for the IT domain, prepares the budget, and eliminates technology hiccups. The third role from the customer end is Client Subject Matter Expert (otherwise in known brief as an SME) who teaches a day in the life for various roles, aids with process flows, helps with the user experience & user acceptance testing (known as UAT), and collaborates with the implementation team to confirm that an appropriate solution is under process of creation.

Salesforce implementation partner: The project manager heads the team of the partner and is responsible for overseeing the project to its logical conclusion keeping in mind the budget and the schedule. His work scope  includes knowledge transfer on the planned tech solution and being the bridge between the client and the implementation team, removing & handling important escalations. This is the most important role and needs someone with years of experience & knowledge.  In Codleo, we have many project managers who oversee multiple projects (small and big) and are responsible for its success. There is the entire project team who represent various roles & expertise needed for this Salesforce implementation project. They could be admins, developers and architects among others.  Last but not the least, the Solution Consultant’s profile includes overseeing solution sessions, aiding the business process and their automation discussions, offering tips on the best practices for security models, and many other tasks.

For businesses, small or big, be it in Mexico City or Mangalore, going for a great CRM tool like Salesforce is a wise choice. The tool is the best ally in a tech stack to keep clients happy and loyal through constant and informed engagement. But doing it solo is not a good idea for a company for many reasons. This is where a great Salesforce implementation partner like Codleo Consulting, a Summit tier partner makes the difference.  Discover the difference just as many leading brands & businesses have in the last 5 years. Call us for scheduling a virtual discovery n demo session with our certified consultants.

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About the Author

Mohit Sharma

Mohit is Practice Lead, 15x Certified Salesforce Consultant, Salesforce trainer, blogger, writer, and full-time husband. With over 8 years of experience implementing Salesforce, and an obsession for innovation, ready to tackle any new project that comes his way.