Top Salesforce Consultants

What Are Salesforce Consultants?

Salesforce consultants are professionals with specialized expertise who help their clients with proper implementation, customization and optimization of the Salesforce CRM platform (Client Relationship Management).

They are certified experts who can implement and monitor Salesforce applications to enterprises of all sizes.

The consultants use their expertise in different Salesforce modules to successfully customize and support your CRM while providing hands-on assistance at all times.

A Salesforce consultant has a deep understanding of the Salesforce architecture and is well-equipped in all platforms to add business value to organizations and improve their ROI.

The business value comes from their ability to customize your CRM in order to fit your business needs and maximize the benefits of platform.

These specialists know how to use the different Salesforce tools to offer unique solutions to organizations to overcome business challenges and problems.

Moreover, Salesforce consultants have the skills to assess how changes in your CRM will impact your business’ performance in the future.

Their main responsibility is the implementation and maintenance of your CRM system. This also means they help employees with Salesforce onboarding and training.

Because of this, apart from their technical proficiency, Salesforce consultants possess good communication skills and can work effectively with other members in the company.

Essentially, a Salesforce consultant will help you enforce best practices and maximize your Salesforce investment in order to achieve your business goals.

Given that over 150,000 companies use the Salesforce CRM platform, requests for consultants to provide implementation keep rising.

Therefore, Salesforce consultants are great resources for any type of business as they are able to optimize the platform to drive business growth.

What Does A Salesforce Consultant Do?

A Salesforce consultant has extensive knowledge of the Salesforce technical features and functionalities to implement, configure and optimize your CRM platform.

The consultants keep up with the latest Salesforce features and lend their expertise to provide help in:

• Contact Management
• Opportunity Management
• Lead Management
• Reports and Dashboards
• Sales Forecasting
• Sales Collaboration
• Territory Management
• Sales Data and Intelligence
• Inside Sales Console

First and foremost, Salesforce consulting partners take the time to understand your company’s goals, strengths and weaknesses.

By having a full understanding of how a business is performing and how it would like to grow, consultants can better formulate a strategy and suggest solutions to improve their use of Salesforce.

Determining these needs and creating a plan of action is often the direct result of collaboration between department heads and executives of a business.

These employees will have direct insight into achievable objectives, and reliable consultants will work with them to properly customize the platform.

Essentially, these consultants help organizations solve business problems through the Salesforce platform.

They determine your company’s challenges and outline business objectives to address with Salesforce solutions. Furthermore, they recommend what type of Salesforce products you need to meet your business unique requirements.

Salesforce consultants act as a binding agent between you and the technical team. They collect insights and provide suggestions for developers to add features that might help in enhancing your company’s CRM.

Some of their typical duties are:

• Analyze client’s specific requirements
• Implementation
• Project strategy
• Configuration
• Maintenance
• Guidance on designing a solution
• Insights and requirements for developers
• Users training
• And more

Businesses need to enlist the help of reputable Salesforce consulting partners because most projects incorporate unique customizations tailored to a client.

A study by Salesforce shows that the platform will generate 3.3 million new jobs and $859 billion new business revenue between 2016 and 2022.

It especially impacts the following industries:

• Finance – estimated $164 billion in new business revenue by 2022
• Manufacturing – estimated $159 billion in new business revenue by 2022

What Is The Difference Between Salesforce Consultants And Developers?

With a market share of 18.4% in 2019, Salesforce is the leading CRM provider used by millions of teams across the globe. It is a complex platform that requires the expertise of both developers and consultants.

Although these two roles overlap and work together to seamlessly integrate Salesforce into a business model and daily operations, their core functions are different.

Salesforce consultants work directly with clients. They ensure a company has the complete functionality it needs and work together to customize the platform to their specifications.

These experts will monitor daily functions, assist other employees with using the platform and initiate small changes to Salesforce autonomously.

Salesforce consultants take the lead in training and onboarding employees to Salesforce. They will work with department heads to determine which employees need which degree of access to the platform, then create new user profiles.

They hold one-on-one sessions or onboarding tutorials to teach employees how to use the platform, how to access the backend, demonstrate functionalities and showcase front-end features.

Consultants also hold written documentation of general uses, best practices and tips to easily use Salesforce that can be distributed to employees as needed.

Unsurprisingly, developers are proficient in Salesforce and develop the actual product, integrating it into the business’ existing digital infrastructure.

Much of this development includes building the functionalities.

Developers can also attain a special license that gives them platform freedom. This ultimately helps businesses customize Salesforce even further.

They also test the product before it goes live to ensure it works well. Many times, Salesforce developers test new functions and features in a “sandbox.”

This is essentially a fake environment where they can test their creations safely without compromising existing workflows or real-life user experience.

In addition to building the product, Salesforce developers deploy the new features and integrate Salesforce into existing procedures.

Developers also facilitate any of the extensive APIs, which streamlines workflows, condenses information and ultimately makes businesses more productive.

Moreover, Salesforce developers are responsible for documenting the development and deployment process.

This ensures that, should anything go wrong with the platform down the road, a team of experts can backtrack and potentially find the root cause.

All in all, Salesforce consultants are responsible for the overall maintenance of the program and developers design the functionalities.

Should any large changes or updates be necessary, a Salesforce consultant will involve developers to determine a solution.

Once big implementations are deployed by developers, the consultants will resume monitoring and ensure Salesforce works as needed.

What Are The Different Types Of Salesforce Consulting Companies?

We can classify the Salesforce consulting companies into several categories based on:

• Who they work with: Salesforce consulting firms work with businesses of different sizes, from emerging startups to well-established companies, providing them with tailored services to grow customer engagement.
• What industries they serve: Salesforce consultants have experience in serving different industries such as finance, manufacturing and retail. Some, however, choose to specialize. They develop deep industry insights to help clients outperform the competition by building market-leading solutions.
• Where they are located: Salesforce consulting companies are scattered across the US with some of the best experts based in New York, Boston and Miami. The location usually informs the companies’ rates and, to a degree, shapes their expertise.

How Much Do Salesforce Consulting Services Cost?

The cost of Salesforce consulting services will depend on several factors including:

• The team composition including seniority: The reputation of the Salesforce consultancy will affect the cost of your project, and so will the expertise of their consultants. The leading and award-winning experts tend to charge higher rates than those new to the market.
• Their location: The local cost of living also influences the cost of Salesforce development services as this directly impacts the average local wages. So, a New York-based company will most likely cost you more than a Miami-based firm where the developer’s salary is lower.
• The complexity of projects: Your requirement will directly impact the cost of your project. To keep these costs at bay, it is advisable to plan the project as accurately as possible and avoid changing the requirements along the way.

Before you start your search for a Salesforce consulting partner, make sure you define your goals first. It will help you understand what kind of product you need and which of the companies can meet your needs.

With all things considered, it is difficult to estimate the average price range of these consultancy projects.

In the US, most Salesforce consultants have an hourly rate between $80 and $160. In Europe, a Salesforce consultant charges between $45 and $99 per hour or even less.

As for project-based pricing, US-based consultants have an average rate between $10,000 and $25,000, with experts in other parts of the world charging between $1,000 and $10,000.

Why Hire Salesforce Consulting Partners

Salesforce is an advanced platform demanding specialized expertise to maximize its business growth benefits. That’s why you need a professional Salesforce consultant to optimize your CRM to the fullest and reap the rewards.

Here are the key reasons why you should hire Salesforce consulting partners:

Reason #1: Improve efficiency

An adequate implementation of the CRM system can improve the efficiency and performance of your company. Salesforce consultants can also provide solutions to help your business operate more effectively.

Your staff will benefit from an easy transition to the platform which will streamline the workflows and improve communication both internal and external. This helps you reduce operational costs, enhance customer satisfaction and more.

Reason #2: Mobile Optimization

With the number of mobile shoppers growing fast and mobile responsiveness being one of Google’s ranking factors, having a mobile-optimized store is more important than ever.

By implementing the Commerce Cloud, Salesforce consulting companies help you leverage the latest mobile trends and provide users with optimum user experience.

They also make it possible for consumers to shop from anywhere and at any time while making the payments quick and easy.

Reason #3: Customization

Thanks to the integrated Einstein AI-powered customization in the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, businesses can personalize their customers’ shopping experience.

This built-in tool can easily connect the users with the products they like with highly tailored item recommendations. It customizes search and category pages based on the actions of the buyers so that they can find what they want.

It also analyzes the habits of the users and provides you with insights on purchasing behavior. This allows you to dive into useful metrics and create better shopping experiences.

The best Salesforce consulting partners will help you leverage the benefits this tool offers to increase the number of sales.

Reason #4: Omni Channel Order Management

The Omni Channel built-in tool in Salesforce Commerce Cloud enables you to interact with your customers from different channels in one place including:

• Live chats
• Websites
• Social media platforms
• Phone calls
• Follow-up emails

This allows you to better manage your orders and establish a smooth connection between online and offline channels while enhancing customer experience.

Reason #5: Automation

Once your Salesforce developers integrate the Commerce Cloud platform with your store, you will also get access to automation features which will save you a lot of time and boost your productivity.

With its built-in features and tools, you can easily assign tasks, approve order placements, sales or discounts, make recommendations and much more.

Based on your needs, your Salesforce consultant will provide your consumers with personalized experiences that will boost their satisfaction and trust in your brand.

Reason #6: Lead Management

The Commerce Cloud is an integral part of the Salesforce platform that allows you to track the customer journey and better handle your prospects.

It makes it possible for businesses to manage customer data including:

• Purchase history and behavior
• Status of outstanding orders
• Service issues
• Password reset
• Order confirmation
• Recapture revenue with automated emails
• And more

You can also import your leads from outside lists, add them manually or capture them automatically from social media apps, integrated platforms and other sources.

The Salesforce consultant you hire will help you stay organized and guide you through the necessary steps of managing data and the lead management process.

Reason #7: Support for employees

Salesforce consultants will provide employee onboarding and training on how to use the new CRM platform. They will teach each member on your team about the functionalities, features or backend of the platform.

How To Choose A Salesforce Consulting Partner

Considering that Salesforce is one of the most commonly used CRM in the world, there’s high competition within the field of consultants. That can make the selection pretty difficult.

Take these aspects into consideration when hiring a Salesforce consulting partner for your business:

#1 Skill Set

Take a look at their set of skills. The best Salesforce consultants boast expertise across all Salesforce capabilities and tools to ensure the proper CRM implementation to fit your exact business needs.

These top experts have many years of experience and successful implementations under their belt. They are well-equipped to work directly with your brand and secure the features you need to succeed.

In addition, think about future business growth. Make sure if they are skilled in solving similar business problems or finding growth solutions.

Do you anticipate expanding your company into a new market? Are you rolling out a new service soon? Assess what platforms or programs you will need to be successful in those new ventures.

If Salesforce could be helpful in achieving those goals, find a consultant who can fulfill all of your requirements at once to streamline your support and updates down the road.

#2 Past Work

Be sure you ask Salesforce consultants about their prior projects. The type of implementations that they have successfully done for other clients will speak volumes about their true abilities.

Even better, inquire as to whether or not they have returning clients and if any of them would be willing to give you a testimonial review.

#3 Maintenance

As with all digital programs, Salesforce will need periodic maintenance and updates. Ensure that the consultant will not only implement and configure your system but will also provide maintenance.

Ask potential consultants how they identify issues, the process for fixing them, how they secure your data within Salesforce, how often updates will be issued and finally, if any of the maintenance assistance or updates will cost you extra.

#4 Commitment

Once you have determined who will be working on your project and how it will be executed, make sure you understand your commitment to both Salesforce and the consultant, especially before you sign a contract.

You may realize that a Salesforce consultant overpromised on their deliverables. And if you’re locked into a contract, switching to a more reliable expert is difficult.

Plus, determine how much this project will cost you, short and long-term. Detail exactly what you’re getting for your money, then document everything in a contract that will protect your company and the Salesforce consultant you choose.

10 Questions To Ask A Salesforce Consultant

Before partnering with a Salesforce consultant, be sure to further address these questions:

1. How much experience do you have in Salesforce, what are your certifications?
2. Have you worked on similar projects?
3. Are you familiar with our industry?
4. Tell us about your past successful projects. What do you think made them so effective?
5. How will you determine the customizations and functionalities our brand needs?
6. How will you determine a project timeline and ensure deadlines are met?
7. Would any prior clients be willing to speak to us directly about their experience working with you?
8. Do you charge by the hour, flat rate, by feature, or per project?
9. Who is responsible for a compromise in data security?
10. Who will our point of contact be?

Takeaways On Salesforce Consultants

Salesforce consultants help with implementing and optimizing your CRM as to your specific business requirements and needs.

These experts not only provide Salesforce support and assistance but also suggest solutions that can drive your business growth.

Their main tasks are:

• Analyzing your business
• Implementation and configuration of CRM
• Providing insights and requirements for developers
• Users training

When thinking to hire a Salesforce consultant, make sure to look at these factors:

• Their skillset and experience
• Their prior work
• Their level of commitment

Most Salesforce consultants in the US charge between $80 and $160 per hour.

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