{"id":17803,"date":"2022-01-19T11:00:32","date_gmt":"2022-01-19T05:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/?p=17803"},"modified":"2022-01-20T10:14:58","modified_gmt":"2022-01-20T04:44:58","slug":"how-to-choose-right-salesforce-consulting-partner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/how-to-choose-right-salesforce-consulting-partner\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Steps to Choose the Right Salesforce Consulting Partner"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you are reading, you have already made up your mind that your company needs a Salesforce CRM or its other enterprise software. But you don\u2019t want to make any hasty decision while choosing the right Salesforce Consulting Partner. The right one will take your company to a whole new level. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">However, the wrong one will haunt you for the years to come.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since you\u2019re on the right track, we will help you find the right Salesforce Consulting Partner for your company that will offer a revolutionary advantage to your business. But before we dive right in, let us tell you why is it important to invest your money and time at the right place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Around 18% &#8211; 69% of CRM projects fail because of poor execution, weak data handling, unrealistic expectations, and feeble data management. Surely, you don\u2019t want that to happen to your project. So, keep reading to find not just the best but also the right <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/services\/salesforce-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Salesforce Consulting Partner<\/strong><\/a> for your company.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_Your_Homework\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do Your Homework<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can\u2019t find the right Salesforce consulting partner if you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re looking for. Therefore, try to do some research on the internet and learn more about Salesforce to learn what makes one of the best <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/crm-development\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CRM development platforms<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"97989e\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" style=\"--dominant-color: #97989e;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"has-transparency aligncenter wp-image-18311 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/book-readers-concept_74855-6263.png\" alt=\"CRM development\" width=\"527\" height=\"304\" srcset=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/17132654\/book-readers-concept_74855-6263.png 527w, https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/17132654\/book-readers-concept_74855-6263-300x173.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 527px) 100vw, 527px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since Salesforce offers various software services, figure out your company\u2019s requirements and its goals and check what services will be required from Salesforce to accomplish your set goals. All these efforts are necessary so that you have the right questions to ask the potential Salesforce Consulting Partners.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can take leverage of resources provided by Salesforce to learn more about Salesforce. These resources are Salesforce community forums, AppExchange, Designated Account executives (AE). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You will have to dive in a little bit to be able to understand everything. But you don\u2019t need to worry about anything, the community is quite friendly and ready to help you every step of the way.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/contact-us?utm_source=blogs&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=Blog_Enquiry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-dominant-color=\"274f93\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #274f93;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"not-transparent aligncenter wp-image-18488 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/custom-salesforce-development-1.jpg\" alt=\"custom salesforce development\" width=\"360\" height=\"280\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Go_On_Hunting\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Go On Hunting<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Don\u2019t worry we don need to kill anybody. All you need is a computer and a good internet connection. Now you need to search for some of the best Salesforce consulting partners. What you are looking for is <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/services\/salesforce-development\/service-cloud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salesforce<\/a> <\/strong>partners who have decent experience in the field with an impressive track record.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">To ensure the reliability of the partners, visit their official websites, spend some time there and look for signs of trust or suspicion. You might be thinking that having keen observation skills is a prerequisite for this hunting trip. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Of course, sometimes shady companies leave many signs from which you can recognize them and keep yourself from making a huge mistake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">While on hunting, keep selecting those companies that have a decent track record. We will use this shortlist for further screening of the right Salesforce consulting partner.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Communicate_and_Avoid_Flattery\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Communicate and Avoid Flattery<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now that you have a substantial list of potential Salesforce Consulting Partners, you need to start talking to them. But before you start, have all your questions ready for them. These questions will automatically arise when you will be researching about Salesforce.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><img data-dominant-color=\"9398a2\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" style=\"--dominant-color: #9398a2;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"has-transparency aligncenter wp-image-18490 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Salesforce-Conversation.png\" alt=\"Salesforce development company\" width=\"545\" height=\"320\" srcset=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/17132716\/Salesforce-Conversation.png 545w, https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/17132716\/Salesforce-Conversation-300x176.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px\" \/><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If not, you can take some time and think of your company\u2019s requirements, underlying challenges, your vision, and what you want to achieve with Salesforce custom CRM development. This will create a map for your communication and you\u2019re good to go.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">While discussing with partners, try to see red flags. Flattery or Yes-Men is the biggest red flag that should be visible to you while you\u2019re talking to them. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At first, you will feel like the conversation is going smooth but in reality, they are agreeing to every false expectation that you\u2019re having in your mind. The reality is far different from this. This will end up in a wastage of time and money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The right Salesforce consulting partners will disagree with you if they find that your plans are unrealistic and offer you a smart workaround to achieve your goals. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Therefore, always tell your plans and look for expert advice that is plausible. This is the key to successful project execution.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proper_Salesforce_Certification\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Proper Salesforce Certification<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Certification is the legit way to filter out authentic Salesforce Consulting Partners from the rest. Thankfully, Salesforce has done a phenomenal job with its certification policies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> These <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/how-to-get-salesforce-certification\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salesforce certifications<\/a><\/strong> not only validate the authentic Salesforce partners but also categorize them with their expertise, and experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Based on the roles the Salesforce consultants are divided into administrators, developers, app developers, and specialists. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">These experts are given certificates in tiers that start with Registered, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and then Global Strategic Partner. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">These certificates are given on the basis of the number of verified employees.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"36302f\" data-has-transparency=\"true\" style=\"--dominant-color: #36302f;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"has-transparency aligncenter wp-image-18326 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/certification-concept-illustration_114360-5171.png\" alt=\"Salesforce Certification\" width=\"508\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/17132657\/certification-concept-illustration_114360-5171.png 508w, https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/17132657\/certification-concept-illustration_114360-5171-300x215.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 508px) 100vw, 508px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now the question arises, what certificates should you look for? Should you go with the top-tier Salesforce consulting partners, maybe not. Maybe your requirements are not that much and could be done by someone with a lower certificate. It all boils down to your expectations and budget.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"> Therefore, look for the one who fits right into your budget and requirements. Remember, all certified partners are legit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Read Also:- <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/how-salesforce-drive-consumer-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Does Salesforce Increase Consumer Engagement?<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Evaluate_Project_Value_and_Cost\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Evaluate Project Value and Cost<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now that you have even narrowed down the list of potential Salesforce Consulting Partners, you need to start discussing the project with them. For the cost of development, you can do a little research on the internet, you may find the estimate all over the internet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This research will give you an idea of how much your project is going to cost. Remember, the actual cost of the development can be far different than what you found in your research. It is because what you will find out on your own is the cost for a generic project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On the other hand, the estimate offered to you by a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/salesforce-sales-cloud-vs-service-cloud\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salesforce partner<\/a><\/strong> is custom curated for your project.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is noteworthy that choosing the cheapest one isn\u2019t always a wise decision. It is a matter of the value that you\u2019re getting for your work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Consider a long-term relationship with your Salesforce Consulting Partner and choose the one where you\u2019re getting the highest value for your money. This value could be in terms of customizations, support, or even implementation of the software.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Craft_A_Project_Management_Strategy\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Craft A Project Management Strategy<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The very first step for crafting a successful project management strategy is to have realistic expectations. Too far-fetched plans will always end up in regrets. In order to keep your expectations pragmatic and executable, always have transparent conversations with your Salesforce partner.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"bbb3b2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #bbb3b2;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"not-transparent aligncenter wp-image-18327 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Management-Strategy.jpg\" alt=\"Salesforce Marketing Cloud\" width=\"626\" height=\"291\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">So far down the line, you will be able to unravel that who offers you the best project management plan and whose ideas are a little above the ground.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The key to success is a well-thought project management strategy. A solid strategy means half victory.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Define_Roles_and_Responsibilities\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Define Roles and Responsibilities<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Once you have a killer project management strategy, discuss the roles and responsibilities in the project with your potential <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/developer.salesforce.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Salesforce<\/a> <\/strong>Consulting Partners. You both need to designate proper roles and responsibilities to Consultant Partners and organization stakeholders. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This will allow you to carry out the project strategy without hitting any snag. <\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">These key roles are Strategic Consultant, Change Management Consultant, Data Architect, Project Administrator, and Technical and Organizational Management Admin. These roles must be properly designated and understood by parties of both sides.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Look_for_A_Long-Term_Relationship_and_Support\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Look for A Long-Term Relationship and Support<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Unprecedented events like COVID-19 have shown global economies that such transitions are inevitable. Being resourceful is the only solution here to survive such an economic tsunami. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Therefore, contingency management, quick support, and quick enhancement are always needed for the companies. As a smart business, you should always be looking for reliable business relationships that go beyond contractual agreements.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a08577\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a08577;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"not-transparent aligncenter wp-image-18329 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Relationship-And-Support.jpg\" alt=\"Salesforce Development\" width=\"626\" height=\"417\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Even during the pandemic, only those companies survived that had established a trustworthy alliance with other companies to exchange resources and values during such a trying time. These exchanges of resources are always above the grounds of paper contracts and fixed deals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Therefore, consider it as a prerequisite for your <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/services\/salesforce-development\/sales-cloud\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Salesforce Consulting<\/a><\/strong> Partner to offer you long-term support to establish a bilateral business relationship. Yes, business relationships always have to be from both sides to cultivate trust between both parties. This is how you will have someone to count on whenever any tragedy arrives.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you are able to establish such a long-term business relationship then you will receive the long-term value from your finalized Salesforce Consulting Partner.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong> Read Also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/how-salesforce-drive-consumer-engagement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">How Salesforce Can Help You Drive Consumer Engagement?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Final_Note\"><\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Final Note<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Till now you must be thinking that looking for the right Salesforce Consulting Partner can be an intimidating task. No doubt, it is quite daunting and takes a significant amount of time and effort. However, the reward will be in multiple folds of your efforts.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/contact-us?utm_source=blogs&amp;utm_medium=banner&amp;utm_campaign=Blog_Enquiry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img data-dominant-color=\"1f397e\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #1f397e;\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"not-transparent aligncenter wp-image-18334 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/live-arkasoftwares.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2022\/01\/CTA-Landscape02.jpg\" alt=\"Hire Certified Salesforce Developers\" width=\"860\" height=\"200\" \/><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Always be clear about your objectives for the project and keep your expectation realistic. Transparent discussion with a potential partner is the key to success that you should always incorporate.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Do not leave any grey area in your project discussion, management, and roles and responsibilities distribution. If you do not understand anything, ask the right questions. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Keeping things transparent and practical will not only make the project success but also establish mutual respect between both parties that is an essential part of a long-term partnership.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">All the best for finding your Salesforce Consulting Partner. If you have any doubts regarding your search, please feel free to talk to our Salesforce experts.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you are reading, you have already made up your mind that your company needs a Salesforce CRM or its other enterprise software. But you don\u2019t want to make any&nbsp;[\u2026]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":18533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1420],"tags":[1418,1448,1437],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17803"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17803"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17803\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arkasoftwares.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}