How to find the Salesforce partner that's right for you

What is a Salesforce partner?

Anyone who works with Salesforce and has little to no prior knowledge quickly realises that mapping internal processes in Salesforce is an enormous challenge. There are many things to consider and even more questions to answer: Which processes can I map in Salesforce? What is the right data structure for my needs? How do I integrate existing systems that I already use? Does integration even make sense?

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It's easy to lose your bearings in this maze of questions and decisions. In the best-case scenario, it takes months before you can use Salesforce effectively. In the worst case, the project is perceived as ‘too complex’ and gets put on the back burner again and again. But during this time, the advantages and workload reductions that come with Salesforce cannot be utilised.

But implementation doesn't have to be a nightmare. A Salesforce partner can provide valuable support.

Salesforce partners participate in the Salesforce Partner Programme and are certified by Salesforce. This means that they must regularly attend training courses and demonstrate their expertise in various certifications in order to be recognised as a Salesforce partner. This ensures a standard of professional quality in terms of consulting, implementation and programming.

Are Salesforce partners part of Salesforce?

Not directly, because Salesforce partners are independent of Salesforce and are independent individuals or companies. However, as experts, they work closely with Salesforce and are very familiar with Salesforce's product solutions.

What does a Salesforce partner do?

A Salesforce partner is the point of contact for the customer and Salesforce during every phase of the project.

They maintain contact with Salesforce sales representatives and work with the customer to evaluate which Salesforce products make sense for the specific application. In doing so, the Salesforce partner examines the customer's processes. Together, these are reviewed one by one:

• What are the biggest time wasters in the company and how can they be eliminated?
• Are there similarities or major differences between processes that need to be reflected in the data structure?
• What data structure is generally required? Can you build on Salesforce's standard processes, or would it be more effective to supplement or even replace them with your own processes?
• What user groups are there in the company and what access rights to the data are they granted?
• Where does it make sense to automate processes?
• And last but not least: What is the best way to onboard new users? How do you get the existing data into the system and motivate all employees to use Salesforce?

Based on this, a detailed concept, i.e. an implementation plan, is created for the customer, and the partner implements it once it has been approved by the customer.

But even after implementation, the Salesforce partner remains an important point of contact. Business processes are constantly changing, companies are growing, and new requirements for a CRM system are constantly emerging. Here, too, the partner provides support and, if desired, helps to adapt the processes.

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How do I recognise a good Salesforce partner?

Finding a Salesforce partner is easy. However, finding a Salesforce partner that is ideally suited to your company and willing to immerse themselves in your processes is a challenge.

The most important thing is that the Salesforce partner understands the customer's processes and responds to them.

It may sound tempting at first to use Salesforce ‘out of the box’. This saves time and money during implementation. However, this often results in processes being inadequately mapped. The result: frustration among employees and low acceptance of the new system. During an initial meeting with the Salesforce partner, it usually becomes clear quickly whether they understand the internal processes.

Only when the processes have been clearly defined and understood can work begin. A good Salesforce partner is first and foremost a problem solver and only secondarily a salesperson. This means that they do not try to maximise their profits, but rather to find the best solution for the customer. It also means that they focus first on the biggest pain points and only then implement the rest of the process in its entirety.

In addition, a good Salesforce partner always keeps an eye on the overall process so that the data structure is aligned with it from the outset.

The Salesforce partner should be in constant communication not only with the customer, but also with Salesforce. Many issues are best discussed in this constellation, and a good relationship between the Salesforce partner and Salesforce is a great advantage.

In addition, both the completion date and the costs should be communicated transparently.

Last but not least, personal relationships are of course a key factor. The company should have defined main contacts or project managers who are responsible for communication with the Salesforce partner. The chemistry between these two parties should be right in every case.

How much does a Salesforce partner cost?

As is so often the case, it is impossible to put an exact price on this. The price range extends from low-cost providers to the premium price segment. For this reason, it is particularly important to be clear about which pain points are the most serious, which process optimisations need to be implemented urgently and how much budget you are willing to allocate to the implementation.

It is therefore important to ensure that the quote not only includes the costs, but also what these costs cover. A complete concept with prices for the individual implementation steps and additional documents that explain the final process in more detail (such as a detailed process diagram) are helpful for this.

You should also ask about any additional costs that may arise. For example, if the Salesforce partner relies on solutions from AppExchange, Salesforce's own portal for extensions, these external apps may incur additional costs that are not included in the quote.

How do I find a Salesforce partner?

When you submit an enquiry to Salesforce, you will be presented with a selection of Salesforce partners that you can contact as a customer. These are often located in your immediate vicinity. However, in our experience, it does not matter whether the Salesforce partner is located in Munich, Berlin, Stuttgart or elsewhere.

You can also search for a suitable partner yourself. The first port of call is, of course, the internet. Arrange a few appointments, get to know different partners and then decide which partner agency matches your selection criteria.

Another option – which also saves you having to search for yourself – is good old-fashioned word of mouth.

Do you know a company that already uses Salesforce? Ask them which partner they use and get a first-hand opinion.

In addition to all these options, there is also the Salesforce AppExchange, which lists all Salesforce partners. Here, other companies and customers who have already implemented a Salesforce project can also leave reviews that give an initial impression of the partner's capabilities.