Salesforce is the world’s leading and one of the most powerful CRM platforms that can redefine your digital journey, foster stronger brand loyalty and engagement, enhance Customer Experiences (CX) and enable seamless sales processes. And having a strategic approach to choosing the right Salesforce development partner can give you the competitive edge by helping you maximize the CRM to its fullest potential. However, with a wide array of Salesforce development partners listed on Appexchange – all of whom unquestionably have the knowledge of the platform – it can be difficult to decipher which Salesforce consultant will best meet your specific business needs.

In this blog, we’ve listed out 5 key factors to consider while choosing an ideal Salesforce development partner.

Choosing the right Salesforce Development Partner

1. Client Reviews

Customer reviews are a great way to assess a Salesforce development partner’s reliability and measure the performance of a consultant in the marketplace. Check for positive as well as negative comments and identify what customers have to tell. Lookout for customer reviews that include statements about their efficiency, timelines, continuous engagement, prompt and accurate delivery, number of projects completed, certifications and training, etc. These specific reviews will give you insights on what to expect from a Salesforce consulting partner.

Spoiler Alert: Remember that successful Salesforce is more about quality than quantity.

2. Domain Expertise

To get your Salesforce implementation right, it is essential that you choose a partner who has a fair understanding of your industry and domain and has done similar projects in the past and can handle your specific business requirements efficiently. Because each and every organization is different, each project will bring new learning experiences. This variety enables your Salesforce development services partner, to develop the most effective and customized solutions for different processes, domains, and custom components. With experience comes the domain expertise to rise above the most common challenges, eventually leading to faster implementation and better results.

3. Certifications

Most of the Salesforce development partners have certified employees working with them. However, you need to know how many of these certifications each and every employee holds. Much like searching for a Salesforce development partner with a diversity of client types, you ought to likewise search for a partner whose employees hold multiple certifications. And ensure that your consultant holds both Admin and developer certifications at a minimum.

Certified consultants need to be up to date with their credentials by passing release exams, so you are rest assured that they are well-equipped with the latest tools and resources.

4. Longevity and Support

A Salesforce investment is a long-term business strategy and leads to phenomenal organizational changes. Most often, projects don’t wrap up immediately post-launch and training. Additional requirements and technical issues might crop up at any time. These may include CRM maintenance, technical or admin support, and system upgrades. A good Salesforce development partner needs to be available to you even after the successful completion of the project. Ensure that your contract with your consulting partner includes elements of follow-up and support.

5. Salesforce Engagement Model

Currently, Salesforce services are offered through Fixed Price (FPM) or Time and Material Model (T&M). Fixed Price Model is when a certain price is quoted at the outset and the project is carried out in that pricing framework. In the Time and Material model, the pricing is determined based on the number of person-hours required to complete the project. However in these models, clients face scalability issues – for any change in scope at the later stage in the project delivery, an additional rate is charged to the client. Besides these engagement models, there are a select few Salesforce development partners who offer on Demand services for Salesforce, a flexible and scalable pay-as-you-use model where you can instantly scale up or down resources as per your fluctuating business needs and pay only for what you use.