3 Tips for A Successful Salesforce Implementation

Unless you’re new to the business world, you’ve probably heard of Salesforce. It’s one of the most popular and robust CRMs on the market. With more than 3.75 million users worldwide, Salesforce comes highly recommended. The thing that most people won’t tell you, though, is that Salesforce isn’t exactly easy to implement.

Instead, Salesforce is one of the most sophisticated digital adoption platforms on the market, and with that, it requires a certain level of proficiency and planning to get it right. Many companies jump into their Salesforce implementations half-heartedly and end up wasting valuable money and time. They’re left with a complicated mess and a massive headache.

Conversely, if the implementation is done correctly, it can quickly become an indispensable tool. There’s a reason 83% of Fortune 500 companies utilize this platform. As long as you prepare, you can join the legions of people who are already using Salesforce.

Here are three tips for successful Salesforce Implementation.

Tip#1: Planning is Everything

All successful ventures start with a solid plan. Start by setting realistic timelines and goals. Also, get a handle on your data. What types of information will you want in your CRM? If you already have a CRM, what data are you moving over? You’ll need to know which information and tools you’ll need on the Salesforce platform.

Second, pick one leader to take charge of the project. They don’t have to be the one actually doing the implementation but just the person who makes the decisions. You don’t want too many chefs in the kitchen during the set-up phase.

Tip#2: Bring Your Team Up to Speed

Let your whole team know about this new software. Share your vision and goals with all the employees. It’s no secret that employees can be resistant to change, so get them on board and excited early.

Secondly, in addition to your project manager, you’ll need other employees to help with the implementation project. There are several layers to a Salesforce installation, and you’ll need all the help you can get. Beyond that, these people will become champions for the software and will help the other employees with the learning curve later.

On the topic of learning the software, don’t underthink the training. Get a plan and timeline for how you’re going to train all your employees to use Salesforce efficiently.

Tip#3: Hire Experts

While no one wants to hear it, Salesforce requires expertise. They have their own coding language, so even skilled IT departments can struggle with implementation. While you can choose to hire experts as needed, you will save yourself the most hassle if you bite the bullet and hire Salesforce consultants before you even start the planning phase.

Salesforce consultants are experts at Salesforce, and they can hold your hand throughout the entire process, ensuring that everything goes smoothly, and no costly missteps happen along the way. All the larger companies wouldn’t think about implementing without a consultant, and you shouldn’t either.

These are just three tips to get you started. If you follow the tips above and lean on the expertise of your consultants, you’ll be using one of the most powerful CRMs on the market in no time.