How to implement and administer your Salesforce org on the cheap

Anyone who has tried to implement Salesforce knows that it comes with quite a price tag. Not only do you have to pay the initial fees to get the software but you also have to consider what it will take to implement it, enhance it to fit your needs, and maintain it. On top of that, Salesforce professionals are in high demand which means that larger companies will offer higher salaries and swipe up all the good talent. So how can a small to medium sized business get the best software with the staff to support it? Well that’s the question.

First of all, you need to start by figuring out how much staff is actually necessary versus what’s ideal. To do that you’ll need to figure out what Salesforce features will give you the best bang for your buck. You need to start your org by only implementing the most necessary features with the highest cost savings to your company. By limiting the number of features (above standard) that you need to have in Salesforce you will majorly limit the amount of staff that you need to support those features. Think of it like your normal IT staff. How many IT employees do you need to support 10 computers versus 100? How many then do you need if you start programming your own software? Salesforce is just like that. If you start small, with only the most beneficial features, you will need less staff and less skilled staff. Since most companies can’t answer this question on there own, it’s usually best to work with a consultant to help you figure out what will best suit your company. Then make sure to ask how much it’ll cost at each and every step and take careful note when they start to throw high price tags at you; those are the features you may need to consider going without if at all possible.

The next step toward finding affordable staff is training and mentorship. The most affordable staff will obviously be those IT professionals who have little to no experience in Salesforce however hiring inexperienced staff comes with its own problems and those problems can sometimes be more costly than hiring the more expensive professionals. The answer to this problem is mentorship. Look to hire a consultant company that isn’t trying to just do all of the work for you but rather one that will help you to build a team of professionals who will likely stay with your company for many years just for the mentorship experience and will do so at a much cheaper salary. Sure they might eventually leave your company for greener pastures once they have the experience needed to demand a higher salary but all that means is that it’s time to start training a new administrator. A good consulting company can continue to train and help your staff all along the way and far into the future.|

This is how small to medium sized businesses should look at Salesforce staffing. Salesforce is an amazing program with a plethora of features that can be useful in almost any company, however when you try to bite off more than you can chew, Salesforce can also be a money hungry devourer of resources. Don’t fall into the pit that so many companies have already lost so much money in. Hire a consultant that will work for your company to give you the most efficient implementation of Salesforce with the lowest drain on your resources and who has a plan to keep it that way.