Your Successful Salesforce Implementation Checklist

Salesforce adoption is like driving a racecar. While it may appear like a commodity on the outside, we all know that we need specific knowledge and a lot of practice to operate it for maximum performance. We can’t always get there on our first try.

Have you contracted one or several Salesforce solutions and feel like you don’t have total control over the tool? Do you think you’re not seizing its full potential? Have you not seen the performance boost you expected? Is it harder to work with it than you anticipated? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you still need some more “training sessions” to drive your racecar. 

As Salesforce partners and having worked with several organizations that have purchased the tool, we’ve come across instances that have seen the adoption process altered for some reason. 

You started implementing Salesforce. Now what? 

If you're in this situation, you're likely facing one of the following obstacles. Based on our experience, these are the most common: 

1. Little control over the tool

"How can I add members to this campaign?" How can I create a report of the closed sales opportunities from last month?" These are some of the doubts that could arise when a Salesforce implementation process has not been entirely successful. The problem lies in that the team does not know how to access the information they need to carry out their day-to-day tasks, leading to frustration and dissatisfaction with the tool. Many people end up thinking that their previous systems were better. 

2. Little optimization

Many organizations don't capitalize on Salesforce's full potential due to their lack of optimization. Doing so gives them a wealth of possibilities that only Salesforce experts know how to activate and implement. Should you not do so, your tool will be underutilized. 

3. Lack of ongoing training during Salesforce implementation 

Salesforce adoption could be a positive and straightforward and experience until some of your employees have a perfect grip on Salesforce, but what happens when they leave the company? Employee turnover could have a direct impact on business results as well as expenditures. Plus, Salesforce is constantly evolving and launches seasonal updates, implying that you always need to stay up-to-date. 

4. A fear of “breaking something”

The possibilities a tool like Salesforce provides are varied and ample, and that could generate doubts. The drawback comes when people start to become fearful or sense that if we do something wrong, we'll "break or ruin something." Teams sometimes don't know or forget that there is a testing area, or sandbox, where they can put what they need into practice.  

5. Lack of strategy

One of the other reasons that many organizations don't get the most out of Salesforce is that they lack direction. While many departments are involved in using it, they might end up performing disconnected actions or things that don't respond to a strategy. You must focus on proper Salesforce usage to gain the performance you desire. 

These situations are the result of many factors that range from poor implementation of the tool to inadequate training of employees. The result, however, is always the same: dissatisfied users. Our experience tells us that the solution comes from reevaluating the project to detect weak spots and working from there along with continuous support and training. 

Salesforce implementation best practices 

To make sure you avoid these situations, we believe these four steps are crucial:  

1. Consulting

Salesforce consulting will let us get to the root of the problem and determine what actions we should implement. We'll also be able to figure out what Salesforce implementation strategy we should follow with the tool to create a standard that will guide all departments. 

2. Training

Explaining how Salesforce works, training teams through practical exercises, and using a real-life business case will help them become better and more familiar with the tool. Adapt these training sessions to the organization and department's needs is a must in this part of the Salesforce implementation process. 

3. Support

While we carry out several training sessions, having more doubts come up a few days later is normal. To avoid Salesforce implementation roadblocks, we offer specialized support to resolve any queries that come up.

4. Tracking

Salesforce is a tool in constant evolution, so it’s critical you constantly maintain it and keep Salesforce is a tool in constant evolution. Therefore, it's fundamental you continuously maintain it and keep your team's acquired skills and knowledge updated along with it. 

As Salesforce experts, we know that rapid implementation makes it easier and more agile to gain the desired results, as well as a higher return on investment (ROI). That's why we help you coordinate the people, processes, and technology to ensure you're getting the most out of it as soon as possible.