If you’re not using a professional Salesforce administrator and instead relying on internal staff or freelancers, you might be making a very costly mistake.
Are you thinking of putting an employee in charge of your Salesforce efforts – or maybe you’ve already done it? Although an employee might feel like a natural first choice, it can be risky to leave it in their hands. Your employees likely already have full workloads, and Salesforce is a big project. Employees might have the best intentions, but will they truly have the time to devote to it? You certainly don’t want Salesforce to be a source of resentment or frustration among your staff.
A freelancer can be another option, but you really end up with the same issue: time. Freelancers don’t make a living from having just one client, so it’s hard to know if you’re the priority. Can you rely on a freelancer to devote the time it takes to be there for you, day in and day out?
It’s worth looking into hiring a professional services firm to manage your Salesforce plan. Here are four reasons why it will have a positive impact on your business.
Reason #1: You’ve Got a Whole Team Behind You
No matter who you hire, it’s highly unlikely that they’ll know everything there is to know about Salesforce. No one person has the knowledge or the expertise that you will find in a team dedicated to maximizing your company’s Salesforce experience.
When you depend upon one person alone, you’re bound to reach the outer limits of their know-how— then what? You’re stuck.
However, when you work with a team, when one person hits a wall, they can simply turn to the other folks on the team and harness the power of their collective knowledge. There’s sure to be someone who has a solution when you take it to the group. Leveraging the team as a whole will result in better, faster solutions.
Reason #2: A Pro Services Team Has Salesforce on their Side
When you choose to work with a pro services team rather than a freelancer or an employee, you’re going to have access to resources that are only available to Salesforce partners. Imagine getting the benefit of the latest Salesforce products and releases as well as Salesforce-specific training materials— you won’t have that advantage if you’re not working with a pro services team.
A pro services company partnered with Salesforce will have knowledge that’s not accessible to an internal hire or a freelancer. Factor in the fact that a pro services team is Salesforce-certified—on their dime, not yours— and you really can’t afford not to hire a pro services team.
Reason #3: It’s Better For Your Bottom Line
Hiring a worker to devote themselves to Salesforce administration is expensive. You’ll need to pay their salary, benefits, and shell out the cash to have them Salesforce certified. You’re paying your employee regardless of what they produce— if they’re chatting at the watercooler or vacationing for a week, they’re still getting their paycheck.
A pro services team’s pay can be directly traced to a deliverable. If they’re not working on a project for your organization, you’re not paying them. It will save you from the myriad of expenses related to a full-time employee.
Salesforce’s Premiere service is top-notch, but it can be a big hit to your budget. When you add 25% to the cost of Enterprise licenses, it’s out of the question for many businesses. A pro services company can offer similar services at a significantly lower cost with flexible payment terms.  Additionally, you can set a budget to ensure that you’re not overspending, picking and choosing the tasks that the pro services team will help you with.
Reason #4: Staffing is Made Simple
Recruiting someone to do Salesforce administration in-house is challenging at best. There are, of course, the costs associated with hiring a new employee, but there are also the costs that go with training them to perform the job properly. Salesforce certification is just the beginning.
Also, you’ll need to offer them sufficient day-to-day challenges. If they’re bored, it’s likely that they’ll look for work elsewhere, and you’ll find yourself back at square one. Instead, utilize a pro services team that will  have the knowledge and experience (as well as the necessary training) required to tackle your Salesforce issues. This team will only be paid for what they produce, and you won’t need to worry about offering sufficient inducement to stick around long enough to make the investment of time and money worthwhile.
The reality is that you don’t have time to manage every detail of your Salesforce plan. You need someone to do that for you – and it must be a trusted partner with top-notch qualifications. Consider using a professional firm with certified Salesforce administrators, so you can leave it in good hands even when your mind’s on other things.
Ready to look into hiring a professional services firm to manage your Salesforce efforts? Click here to learn more about a company with a perfect AppExchange rating.
