Questions to ask during a reverse demo

It’s not uncommon for one of your projects to involve a migration from a legacy system to Salesforce. After all, Salesforce is still the coolest kid on the block.

During the discovery phase of such a project, the client typically demos the legacy system.… Read the rest

Two ears, one mouth

As a Salesforce consultant, it’s important to listen more than you speak.

Sure, you may be more knowledgeable about Salesforce than your peers, or everyone on the call. But that doesn’t mean you need to show off.

We all have something to learn from others.… Read the rest

The dinner date test vs the beer test

As an independent Salesforce consultant, working with the “right” clients is critical.

So when meeting clients for the first time, I quickly try to assess how well we would work together. There are a few approaches on how this can be done.… Read the rest

Three options is the sweet spot

Every problem has a solution. Or two. Or three. But did you know that three is actually the best?

Why is that? Well, our brains are naturally wired to respond to three. It’s the smallest number needed to determine a pattern, which makes it naturally appealing.… Read the rest

Excellent customer service takes a team

Today I visited a hospital for some routine blood tests. Every time I visit, it’s a pleasure. While that may sound odd at first, it’s because of their excellent customer service.

It started with the ease of booking an appointment with a doctor online within a reasonable time frame.… Read the rest

Giving credit where credit is due

No matter how many compliments your client or team gives you, don’t let it get to your head.

A Salesforce consultant doesn’t usually work alone. They are typically surrounded by abled people, aligned with the same vision as you: be successful.… Read the rest

Nurturing client relationships for long-term success

A client of mine was recently at a crossroads.

As their Salesforce provider, our team recommended they start with a simple MVP. The first release would be a couple of small wins, and be for their employees.

Some of the staff of the client wanted to replace five of their existing web portals.… Read the rest

Saying thank you

Yesterday, during a discovery session, my client demoed their existing five web portals.

The goal of the meeting was to understand the client’s current state. In the near future, I will  estimate the amount of work needed to replicate the portal’s data model, functionality, and security in Salesforce.… Read the rest

A simple hack to building authority

As a Salesforce consultant, one of your roles when interacting with clients is to exude confidence. They need to feel you’re in control of the technical parts of the project, and to deliver a successful project.

It’s always better to build this type of authority in the early stages of client interaction, as first impressions really count.… Read the rest

Commonalities across all proposal options

Offering three options in your Salesforce proposal provides you with a greater chance of closing the project.

Each option can build on the previous one, and priced accordingly. So the client chooses the small, medium, or large t-shirt.

Across all options, there are often some common elements.… Read the rest

Adding hidden value in option 3

Let’s imagine you’re drafting a proposal to a potential client. You’ve discovered their needs and their budget and are now writing the three options.

Since option 1 or 2 should include everything the client needs, what should option 3 include?

In short, this is the place for you to add extra value.… Read the rest

Going beyond their budget

When pricing projects, it’s in everyone’s advantage for the potential client to share their budget. Once they do, at least one option in your proposal should be above this budget.

Taking a step back for a moment, it’s a great ideal to offer three options in a proposal.… Read the rest

So, how much ya got?

Let’s imagine you’re talking to a potential client. They passed the dinner date test and you’re in the middle of asking them all types of questions to understand their current situation and desired outcome.

Do you ever ask them how much their budget is?… Read the rest

What’s your differentiator?

Psst, did anyone ever tell you? There are more than one Salesforce freelancers. And there are more than one Salesforce agency. Shocking, isn’t it?!

So when a client is considering hiring you or your team, what sets you apart from all the others?… Read the rest

Getting signoff from an inexperienced client

I’m currently working with a client that has some technical knowledge, but without any Salesforce experience.

In today’s working session, my colleague updated a field mapping document with the client. The document describes the mapping from the legacy table and field to the upcoming Salesforce object and field.… Read the rest

Use the client’s time efficiently

Before conducting any technical meeting with the client, how are you sure you’re prepared? And, is the rest of your team aware of the context?

Let’s imagine a Salesforce partner that just started working with a new client. The project is in the design phase, and there are tons of questions that need to be answered.… Read the rest

High-level first, then low-level

Yesterday I was in a meeting with a client, and one of my team members was hosting the working session.

There were a handful of people on our team and another handful on the client side. Some were technical people, others not so much.… Read the rest

When clients can’t articulate, let their data do the talking

My colleague is getting more and more frustrated with his immovable client. They simply don’t want to, or are incapable of, articulating their requirements.

He and I discussed the issue, and came up with a novel approach.

The client loves their existing system, so why not start there?… Read the rest

Head first, into the storm

The bison is an animal of the bovine family. It’s related to the buffalo, and found in North America and Europe.

A cool fact about bison is how they handle snow storms.

Most people, when faced with an oncoming storm, would probably turn and run away from it.… Read the rest

Wow, that’s a big elephant

The expression “the elephant in the room” refers to a significant issue or problem that is obvious but is being ignored by those involved.

The metaphorical elephant occupies a lot of space in the room, but people simply ignore it. This is because they perceive that talking about the elephant is worse than pretending it doesn’t exist.… Read the rest

Asking for the “no”

Let’s say you have a client that loves to avoid commitment. This happens when the decision maker isn’t in the room or no one wants to take responsibility for approving the design.

The first symptom of this problem is that no one provides valuable feedback.… Read the rest

Goals of a discovery phase

Unsurprisingly, a Salesforce discovery phase is about discovering. But what exactly are you discoverying?

The main objective is clarity. You and your client need to understand how things will look like once the implementation phase is complete. Some of the details will be determined during the build, but at least the main decision points should be clear.… Read the rest

Successfully starting a project

As a Salesforce consultant, you usually start working during the design or implementation phase. This means the commercial agreements have been made and sales properly handed off all their detailed documents to you (don’t laugh, this actually happens sometimes).

Your first meeting with the client is hopefully a kick-off meeting.… Read the rest

The two types of knowledge

There’s an well-known anecdote that goes like this:

Albert Einstein was often called to give public lectures on his Theory of Relativity. His chauffeur heard his lectures so many times that he claimed to know it by heart.

At the time, not too many people knew what Einstein looked like.… Read the rest

Ask the best questions, not give the best answers

It starts when a client is explaining their problem. As a Salesforce consultant, it’s easy to want to jump in as early as possible with your solution. However that’s not usually the best approach.

Instead, actively listen to the client’s concerns in full, without designing a solution in your mind.… Read the rest

You have two minds

Deep thinking is about reaching your best thinking performance. But it’s not a race. One way to achieve deep thinking is to actually slow yourself down.

You’ll notice that some of your best thinking sometimes happens when you’re very focused on a problem.… Read the rest

Achieving deep work

As a Salesforce consultant, it’s easy to get distracted while working. It could be a text message, an email alert, a meeting reminder, a colleague tapping your shoulder, or a myriad of other annoyances.

All these interruptions prevent you from being able to achieve deep work.… Read the rest