I must admit, I’m good at many things. However there are a few things I’m not so good at. And that list feels like it’s getting longer each year.
Recently, I noticed that I don’t like writing long documents about the project’s implementation plan.… Read the rest
People often ask me what’s the biggest concern I have when implementing Salesforce. Which technical issue or process keeps me up at night?
The answer is neither. It’s change management.
Technical details usually get flushed out and the results are often good enough.… Read the rest
Over the years, I’ve become aware of just how important it is to speak.
Speak not just to your team, or your clients. But to your audience.
This means getting up on stage or on a podcast, and sharing your thoughts.… Read the rest
Everyone once in a while, your Salesforce project will go sideways. The solution isn’t working, the deadline is looming, and your client is frustrated.
So it’s all hands on deck. Time to get organized as a team and solve all remaining issues.… Read the rest
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
There’s a lot to discuss about what to do after the point of no return, and here’s one part.
As I alluded to in the first email (and a couple of readers called out the same), the first step is to avoid clients like this altogether.… Read the rest
A colleague of mine was recently sharing a challenge he currently has with a client.
The client was picky from the start. They probably would have failed the dinner date test. But that’s ancient history now.
The discovery phase was successfully completed, and the client signed off.… Read the rest
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
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
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