Today was the 1st working session with a new client. It’s for a Salesforce discovery project, and was the 1st of many technical sessions.

Here’s how I prepared for and conducted that 1st session.

I first reviewed the Statement of Work (SOW), to make sure I fully understood what the business goals of the project are.

Then I reviewed the client-provided documentation. Starting the 1st session with the question, “So, tell me about your business…” is not a great way to start a conversation. When reading, be sure to take note of anything unusual or uncommon, so you can bring those up during the 1st or subsequent session.

Then I list out the topics to cover. I prefer to start from a high-level system view and slowly work down to the granular details. This means only the following two topics were covered. Some related questions are also provided.

Topic 1: Current System Architecture

  • What external systems are connected to Salesforce?
  • What are the triggers for these systems?
  • Are they inputs (e.g. webforms), outputs (e.g. mass emails), or both?
  • Are there any external systems currently being considered as a connection to SF?

Topic 2: Current Data Model

  • What are the main objects in use?
  • Are there any with more than a handful of record types?
  • What is the Account Model? (For clients that work in B2C)
  • How many active users are there?
  • How many languages and currencies are used?

The takeaway
When conducting a Salesforce discovery project, be as prepared as possible. Look for red flags along the way. Be sure to have plenty of questions prepared. Start the highest level of detail first.

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Salesforce