From Salesforce-User to Consultant

Kelly Raines joined Pracedo in 2019 when she moved on from her role as a ‘Business Intelligence Commercial Manager’. Read about her experiences of adapting to consultancy and her advice to others wanting to do the same. 

How using Salesforce in my previous role helped with consulting
I cannot express how important the business knowledge that I got from seeing Salesforce in use, really is. It was something I highlighted in the interview process and now that I’m in the role I often draw from it.

Clients want you to be able to direct them as consultants, and often ask ‘what do other companies do?’ or ‘what do you suggest?’. My experience has provided me with countless anecdotes on both good and bad practice that I can relate back to my customers.

As well as being able to relate on a personal level, using the CRM myself has given me an eye for detail when implementing Salesforce for clients. Knowing what’s required for a user to be able to use functionality in a certain way motivates me to find a solution for my clients.

Areas you need to work on when switching
As a consultant, you’ll virtually never be working on one project at a time. You need to be able to manage and track your time effectively and carefully so that you can accurately log your time.

I’ve found this part the most challenging because though I am organised, if something else crops up, I want to fix it right away. I’ve had to learn to be able to block out time in my calendar to focus on a specific task or project build.

As a Salesforce user or System Admin, you might be comfortable adding fields or users, but as a consultant, you’ll need to get very comfortable understanding Salesforce from a technical standpoint so that you can map this knowledge onto clients’ business processes during a project. Salesforce is so vast that even now I learn something new every day and feel constantly challenged to find different solutions to problems that my clients face.

Advice on Making The Switch
Network, network network! I met lots of consultants in the partner ecosystem for coffee before deciding to apply for consultant roles. It is a change in career and researching the role alongside discussing it with individuals who are already doing the job can help you make sure that you make the right decision for you. 

By the time I joined Pracedo, I’d already joined various Salesforce groups, messaged many consultants on LinkedIn, met several for coffee and attended Salesforce World Tour.

Identify the areas where you might not be as strong a candidate as an experienced consultant and take steps to minimise these. I wanted to improve my technical skills, so Trailhead was my go-to whenever I had a spare minute! I studied hard and obtained my Admin cert before I started applying for consultant roles. I felt this was important to demonstrate my understanding of Salesforce.

I’d also recommend Focus on Force when Studying

I couldn’t be happier at Pracedo and am so happy that I made the move. It suits my love of being busy and organised, as well as allowing me to work closely with the client to achieve their goals. Do your homework and you can be sure to land your dream career as a Salesforce Consultant!

Visit our Careers page if you are interested in a role at Pracedo.