The Art of Asking Questions
When starting a Salesforce implementation, there's a constant temptation to jump straight into addressing functional requirements. However, Salesforce partners must understand the power of asking the right questions first. These initial questions act as a compass, guiding the entire engagement towards a solution that truly resonates with the customer's needs.
Considering Salesforce but lost in the tech maze? This series is about finding the perfect Salesforce partner for your implementation. In this first video, we dive into the importance of a Salesforce partner who asks the right questions. Dave Chapman, Practice Director at Pracedo, will enable you to discover how the right Salesforce partner uses insightful questions to uncover challenges and solutions for your business. Learn what key questions your Salesforce partner should ask, how these define your Salesforce journey and align with your overall business goals.
If this is the beginning of your Salesforce journey, stay tuned for more monthly videos from Dave, with insights on finding your perfect Salesforce partner. We will be releasing new videos on how to make a valuable Salesforce partnership each month. Follow us on Instagram to get notified when the next videos drops.
The Pitfall of Premature Solutions
Many consultants fall prey to the “functional trap.” This occurs when they dive headfirst into technical details without fully grasping the customer’s underlying challenges and goals. This approach can lead to solutions that miss the mark, addressing symptoms instead of root causes.
Beyond the Feature and Function
Before delving into functionalities, effective consultants ask questions to provide a strategy based on a deep understanding of the overall circumstances. Here’s a framework using four key areas to consider:
Change Management
Can the team adapt to the new system? Understanding the change process in order to minimise disruption and maximise user adoption.
Past Technology Challenges
Why have past implementations fallen short? Learning from these experiences and tailoring the approach to avoid similar pitfalls.
Training and Enablement
While technology can be a powerful tool, can the team use Salesforce effectively? Making sure the team uses the system to its full potential, with the support of comprehensive training programs, leads to maximised proficiency.
Organisational Inertia
Is there resistance to change within your company? Developing strategies to overcome internal roadblocks can ensure a smooth and lasting implementation.
Asking questions that delve into these areas allows the consultant to:
Provide Transformational Impact
By understanding the customer’s objectives and challenges, the consultant may uncover the potential for broader transformation. A fundamental shift in their operations can yield lasting benefits over a simple technology fix.
Process Challenges
When identifying the root cause of the problem, consultants can recognise whether it is caused by a technology gap or existing inefficiencies in the sales process. Incorporating process improvements alongside the implementation optimises the effectiveness of Salesforce.
The art of asking questions is more than just a preliminary step – it sets the stage for the entire consulting engagement. By prioritising insightful inquiries over a hasty jump into functionalities, consultants can ensure they’re not just tackling symptoms, but addressing the core issues and creating solutions that have lasting value for their customers. Remember, the right questions can be the key to unlocking deeper insights, innovative solutions, and successful customer partnerships.
Transcript of Video
Hi, I’m Dave. Welcome to a series on how to effectively pick a partner for your Salesforce implementation.
The first thing you want to look for in an effective partner is how they approach asking questions. Almost all projects begin with a ‘we have a problem and this technology could solve it’. However, there’s often underlying factors. The first thing you want to see a consultant look for is to identify whether this is just a technology fix, whether there are process challenges to be addressed, or whether it’s the beginning of a transformational journey for a business.
There are also other underlying factors that drive the success of a program. For instance, change management challenges, historical challenges in adopting technology, training enablement, or inertia to change within the organisation as a whole. A good partner will spend time understanding the impact of all of these on an overall program before they dive into the feature functions of the technology and question.
Once you see these behaviours by a partner, you know they’re truly going to run an effective program that will not only begin, but end with the success of your Salesforce implementation.
At Pracedo, we’re not just Salesforce Consultants. We’re the driving force behind innovation, change, and visionary solutions dedicated to boosting revenue. Our mission is to redefine the customer journey by simplifying processes and helping people to work smarter, not harder. Our purpose is to create a lasting impact on people, organisations, and communities, all powered by the capabilities of Salesforce.
Our holding company, Ascendion is a global, leading provider of AI-first software engineering services, delivering transformative solutions across North America, APAC, and Europe. Headquartered in New Jersey, Ascendion combines technology and talent to deliver technical debt relief, improve engineering productivity solutions, and accelerate time to value, driving clients’ digital journeys with efficiency and velocity. Guided by “Engineering to the power of AI” [Engineering AI] methodology, Ascendion integrates AI into software engineering, enterprise operations, and talent orchestration, to address critical challenges of trust, speed, and capital.
Tags: Implementation, Partnership, Salesforce Partner,
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Dave Chapman
This article was written by Dave Chapman, Media and PR Practice Director at Pracedo. With over 15 years of seasoned expertise in the technology sector, Dave has navigated the complex terrains of both hardware and software solutions, leaving a significant mark in the industry. His journey is distinguished by roles at some of the most prestigious global corporations, including Salesforce, where he has not only refined his technical acumen but also emerged as an expert in solution finding.
As a Practice Director at Pracedo, Dave is at the forefront of aiding in the success of digital transformation, employing innovative solutions that spearhead growth and efficiency. His background in consultative sales enriches his approach, allowing him to understand and address the nuanced needs of businesses embarking on their digital transformation journeys. Dave's role is instrumental in guiding companies through the evolving digital landscape, ensuring they leverage the right technologies to achieve their objectives and stay ahead in their respective fields.
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At Pracedo, we’re more than Salesforce Consultants – we’re catalysts for change, empowering organisations with visionary solutions for smarter work and impactful results.
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