What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring a Salesforce MSP?

In the modern business environment, where everything goes swiftly, it is important to be able to manage the data and associated processes. This is why there is an increased number of companies getting interested in working with Salesforce managed service providers. These service providers ensure that any business gets to make the maximum out of Salesforce by providing support, regular updates, and consultancy services. However, asking questions before entering into a contract is always critical because it could help one to ensure that he/she is making the best choice of partners that will suit his/her needs.

1. What Experience Do You Have With Salesforce Managed Services?

It is rather important to have experience. To begin with, you should ask the provider about the length of time he has been providing Salesforce managed services. Attempt to learn about what kind of companies they have done business with. Do they understand your industry well? Have they worked with businesses like yours before?

You can as well inquire about their certifications. A good Salesforce managed service provider tends to have certified Salesforce personnel. This makes them familiar with the platform and they can work on it.

2. What kind of support and features do you offer in your managed service plan?

The services being offered by Salesforce MSPs are not similar. One should question what their package entails. Some of the managed services with sales force:

1. User support and training
2. Salesforce customization
3. Regular system updates
4. Bug fixing and troubleshooting
5. Integration with other tools
6. Data backups and security monitoring

Ensure that the provider has services as per your needs in the business. You do not want to have to shell out money to keep things that you do not use and you certainly do not want to be shortchanged when it comes to the support you need.

3. How Will You Understand Our Business Requirements?

Every business is different, and thus so should Salesforce. Question the provider on how they are going to interpret your objectives, procedures and problems. The best Salesforce managed service provider will make time to listen to you, to question you, and to design a service plan, according to your own needs.

The frequency of review of business goals is also another question you can ask. This makes sure that your Salesforce platform can expand as your company advances.

4. How do you stay in touch and offer support when needed?

Trustworthy and clear communication builds the base of every strong connection. Enquire what you are going to do to keep in touch with their team. Will you have an account manager? What is their response time towards emails or support tickets?

You should also be in a position to understand whether they are providing 24/7 services or only during business. When you are operating your business beyond the regular hours, it will be good to have a provider who will be willing to assist you in time.

5. Can you provide examples of past work or feedback from previous clients?

Testimonials of the current/previous clients of a provider are one of the best methods to evaluate a provider. Request case studies or reference. This will demonstrate the success stories of other businesses using the Salesforce managed service provider as well as the outcomes which have been accomplished.

A couple of case studies or speaking with your current customers can boost your certainty about the choice or point you to red flags on time.

6. What Is Your Process for Onboarding New Clients?

Transmission to a managed service can be overwhelming. That is why it is important to know their own boarding process. Ask them how they start the service, what duration it would take, what do they expect your team to do.

A smooth start means fewer issues and faster results. The service provider will walk you through each step and clearly explain everything.

7. How To Secure and Be Compliant with Data?

The Salesforce system you have stores confidential customer and business information. Keeping that information safe should be one of the main concerns. Inquire with the provider on what actions they implement to make your system secure.

You can ask about:

1. Data backup policies
2. Access control measures
3. Compliance with laws like GDPR or HIPAA
4. System monitoring tools

Any Salesforce managed service provider worth its salt will be very secure and keep your information safe.

8. How Flexible Is Your Service Plan?

Your Salesforce requirements may vary as your company develops or transforms. It is for this reason that one should enquire on how pliable their service plans could be. Do you have the power to modify the amount of hours services? Is there versatility in space?

Long-term success should be supported by flexibility. It may keep you in an unchanged program that you have no use of anymore, or even prevent you from receiving additional assistance the moment you are in need of it.

9. What is the Way to Not Miss the Latest Features of Salesforce?

Salesforce keeps sending out new updates and features. Question the provider on how he/she maintains the changes. Are they members of Salesforce events? Do they belong to the Salesforce Partner Program?

Being up to date will enable your provider to offer more intelligent solutions in addition to upgrading your system to make it up to date and compete.

10. What Is the Cost Structure and Are There Any Hidden Fees?

Naturally, there is pricing that is of importance. Request a close estimate of prices. In what way are they billed? And is it monthly, hourly, or a project?

It should also make inquiries on whether there are hidden costs that include an additional cost of after-hour assistance or credit. Transparent pricing helps you plan ahead and protects you from unexpected future charges.

Conclusion

Selecting the best Salesforce managed service provider is a major undertaking that can affect success of your CRM as well as the business. With the proper questions, you will get a clearer idea of how the provider operates, what kind of experience he/she might have and how able to address your needs in particular.

Keep in mind a good partner must be like an additional part of your team. They are supposed to sell quality and effective Salesforce managed services which can assist you to enhance operations, save time and gain superior results of your Salesforce investment.

Take a deep breath, do homework and pose the following very valuable questions before making your final decision. As long as you have a reliable Salesforce managed service provider supporting you, your business will grow and succeed.