Preparing for a new Salesforce Consultant role
𝗧𝗶𝗽 𝟱 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟮 – 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁
Starting a new role is always exciting, and projects are even more so!
It’s been so long since my first project (oof I feel so 👵🏻) but every new project gives me butterflies.
The first one can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, because you won’t quite know what to expect.
Your Resource Manager* or equivalent (smaller partners do not have a dedicated RM, so the Delivery Head or Practice Manager may take on the resourcing role) will brief you about it.
They’ll tell you
– a bit of background about the customer
– what type of project (Sales cloud, Commerce Cloud, bog standard Accounts/Contact etc)
– the size of team and project
– who your Project Manager is (if you have one)
– etc etc
Your job is to know everything there is to know about this project.
If it’s an “in-flight” project, i.e. it’s already started, then talk to the Project Manager.
Request a copy of the Statement of Work, which they should be glad to share with you. It means that you are conscientious, and you are keen to understand our promise to the customer – what we aim to deliver.
Talk to the PM.
Talk to the team.
Read any current documentation, from the client’s Request for Proposal (RFP) to the Consulting Partner’s Sales Proposal, to any documentation that may have been supplied, as well as any Discovery documents that your team may have completed.
Also learn about your company’s way of doing things.
How they store documents, and share files.
Naming conventions for objects and fields.
Understand how things are done.
There is no such thing as being too prepared for your first Project (or any other project for that matter).
In fact, your mantra as a SaConJa (Salesforce Consultant ninJa) should be “Always over-prepare”**
This mantra is the cousin of the other one you should tattoo in your eyelids: “Never ever assume”.
Not being prepared is the biggest sin in Consulting.
Actually, it’s worst than eating the last 🍩, but I digress. 😝
In Summary – #PreparePreparePrepare for your first project.
You can’t do too much of it.
Next Monday – 𝗧𝗶𝗽 𝟲 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟮 – 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿
How to manage them. I reveal the tips and tricks that works on me! 😁 (hint: sugary bribes work sometimes…!)
Previous tips in comments 👇🏻
* More on Resource Manager in Tip 4 from yesterday’s post (link 👇🏻)
** but within reason, and not book the over-preparing time to your project timesheet (which is Tip 8 – coming next week)!
