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Your Contacts determine your Contracts. Here’s why building relationships is the fastest path to success for Salesforce Partners and Consultants: ?????? ?? Leads flow in. When you’re top of mind in your network, referrals happen naturally. ?? You gain access to hidden opportunities. Sometimes, the best deals aren’t advertised - they’re shared through connections. ?? You grow through shared knowledge. The more diverse your network, the broader your insights and skills become. ?? Mentorship becomes accessible. The right relationships open doors to guidance and support from experienced leaders. In business, it’s not just about who you know—it’s about who knows you. Salesforce Partners

Here are the 5 mindset shifts every Salesforce agency founder or consultant needs to succeed: ?????? 1. From technician to entrepreneur. Consulting is more than just solving problems—it’s about building a business around your skills. 2. From billable hours to value-based pricing. Stop trading time for money and start pricing based on the outcomes you deliver. 3. From solo operator to leader. Even if it’s just you now, you need to think about building a team to grow. 4. From scarcity to abundance. Don’t fear competition—there’s enough business for everyone who knows how to stand out. 5. From reactive to proactive. Instead of reacting to the latest client fire, build processes that help prevent issues before they happen. Do This Instead: ?? Start setting aside time weekly for business development, strategy, and growth planning. Treat your agency like a company, not just a collection of projects. ?? Focus on the transformation you provide to clients. Build pricing models around the value you bring, not the hours you spend. ?? Delegate small tasks to contractors or part-time help, freeing up your time for high-level activities. It’s never too early to start building a support network. ?? Focus on building your brand, showcasing your unique approach, and delivering results. Find your niche and dominate it. ?? Document your workflows, establish regular check-ins with clients, and use project management tools to keep everything on track. Remember, mindset isn’t just about thinking differently—it’s about doing differently. Your growth begins when you step beyond your comfort zone and embrace a new way of operating. The journey may be challenging, but the rewards are worth every step. ?? Salesforce Partners

The "lure" of starting your own Salesforce Agency/Consultancy has been hard to resist in the Salesforce ecosystem... But, you can quickly get punched in the face... Here's why ?????? You need to be in 1 of 2 Scenarios to get Clients: 1. You are connected into Salesforce and expect to get leads flowing your way... Could be an existing contact, your Dad is the VP of Sales... you get the idea... Or, 2. You know how to generate leads and business through Social Media (LinkedIn etc.), Networking, Referrals, or other ways... If you are in Scenario 1 - you probably have a really good chance of getting clients and generating revenue, and you can probably learn along the way how to run, build and manage a business. If not (which is 90% of the Salesforce Partners) you are likely going to have to either KNOW how to do Scenario 2, or LEARN how to do it really, really fast... And here's the deal - IT TAKES TIME and it's HARD to do Scenario 2... Getting your name out there, marketing, learning how to sell, how to generate leads, how to craft compelling content, get attention - all... take... time... Most Salesforce Consultants that make the jump are AWESOME on the Technical Side... but quickly learn how Challenging and Lonely it is to build a Business on their own... That's why I started a Mastermind for Small/Boutique Salesforce Partners and Independent Consultants... We'll have a limited membership, structured sessions, and a focus on personalized feedback and accountability. It includes: Exclusive Membership: Be part of a curated group of partners and independent consultants where you'll receive individual attention and benefit from diverse perspectives. Hot Seat Sessions: Get expert guidance and personalized feedback on your specific challenges and goals during dedicated "hot seat" sessions. Peer-to-Peer Accountability: Stay motivated and on track with the unwavering support and encouragement of a powerful network of peers who understand your journey. Live Calls and In-person Live Events: Weekly or Bi-Weekly Calls and In-Person Events to Collaborate in person. And more... This Mastermind is all about: Breaking through plateaus: Move beyond stagnant growth and achieve significant progress in your business. Overcoming hurdles: Tackle your toughest challenges with actionable strategies and support from a proven network. Accelerated Success: Leverage the collective knowledge and experience of the group to fast-track your path to success. Building a Powerful Network: Forge valuable connections with like-minded individuals who can become long-term collaborators and allies. Membership will be limited and Hyper-focused. If you are a Small/Boutique Salesforce Partner or Independent Consultant and interested to learn more - I put a link to the Application Form in the Comments below... ?????? Or, reach out to me via DM. Salesforce Partners The 360 Salesforce Mastermind

Weekend Challenge: Whenever you go out in Public, Smile and be friendly to EVERYONE you see... You will be Amazed at how the world will reflect smiling and friendliness back to you... #quantum #frequency #realityisareflection

Final Thoughts #5/5 from the 10K Salesforce Ecosystem Talent Report... Overall, this is where I feel the Salesforce Talent and Partner Ecosystem is at: #1. Salesforce Admins need to "Skill up". Salesforce is getting (or is now) more and more Technical, and the days of "Configuration" are going to be over in the next 3-5 years. Admins should consider choosing a path of either Salesforce Developer or Business Analyst (Product/Project Managers are good paths as well) and get ahead of the game now... #2. 60% of certified partner experts work for the top 1% of partners, while over half of partners have ten or fewer certified experts. With the "Big 5" having 35% of the overall certified Salesforce Talent. We have all seen the posts about the amount (and increase) in the number of "Rescue Projects" - which I have also experienced First Hand, where the Big Consultancies pretty much blow up a Salesforce Project/Implementation... (sorry, but not sorry, if you are reading this and part of one of those organizations, but it's true...) Why? Well, one main reason is: You can't have 25,000 certified Salesforce resources on staff and think that 25,000 are all Top Notch because of who they work for. Also, from a Comment on the post I had on this: Large Firms primarily care about -> Themselves. Not the Clients. And it's reflected in the project(s). If you are a Salesforce Customer, give a Small or Mid-Size Salesforce Partner a try... You may be amazed at the difference in experience, quality, and ultimate success of the project. #3. Small/Mid-Size Salesforce Partners need to "Stand Out". With over 3,000 Salesforce Partners customers can choose from... it's important, if not critical now more than ever to STAND OUT. There are various ways to do it, but that's up to you to determine - as it's your unique "Secret Sauce", Approach, Branding, Messaging etc. that will help you stand out. #4. Customers are looking for innovative/new ways to "consume" or leverage Salesforce Consultancies/Partners. What we have now in the ecosystem is a bunch of Talent ready to help any business implement new features...while increasingly, more and more SMBs specifically are looking for "Outcomes". They are looking for "Packaged" Solutions and/or Teams. The Partners/Agencies that figure out ways to provide that - will be ahead of the competition. #5. There are over 150,000 Salesforce Customers globally, with in most cases - Salesforce being at the "core" of their business, sales and operations. It's not going anywhere. The demand is there. Maybe, we as a Salesforce Ecosystem need to "up our game" which includes: - "Up" the overall technical skills - Be innovative in how we deliver value/solutions to the market - Try not to be "generalists" and find your specific place in the market - Revisit how we measure "Demand" in the Ecosystem. - "Listen" to what the Salesforce Customers are "saying" to the Talent/Partner Ecosystem - and pivot. #10ktalentreport

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20 years ago, Salesforce's main tagline was "NO Software"... In 2024, it's "ALL Software"... My prediction is that the role of Salesforce Admin will be also forever changed (as in gone) in 5-7 years... In my view, there are 2 paths an Admin can start pivoting towards: 1. Salesforce Developer 2. Business Analyst

The ultimate Paradox: Salesforce Talent Demand is ??DOWN while the number of Salesforce Partners is ?? UP... How can that be? Thought #4/5 from the 10K Salesforce Ecosystem Talent Report... I did a post a few months ago saying: "If I had ONLY 1 FTE that I was able to hire to Staff/Support a Salesforce Org for a Small Business... I would hire a Salesforce Developer over a Salesforce Admin ?? of the time..." It had some mixed reactions... but the current data may be supporting that view... Here is the breakdown of the 'Share of All Job Postings by Role' in 2024 (Source: 10K Talent Report): Developer = 29% Consultant = 24% Business Analyst = 14% Solution Architect = 13% Technical Architect = 12% Administrator = 8% While at the same time, the number of Salesforce Partners has increased quite significantly over the last 5 years: 2020 = 1,633 2021 = 1,859 2022 = 2,144 2023 = 2,509 2024 = 3,052 Huh? Here is what I think is going on... - SMB's in particular are leveraging Salesforce Agencies/Partners now vs. hiring internally more than ever before. The need for skills beyond an Admin are just undeniable at this point. - Many businesses aren't sure of, or even want to think about, worry about, or consider what Salesforce Roles they actually may need at any given time to implement a feature/project/enhancement or support the system. - The Admin role (8%) can be "performed" by virtually any other role such as: Consultant, Developer, Architect, many times Analyst... (Yes, communication is important, I am talking from a "technical" perspective...) - This enables Salesforce Partners/Agencies to provide more dynamic and on-demand support for their customers using non-Admin talent, including Developers and Consultants etc., by leveraging offshore talent (India +13% in 2024? ??????) - Many new Salesforce Partners/Agencies/Consultants founded by "Technical Experts" do not understand how "hard" it is to actually get customers... "You mean I actually have to do Marketing, Selling and Network and actually talk to, and influence people???" To the main question of "How can you stand out as a Small/Boutique Partner?" given this current dynamic? Maybe, the true "demand" for Salesforce support has not significantly dropped -> and it's the method and delivery of that support that changed... And, if you are Founding a Salesforce Agency/Partner - it's not as easy as just building a website and hanging a "Open for Business" sign... You need to understand how to: - Define your Niche - Talk to your Market and Sell - Determine what Services you provide + the Value - Among many other business functions... We are currently in a Salesforce Ecosystem Transformation that goes beyond any current economic tightening/challenges... The Demand is out there... The best thing Salesforce Partners can do is, recognize it, adapt, and go get it... #10Ktalentreport Salesforce Partners Nick Hamm

It takes about 5 to 10 posts and/or 2 weeks to not feel "uncomfortable" posting your thoughts and ideas on LinkedIn... Go for it...

Thought #3/5 from the 10K Ecosystem Talent Report... How can you "Stand Out" as a Small/Boutique Partner?... The Irony is... how about ... STAND OUT!!! With the rapid increase in Small/Boutique Salesforce Partners, clearly the need to stand out is important, if not critical... So, how do you stand out? A good first step is by using Charlie Munger's "Inversion Method" and going through ways to do the exact OPPOSITE... By asking: How can I ensure that I DON'T Stand Out? Here are some examples: - Posting generic content, especially content generated by AI (Rocket Ships and emoji's are dead giveaway...) - Conference/ Pics (Sorry, but not one single person gives a s**t...) - Not having any personality, genuine thoughts or stance on "sacred cows" in the industry - Providing the same services/products as every other partner - Having zero attention or awareness across the ecosystem and your ICP's You get the idea... Now, take the ways NOT to Stand Out as a Salesforce Partner, and do the OPPOSITE... The Image/Gif I attached to this post is a good example... What do you think would stop someone scrolling through LinkedIn to stop and read one of your posts? A. A Repost of a Salesforce Post that everyone is sharing B. This dude 10K #10Ktalentreport Salesforce Partners