As a Salesforce consultant, there are many skills a professional needs in order to become successful. The key to professional success is not just the technical mastery of Salesforce.com (which is, of course, essential) but also the ability to work with clients in such a way as to earn their trust and gain their confidence. If a client feels that you’re trustworthy, not only does the project run much more smoothly, but I believe the client is more likely to give you what you want if he or she trusts you. They are more communicative, and willing to share insight into their issue, such as emotions that dictate the project and team members involved. This improves the quality of your interactions with a client, and can help foster relationships that mature as time progresses forward.
Trust with your client is also pertinent to expanding your professional boundaries and tapping into the advisory side of consulting. While some consultants may cling to the ‘hands-on’ role only, the true growth occurs when you can use your years of experience to advise on robust, well-rounded solutions that the customer seeks to improve their Salesforce org. Becoming a good advisor takes more than just having good advice to offer - if the trust is not there, the customer may simply not take that advice seriously. A consultant will struggle to employ and build upon those advisory skills if the client doesn’t feel comfortable sharing their issues in full detail, and know that you can help resolve those issues.
However, with all of this said, a consultant must also trust their customer. Being able to see their vulnerabilities and not judge their weaknesses is a paramount step in forging that relationship. You must have a level of faith in your clients to truly understand their frustrations and work towards solutions together. Trusting that they will uphold “their end of the bargain” balances the scale and allows you both to come to the table without the obstacles of disbelief.
There are three basic skills a consultant needs to master in order to utilize this key for success.
Earning Trust. In order to earn trust, a consultant must provide some transparency in the way they work and how they operate. Clients should always know what to expect, and the direction the project is headed. Keeping commitments and communicating effectively are two ways to help earn the trust of clients, but more importantly, they should also be done consistently. Clients will begin to have faith in the patterns you are repeating, especially if they are pleased by your efforts. This in no way means perfection is expected at all times, but when mistakes occur, a successful consultant takes ownership of the faults that contributed to those errors. Taking the next steps in rectifying such mistakes and making assurances of preventing those same mistakes in the future is also crucial to earning the trust of your clients.
Giving Advice Effectively. People respond to advice differently: some see it as a condemnation of how they are performing, or take it personally regarding their ideas, while others may appreciate the gesture greatly. As a consultant works with more and more individuals, the ability to hone in on effective tones and timing of suggestions tends to improve over time. It is also crucial to deliver the information in a manner best absorbed by the client, such as their preferred methods of communication or documentation that can be referenced frequently. The more efficient the delivery, the more confidence the customer is likely to build in favor of you as a consultant. At the end of the day, your goal is to support your client in making improvements or resolving issues, and you must know when to continue pushing your advice forward and when to accept that the best way to proceed is to ultimately give the client what they’re requesting, even if it does not follow the advice you supply. If the client feels they can participate in constructive dialogue, they are more likely to remain open minded to your thoughts and feel comfortable acting upon your recommended solutions.
Building Relationships. It is crucial to see your agreement with a client as a relationship, rather than a collection of tasks and responsibilities to implement. Building relationships takes effort and patience, however, the long term benefits are well worth the possible trials faced in the early stages of learning more about your clients. Once a client feels comfortable with how you work, they will trust you to complete the project and trust that it will meet or surpass their satisfaction upon completion. After a solid relationship has been formed, clients are less likely to micromanage, and are more likely to allow you to deliver a quality product without unnecessary interventions or pauses that delay progress and hinder momentum.
While outstanding technical competence is a non-negotiable, essential ingredient for success, it is not sufficient on its own. Trust is a lot richer than logic alone and is a significant component of success.
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