Getting Started as a Salesforce Project Manager

Interested in becoming a Salesforce Project Manager? Experienced Salesforce project managers are in high demand and well compensated. Salesforce project managers can work directly for companies and their teams to implement and maintain Salesforce or work for consulting firms that provide that service to companies. Some project managers are independent contractors, allowing them to select their workload and companies and charge a premium for their services.

Understanding the fundamental concepts of Salesforce will help you stand out from the crowd of potential candidates for Salesforce Project Management positions. Experience with Salesforce will amplify your chances of being hired.

How do you get started if you have never worked with Salesforce? This article will outline a few recommended suggestions to get started.

1. Create an account on Salesforce Trailhead and take their provided FREE Salesforce Trailhead training. Links to recommended training are shown in this article in the section below.

2. Understand the terminology and lingo. You will hear several acronyms as part of a Salesforce implementation team or working for a SaaS (Software as a Service) company. Shown at the bottom of this article are basic terms you should know.

3. If you are working for a company with Salesforce, find a willing colleague to walk you through the Salesforce platform at a high level and how your company uses it. Understand the lead-to-customer process, including any department and integration touchpoints. Understanding the entire customer lifecycle and how Salesforce plays a role will help you put the system into context.

4. Nothing can replace real-world experience. Volunteer to be a part of a Salesforce implementation team or shadow an experienced Salesforce Project Manager or Scrum Master. Experience will allow you to pair the training and knowledge of context with the day-to-day experience of implementing and maintaining the system once launched.

Training

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Project Management for Salesforce Projects (includes Lighting and Classic)

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Project Management Basics

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Salesforce Platform Basics

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Salesforce User Basics

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Salesforce for Newbies - Part 1

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Salesforce for Newbies - Part 2 - Customizations

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Salesforce for Newbies - Part 3 - Lighting Experience

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Salesforce for Newbies - Part 4 - Extras

• Salesforce Trailhead Training - Application Lifecycle and Development Models

Basic Terms You Should Know

CRM - Customer Relationship Management

Software (e.g. Salesforce) companies use to build relationships with prospect/customers, and to facilitate the sales process.

SaaS - Software as a Service

Software, such as Salesforce, that companies subscribe to and access through the internet

RFP - Request for Proposal

Customer's request for a bid from vendors

MQL - Marketing Qualified Lead

A potential customer that has been vetted against a defined set of criteria and passed onto sales.

RevOps Integration of marketing, sales, and customer service strategy, processes, and technology to maximize revenue

MRR - Monthly Recurring Revenue

Predictable total revenue generated by all of a company's subscriptions during a given month.

ACV - Annual Contract Value

Financial amount a customer pays a company per contract per year.

TCV - Total Contract Value

This is the total of every single product or service sold to a client including one time fees, subscriptions and assets.

RVP - Regional Vice President

In a sales team, this is the person in charge of an entire region and who the other sales people assigned to that region report to.

BDR/SDR - Business/ Sales Development Representative

Sales position focused on outreach, prospecting, and qualifying leads

AE - Account Executive

Sales position focused on developing on ongoing relationship with a customer

ICP - Ideal Customer Profile

The type of company that would benefit most from your product or service

OTE - On Target Earnings

Expected pay a sales professional will take home if 100% of his/her quota is achieved

Quota

A performance metric that a sales professional must achieve during a given period of time (e.g. monthly, quarterly, annually)

SPIN - Situation, Problem, Implementation, Need-Payoff

A framework used to guide customer conversations to identify a pain point, what happens if it is not addressed, and how your product or service will save them from that outcome.

B2B/B2C - Business to Business / Customer

Commercial activities between a business and another business (B2B) or a consumer (B2C).

SMB - Small & Medium Sized Business

Segmentation of sales activities targeting small and medium-sized businesses

ABM - Account Based Marketing

Personalized marketing campaign tailored to engage a specific account or group of accounts within a market based on target's attributes.

CX - Customer Experience

The collective set of digital and human interactions a customer has with a company

NPS - Net Promoter Score

A metric that tracks customer satisfaction

CTA - Call to Action

A prompt to encourage the customer to take action on an offer.

A/B Test

Split testing or presenting two messages to customers to determine which is more effective based on a metric such as a conversion rate.