If your company is implementing Salesforce or you’re seeking to advance your career with a breadth of Salesforce expertise, get started with Salesforce training as soon as possible. While Salesforce offers a suite of solutions to address different business needs, the company’s Trailhead training platform is a robust collection of up-to-date knowledge on various roles and technologies such as: 

• Salesforce Developers
• Salesforce Administrators
• Salesforce Architect
• Salesforce Designers
• Salesforce Consultants
• Salesforce Business Analysts

We’ll discuss Salesforce training options and how to get started in more detail later in this article. Before we do, let’s review the Salesforce basics. 

What Is Salesforce? 

Salesforce is a cloud-based software solution that provides companies with a comprehensive view of their customers and unites your sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT teams. The Salesforce suite of products helps businesses grow and provide exceptional service and a memorable customer experience, and seamless integrations with other services and tools support business process optimization.   

A successful Salesforce implementation provides a digital foundation that helps a company to differentiate itself and compete more effectively with market rivals. Salesforce is used by multiple departments such as sales, marketing, application development, and customer service. 

Salesforce is the leading vendor in CRM software with over 30% of the market in 2021. However, it’s a comprehensive software solution that demands a level of expertise for optimal results. Its popularity means that many individuals will need training to use the software productively.

Why Do I Need Salesforce Training?

Salesforce is a complex software solution that has grown beyond a standard CRM tool to meet multiple business needs. Multiple roles exist that interact with the software differently for specific purposes. Performing each role requires specific knowledge and training.

Following are the major Salesforce roles and what each job entails:

•     Salesforce Developers develop cloud-based applications using the force.com platform. They need to possess in-depth knowledge of Salesforce and the software’s limitations. Experience coding with APEX, Java, and other languages is necessary for this role.
•     Salesforce Administrators fill a customer-facing role focused on customizing the software to meet business requirements. Their responsibilities include developing reports or dashboards and performing user maintenance. They need good communication skills and the flexibility to find innovative solutions to business needs using the functionality of Salesforce.
•     Salesforce Architects are highly skilled individuals with deep knowledge of how the software works. Their role also requires expertise with web services, web development languages, and an organization’s business processes. Architects understand how to customize Salesforce to meet both best practices and business requirements.
•     Salesforce Consultants are knowledgeable in the functionality available from the software and how it can be used to develop solutions that meet business objectives. Consultants are often engaged by companies for assistance with implementation. They add value to an organization by understanding how the Salesforce suite of solutions can help a business thrive, such as using Salesforce to improve revenue operations, and how to leverage it to achieve business goals. 
•     Salesforce Project Managers have in-depth knowledge and experience with Salesforce that allows them to set realistic expectations and delivery times when implementing the platform. They need strong organizational and requirement-gathering skills to develop implementation plans that address a company’s unique needs.
•     Salesforce Business Analysts are responsible for taking business requirements and turning them into revenue-boosting Salesforce solutions. They are also tasked with running, managing, and analyzing the tool for an organization.

How Do I Obtain Salesforce Training?

A factor common to all the previously defined roles is the need for Salesforce skills. As business uses of Salesforce continue to expand, training in the software is a great addition to anyone’s resume. Obtaining certifications in various Salesforce roles can take a significant commitment for several months, as well as effort.

Fortunately, there is a proven method of learning the skills you need. Online training in all aspects of Salesforce is available from Trailhead. Multiple trails are offered that address the various skills required by different Salesforce roles, as well as general education about the software that can help users get the most out of the suite.

Among the training options are videos that present an overview of Salesforce basics and classes composed of multiple modules providing the in-depth knowledge necessary to solve business problems. Professionals can obtain certification demonstrating their proficiency in Salesforce and their ability to fill specific roles or work with specific Salesforce solutions, such as Salesforce Experience Cloud or Salesforce Lightning. 

Following are a few examples of the certifications available from Trailhead.

Salesforce Architect

Individuals can become certified as a Salesforce Certified Technical Architect (CTA) or a Salesforce Certified Solution Architect. A CTA is tasked with secure, scalable, and well-performing solutions to solve large-scale business problems with Salesforce’s functionality. Solution architects design domain-specific solutions to transform the customer experience and maximize business value.

Salesforce Administrator

Administrators work with users to understand business requirements and customize Salesforce to maximize its value to the organization. Certifications are available in basic and advanced administration as well as to fill a business analyst role. Additional certifications can be obtained for specialties such as Marketing Cloud Administration and the Salesforce Platform App Builder.

Salesforce Developer

Developers use their programming skills to extend and customize Salesforce applications. Credentials can be obtained in various development disciplines including as a B2C Commerce, Industries CPQ, or OmniStudio Developer. These skills enable developers to maximize the functionality and efficiency of Salesforce implementations. 

Companies planning to implement Salesforce must have the necessary skillsets in-house or work with a competent consultant.

How to Maximize the Value of a Salesforce Implementation

Experience is invaluable when it’s time to implement Salesforce or optimize its use in an organization. The training offered by Trailhead or alternate education sites is important but cannot replace the expertise of a skilled Salesforce consultant like Argano.

Argano can help your company plan, architect, and implement a Salesforce platform that addresses its requirements and objectives, such as optimizing your revenue operations and accelerating your sales process.  

Argano’s team of experts has earned over 120 Salesforce certifications and more than 35 CPQ certifications, offering a wealth of expertise in CPQ implementation, Salesforce migration, and more to help you leverage Salesforce to fully optimize your digital workplace.    

Combining effective training — such as Salesforce Developer certifications, Salesforce Architect certifications, Salesforce Administrator certifications, and Salesforce Business Analyst certifications, among others — with the experience and proven record of Argano’s successful Salesforce implementations puts your company in a position to optimize its use of the platform. Talk to Argano today to learn how we can optimize your Salesforce implementation.