1. Salesforce license
One of the most common misconceptions about Salesforce is that it is expensive, when in reality, it is one of the most cost-effective CRM tools on the market. Decision-makers and digital transformation managers may be unaware of the different Salesforce licenses available to them, and out of misguided suggestion, they sometimes buy multiple licenses that they don't need, leading to a waste of money.
It is essential to know that the cheapest version of Salesforce, Sales Cloud in Lightning Experience or Salesforce Essentials, starts at $25/user/month and comes backed with a free trial. This covers essential functions like account management, lead management, opportunity management, contact management, and reporting.
Above this solution level, the pricing varies depending on how much data you need to store and how much reporting you want. You can save time, reduce costs, and create new revenue streams with Salesforce.
2. Lack of awareness
Often decision-makers are operating on outdated Salesforce systems that are heavily customized, leading to high operational costs. Customization comes with an additional price tag due to the ongoing licensing fees and implementation fees that come with customization packages in Salesforce. This then becomes costly for IT sponsors when they don't have the correct information or have the budget allocated in advance for this expense.
3. Operational cost
The biggest issue with managing a sales team or a customer service team without a CRM platform is that lack of coordination and centralized data coupled with a lack of analytics and reporting mechanisms leads to high operational costs. Investing in Salesforce is worth it as it reduces time to market by enabling process automation and providing essential insights for business success.
Salesforce lower your operational cost by reducing IT support team size, customer support expenses, and other operating expenses.
4. Implementation partners
Many business owners end up paying for multiple Salesforce licenses, or an implementation partner sells them. However, if you want to buy the correct license for your business, you need to do your research before deciding.