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Navigating the Persistent Sales Pressure in the Salesforce Ecosystem

Salesforce promotes “Ohana”, indicating that anybody that works with Salesforce is all part of a big happy family. I get that and do feel proud that I am part of a great product that is powerful, user friendly and improving all the time. However, recently, I seem to have a surge in companies contacting me, out of the blue, assured that they have something that me and my company need, even though we didn’t know it. Because we all work in “Salesforce” they have the right to my time.

Apparently, according to the latest email, 55% of hiring managers say there is a Salesforce skills gap that needs to be filled by their training. Or use our contract resources to boost your Salesforce capabilities. I was hired for my Salesforce skills and our hiring manager must be one of 45%, as I have all the skills needed to do the job that I was employed to do. If I went to my management and said “I need some contract resources to help me” they would probably think I wasn’t the right person for the job.

I understand there are occasions when companies are embarking on larger projects, that may need additional resources temporarily, and that these “phishing” email may just land at the right time, I don’t particularly have a problem with people putting feelers out, but it is the dogged determination of people to not take “no” for an answer. For me to do my job properly, I don’t have time to respond to every email that I get. If I don’t respond, then it means that I’m not interested.

In order to get them to stop, I find I need to be really strong in my response; just saying I’m not interested doesn’t get them to go away. If I don’t respond, it’s not unusual for them to call me. You must be interested in this opportunity blah blah. I took somebody up on it a few weeks ago and had a call with them to dive into their offering. After half an hour, where I explained at each point why this wouldn’t work for us, the guy hung up the phone, said he would be in touch, and I haven’t heard another thing. It’s just a shame that I had to waste that time to get them to listen, he could have just accepted my initial response.

I know my company; I know Salesforce and I know how best to accommodate changes needed to support the business. If I need help, or some new functionality, then I will research and contact relevant suppliers.

When you have a lot of work to do, but you feel compelled to stop doing what you are paid to do, so you can write back to somebody that has contacted you without invitation, to say you aren’t interested and explain why – it shouldn’t be like this.

In my mind this is a kind of bullying, to keep writing to the same person, despite them not replying to the first email, does apply pressure where it isn’t wanted, and can be stressful. I find that I am almost apologising for not spending money with them. When you have a lot of work to do, but you feel compelled to stop doing what you are paid to do, so you can write back to somebody that has contacted you without invitation, to say you aren’t interested and explain why – it shouldn’t be like this.

To all you Salesforce related sales people out there, I don’t have a budget to spend, my management aren’t interested in what you have to offer, unless I approach you because there is a business need to fill.

The articles from these contributors are based on their personal expertise and viewpoints, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers or affiliated organizations.

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