How Much Does Salesforce Training Cost? | Smartcost.io
Is Salesforce training expensive or can you do it on a budget? These are just a few questions that will be answered in this guide to some of the different forms of Salesforce training and what they cost.
Whether you're adopting Salesforce for the first time, or you're seeking resources for ongoing training, you may be tempted to try to do it on the cheap. There are some training options and learning resources available, but on top of the initial investment in in the software, Salesforce training costs can seem unnecessary.
Do you really need them or can you just learn as you go?
Salesforce is one of the most feature-rich CRMs on the market today, and as a result, organizations that master it are rewarded with a high level of agility. This range of features means learning the tools you need to succeed comes with a longer learning curve. With this in mind, it may be necessary to seek training so that the skill needed to navigate Salesforce doesn't cause the implementation costs to become so high, they negate the value of investing in the software in the first place.
But, what level of training do you need and what will it cost?
When it comes to training resources, you have three groups of options to choose from:
1. Free Resources: Salesforce Trailhead, YouTube tutorials (FREE)
2. Paid Certifications: Salesforce Certifications, 3rd-party certifications ($)
3. Specialized Training Companies: Trainings offered in-person or digitally ($$)
Remember, lack of adoption is the number one reason firms fail with the technology — a software like Salesforce can be incredibly valuable, but without the proper training, it can be a poor investment. Here's a breakdown of the different options at your disposal for training and how to figure out which one suits your team — and your budget — the best:
Option 1: FREE Courses / Trailhead
Free training courses and certifications can seem like a great option to lower Salesforce training costs as you commit to learning the system.
One of the most popular places to access free training content is provided by Salesforce itself, through a program called Trailhead. There's a wide range of coursework on Trailhead and not all of it is free. However, you'll find lots of foundational content that may help your team get a head start with Salesforce.
YouTube also has a wealth of Salesforce tutorials for beginners that will help onboard members of your organization with Salesforce if you're on a budget.
Pros:
The upsides of using free courses to get trained on using Salesforce is pretty clear: they're free.
Anything you can learn from free trainings, you can do so without adding to the overall Salesforce training cost.
Savvy administrators may be able to aggregate free resources together into an onboarding plan to use internally.
Cons:
The downsides are the same as with any free resource: they're limited.
As the concepts you need to master become more complex, there are fewer (if any) free resources out there.
There's fewer opportunities for individualized training and feedback with pre-recorded content as with personal trainings.
TOTAL COST: $0
Salesforce Trailhead is a fun interactive way to earn points and "level up" as shown below.
Option 2: Paid Certifications
Paid coursework and certifications can come from either Salesforce itself a variety of 3rd-party sources. It's important to note that these certifications are not interchangeable — if a Salesforce certificate is needed to meet a standard for hiring or something similar, it will likely have to be from Salesforce.
While Salesforce certifications are not free, they're offered at various levels and in a way that's a bit more in-depth than free trainings can provide. This makes them a better option for certain types of Salesforce users, especially — namely power users, administrators, and developers. They course work for these is also based on Trailhead.
Pros:
Courses and certifications — especially the ones provided by Salesforce — are considerably more substantial and informative than any that are available for free.
Content is targeted to more specific roles. For example, sales managers can take courses tailored to their needs when using the system as compared, to marketers, for example.
Trainings run the gamut from technical topics, to interface (user experience) training, and operating the sales management features.
Lots of courses are guided by "Salesforce content experts" who can provide the absolute best tips for success using the software.
Salesforce certifications are something that key players can use to boost their reputation in their core industries.
Cons:
Salesforce courses and certifications are more costly without the personal level of tailored information that comes with the dedicated trainers in the next group. A single course can run from a few hundred dollars to over one thousand, not including the cost of the certification test.
If you fail a certification exam, you'll have to pay a fee to retake it.
TOTAL COST: Average of $250 - $1000 per course (exams included)
Option 3: Dedicated Training Companies
If you want to ensure that you're getting the most out of the money you spend on Salesforce, you should consider trusting a dedicated Salesforce training firm to analyze your needs and build a training curriculum for your team.
Pros:
Training content can be fully personalized to your team's needs, broken down by specific roles to ensure that everyone gets (and understands) the information they need to succeed in the organization.
Training is flexible and able to be offered in person, remotely, or recorded in a learning library for future use.
Dedicated training companies are experienced working with some of the largest Salesforce orgs, so they're experienced teaching at scale and making sure companies get the most benefit from their services.
Cons:
Even if you're using a third-party training company, you may have to take (and pay for) the official Salesforce certifications if you need them.
Depending on the size of your organization and the number of courses and licenses you need, this option can get very costly. Training companies typically charge around $500 for the most basic training, and well into the thousands for a truly tailored, in-person engagement.
TOTAL COST: Average of $1500 - $2500 per course (sometimes per attendee), but varying on the size of your team, the length of the engagement, and other key factors.
Conclusion: Is Salesforce Training Worth It?
Salesforce tends to have a higher cost of implementation than some other software, so it's natural to feel like training may have to be the area where you try to cut costs. It's important to consider ROI, though — if investing in high-quality training means that your organization will be able to be more efficient and productive, the Salesforce training cost will have been well worth it.
Whether you decide to look at your options for dedicated training or not, it's important to understand that firms that go adopt Salesforce without any type of training are usually the ones that find it too complicated to stick with.
When it comes to Salesforce training, the options may be overwhelming. That's where we at smartcost.io come in. We're an unbiased third party dedicated to getting you the right pricing on Salesforce as well as the training you need to hit the ground running. Contact us to learn more!