Maintain Your Competitive Edge With CRM Certification
August 01, 2008
Salesforce.com enables professionals to prove their SaaS and CRM skills before getting the job with new credential program
By Jonathan Tannenbaum
Do you have expertise in implementing and using CRM applications? If so, you may want to start looking into obtaining an official certification from Salesforce.com. The market-leading global company recently launched its first official certification for its products' users in response to public demands for industry experts.
Given the popularity of Salesforce.com, businesses today place a high priority on hiring candidates who can already implement its CRM applications, and operate Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), to carry out vital functions—such as regulating device access, customizing basic features and configuring commercial applications. Since joblist Web sites like Craigslist.org and Monster.com show an increase in demand for such work, many have petitioned their interest in obtaining a formal credential. Salesforce.com has responded to these calls, having recently announced a certification program for Salesforce CRM administrators and developers.
Salesforce.com created its new certification program to accommodate certification for various members of the workforce. Providing a number of targeted testing sites, the company offers four exams which are held around the country. Respectively, the exams give professionals the chance to become a certified CRM administrator, an advanced CRM administrator, a Force.com developer or advanced Force.com developer. Along with these accreditations, Salesforce.com offers courses for those looking to improve their overall knowledge. The courses are comprehensive and are comprised of four to five days of training.
As to whether or not you or your sales reps should take the class to hone your skills, it really depends on the individual, says Eric Kelleher, vice president of training and certification for Salesforce.com. "It's really a mixed audience," he says. "We have nine-year customers who can just take walk in and ace the test, while there are other people who would be best served brushing up. If you’ve only been doing this for one or two years, there’s a good chance the class would be of use."
As the sales profession continues to experience intensified competition, the arrival of the certification program comes just in time for those professionals looking to maintain a competitive edge, Kelleher explains. Gartner, a Connecticut-based research firm, predicts that SaaS will become 25% of the overall software market by 2011. Recognizing the increasing demand, many now try to bill themselves as "experts" in managing SaaS and similar devices. At the same time, companies are devoting more energy to zeroing in on applicants who possess a high level of talent. By receiving certification, job-seekers can win recognition from employers trying to determine their employee’s various abilities.
Noting these trends, Bruce Francis, vice president of corporate strategy for Salesforce.com, says that "With the switch to Software-as-a-Service and Platform-as-a-Service, both companies and individual employees look to us so they can take advantage of these opportunities. What we have with this certification program is an express pass to success for professionals looking to stand out from the crowd."
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