Salesforce Partner

Program Guide for

Consulting
Partners
A go-to resource for Salesforce Consulting
Partners

February 2015
Contents
WHAT  IS  THE  SALESFORCE  PARTNER  PROGRAM  FOR  CONSULTING  PARTNERS?  ...................................................  2  

PROGRAM  OVERVIEW  .....................................................................................................................................................  2  

HOW  DOES  THE  PARTNER  PROGRAM  WORK?  ......................................................................................................  3  

PROGRAM  BENEFITS  .......................................................................................................................................................  3  

PROGRAM  REQUIREMENTS  ...............................................................................................................................................  5  
CORE  ATTRIBUTE  DEFINITIONS  ..........................................................................................................................................  6  
NEW  SUB-­‐ATTRIBUTE  REQUIREMENT:  THE  SALESFORCE  FULLFORCE  INITIATIVE  ..........................................................................  7  
NEW  SUB-­‐ATTRIBUTE  REQUIREMENT:  EMERGING  PRODUCTS  .................................................................................................  8  
PARTNER  TIER  ASSIGNMENTS  ...........................................................................................................................................  9  
CALCULATING  YOUR  PARTNER  VALUE  SCORE  (PVS)  ............................................................................................................  10  
ANNUAL  PVS  TARGETS  BY  COUNTRY  ................................................................................................................................  10  
PROGRAM  FEES  ...........................................................................................................................................................  11  
PROGRAM  FEES  AND  PVS  REQUIREMENTS  BY  TIER  .............................................................................................................  11  
PROGRAM  ADVANCEMENT  .............................................................................................................................................  11  

RESOURCES  TO  MAKE  YOU  AN  EXPERT  ..............................................................................................................  11  

RESOURCES  TO  FOSTER  COLLABORATION  ..........................................................................................................................  13  

RESOURCES  TO  GROW  YOUR  BUSINESS  ..............................................................................................................................  15  
RESOURCES  TO  MANAGE  YOUR  BUSINESS  ...........................................................................................................................  16  

FREQUENTLY  ASKED  QUESTIONS  .......................................................................................................................  18  

PROGRAM  CHANGES  FOR  FISCAL  YEAR  2016  .....................................................................................................................  18  

MEASUREMENT  PROCESS  ...............................................................................................................................................  18  
PROGRAM  ELIGIBILITY  ...................................................................................................................................................  19  
PROGRAM  FEES  AND  PAYMENT  TERMS  .............................................................................................................................  20  
PROGRAM  BENEFITS  .....................................................................................................................................................  21  
PARTICIPATION  IN  THE  SALESFORCE  AUTHORIZED  TRAINING  RESELLER  PROGRAM  .....................................................................  22  
PARTNER  PREMIER  SUPPORT  ..........................................................................................................................................  22  
GENERAL  ASSISTANCE  ...................................................................................................................................................  22  

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 1

What is the Salesforce Partner Program for
Consulting Partners?
The Salesforce Partner Program for Consulting Partners is designed for firms that are inspired to lead the
next phase of innovation and help companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. The
Salesforce Partner Program offers a robust set of resources, training, and tools, enabling you to develop
expertise around specific business functions, product areas, and industries so you can expertly serve
your customers, differentiate your practices, and grow a profitable business. Unlike programs developed
by traditional software providers, the Salesforce Partner Program is built exclusively for the cloud and
takes advantage of the cloud’s unique customer engagement models, economics, and potential to deliver
unparalleled customer success.

The Salesforce Partner Program gives you the support to: “The Salesforce
• Drive customer innovation – As a Salesforce Partner, Consulting Partner
you’ll work with the world’s leading social, mobile, and cloud
technologies to unlock new opportunities and drive Program acknowledges
successful business outcomes for your customers.
• Develop specialized expertise – To ensure customer
partners for the
adoption and ongoing customer satisfaction, you need to investments they make
offer a combination of strategic vision, deep technical skills,
and expertise specific to a customer’s business. The
to the ecosystem.”
Salesforce Partner Program offers a range of programs — –Kai Hsiung
including sales and technical enablement, role-based Chief Revenue Officer
product training, and a portfolio of certifications — to help Silverline
you master Salesforce technologies and develop dedicated
skills around specific Salesforce products, industries, and
geographies.
• Grow a thriving practice – The Salesforce Partner Program is designed to capitalize on the
immense opportunity of the cloud with a collaborative go-to-market approach that will help you
differentiate your practice, generate customer demand, and build a profitable Salesforce practice.

Program Overview

Key Program Features Value

• Foster the development of specialized capabilities
1. Enablement • Support technical skills development
• Ensure successful customer deployments

• Accelerate the sales cycle

2. Sales support • Increase win rates
• Increase deal size

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 2

 • Generate demand
3. Marketing support • Build awareness for and differentiate your practice
• Ensure messaging alignment

• Provide clear terms of engagement

4. Operational infrastructure • Improve business planning productivity
• Reduce administrative resource requirements

How does the Partner Program work?

Recognition of Our Partners’ Total Value Contribution
The Salesforce Partner Program for Consulting Partners is based on a tiered structure that recognizes
the total contribution each company makes to its Salesforce partnership. The program offers five
partnership tiers based on a company’s commitment and the maturation of its Salesforce business:
Global Strategic, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Registered.

Program Benefits
Each program level offers a unique set of benefits to support the growth of our Consulting Partners’
business. With the new program enhancements for FY16, Partners will have access to an expanded
range of benefits based on the level of partnership.

Registered Silver Gold Platinum Global Strategic

General
Access to the Partner
√ √ √ √ √
Community
AppExchange Listing √ √ √ √ √
Access to Partner
√ √ √ √ √
Digital Sales Aid
Monthly Office Hours √ √ √ √ √
Welcome Kit √ √ √ √ √
Eligible for Accelerate
√ √ n/a n/a
Initiative
Partner Management √
Partner Practice
√
Development

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 3

 Registered Silver Gold Platinum Global Strategic

Enablement

Cloud Implementation
√ √ √ √ √
Knowledge Base

Two Free Salesforce

EE User Subscriptions √ √ √ √ √
(internal use)
Free Online Training √ √ √ √ √

Free Support Case

√ √ √ √ √
Packs

Eligible to Resell
√ √ √ √ √
Salesforce Training
Volume Discounts on
√ √ √ √
Certification
Discount on Partner
√ √ √ √
Premier Support

Eligible for AE Case

√ √ √ √
Study Webinar Series

Eligible for Fullforce

√ √ √ √
Initiative

Eligible for Partner

√ √ √
Briefings

Discount on Expert
√ √ √
Services

Discount on
Classroom Regional √ √
Product Bootcamp

Technical Architect
√ √
Voucher (written exam)

Marketing
General Marketing
√ √ √ √ √
Support
Marketing Kits √ √ √ √ √

Demand-Generation
√ √ √ √
Tools

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 4

 Registered Silver Gold Platinum Global Strategic

Marketing (continued)

Eligibility for Marketing

√ √ √ √
Co-Funding (MDF)

PR Resources √ √
Marketing Concierge √ √

Joint Marketing
√
Planning
Sales
Eligible for Referral
√ √ √ √* n/a
Incentives
Onboarding
√ √ √ √ √
Resources
Joint Go-to-Market
√ √
(GTM) Planning

Joint Business
√
Planning

√ = eligible n/a = not applicable * Referral incentives for Platinum partners will be paid in Emerging Markets only

Program Requirements
Beginning in February 2015, Consulting Partner tiers will be
based on a Partner Value Score (PVS). The PVS measures a “We appreciate the
Partner’s contribution over a rolling, 12-month period against
Salesforce-set targets across three main categories: ACV,
transparency of the
Expertise, and Customer Success. All Partners receive a PVS Salesforce Consulting
based on their total contribution to these categories.
Partner Program’s
During the PVS calculation process, Partners are evaluated goals and the clarity
across a range of core attributes associated with the main
categories by country, including total ACV, ACV growth, around what is required
Salesforce certifications, specializations, customer satisfaction
(CSAT), and customer success stories. Salesforce Consulting
of partners.”
Partners score points for each of these weighted attributes, –Garret Carlson
which are tallied over the rolling, 12-month period to determine Director, Strategic Alliances
their PVS. Any contribution to a category will count toward a Slalom Consulting
Partner’s total PVS, which subsequently determines program
eligibility and Partner tier. (Note that you’ll be classified as a
Registered Partner until you achieve the minimum PVS for your
desired tier.)

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 5

The following table defines the PVS core attributes.

Core Attribute Definitions

Core Sub-
Category Definition
Attribute Attribute
Any previously unknown opportunity referred by a Partner as
a lead submitted through the Partner Community and
accepted by the Salesforce Sales team, resulting in new end
Sourced ACV
user purchase of original services, purchase of additional
services, or upgrade to existing services within a rolling 12-
ACV 35% month timeframe.
Partner brings previously unknown intelligence to an existing
Salesforce opportunity or is brought in by the AE to support
ACV Co-Sell ACV the close of an existing Salesforce opportunity within a rolling
12-month timeframe. Note: Co-Sell ACV includes the sum of
Sourced ACV and Joint Sales.
A rolling 12-month comparison between the current Sourced
ACV performance and the previous year’s Sourced ACV
ACV Growth 10% YoY Growth performance. Note: A minimum of $75,000 US/$50,000 non-
US for the previous year’s Sourced ACV performance is
required for eligibility to earn points in this category.
The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect program is
designed for technical architects who want to demonstrate
their knowledge, skills, and capabilities of accessing
Technical customer architecture; designing secure, high-performance
Architect technical solutions on the Force.com platform;
communicating technical solutions and design tradeoffs
effectively to business stakeholders; and providing a delivery
Certifications framework that ensures quality and success.
Expertise 30%
The Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultant exam is
designed for implementation experts who have experience
implementing Sales Cloud solutions in a customer-facing role.
Sales Cloud The Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultant is able to
successfully design and implement Sales Cloud solutions that
meet customer business requirements, are maintainable and
scalable, and contribute to long-term customer success.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 6

 The Salesforce Certified Service Cloud Consultant exam is
designed for implementation experts who have experience
implementing Service Cloud solutions in a customer-facing
role. The Salesforce Certified Service Cloud Consultant is
Service Cloud
able to successfully design and implement Service Cloud
solutions that meet customer business requirements, are
maintainable and scalable, and contribute to long-term
customer success.
The Salesforce Certified Force.com Developer exam is for
individuals who want to demonstrate their knowledge, skills,
Developer
and abilities building custom applications and analytics using
the declarative capabilities of the Force.com platform.
The Salesforce Fullforce Initiative is structured to recognize
Fullforce Initiative deep expertise in a specific area or the development of a
Specialization proven, Salesforce-based services offering.
5% Recognition of Partners that can demonstrate expertise in
Emerging
any of our emerging products, including Data.com, Desk.com,
Products
Heroku, Foundation, Pardot, and Work.com.
Through the registration and closure of at least one or more
projects in our Partner Community within a rolling 18 month
CSAT 15% CSAT
timeframe, customers complete a survey that generates a
Customer
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score for the relevant Partner.
Success
Customer Stories Referenceable information on a Salesforce customer project
Customer Stories within a rolling 18-month timeframe.
5%

New Sub-Attribute Requirement: The Salesforce Fullforce Initiative

The Salesforce Fullforce Initiative is part of the Salesforce Partner Program and recognizes deep
expertise in a specific area or the development of a proven, Salesforce-based services offering.

• Salesforce Fullforce Master – Recognition of a Consulting Partner holding Silver Tier

status or above that satisfies the Salesforce Fullforce Master Program criteria and has
successfully passed the program application and review process for a designated
product or industry.
• Salesforce Fullforce Solution – Recognition of a Consulting Partner holding Silver
Tier status or above that has built an industry solution satisfying the Salesforce
Fullforce Solution criteria and has successfully passed the program application and
review process.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 7

Initially, these designations will focus on the following clouds and industries:

Salesforce
Fullforce Cloud Industry
Initiative

Retail /
Sales Service Financial Comms /
Platform Healthcare Consumer
Cloud Cloud Services Media
Products

Certified Fullforce √ √ √ √
Solution

Fullforce Master √ √ √ √* √* √* √*

√* A Certified Fullforce Solution is required for a Fullforce Master in industry designation

Who qualifies?
In addition to Silver Tier status or above, the qualification criteria for a Fullforce Master or Fullforce
Solution are focused on sales and delivery capabilities and demonstration of customer success. You can
find a comprehensive list of criteria as well as an assessment tool to verify your qualifications in the
Partner Community.

New Sub-Attribute Requirement: Emerging Products

Partners can earn points toward their PVS by demonstrating expertise in one of our emerging products.
(Note: Validation from the program owner for each product is required. See the Partner Community for
details.)

The following products qualify:

• Data.com – Data.com is the Salesforce solution for delivering leading business data inside your
CRM. Use Data.com to search valuable account information from D&B and millions of crowd-sourced
contacts and find the records your business needs. With Data.com Prospector, you can add these
records to Salesforce as new accounts, contacts, and leads, or export them to use in other apps. With
Data.com Clean, you can keep your CRM records clean and up to date.
• Desk.com – Customer service is changing. There are more ways than ever to connect with
customers through social, mobile, and connected devices. Desk.com is an out-of-the-box solution that
lets growing businesses offer personalized support on every channel. We have intuitive agent tools,
powerful reporting, and a streamlined mobile app that can help you offer faster, better customer
service.
• Foundation – The Salesforce Foundation has donated our product to more than 23,000 nonprofit
customers, transforming mission-based organizations throughout the world. Become an expert at
delivering products and services for Nonprofit and Higher Education customers by working in the
Salesforce Foundation market.
• Heroku – Build apps in dozens of modern programming languages — including Ruby on Rails,
Node.js, Python, Java, and more — and then move your app to the Web with a few simple clicks.
Heroku apps scale easily to meet demand, and you get full control, infinite capacity, and independent

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 8

 scaling for each component of an app. Since 2007, companies have created more than 4 million apps
on Heroku, and the platform provides companies from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises with a
faster, more effective way to create, deploy, and manage apps.
• Pardot – Pardot is a leading business-to-business marketing automation software provider. With a
marketing automation software-as-a-service application, Marketing and Sales departments can
create, deploy, and manage online marketing campaigns that increase revenue and maximize
efficiency. Pardot features a certified CRM integration with Salesforce, empowering marketers with
lead nurturing, lead scoring, and ROI reporting to generate and qualify sales leads, shorten sales
cycles, and demonstrate marketing accountability.
• Work.com – Manage sales performance with Work.com through better coaching, motivation, and
team alignment. Motivate and coach your sales team directly within Salesforce. Use coaching to help
more reps achieve quota every month. And recognize your top performers publicly, showcasing what
they’re doing to win deals. Track and measure progress against goals linked to Salesforce data.
Easily evaluate the performance of your teams whenever you choose — after completing a month, a
quarter, a project, or a specific goal. Work.com lets you focus on selling, not on paperwork.

Partner Tier Assignments

For Existing Partners
Starting on February 1, 2015 and continuing through the end “The Salesforce
of the month, Salesforce will undertake an initial Annual
Partner Evaluation during which it will calculate all existing Partner Program is
Partners’ PVS and assign each existing Partner to a program
tier based on the Partner’s then-current PVS. Throughout
constantly evolving
FY16, if Salesforce validates that a Partner qualifies for based on the needs
assignment to a higher Partner tier during a Quarterly Partner
Evaluation Period, Salesforce will notify the Partner of of the business.”
assignment to the higher Partner tier. The benefits associated –Gary DiOrio, President
with the higher Partner tier will apply immediately upon the Salesforce Business Unit
existing Partner’s receipt of such notice. Salesforce will only CloudSherpas
assign qualifying existing Partners to higher Partner tiers
during a Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period.

For New Partners

Starting on February 1, 2015 and continuing throughout FY16, each new Partner will enter the Partner
Program as a Registered Partner until Salesforce notifies the new Partner of assignment to a higher
Partner tier based on Salesforce’s assessment of the new Partner’s PVS during a Quarterly Partner
Evaluation Period. The benefits associated with the higher Partner tier will apply immediately upon the
new Partner’s receipt of such notice.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 9

Calculating Your Partner Value Score (PVS)

Core Attribute Sub-Attribute

Category Core Attribute Sub-Attribute
Point Valuation Point Target
Sourced ACV 200 points
ACV 35% 350 points
Co-Sell ACV 150 points
ACV
ACV Growth 10% 100 points YoY ACV % 100 points

Technical Architect Certification 100 points

Sales Cloud Certification 75 points
Certifications 30% 300 points
Service Cloud Certification 75 points
Expertise
Developer Certification 50 points
35 points Fullforce Initiative 35 points
Specialization 5%
15 points Emerging Products 15 points

CSAT 15% 150 points CSAT Score (rolling 18 months) 150 points
Customer
Success Customer Stories 5% 50 points Customer Stories (rolling 18 months) 50 points

Totals: 1,000 points 1,000 points

Annual PVS Targets by Country

Customer
ACV Expertise Success
(rolling 12 months) (lifetime) (rolling 18
months)

Sourced ACV Co-Sell YoY Technical Sales Service Developer Fullforce Emerging CSAT Customer
ACV Sourced Architects Cloud Cloud Products Stories
Growth
US $2,500,000 $7,500,000 35% 25 25 50

CA $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

BR $300,000 $1,000,000 35% 5 5 10

ROLACA $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

UK $500,000 $1,250,000 35% 15 15 30

DE $300,000 $1,000,000 35% 10 10 20

2 2 1 8.4 10
FR $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

NL $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

ROEMEA $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

AU $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

ROAPAC $250,000 $750,000 35% 5 5 10

JP $500,000 $1,500,000 35% 20 20 40

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 10

Program Fees
To support the ongoing administration of the enhanced Salesforce Partner Program and to provision the
program benefits, Salesforce will charge an annual program fee starting in FY16. All Salesforce
Consulting Partners will be required to meet the program requirements and pay the annual program fee
associated with their respective Partner tier.

Program Fees and PVS Requirements by Tier

Tier Program Fee PVS Requirement

Mature Markets Emerging Markets &

Foundation Partners
Must achieve Platinum Tier in 2 or more Top 8
Countries (1 must be in the US)
Global Strategic* $25,000 n/a
Must commit to Platinum Sponsorship at
Dreamforce
Partner Value Score
Platinum $20,000 $15,000
700–1,000

Partner Value Score

Gold $15,000 $11,250
450–699

Partner Value Score

Silver $5,000 $3,750
250–449

A minimum of 1 individual (holding 2 or more

certifications) or a minimum of 2 individuals
Registered $1,000 $750
(holding at least 1 certification each) in Developer,
Sales Cloud, or Service Cloud.

*Inclusion in Global Strategic Tier is subject to Salesforce approval

Program Advancement
If a Partner pays an annual program fee based on an earlier assignment to a Partner tier and is then
assigned to a higher Partner tier, no additional annual program fees will be due until the next renewal. At
that point, the Partner must pay the annual program fee associated with the Partner tier to which
Salesforce assigns the Partner for the next annual term based on the Annual Partner Evaluation.

Accelerate Initiative Policy

The Accelerate Initiative allows eligible Silver or Gold Partners to upgrade to the next Higher Partner Tier
by paying the difference between the existing tier and the desired higher tier. This will allow the Partner to
st
participate in the Partner Program at that Higher Partner Tier until their renewal (March 1 ). Salesforce
will only review applications during the Annual Partner Evaluation (February) and the Q3 Partner
Evaluation Period (August).

To qualify for the Accelerate Initiative, partners must have met the following:

1. Ranked in the top 25th percentile of Gold or Silver tiers for a specific country. (For example, if
there are 20 Gold partners in the US, the top 5 partners would be eligible for the Accelerate
Initiative)
2. Application approved by leadership.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 11

Resources to Make You an Expert
The first step to becoming a successful Salesforce Consulting Partner is to learn our products. Salesforce
offers a variety of product training programs to help you deliver flawless customer deployments. Here’s an
overview of the resources available to Salesforce Partners:

• Salesforce Certification – Salesforce offers the world’s first “The new Partner
cloud-computing certification program, supported by four
role-based tracks: Administrators, Developers, Cloud-specific Community site not
Consultants, and Technical Architects. For each tier,
candidates must follow a rigorous course of study as well as
only offers us a forum
pass a certification exam. Earning a credential from to engage with other
Salesforce not only provides your team with the skills and
confidence to take full advantage of our technologies, but it is partners, but it’s a
used by customers and Salesforce alike to evaluate your valuable resource that
team’s experience.
We believe certification is so indispensable to your
will support our
customers’ success that we make it a requirement of the continued success.”
Partner Program. Salesforce Consulting Partners are –Barney Haywood, Head
required to have a minimum number of certifications based
Alliances & Strategic Accounts
on membership tier. You can find details on the specific
Redkite
criteria by tier in the Program Requirements section of this
document.
• Technical Architect Vouchers – We provide Global Strategic and Platinum Partners with vouchers
to support their attainment of Salesforce Technical Architect Certification.
• Training delivery options – From online to instructor-led, Salesforce training delivery options give
you the flexibility to build a training plan that meets the specific learning needs of your organization:
§ Online product training – Your team members and new consultants can get up to speed
through our self-paced online courses, eliminating costly travel and time away from billable
customer engagements. Courses are organized by role so your consultants can easily locate the
appropriate training for their particular needs.
To help you save money and administer training for your team, we offer subscription-based
Premier Training, which provides unlimited access to our large catalog of self-paced online
courses as well as discounts on instructor-led courses.
§ Public, instructor-led courses – Offered in a classroom setting, these courses are led by
Salesforce experts who guide you through hands-on exercises and share examples from a wide
range of successful implementation projects. You can start with fundamentals such as
Administrative and Implementation Essentials or jump to the coursework that best fits your
knowledge and experience. Instructor-led courses are offered throughout the year. You can find
the current schedule in the online Salesforce course catalog: http://www.salesforce.com/services-
training/training_certification/course_catalog.jsp

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 12

 § Private, instructor-led courses – If you want to train a group of consultants or developers, you
can save money and effort by having Salesforce conduct a private training course at your
workplace. For more information and scheduling, contact your Partner Account Manager.
• Salesforce University for Partners (previously known as Partner Academy) – Take up to a 2-day
session that combines presentations from Partner Productivity Managers, solution experts, and local
Sales teams. Practice sessions are targeted for business development professionals focused on
Salesforce best practices, staff development, and sales effectiveness. The Technical Certification
Workshops focus on preparation for cloud-specific certifications or the Technical Architect
Certification.
• New! Generate additional revenue with Salesforce Training – Beginning in February 2015,
Salesforce is excited to offer Salesforce Consulting Partners another opportunity to build their
business and increase their deal sizes. Partners can now offer Salesforce University training directly
to their customers — and profit. Delivered by Salesforce Certified Trainers, Salesforce University
courses let Partners offer flexible training options without having to staff instructors or manage
training events.
• New! Volume discounts on Certifications – Salesforce Consulting Partners can take advantage of
discounts on professional certifications and maintenance exams. Partners can purchase new,
discounted exam vouchers that are simpler and easier to use with multiple certification exams and
feature an extended expiration date of 2 years.
• New! Discount on classroom regional product live bootcamp – Salesforce Consulting Partners
enjoy priority access to live, regional product bootcamps at discount pricing. Designed to shorten time
to readiness for Partner employees, these bootcamps are packed with updates, skills training, demos,
tools, and other resources to accelerate sales. Bootcamp participants also get access to video
versions of bootcamp sessions.
• New! Case study webinar series – Salesforce Consulting Partners can nominate their customers for
video-based case study profiles. Featuring the Partner’s engagement and highlighting the customer’s
success, these videos are created by the Salesforce StoryForce team, ensuring high quality and
creativity.
• Staying current with Salesforce – We provide three releases a year, which means our cloud app is
constantly evolving. New training is available free online with every release. Members of our Partner
Community can also participate in periodic product briefings to keep up to date. These sessions cover
changes and enhancements to our entire product portfolio, providing exclusive insights that can be
critical to your continued success as a Salesforce Partner.

Resources to Foster Collaboration

The cloud shifts the focus from installation to customer adoption and satisfaction, requiring ongoing
engagement and tight collaboration between vendors and Partners. As a Salesforce Consulting Partner,
you have access to a broad range of tools, insights, and best practices to support you through the
different phases of a customer project.

• Monthly webinar series – Produced by our Productivity and Partner Programs teams, this
interactive series covers topics related to implementation and Partner selling success.
• Partner Welcome Kit – Available on the Partner Community, the Welcome Kit offers a set of
resources to help you get started with the Salesforce Consulting Partner Program.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 13

• Monthly office hours – We invite all Partners to attend bi-monthly office hour sessions with a
Salesforce panel of experts across Programs, Operations, Marketing, Sales, and Support to get
answers to your burning questions.
• Partner Forum – Join Salesforce executives, product leaders, and other experts from the Consulting
Partner Community for a full-day program designed to inspire customer transformation and
Salesforce innovation. Participation is limited to individuals with at least one of the following
certifications: Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, or Advanced Developer.
• Monthly partner onboarding webinars – Partners can participate in monthly webinars to help with
the onboarding process. Learn how to navigate the Partner Community, register a project, publish a
listing on the AppExchange, and more.
• Sales kits by product – Whether your focus is Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, the Force.com platform,
or Chatter, you’ll find first-call decks, demos, datasheets, white papers, FAQs, a list of top discovery
questions, and much more on the Partner Community.
• Developer Force – Get started with Force.com, the leading cloud-computing platform for custom
application development. As a Salesforce Consulting Partner, you can join Developer Force and gain
access to a free Developer Edition environment plus self-guided tutorials, toolkits, and downloadable
reference books on Force.com fundamentals and advanced techniques.
• Community discussion boards – Discuss your concerns and connect with the community. We offer
technically oriented boards around Force.com development, including specific technologies such as
Force.com code (Apex), Force.com pages (Visualforce), Force.com sites, Java, .NET, and much
more. We also offer general boards that cover a range of topics, including Salesforce best practices,
desktop integration, and product discussions.
• Test and demo orgs – Test new technologies, create customized demos, and develop proofs of
concept for your prospects and customers. All editions are available from the Partner Community.
• New! Free Support Case Packs – These packs are based on a flexible “use as needed” model and
include a set number of cases depending on your program tier:

Global Strategic 20 case packs

Platinum 15 case packs

Gold 10 case packs

Silver 5 case packs

Registered 2 case packs

With Support Case Packs, you’ll receive a faster initial response of 1–8 hours (depending on the case
severity level) plus Developer Support and a Priority Queue to route cases directly to Tier 2 and 24/7
toll-free phone support.
• New! Discount on Partner Premier – If Partner is interested in purchasing the Partner Premier
Success plan, you will get a 10% discount off the $24,000 fee.
• Formal technical support – Includes Salesforce Basic Support as well as access to our new Partner
Premier Success Plan:
§ Basic Partner Support – This free service includes:
• Unlimited application and Partner Program-related support
• Online case submission with 2-day initial response time for all case types and severities
• Proactive alerts and outage communication

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 14

 § Partner Premier Success Plan – Includes the above, plus:
• Immediate access to our expert technical resources.
• Continuous coverage – Support is available 24/7 via toll-free phone or the Partner
Community for Severity 1 cases.
• Fast response time – Response is within 1 hour for Severity 1 cases logged via the Partner
Community.
• An assigned Partner Premier Support representative serves as a single point of contact and
provides proactive case management and technical best practices.
• Premier Developer Support offers error-related troubleshooting and code reviews plus best
practices to help you build apps on the Force.com platform.
• Notifications – Receive advance notice of planned maintenance and downtimes.
• Partner Premier Success review – A review of your cases, escalations, and resource usage
ensures you’re taking full advantage of your Partner Premier subscription.

For access to this Partner Premier Success Plan benefit or help with technical and Partner
Program issues, simply log in to the Partner Community and submit a case. If you’re onsite with a
Premier customer, you can also log a case on your customer’s behalf.

Resources to grow your business

Building awareness for your company, marketing your services, differentiating yourself from the
competition, and generating leads: these are the building blocks of every successful organization. Being a
Salesforce Consulting Partner helps position you as committed to driving customer innovation — with the
experience to back it up. We can help with the following:

• New! Onboarding resources – New Partners have access to the Partner Onboarding team and a
range of resources specifically designed to help you get a successful start as a Salesforce Partner.
• New! Marketing Concierge – Go-To-Market (GTM) Directors are the first point of contact for
Platinum Partners. These Partners can also take advantage of Salesforce marketing expertise
through our concierge service by submitting business and marketing questions and ideas via email to
[email protected]. Our team members will respond within 2 business days.
• New! Marketing Kits – All Salesforce Consulting Partners can download our growing portfolio of
demand generation planning tools, best practices guides, and creative templates from the Partner
Community.
• New! Eligibility for Marketing Co-Funding (MDF) – The Partner Marketing Co-Funding Program is
designed to fuel your Salesforce-based marketing activities. Each quarter, a pool of marketing funds
is allocated by the GTM team to support the execution of Partner-led marketing activities that
generate demand for Salesforce products.
• Joint Go-to-Market (GTM) Planning – Global Strategic and Platinum Partners work directly with
their dedicated Partner Account Managers or GTM Directors to develop a set of key objectives based
on their business needs and action plans to accomplish these objectives.
GTM plans are intended to be living documents that are co-developed, agreed upon, and reviewed
together on an ongoing basis. Key benefits of GTM plans include:
§ Common understanding of the Salesforce Partner’s business potential
§ Clear expectations of the partnership, success criteria, and respective roles and responsibilities
across the value chain

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 15

 § Expedient and rigorous assessments of which initiatives will provide the best return on resource
investment
§ Improved resource utilization that leverages combined resources
§ Analysis of the Partner’s capabilities to determine the best partnering strategy
§ Integration and coordination of activities to promote the partnership internally to the Salesforce
Sales and Customers for Life organizations and externally to prospects and customers
§ Alignment of Partner and Salesforce messaging and communications to existing and potential
customers
To begin working on your GTM plan, contact your Partner Account Manager or GTM Director.
• Salesforce content syndication – As a Consulting Partner, you can provide a way for your website
visitors to learn more about Salesforce, and we’ll repay you with qualified leads. Simply embed a
Salesforce “free trial” button (with the code we provide) anywhere on your site. When anyone coming
from your site activates a trial, we’ll send you an email with a link to the new lead along with follow-up
instructions on how to qualify the lead for credit. We’ll even add the lead to your Partner Community
lead view.
This is a true win-win-win scenario: Your prospects get valuable content from Salesforce. In true
cloud-computing fashion, we manage the copy, images, and lead buttons so you don’t have to (you
can even choose from multiple languages). And with Salesforce content syndication, you gain
recognition as a Salesforce Partner, along with a list of qualified leads.
• The AppExchange services and solutions marketplace – As a Salesforce Consulting Partner, you
can market and deliver your services and solutions via the AppExchange to the largest cloud-
computing customer audience — more than 100,000 customers and counting. Listings include an
overview and details of your services, optional pricing, and customer reviews that evaluate quality,
cost, and adherence to schedule; experience, number of Salesforce-certified professionals, and
additional satisfaction metrics; and a profile you can use to augment your listing with demos, white
papers, and customer success stories.
• Event sponsorships – Sponsorships give you access to high-value, lead-generation opportunities
and more attention from our Sales and Marketing teams, the Developer Community, and press and
analysts. You’ll find a central clearinghouse for reserving targeted sponsorships of conferences,
gatherings, and Web properties in the Market section of the Partner Community.
• And more – The Go-to-Market section of the Partner Community offers a host of marketing tools and
resources to help you generate awareness and drive demand for your products and services. You’ll
also find PR templates, logos, and usage guidelines that help you align with the Salesforce brand and
promote your relationship with our company.

Resources to manage your business

Our account, lead, opportunities, and project management resources will not only help you stay
organized, but give your organization hands-on experience with cloud-based CRM.

• New! Access to the Partner Community – The Partner Community is your go-to resource for the
latest partner information or technical and sales enablement resources and to engage with other
Partners.
• New! Access to the Partner Digital Sales Aid (PSA) – A content delivery app that works via a
browser or mobile device, the PSA provides access to the same sales content available to the

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 16

 Salesforce Sales team. The PSA helps you quickly find content to build presentations and gather
information for your customer and prospect meetings.
• Partner newsletter – Receive regular updates on the Partner Program, tips from Salesforce experts,
insights from peers, info about networking events, and educational opportunities via the Partner
newsletter. Keep your personal information up to date in the Partner Community so you can stay in
the know and don’t miss a single edition of the Salesforce Partner Newsflash.
• Salesforce Certification management –The certifications attained by your organization are
essential marketing tools to promote your skills and Salesforce expertise. Your individual team
members can easily link their completed certifications to your partner account through Webassessor,
our certification exam provider. The number of certified professionals on your staff will be displayed to
prospects and customers via your AppExchange listings.
• My Leads – This feature lets you submit, view, and edit leads and be eligible to earn a percentage of
the revenue for referred accounts.
• My Opportunities – Qualified leads are converted to new opportunities, which we tag as Partner-
sourced and assign to an Account Executive, who will discuss the opportunity with you. My
Opportunities will keep you both on the same page: tracking current status, the active AE, your role in
the sale, and, once the opportunity is won, the dollar amount.
• Customer satisfaction surveys – Monitoring customer satisfaction lets you evaluate your projects’
success and provides insight into your customers’ assessment of the value you delivered. As you
complete a customer project and enter the project end date in the Partner Community, you’re
required to send out a satisfaction survey. Your project status will not change to “Completed” until
your customer returns the survey. Survey results will appear within your AppExchange listings to help
potential customers evaluate your services. We also use this information internally to evaluate your
performance during our formal partner reviews.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 17

Frequently Asked Questions
Program Changes for Fiscal Year 2016
Q: What were the main changes made to the program for FY16?
A: The major changes for FY16 are:

• A new tiering process based on a holistic view of Partner value contribution

• Expanded program benefits to support Partner success
• Enhanced Partner enablement programs and resources
• Introduction of annual program fees

Measurement Process
Q: How are Partners measured against program requirements?
A: Partners are measured against the program based on a weighted scoring model called Partner Value
Score (PVS). The PVS model provides a holistic approach to measuring Partners based upon their total
value contribution.

The FY15 measurement process will retire on February 1, 2015, and Partners will no longer be required
to achieve 100% of the criteria to qualify for each tier. With the PVS model, Salesforce now will be able
recognize our Partners for any contribution they make in each category.

Q: What is the Partner Value Score?

A: Salesforce’s Partner Value Score (or PVS) measures a Partner’s contribution over the course of a
rolling, prior 12-month period against Salesforce-set Fiscal Year targets in the following Partner Program
metrics: ACV, Expertise, and Customer Success.

Q: I’m an existing Salesforce Partner. What happens to my current status on February 1?

A: On February 1, 2015, we’ll retire the existing program’s measurement process and will conduct the
Annual Partner Evaluation Period where we’ll implement the new Partner Value Score (PVS) model. The
Annual Partner Evaluation Period will last throughout the month of February, during which Salesforce
calculates each Partner’s PVS based on contributions from the prior Fiscal Year. Upon completion of its
evaluation of each Partner, Salesforce will assign the Partner to the Partner tier for which it qualifies for
the current Fiscal Year based on the Partner’s PVS. A Partner’s assignment to a Partner tier as part of
the Annual Partner Evaluation will apply for the remainder of the Fiscal Year unless Salesforce later
elevates the Partner to a higher Partner tier after a follow-on Quarterly Partner Evaluation

Q: How does a Partner advance through the program tiers?

A: If a Partner pays an Annual Program Fee based on its earlier assignment to one Partner tier and is
then assigned to a higher Partner tier during a Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period, no additional annual
program fees will be due until the next renewal. They will advance to a higher tier at no additional charge.

Q: Can I be demoted to a lower tier?

A: Only during the Annual Partner Evaluation Period can a partner be demoted into a lower tier. Partners
will not be demoted into a lower tier during a Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 18

Q: Do existing Partners need to take any action to stay in the program for FY16?
A: No. There is no action required from Partners at this time. On March 1, all partners will receive their tier
assignments and instructions on how to pay the program fee.

Q: Can I advance to the next tier outside of the Quarterly Evaluation Period?
A: No. Partners can only advance during the Partner Quarterly Evaluation Period. Partners achieving the
minimum PVS for the higher tier at any point during the quarter will need to wait until the beginning of the
next quarter for their tier to be updated.

Q: How will I know if I qualified for advancement?

A: We will issue a notification letters to all Partners that qualified for advancement shortly after the
Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period has closed.

Program Eligibility
Q: Does the Registered Tier require 2 certified individuals or 2 certifications? Can a company with
1 employee with 2 certifications qualify to be a Registered Partner?
A: The Registered Tier requires a minimum of 1 individual (holding 2 or more certifications) or a minimum
of 2 individuals (holding at least 1 certification each). The certifications that count toward the requirement
are Developer, Sales Cloud, or Service Cloud.

Q: For the higher tiers under the Expertise category, is the new requirement still the number of
certified individuals or is it the total number of certifications?
A: We changed this requirement to now reflect certifications by cloud: Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and
Developer.

Q: Does the Consulting Program include Nonprofits and Higher Education ACV contributions?
A: Yes. Any nonprofit or higher education ACV contributions count toward the Partner’s overall value
contribution.

Q: If I want to enroll in the Accelerate Initiative, whom do I contact?

A: A Partner can contact the GTM Director, Partner Account Manager, Onboarding Team contact, or
submit a case on the Partner Community to request information on how to enroll in the Accelerate
Initiative. Additional fees and qualification requirements apply.

Q: How will you determine qualification for the Emerging Products category?
A: Partners that can demonstrate expertise and are validated by each Emerging Product program owner
will achieve the points associated with this category.

Q: Will Pardot certifications count toward the program?

A: Pardot certifications will not count toward the certification requirements in the Certifications category.
However, this certification along with a complete client implementation will fulfill the Emerging Product
category requirement.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 19

Program Fees and Payment Terms
Q: What are the annual program fees?
A: The annual program fees associated with a Partner’s participation in the Partner Program in a given
Partner tier for an Annual Term are as follows, based on the location of the Partner’s
headquarters/primary registered place of business:

Partner Tier Annual Program Fee Covering the Annual Term

For Partners:
(i) Headquartered in an Emerging Market
For Partners Headquartered in
Country; and
a Mature Market Country
(ii) Foundation Partners (regardless of
location)

Global Strategic $25,000 n/a

Platinum $20,000 $15,000

Gold $15,000 $11,250

Silver $5,000 $3,750

Registered $1,000 $750

Q: What is my annual program term?

A: The Annual Term is the period of any Partner’s participation in the Partner Program starting on
(i) the date of Salesforce’s receipt of an existing Partner’s or any renewing Partner’s timely payment of
the Annual Program Fee associated with the Partner tier to which Salesforce has assigned the Partner
following the first or subsequent Annual Partner Evaluation, or
(ii) for new Partners, the date of the new Partner’s admission to the Partner Program, provided that
Salesforce receives timely payment of the Annual Program Fee associated with the Partner tier to which
Salesforce initially assigns the Partner (in most cases, this will be the Registered Partner Program Tier),
prorated for the remainder of the then-current Annual Term, and ending for all Partners on the last day of
the following February (that is, February 28, or February 29 in leap years).

Q: How do I pay the program fee?

A: General payment policies are below:

1. On or by March 1, 2015, Salesforce will notify existing Partners of their assignment to a program tier
for FY 2016 and will direct partners to the Partner Program Enrollment Process Page for Payment
instructions.
2. Existing Partners have until April 30, 2015 to complete the Partner Program Enrollment Process to
remain in the program.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 20

3. All Partners’ Partner Program participation annual renewal date will be March 1, and if renewed, will
extend the Partner’s participation in the Partner Program through the end of the following February.

Q: If I am a partner in more than 1 country, do I need to pay program fees twice?

A: No. Partners will only need to pay for their highest-ranking tier; for example, if a Partner achieved the
Platinum Tier in the US and the Gold Tier in France, the Partner will only need to pay the Platinum
program fee.

Q: If I don’t want to pay for inclusion in a higher tier, do I have to advance?

A: No. Partners can choose to remain in a lower tier if they don’t want to advance in the program. They
will only receive the benefits associated with the tier for which they pay the program fee.

Q: Can I be upgraded through the Accelerate Initiative outside of the Annual Partner Evaluation
and the Q3 Partner Evaluation?
A: No. We will only advance Accelerate partners twice a year during the above partner evaluations.

Q: How will I know if I qualify for the Accelerate Initiative?

A: Partners will be able to apply to be an Accelerate Partner via the Partner Community starting on March
st
1 . If application is approved, we will notify the partner and provide payment instructions.

Q: How much does it cost to be an Accelerate Partner?

A: If you are a Silver Partner, the cost to advance to Gold will be $10,000 (the difference from Silver and
Gold). If you are a Gold Partner, the cost to advance to Platinum is $5,000 (the difference from Gold to
Platinum). This is a one-time non-refundable fee and is owed in addition to the annual program fee
already paid.

Program Benefits
Q: Are discounts still available to Partners for training and certification?
A: Yes. Partners are entitled to new discounts based upon their partner tier and their higher reseller tier if
they elect to become a Salesforce Authorized Training Reseller. Specific partner discount details will be
available in the Partner Community. Accelerate Initiative participants will receive the discount tier they are
entitled to in the higher Partner tier.

Q. Do my training purchases count toward ACV when calculating my Partner Value Score?
A: Yes. Salesforce recognizes Partners’ commitment to internal training by including the value of training
purchases in the PVS calculation.

Q. Are all certifications discounted?

A: No. Some advanced level certifications require additional evaluation models and are not discounted.

Q. Are discounts available on certification preparation programs?

A: Yes. Salesforce University now offers 1-day, certification preparation focused classes at a discount to
Partners. These classes are available through both virtual and in-person formats.

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 21

Participation in the Salesforce Authorized Training Reseller Program
Q. Can Partners now resell Salesforce Authorized Training?
A: Yes. All Partners can now sign up to resell Salesforce Authorized Training.

Q. Is there any limit to how much revenue a Partner can make reselling training?
A: No. Partners can boost their revenue with high-volume training sales regardless of their Partner tier.

Q. Does a Partner need a training team to become a reseller?

A: No. Working with the Partner, Salesforce University instructors can handle the setup and delivery of
the training.

Q. Where will the training take place?

A: Training can occur at the customer’s location, at a local training center, or at the Partner’s location.

Q. Does the Partner Value Score take into consideration the training a Partner resells?
A: Yes. Partners that resell Salesforce Authorized Training will see the value of the training added to their
ACV to calculate their Partner Value Score.

Partner Premier Support

Q: If I already have Partner Premier Success and I will start paying the Consulting Partner
Program fees, which include a certain number of cases based on my program tier, do I get any
discounts?
A: Unfortunately, you will not get a discount on the Consulting Partner Program fee; however, upon
renewal of your Partner Premier Success, Salesforce will apply a discount.

Q: What should I do if my company uses all our cases before our contract expires?
A: You can contact your Partner Account Manager who can help you purchase an additional pack of 5,
10, or 20 cases for an additional fee or you can purchase Partner Premier Support at a discounted fee.

Q: Will I receive a welcome packet on how to use the Partner Tech Support Case Pack?
A: Yes. Included in your Consulting Partner Program will be a section on how to leverage your Tech
Support Case Pack, including tech support global access phone support, SLAs, support case routing,
escalation path, and more.

Q: Will I be notified when I can start using my Tech Support cases?

A: Yes. Once your Consulting Partner Program order is activated, you can start using your cases.

Q: Will I be notified if I have used all my cases?

A: Yes. Upon hitting the limit of cases you’re entitled to, you’ll receive an email notification that you’ve
reached the limit and any future cases logged will be downgraded to Partner Standard Support.

General Assistance
Q: If I don’t have a Partner Account Manager (PAM), whom can I contact if I have a question?

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 22

A: For general help, you can send an email to our Onboarding Team at [email protected].

Version 1.1 Salesforce | 23