Salesforce consultant: how to become one, certifications, and salary in Brazil

This guide is about the career. If you came here looking to hire a Salesforce consultancy for your company, the right article is how to choose a Salesforce consultancy, with selection criteria, a checklist, and questions for the selection meeting.

The technology market is constantly evolving. In this changing landscape, the demand for professionals specialized in CRM platforms, such as Salesforce itself, stand out.  

The Salesforce consultant career grows every day and requires skilled professionals. It involves knowledge to implement and adapt the tool to each organisation's needs, optimising processes and contributing to a better customer experience.  

This raises the questions:  

1. How do you become a Salesforce consultant?  

2. What skills are needed?  

3. What does it take to stand out in the market?  

In this article, we will answer these questions and show possible paths for your career.  

How do you become a Salesforce consultant?  

To become a consultant Salesforce you need to combine technical and interpersonal skills with certifications. The first step in defining what a consultant is, without a doubt, is gaining in-depth knowledge of the product or service you are working with.  

For Salesforce, you will need to master the platform in depth, which has a range of features, including CRM, marketing and sales automation, customer service and more!  

In this regard, you can study on Trailhead, Salesforce's official learning platform, where you will find various free modules and certifications, in addition to paid courses that guide your self-improvement.  

In addition, a Salesforce specialist needs a deep strategic and business perspective; this is essential for working on a range of projects, whether understanding each business's needs or adapting the tool according to company business rules.    

What is the advantage of being a Salesforce specialist?  

Being a Salesforce consultant requires dedication and knowledge, but the career offers countless professional advantages. The platform is a leader in the CRM market, which means high demand for certified consultants and diverse opportunities at companies of different sizes, whether as an internal employee or an independent consultant.  

According to Trailhead, global job demand in the field is expected to grow by 250% year after year. Beyond strong opportunity, salaries are also competitive and vary according to experience, certifications, and the professional's location.  

Flexibility is also a positive point in this career, as it is possible to work as a freelancer or independent consultant with flexible working hours and locations.  

As consultants gain specialisations and practical project experience, they can advance their careers by working at larger companies, delivering projects, and managing teams.   

Technical skills required for a consultant   

To build a successful career as a Salesforce consultant, you need to master certain technical skills, such as a deep understanding of how the platform and its features work, including user management, permissions, and layout customization.  

In addition, understanding systems integration and process automation is important to successfully integrate Salesforce with other ERPs and systems, and automate workflows and business processes.  

The Salesforce consultant will work in collaboration with the Salesforce developer, which is why familiarity with systems development is useful for requesting technical solutions and negotiating with developers.   

Behavioural skills needed by a consultant  

Behavioral skills are extremely important in a consultant's day-to-day work, as the professional will need to work well with teams and clients.  

For this, clear and effective communication is indispensable: it means conveying your message confidently and being able to explain technical concepts efficiently to colleagues, stakeholders and people without Salesforce experience. 

Skills such as data analysis and problem-solving are also highly relevant to a consultant's routine. Data is fundamental to decision-making; by collecting, analysing, and interpreting it, consultants can offer business insights and help solve technical and business problems. 

Whether as an independent consultant or a company employee, the consultant will need to manage their time very well in order to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines as expected, delivering satisfactory results.  

What are the main Salesforce certifications?   

As mentioned above, certifications are an important step for anyone who wants to start in the career. For this, there is the Trailhead, Salesforce's own free online platform.

Below are the main certifications:  

Salesforce Certification	Description
Salesforce Certified Administrator	Certification focused on basic platform administration and recommended for beginners.
Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder	Ideal for learning how to develop customized applications in Salesforce.
Business Analyst	This Salesforce certification is ideal for understanding business needs and creating solutions that improve the business.
CRM Analytics and Einstein Discovery Consultant	Designed for consultants, architects, and analysts experienced in designing and implementing solutions on the CRM Analytics and Einstein Discovery platforms.
Data Cloud Consultant	Recommended for people experienced in implementing and advising companies on data platforms.
Education Cloud Consultant	This Salesforce certification is aimed at those experienced in implementing Education Cloud solutions.
Experience Cloud Consultant	This certification is for professionals experienced in implementing and advising on Experience Cloud, working with customers and knowing how to solve platform issues.
Field Service Consultant	Aimed at those experienced in administering and configuring Salesforce who can advise clients on field-service operations.
Marketing Cloud Account Engagement Consultant	For those experienced in implementing Account Engagement solutions for clients, as well as creating solutions that meet business needs and ensure long-term success.
Marketing Cloud Consultant	An ideal certification for those who know how to configure and implement the platform's email tools, creating solutions for tactical and strategic campaigns. Certification requires broad Salesforce knowledge, platform management and working with teams to define needs.
Nonprofit Cloud Consultant	It is aimed at consultants experienced in creating and implementing Nonprofit Cloud solutions that meet customer needs.
OmniStudio Consultant	Salesforce certification for those experienced in advising on the development of cloud applications using OmniStudio tools.
Sales Cloud Consultant	For consultants experienced in implementing Sales Cloud solutions.
Service Cloud Consultant	For those experienced in implementing Service Cloud solutions for clients. The Salesforce specialist must create solutions for customer needs.

Salary of a Salesforce consultant  

A Salesforce consultant's salary varies widely. Factors such as experience, certifications and company location are paramount in determining compensation. In addition, an independent consultant's remuneration differs from that of a consultant employed by a company. 

However, according to Glassdoor, the average salary in Brazil is R$6,000 to R$10,000 per month for a mid-level Salesforce consultant and R$8,000 to R$18,000 for a specialist consultant with more experience and advanced certifications.   

Possible paths for a Salesforce consultant 

A Salesforce specialist consultant can follow several paths according to their life and career goals and interests. This flexibility makes the market more attractive. Below, you will learn a little more about each possibility.  

Working at Salesforce  

The second possibility is to work directly at Salesforce. This is possible because the company offers consulting opportunities on its internal teams or alongside its customers.  

It is an excellent option for those seeking stability, deeper platform expertise and growth within a company respected in the market.   

Opening a Salesforce-specialised company 

If you are an entrepreneur, this option is highly attractive. Opening a company specialising in areas such as marketing, sales, customer service, or application development increases demand and value in the market.  

In addition, with demand for Salesforce services, many companies seek specialized consultancies to implement and manage the platform, making this a continuously expanding market. 

These professionals not only help companies implement solutions that meet their specific needs, but also ensure a superior customer experience. The ability to adapt and optimise the Salesforce platform is a skill that makes a difference to a company's success. 

Working at an authorised Salesforce consultancy  

This is an excellent option for Salesforce specialists seeking exposure to a variety of projects and clients.  

Authorised Salesforce consultancies allow you to gain broad and diverse experience in a relatively short period, which can also mean faster career growth. 

It is often the path that accelerates a career most, because it exposes the consultant to different industries, company sizes and challenges quickly, always with a senior team nearby to consult.

A WeeNow works exactly in this model, with consultants on Salesforce projects for clients across several industries. If this is the path that interests you, you can follow our open positions on our careers page.

And if you have reached this point from the other side of the counter, meaning you represent a company that needs hire a Salesforce team rather than becoming a consultant, the right resource is the guide to how to choose a Salesforce consultancy, which covers evaluation criteria, warning signs, and questions to ask at the selection meeting.