US Ski and Snowboard and SaltClick - A relationship built on shared purpose
SaltClick has become a trusted partner of U.S. Ski and Snowboard through a spirit of caring and shared purpose. Our goals are their goals. Our wins are their wins. Their team, both support staff and the athletes themselves, are our team.
TECHNOLOGIES
U.S. Ski and Snowboard is a NGB that covers multiple Winter Olympic events. Based in Park City Utah, they are in a perfect location to support the athletes as well as attract support for their program. Considered one of the larger and more recognizable NGBs, U.S. Ski and Snowboard aspires to lead the way in using technology to create efficiencies for NGBs.
Why Now
With an economy that is sure to tighten donated funds, they are looking for ways to create efficiencies with technology, allowing them to do more with fewer paid staff.
Project Boundaries
$300,000-$450,000
The Project
Understanding their frustrations about Salesforce and their, then, partner.
Building trust through small, inexpensive wins rather than trying to force large, risky, bloated projects
Helping them with business process issues even if they are not "Salesforce" related
Getting to KNOW primary stakeholders and what their jobs are rather than simply "if" they have requirements
Never miss an opportunity to brand SaltClick as a partner who cares about their cause
The Introduction Moment
At SaltClick, we realize that there are many Salesforce Partners a company could chose to work with. We could get caught up in a game of hourly rates, or the number of certifications we have, or how long we've been in business. But what we've learned is that while those things are important to give exceptional results to our clients, when all of the noise is turned off, clients will do business with the partner they like and trust. We genuinely view our clients as our friends and coworkers. We've found that because of this, our clients even like to "line us up" with their friends which has lead to some unbelievable doors being opened for our young Salesforce practice. Recently SaltClick has been introduced through our U.S. Ski and Snowboard network to the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee about some initiatives that could benefit all Olympic sports and the National Governing Bodies who make the Olympic and Paralympic games possible.
The Deal Clarity Moment
One of the key components to our relationship is flexibility. Many Managed Services offerings are anything but flexible. Only certain resources are available and SLAs can be all over the map. U.S. Ski and Snowboard have had the same SaltClick point of contact since day one. And that person is not a salesperson, they are a hands-on keyboard Certified Salesforce Admin who brings with her more experience and institutional knowledge about U.S. Ski and Snowboard than the vast majority of people who work there. Not only does this make her a vital resource for client, it give us peace of mind that when she makes recommendations they can be trusted. SaltClick will always allocate the best person for every task depending on the skills required. But having someone to quarterback those initiatives is an invaluable asset to both us and our client.
The Moment of Trust
Shortly after SaltClick became a Salesforce Partner, we realized that finding customers was up to us and we could not yet rely on Salesforce AEs to even answer our communications let alone bring us business because we were unknown and thus unproven. The U.S. Ski and Snowboard team was literally in our DNA. Our company's primary investor has a son who is a member of the downhill team and we had always been very proud of that. Through persistence and networking, we finally were able to get in touch with the CTO to discuss Salesforce. Timing was on our side due to the fact that they recently had some struggles and frustration with their Salesforce partner. SaltClick determined that the best way to build trust was to first learn about how they were using Salesforce, what they were not getting from their partner, and what they wanted to be able to do with the platform. In their moment of frustration with both Salesforce and their partner, we actively listened, rather than actively sold.
The Eureka Moment
The result of the multiple conversations with U.S. Ski and Snowboard may have sent many partners running for the exit. They have very tight budgets, differing levels of buy-in from leadership, and multiple siloed systems and departments that weren't communicating. Perhaps it was a combination of a brand new Salesforce Partner willing to take any work they could get and that shared sense of commitment to the organization that prompted SaltClick to lower its rates, carve off bite-sized wins, give them time with our smartest team members and really show them the art of the possible. But perhaps the most valuable thing SaltClick did had nothing to do with Salesforce or consulting. After meeting with the Director of Athlete Career and Education, we learned that there was a huge need for meaningful earning opportunities for athletes. SaltClick jumped in and started an Athlete Internship program. That one gesture still gets mentioned to this day as the reason they stick with SaltClick.
The Red Moment
As a new Salesforce Partner, we were learning the ropes and not everything went smoothly. One major challenge working with tight budgets, especially in the non-profit space, is that every dollar is critical and it leaves very little room for mistakes. Early in the SaltClick/US Ski and Snowboard relationship there were outcomes that didn't meet the expectations of the client. Either through miscommunication or not clearly defining requirements, estimates were exceeded and we were at risk of becoming another partner who was expensive and didn't get the results that the client needed. Rather than finger pointing or making excuses, SaltClick credited hours to get things back on track, something that no other partner had done for them. This created a culture of accountability that persists to this day at SaltClick.
The Ribbon Cutting Moment
As businesses we often think that organizations have relationships. In reality, they don't. People do. Just like the strongest personal relationships, they are built over time. They are built through hard work. They are built through adversity. And the very best relationships are built on a foundation of shared purpose. We can't point to one win, one successful initiative, or one Salesforce update that is the reason for our strong relationship with U.S. Ski and Snowboard. Rather it is the slow and consistent progress towards a common goal that comes to mind when trying to define the relationship as successful.
The ROI Moment
SaltClick was recently on a demo call with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee where we were given the opportunity to show some of the fantastic features we've built in Salesforce for U.S. Ski and Snowboard and National Ability Center. The demo had such a positive impact that they let us know that we were at the top of the list for a major initiative that had only gone out to one other partner. We know who that partner is. This is quite the David and Goliath situation and we're not Goliath. But due to the strong relationship we have with our current NGB clients and the quality of the work we've done for them we feel confident that we'll not only win that business, but that USOPC will be in better hands and end up spending less for a vastly superior result.
"SaltClick knows what we do and what is important to us. The internship program for the athletes really drove buy-in from the executive sponsorship. Using a different partner wouldn't make sense."
TEAM
Michelle Izatt
Senior Consultant
Dan Eyring
Senior Business Analyst
Lisa Erickson
Project Manager