Salesforce Partner

Program Guide for

Consulting Partners

FY17 Program Program Year (March 1, 2016 February 28, 2017)

A detailed guide to the Consulting Partner Program
Last Update: November 2016

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Table of Contents

Salesforce Partner Program for Consulting Partners Overview ..

How does the Salesforce Partner Program for Consulting Partners work? .
Program Requirements ..
Core Attribute Definitions .
New Sub-Attribute Requirement: Specialization
New Sub-Attribute Requirement: Expanded Knowledge ..
Partner Tier Assignments ..
Calculating Your Partner Value Score (PVS) ..
Annual PVS Targets by Country .
Program Fees
Program Fees and PVS Requirements by Tier .
Program Advancement ..
Program Benefits ...
Partner Resources ..
Frequently Asked Questions .
Program Changes for Fiscal Year 2017 .
Measurement Process .
Program Eligibility ..
Program Requirements ..
Program Requirements ..
General .

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

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 partners to develop expertise
around specific business functions, product areas, and industries so they can best serve customers, differentiate
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 its unique customer
engagement models, economics, and potential to deliver unparalleled customer success.
The Salesforce Partner Program gives you the ability to:
Drive customer innovation As a Salesforce Partner, youll work with the worlds leading social, mobile, and
cloud technologies to unlock new opportunities and drive successful business outcomes for your customers.
Develop specialized expertise To ensure customer adoption and ongoing customer satisfaction, you need to
offer a combination of strategic vision, deep technical skills, and expertise specific to a customers business. The
Salesforce Partner Program offers a range of programs including sales and technical enablement, role-based
product training, and a portfolio of certifications to help 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 helps partners differentiate their
practice, generate customer demand, and build a profitable Salesforce practice.
How does the Partner Program work?
The Salesforce Partner Program for Consulting Partners is based on a tiered structure that recognizes the total
contribution each partner makes to its Salesforce partnership. The program offers five tiers based on a
companys commitment and the maturation of its Salesforce business. Tiers include: Global Strategic, Platinum,
Gold, Silver, and Registered.

Program Requirements
Consulting Partner tiers are based on a Partner Value Score (PVS). The PVS measures a Partners contribution
over a rolling 12-month period, against Salesforce-set targets across three main categories: 1) ACV, 2) Expertise
and 3) Customer Success. All Partners receive a PVS based on their total contribution to these categories.
During the PVS calculation process, Partners are evaluated across a range of core attributes associated with the
main categories by country, including total ACV, ACV growth, Salesforce certifications, specializations, customer
satisfaction (CSAT) and customer success stories. Salesforce Consulting Partners score points for each of these
weighted attributes, which are tallied over the rolling 12-month period, to determine their PVS. Any contribution
to a category will count towards a Partners total PVS, which subsequently determines program eligibility and
partner tier. Unless partners achieve the minimum PVS for their desired tier, they will be classified as a
Registered Partner.

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

The following table defines the PVS core attributes.

Core Attribute Definitions

Category

Core Attributes

Sub Attribute

ACV 40%

Sourced ACV

Co-Sell ACV
ACV
ACV Growth 5%

YoY Growth

Certs 20%

Tech Architect

Sales Cloud

Expertise

Service Cloud

Platform Developer 1

Fullforce Initiative & Salesforce

Masters
Specialization 10%

Customer Success

Specialization

Expanded Knowledge 5%

Various Certifications

CSAT 15%

CSAT

Customer Stories 5%

Customer Stories

Definition
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
user purchase of original services, purchase of additional services, or upgrade to existing
services within a rolling 12-month timeframe.
Partner brings previously unknown intelligence to an existing Salesforce opportunity or is
brought in by the AE to support 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 years Sourced ACV performance. Note: A minimum of $75,000 US or $50,000
non-US for the previous years Sourced ACV performance is required for eligibility to earn
points in this category. You must achieve at least 35% growth to earn these points. No
partial points are awarded
The Salesforce Certified Technical Architect program is designed for technical architects
who want to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and capabilities of accessing customer
architecture; designing secure, high-performance technical solutions on the Force.com
platform; communicating technical solutions and design tradeoffs to business
stakeholders; and providing a delivery framework that ensures quality and success.
The Salesforce Certified Sales Cloud Consultant exam is designed for implementation
experts who have experience implementing Sales Cloud solutions in a customer-facing
role. 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.
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 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 Platform Developer I credential is for individuals who have
knowledge, skills, and experience building custom applications on the Force.com
platform.
The Fullforce Initiative recognizes a partner for the development of a proven Salesforcebased service offering.
Salesforce Masters is structured to recognize partner Mastery of a Cloud or Industry.
Specializations are the building blocks of the Salesforce Masters initiative. Partners earn
specializations for demonstrated product and industry expertise by submitting projects,
success stories and references.
Partners can earn additional points through obtaining expertise though the following
certifications: App Builder, Advanced Administrator, Platform Developer 2, Pardot
Consultant, Marketing Cloud Consultant , Community Cloud Consultant and all Domain
Specialist certifications as they become available: Development Lifecycle & Deployment
Designer, Integration Architecture Designer, Data Architecture & Management Designer,
Sharing & Visibility Designer, Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer, Identity and Access
Management Designer
Through the registration and closure of at least one or more projects in our Partner
Community within a rolling 18-month timeframe, customers complete a survey that
generates a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Score for the relevant Partner. No partial points
are awarded.
Referenceable information on a Salesforce customer project within a rolling 18-month
timeframe.

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

New Sub-Attribute Requirement: Specialization

Specializations are a component of the Salesforce Masters Initiative. They allow partners Silver and above to be
recognized for demonstrated expertise in Salesforce products and by industry. Specializations are earned by
achieving thresholds for projects, success stories, references and certifications over a rolling 18-month
period. For more information and qualification criteria for specializations and Masters, please visit the Partner
Community.

New Sub-Attribute Requirement: Expanded Knowledge

Partners can now earn points for their contributions in the following certs:
Advanced Administrator - The Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator exam is intended for individuals
with advanced-level experience performing as a Salesforce Administrator.
Platform App Builder The Salesforce Certified Platform App Builder exam is for individuals wanting to
demonstrate their skills and knowledge in designing, building, and implementing custom applications, using the
declarative customization capabilities of the Force.com platform.
Platform Developer II The Salesforce Certified Platform Developer II credential is for individuals wanting to
demonstrate their skills and knowledge in advanced programmatic capabilities of the Force.com platform and
data modeling to develop complex business logic and interfaces.
Pardot Consultant The Salesforce Certified Pardot Consultant exam is intended for individuals and partners
with experience implementing Pardot solutions in a customer-facing role. The Salesforce.com Certified Pardot
Consultant is able to design and implement Pardot solutions that meet customer business requirements and
contribute to long-term customer success.
Marketing Cloud Consultant - The Salesforce Certified Marketing Cloud Consultant credential is designed for
those who can set up and implement the Salesforce Marketing Cloud Email application tools, providing
solutions to execute both tactical and strategic email campaigns.
Domain Specialist Credentials In Q1 FY16 the following certifications were added to the Domain Specialist
Credentials:
As more domain specialist certifications come online in future quarters, they will also count towards this
category.

Partner Tier Assignments

For Existing Partners:
Beginning February 1, 2016 and continuing through the end of the month, Salesforce will undertake an initial
Annual Partner Evaluation during which it will calculate all existing Partners PVS, and assign each existing
Partner to a program tier, based on the Partners then-current PVS. Throughout FY17, if Salesforce validates that
a Partner qualifies for assignment to a higher Partner tier during a Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period,
Salesforce will notify the Partner of the tier change. The benefits associated with the higher Partner tier will apply
immediately upon the receipt of such notice. Salesforce will only assign qualifying existing Partners to higher
Partner tiers during a Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period.

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

For New Partners:

Beginning February 1, 2016 and continuing throughout FY17, each new Partner will enter the Partner Program
as a Registered/Provisional Partner until Salesforce notifies the new Partner of assignment to a higher Partner
tier based on Salesforces assessment of the new Partners PVS during a Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period. The
benefits associated with the higher Partner tier will apply immediately upon the new Partners receipt of such
notice.
If a partner joins the Consulting Partner Program, but has not met the minimum requirement of two
certifications, they may enjoy most of the benefits of a Registered partner for the provisional period of 6
months. Within 6 months, if that partner hasnt earned the minimum requirements, they will be deactivated
and no longer a member of the Consulting Partner Program. They may re-enroll once they have achieved the
certification requirements.

Calculating Your Partner Value Score (PVS)

CALCULATING YOUR PVS: MAXIMUM POINT ALLOCATIONS ACROSS PROGRA ATTRIBUTES
Category

ACV

Core Attributes
ACV 40%
ACV GROWTH 5%

CERTIFICATIONS 20%

Expertise

400
50

200

Sub-Attribute

FY17 Change

Sub-Attribute Point
Targets

+100

300 points

Co-sell ACV (rolling12 months)

-50

100 points

Sourced ACV (rolling 12 months)

Co-Sell ACV (rolling 12 months)

-50

50 points

Technical Architect Certification

-50

50 points

Sales Cloud Certification

-25

50 points

Service Cloud Certification

-25

50 points

Platform Developer1 Certification (includes Dev401 until

FY18)
Fullforce Solutions & Salesforce Masters

n/a

50 points

+15

50 points

Specialization

+50

50 points

+50

50 points

50

App Builder
Advanced Admin
Platform Developer 2
Pardot Consultant

CSAT 15%

150

Marketing Cloud Consultant (coming in Q1),

Domain Specialist (coming in Q1)
CSAT Score (Rolling 18 months)

n/a

150 points

Customer Stories 5%

50

Customer Stories (Rolling 18 months)

n/a

50 points

SPECIALIZATION 10%

EXPANDED
KNOWLEDGE 5%

Customer
Success

Core Attribute
Point Valuation

Totals:

100

1000 points

1000 points

*A rolling period is always based off of the last day of the quarter. (i.e. ACV is measured on a rolling 12 months from April 30th, July 31st, October 31st, and January 31st.)

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Annual PVS Targets by Country

ACV
Max
Points

Data
Set:
US

300

100

50

Sourced
ACV

Co-Sell
ACV

YoY Sourced
Growth

Rolling 12
months

Rolling 12
months

Rolling 12
months

Customer
Success

Expertise
50

50

50

50

Technical
Platform
Sales Cloud Service Cloud
Architects
Dev 1
Current Active Current Active

$2,500,000 $7,500,000

Current Active Current Active

25

25

50

CA

$250,000

$750,000

10

BR

$300,000

$1,000,000

10

ROLACA

$250,000

$750,000

10

UK

$500,000

$1,250,000

15

15

30

DE

$300,000

$1,000,000

10

10

20

35%

50

50

50

150

50

Master or
Fullforce
Solutions

Specializations

Expanded
Knowledge

CSAT

Customer
Stories

Current Active

Current Active

Rolling 18
Months

Rolling 18
Months

25

50

Lifetime

FR

$250,000

$750,000

10

NL

$250,000

$750,000

10

ROEMEA

$250,000

$750,000

10

AU

$250,000

$750,000

10

ROAPAC

$250,000

$750,000

10

JP

$500,000

$1,500,000

20

20

40

8.4

*A rolling period is always based off the last day of the quarter. (i.e. ACV is measured on a rolling 12 months from April 30th, July 31st, October 31st, and January 31st.)

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

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Program Fees and PVS Requirements by Tier

TIER

PROGRAM FEE

REQUIREMENT

Mature

Emerging Markets &

Foundation Partners

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

Must achieve Platinum in 2 ore more Top 8 Countries (*one must be US).
Must commit to Platinum Sponsorship at Dreamforce.
Value Score
700 1000
Value Score
450 699
Value Score
250 449
Registered Tier requires a minimum of ONE individual (holding 2 or more
certifications), or a minimum of TWO individuals (holding at least one
certification each). The certifications that count toward the requirement
are Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, or Platform Developer 1 (Force.com
Developer will continue to count towards this certification in FY17).

*Inclusion into Global Strategic is subject to Leadership 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 are 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 them for the next
annual term, based on the Annual Partner Evaluation.

Program Benefits
Each program level offers a unique set of benefits to support the growth of our Consulting Partners business.
Partners will have access to an expanded range of benefits based on the level of partnership.
Registered

Silver

Gold

Platinum

Global Strategic

Access to the Partner Community

AppExchange Listing

Access to Partner Digital Sales Aid

X*

Monthly Office Hours

General

Eligible to Participate in
Salesforce Masters (and
Specializations)
Partner Management

Registered

Silver

Gold

Platinum

Global Strategic

Enablement
Two Free Salesforce EE User
Subscriptions (internal use)
Free Online Training

X*

Free Support Case Packs

10

15

20

Partner Roadmap Webinars

Certification Discounts

Discount on Partner Premier

Eligible for Fullforce Initiative

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Discount on Classroom Regional

Product Bootcamp
Eligible for Salesforce Certification
Vouchers

Registered

Gold

Platinum

Global Strategic

Silver

Marketing
General Marketing Support

Demand-Generation Tools
Eligibility for Marketing CoFunding (MDF)
PR Resources
Marketing Concierge

Joint Marketing Planning

Registered

Silver

Gold

Platinum

Global Strategic

Referral Incentives

Onboarding Resources

X**

n/a

Sales

Joint Go-to-Market (GTM)

Planning
Joint Business Planning

X = Eligible n/a = Not applicable

*this benefit is not available to partners in Provisional status.
**Referral Incentives for Platinum partners will be paid in Emerging Markets only

Partner Resources
The Partner Community is your go-to resource for all partner information, technical and sales enablement
resources and to engage with other Partners.
For a comprehensive list of topics covered in the partner community go to: p.force.com/topics
Partners can also take advantage of:
Partner Community This community is your one-stop shop for education, enablement, and engagement.
Collaborate with other partners and Salesforce staff. Stay updated with News & Events. Submit Cases to obtain
support. Review your partnership performance with the Business Console. Manage all of your Leads,
Opportunities, and Projects. Learn more at https://partners.salesforce.com.
Partner Roadmap Webinar series See what's new and what's next with our products and programs. Monthly
Roadmap webinar are a popular way to stay updated on everything that is happening with the Salesforce
Partner Program. Learn more at http://p.force.com/roadmap.
Monthly office hours We invite all Partners to attend monthly office hour sessions with a Salesforce panel of
experts across Programs, Operations, Marketing, Sales, and Support to get answers to your burning questions.
Learn more at http://p.force.com/officehours.
Partner Forums Join Salesforce executives, product leaders, and other Partner Program experts for a full-day
program designed to inspire customer transformation and Salesforce innovation.

FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Partner Onboarding Partners can get help with the onboarding process. Learn how to navigate the Partner
Community, register a project, publish a listing on the AppExchange, and more. Learn more at
http://p.force.com/cloudacademy.
Partner Training There are numerous options for training, including recordings, live webinars, Trailhead
modules, and instructor-led courses. Learn about all of the options at http://p.force.com/training.
Sales Kits by Product and Industry Whether your focus is Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, etc. or specific
industries, youll find first-call decks, demos, datasheets, white papers, FAQs, a list of top discovery questions
and much more on the Partner Community. Learn more at http://p.force.com/products and
http://p.force.com/industries.
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.
Trailhead Take advantage of the fun way to learn Salesforce. Trailhead modules cover a wide range of topics.
Take the training challenges and earn badges. You can even display your badges on your community profile
page. Learn more at https://developer.salesforce.com/trailhead/.
Developer Forums (discussion boards) We offer technically oriented boards around Force.com development,
Apex Code, Lightning, Heroku, Force.com sites, Java, .NET, and more. We also offer general boards that cover a
range of topics including Salesforce best practices, desktop integration, and product discussions. Learn more at
https://developer.salesforce.com/forums.
Test and demo orgs Test new technologies, create customized demos, and develop proofs of concept for your
prospects and customers. All editions are available through Environment Hub. Learn more at
http://p.force.com/hub.
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
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Registered

20 case packs
15 case packs
10 case packs
5 case packs
2 case packs

With Support Case Packs partners receive a faster initial response of 18 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 Partners interested in purchasing the Partner Premier Success
plan 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:
o Unlimited application and Partner Program-related support
o Online case submission with 2-day initial response time for all case types/severities

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

o Proactive alerts and outage communication

Partner Premier Success Plan Includes the above, plus:
o Immediate access to our expert technical resources.
o Continuous coverage Support is available 24/7 via toll-free phone or the Partner
Community for Severity 1 cases.
o Fast response time Response is within 1 hour for Severity 1 cases logged via the
Partner Community.
o An assigned Partner Premier Support representative serves as a single point of contact
and provides proactive case management and technical best practices.
o Premier Developer Support offers error-related troubleshooting and code reviews plus
best practices to help you build apps on the Force.com platform.
o Notifications Receive advance notice of planned maintenance and downtimes.
o Partner Premier Success review A review of your cases, escalations, and resource
usage ensures youre taking full advantage of your Partner Premier subscription.
o For access to this Partner Premier Success Plan benefit, or help with technical and
Partner Program issues, log in to the Partner Community and submit a case. If youre
onsite with a Premier customer, you can also log a case on your customers behalf.
o Our account, lead, opportunities, and project management resources will help you stay
organized and give your organization hands-on experience with cloud-based CRM.
Access to the Partner Community The Partner Community is your go-to resource for the
latest partner information, technical and sales enablement resources and engaging with other
Partners.
Partner newsletter Receive regular updates on Partner Programs, tips from Salesforce
experts, insights from peers, info about networking events, educational opportunities, and
more via the Partner newsletter. Keep your personal information current in the Partner
Community to ensure you receive the 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 and the Account Executive aligned, 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 partners evaluate their
project success and insight into customers assessment of the value delivered. As you
complete a customer project and enter the project end date in the Partner Community,
youre 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.

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Program Changes for Fiscal Year 2017
Q: What are the main program changes for FY17?
A: The major changes for FY17 include:
Adding Specializations and Expanded Knowledge to the Core Attributes
Removing Emerging Products from the Core Attributes
Enhancing program benefits to support differentiation between tiers
Omitting the accelerate option
Q: Why was the Emerging Products category removed from the core attributes in FY17?
A: We have added Specializations to the Core Attributes, and because there is a specialization for each
Emerging Product, its own category was no longer needed. Partners can now earn these points by
getting specializations.
Q: Which certifications now count towards the Expanded Knowledge category?
A: Partners can now earn points for their certifications in App Builder, Advanced Developer, Platform
Developer 2, and Pardot Consultant Marketing Cloud Consultant, Community Cloud Consultant and
all Domain Specialist certifications as they become available: Development Lifecycle & Deployment
Designer, Integration Architecture Designer, Data Architecture & Management Designer, Sharing &
Visibility Designer, Mobile Solutions Architecture Designer, Identity and Access Management Designer
Q: Now that the Force.com Developer certifications have changed to Platform App Builder &
Platform Developer 1 & 2, which of them count towards the program requirements?
A: Beginning February 1, 2016, we will continue to count both certifications while partners transition
from Dev401 to Platform Developer 1. In FY18, we will no longer count Developer 401 and will only
count Platform Developer 1 moving forward. Once a Dev401 certified individual gets a Platform
Developer 1 certification, that certification will replace the Dev401 cert and will count as one
certification. For example, if a partner has 15 Developer 401 certifications and six of them have passed
the Platform Developer 1 cert, then the count will still be 15.
Q: Where can I get more information on the different Specializations?
A: You can refer to the Masters page on the Partner Community for more information on Masters &
Specializations.

Measurement Process
Q: Will there be any changes to the measurement process for FY17?
A: We will continue to measure all partners against the program targets and provide them with a
Partner Value Score (PVS). The PVS process provides a holistic approach to measuring partners based
on their total value contribution. Each partners PVS will determine their program tier designation.
Q: What is the Partner Value Score?
A: Salesforces Partner Value Score (or PVS) measures a Partners contribution across our Core
Attributes for a specific time period.

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

st

Q: What happens to my current status on Feb 1 ?

A: On February 1, 2016, we will conduct Annual Partner Evaluations. The Annual Partner Evaluation
period lasts throughout the month of February, when Salesforce calculates partner PVS based on
contributions from the prior Fiscal Year. Your current tier will stay with you throughout the month of
February. On March 1, or upon completion of the 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 partners PVS.
As part of the Annual Partner Evaluation, a partner's assignment to a partner tier will apply for the
remainder of the Fiscal Year unless Salesforce elevates the partner to a higher Partner Tier or may
demote to a lower Partner Tier after a Quarterly Partner Evaluation.
Q: How does a partner advance through the program tiers?
A: Partners can only advance during Quarterly Partner Evaluations. 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 the Quarterly Partner Evaluation Period, no additional Annual Program Fees are
due, nor refunds provided if the partner is demoted to a lower tier, until the next renewal.
Q: Can I advance to the next tier outside of the quarterly evaluation period?
A: No. Partners can only advance during the partner evaluation period. If a partner achieves the
minimum PVS for the next tier at any point during the quarter, they must wait until the beginning of
the next quarter for their tier to be updated.
Q: How will I know if I qualified for tier advancement?
A: We will issue notification letters to all partners who qualify for tier advancement after the Quarterly
Partner Evaluation Period has closed.
Q: Does the Partner Program for Consulting Partners include Nonprofits and Higher Education ACV
contributions?
A: Yes, any nonprofit or higher education ACV contributions count towards the partners overall value
contribution.

Q: Whom can I contact to learn more about the enrollment process?

A: To learn more about the enrollment process submit a case on the Partner Community or send an
email to: consultingpartners@salesforce.com.
Q: Are points capped at 100% per category or can a partner overachieve in a particular category?
A: Points are capped at 100%. We encourage partners to contribute in all categories.
Q: How do you measure growth in ACV?
A: Year-over-Year growth is measured by comparing the current rolling 12-month dataset against the
same dataset for the prior year. It is required that in the previous year, the ACV be at least $75,000 in
US or $50,000 non-US, before a partner can qualify to earn the growth points.
Q: How frequently do you calculate the Partner Value Score?
A: Updated Partner Value Scores are calculated a few weeks after the close of each quarter, at which
point, qualifying partners will have the option to move to a higher tier.
Q: Does a partner's work with Salesforce.org customers apply to their Partner Value Score?
A: Yes. Foundation ACV will be included in any partners country contributions and count towards their
Partner Value Score.

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Q: Will Partner Value Scores be made public so partners can see other partners' scores?
A: No, you will not be able to see other partner scores, just your own.
Q: What happens if a partner has a discrepancy with the Partner Value Score assessment?
A: If there is a discrepancy with the data set for the calculation; please submit a case through the
partner community and we'll investigate.
Q: How far back do you go when calculating the Partner Value Score in Feb 2015?
A: For ACV, the score is calculated on a rolling 12-month basis from the last day of the upcoming
quarter. For Expertise, the score is calculated on a lifetime basis. For Customer Success, the score is
calculated on a rolling 18-month basis from the last day of the upcoming quarter (e.g. during the
upcoming Annual Partner Evaluation Period in February, we will be looking at partner contributions
from Feb 1, 2015 to Jan 31, 2016 for ACV, Lifetime count for Expertise, and Aug 1, 2014 to Jan 31,
2016 for Customer Success. For the Quarterly Partner Evaluation in May, we will be looking at partner
contributions from May 1, 2015 to April 30, 2016 for ACV, Lifetime count for Expertise, and Nov 1,
2014 to April 30, 2016 for Customer Success).

Program Eligibility
Q: What is my annual program term?
A: The Annual Term is the period of any partners participation in the Partner Program starting on:
i.
The date Salesforce receives an Existing Partner, or any renewing Partner, payment of the
Annual Program Fee associated with the Partner Tier to which Salesforce has assigned them,
following the first or subsequent Annual Partner Evaluation, or
ii.
For New Partners, the date of the New Partners 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), pro-rated for the remainder of the then-current Annual Term, and
ending for all Partners on the last day of the following February (i.e., February 28, or February
29 in leap years).
Q: How do I renew my program enrollment?
A: All existing partners will be required to renew their enrollment at the end of their existing program
year (all partners program contract will end on Feb 29, 2016). On March 1, 2016 partners will be
notified on how to renew.
Q: If I am a new partner (no previous partnership with Salesforce), should I use the enrollment
form?
No, new partners should select Join Now at https://partnersignup.salesforce.com.
Q: If I am a partner in more than one country, do I need to pay twice?
A: No. Partners only need to pay the fee associated with their highest ranking tier (i.e. if a partner
achieved platinum in the U.S. and gold in France, they would pay the Platinum program fee).
Q: If I dont want to pay for inclusion in a higher tier do I have to advance?
A: No. A partner can choose to remain in a lower tier if they do not want to advance in the program.
They will only get the benefits associated with the tier in which they pay the program fee. If later in the
year they opt to move to a higher tier, they must pay the fee for the higher tier.

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Q: What is the partner program fee structure?

A: We have a fee structure for Mature Markets (see county breakout below), where the program fee for
the Registered level is USD 1,000. For Emerging Markets (see country breakout below) & Saleforce.org
Partners the program fee for the Registered level is USD 750. For all other tiers, the program fee in
Emerging Markets is 25% lower than the corresponding fee for Mature Markets.
Mature Market Australia, Japan, New Zealand, as well as some countries in EMEA, including
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Norway,
Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States.
Emerging Market All Latin America countries, Asia Pacific countries (excluding Australia and
New Zealand), countries located in the Middle East and Africa (including Russia and CIS
countries) and all of Europe (excluding those countries listed as part of the Mature Market
above).
Q: Can we request to remain at a lower tier, even if we qualify for a higher tier within the program?
A: You will be able to select your preferred tier during the annual fee payment process. Instructions on
the payment process will be available on March 1, 2016.

Program Requirements ii
Q: Does Registered Tier require two certified individuals or 2 certifications? Can a company with
one employee, holding two certifications, qualify to be a Registered Partner?
A: Registered Tier requires a minimum of ONE individual (holding two or more certifications), or a
minimum of TWO individuals (holding at least one certification each). The certifications that count
toward the requirement are: Platform Developer1 (includes Dev 401 for FY17), Sales Cloud, or Service
Cloud. Partners wishing to join, who have not earned the two certifications, can join as a provisional
registered partner for 6 months. If after 6 months the partner has not met the minimum requirement
they will be deactivated and removed from the program.
Q: Which certifications count for Registered Tier qualification?
A: Platform Developer 1 (includes Dev 401 for FY17), Sales Cloud, and Service Cloud certifications can
be applied towards the minimum requirement for Registered Tier. After further analysis, we have
removed the Advanced Administrator certification from this list.
Q: If we do not meet the minimum requirements for the Registered level or above, or cannot pay
the fee, can we still be considered a partner in the Salesforce Partner Program?
A: No, you will not be a partner in the Salesforce Consulting Partner Program.
Q: What happens if I enrolled and paid the program fee but havent met the two certifications
requirement, will I still be removed?
A: Yes, we will suspend all paid partners who do not have the two required certifications. No refunds
will be offered. Once you have your two certifications, you will then be reinstated. If you are reinstated
within the same program year, there will be no additional fee.
Q: Without access to the Partner Community, how do I get access to Partner Training to get my
two certifications?
A: Partners will still have access to the Partner Training org and should continue with the certification
process.

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Q: Without access to the Partner Community, how do I alert Salesforce that I attained the two
certifications, and should therefore be reinstated?
A: To get reinstated send an email to: consultingpartners@salesforce.com.

Program Requirements iii

1) Training and Certification Discounts
Q: Are discounts still available to partners for training and certification?
A: 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 participants will receive the discount tier they are
entitled to in the Higher Partner Tier.
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 one day, certification preparation focused classes, at a discount
to partners. These classes are available through virtual and in person sessions.

2) Salesforce Authorized Training Reseller Program

Q: Can partners resell Salesforce Authorized Training?
A: Yes, all partners can sign up to resell Salesforce Authorized Training.
Q: Is there a limit to how much revenue a partner can make reselling training?
A: No, any partner can accelerate their revenue with high volume 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 customers location, at a local training center or at the partner's location.

3) Partner Premier Support

Q: If I have Partner Premier Success and start paying the Consulting Partner Program fees, which
includes 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 should you continue with Partner Premier a discounting will
be applied.
Q: What do I do if my company uses all of our cases before our contract expires?
A: You can contact your Partner Account Manager who can help you purchase an additional case pack
of 5, 10, or 20 cases for an additional fee or you can purchase Partner Premier at a discounted fee
(limited time only).
Q: Will I receive a welcome packet explaining how to use Partner Tech Support Case Packs?

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

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, etc.
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 of my cases?
A: Upon hitting the limit of cases you are entitled to, you will receive an email notification that you
have reached the limit and your future cases logged will be downgraded to Partner Standard Support.
Q: Is each partner's Performance Statement shared publicly?
A: No, this information is not publicly shared and is only visible through partners secure access to the
Partner Community. We will be sharing more detail on the performance statement soon.
Q: What incentives does Salesforce offer for referring business?
A: Salesforce pays qualified partners a referral fee in many emerging markets. Please refer to the
partner policy document.
Q: What is the Fullforce Initiative?
A: The Fullforce Initiative is how we recognize partners who have invested in deep, proven solutions in
a product or industry. Please refer to the Fullforce Partner Community page for information on how to
become a Fullforce partner.
Q: Is the two complimentary license program benefit available February 1 or after payment is
made?
A: The licenses are available immediately. Please submit a case to request the two Enterprise Edition
licenses.
Q: Are there any changes to the Premier Training availability for Partners?
A: All partners have unlimited access to Premier online training as a program benefit.
Q: Do internal use licenses count towards a partner's ACV attainment?
A: Internal licenses do count but only net new ACV. Renewals do not count.
Q: Is there a discount for Partner Premier Support?
A: Yes, Silver and above partners will receive a 10% discount on Partner Premier. More information on
this is included in the new FY17 Program Guide.

General
Q: Does a partner's ISV ACV count towards their Consulting Partner Program tiering?
A: No, we do not count any ISV ACV towards a partners Partner Value Score in our Consulting Partner
Program.
Q: What does ACV stand for?
A: Annual Contract Value - this is what Salesforce calls upfront bookings.
Q: How many Partners are there globally in each of the tiers?
A: Partners can refer to AppExchange for partners in each tier.

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FY17 Consulting Partner Program Guide

Q: Where do we submit customer stories?

A: Partners should follow the process at http://p.force.com/stories (see "What You Need to Know") to
submit customer stories.
Q: What action do I need to take to be part of the FY17 Consulting Partner Program?
Existing Salesforce Consulting Partners will be assigned a PVS based on FY16 performance, which will
be assessed during the Annual Partner Evaluation Period, scheduled for February 2016. PVS
confirmations will be distributed via email by March 1, 2016, and existing partners will be required to
renew and pay the program fee for their tier by April 7, 2016.
Q: Our company has not received any information regarding our program tier (via email)? What
should we do?
A: All consulting partners should have received an email from our program team. If you have not
received one, please send an email to: consultingpartners@salesforce.com.

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