We’ve been speaking with Lucy Mazalon, Marketing Automation Consultant and Co-editor of the world’s biggest Salesforce blog, Salesforce Ben and The DRIP. With a diverse and rich Salesforce career so far, Lucy’s offered numerous insights when it comes to Salesforce consultant jobs and marketing automation consultant jobs– from what to consider when starting out in Salesforce to the unconventional career path Salesforce often involves.
In our final chat with Lucy, we wanted to find out a little more about Lucy’s area of expertise. She opened up about some of the best ways to make your mark as a marketing automation consultant.
The importance of soft skills in marketing automation consultant jobs…
For some reason, the importance of soft skills can often be forgotten. However, these are vital skills for most managers looking for talent in any tech market - and Salesforce is no exception. Strong soft skills are crucial when it comes to landing the best Salesforce consultant jobs and marketing automation consultant jobs.
It’s fair to say that Lucy’s career has benefited from her strong soft skills, “When I was working in Poland there were some areas in which I was still developing my technical knowledge, but being able to communicate well carried me through. The key is transparency – if I didn’t know something, I was honest. Better than giving a wrong answer! Without wanting to sound contradictory, obviously technical knowledge is a must – but building trusted relationships is so important to excel.”
What’s Lucy’s biggest tip when it comes to soft skills?
“ALWAYS ask questions and NEVER make assumptions! You don’t have to have all of the answers all of the time, but it’s so important to keep digging and always try to find out more so you can get the best result possible.”
While excellent soft skills are important for all Salesforce jobs, they're crucial for Salesforce consultant jobs. Lucy argues that these skills are at the heart of a marketing automation consultant’s role, “Essentially, consulting is all about connecting with people. If you can build trust, show empathy, and calmly solve problems, this can go a long way.”
Niching down – generalist or specialist?
One of the biggest debates when it comes to Salesforce consultant jobs – and marketing automation consultant jobs in particular - is whether you should aim to be a generalist or a specialist. And it’s an issue Lucy raised with us, “As the platform expands, niching down is becoming more important within Salesforce. You only need to look at the new specialisations Salesforce’s acquisitions have bought on. However, I think it’s important that consultants aren’t afraid to be generalists, especially when you’re starting out in your career - this is your chance to discover what you like and what you don’t like.”
“With Salesforce, you’re essentially already working in a niche, specialist job – but you can choose between niching down even further or becoming a generalist in this area. So as a Pardot and Salesforce Marketing Automation Consultant, I’m a generalist within a niche specialism.”
And for Lucy’s role as a freelance consultant, being a generalist is vital, “I need to have broad enough knowledge to help my clients with their diverse spectrum of projects and challenges.” Her advice on this matter? “The industry needs both specialists and generalists - and its important generalists and specialist collaborate to get the best results.”
Challenges for marketing automation consultants
When it comes to marketing automation consultant jobs, you can face a whole world of different challenges depending on the specifics of each project they’re working on – so what are some of the biggest challenges Lucy’s faced throughout her career?
“I once faced a really tricky business case working with a client who was implementing Pardot in 46 countries that needed to be rolled out across 26 languages. So that was challenging to say the least! But it’s all part of the fun of being a consultant. It’s part and parcel of working with big businesses – there’s a need to stretch the tools, and craft something bespoke.”
“Overall there’s a constant need to always stay on top of what’s happening – things are always changing. However, while this could be perceived as a challenge it’s also an exciting opportunity!”
What’s coming up?
Like everything in Salesforce, the world of marketing automation is changing every day. And as a consultant it’s important to keep up-to-date with everything that’s happening. That’s something Lucy feels extremely passionate about, “I make a conscious effort to follow the product releases, and I’m genuinely interested in new trends that could benefit my clients – but it’s not just about chasing the shiny new toys! It’s seeing what’s going to have an impact.”
Finally, what are Lucy’s top upcoming trends?
- New channels to support Pardot marketing, e.g. conversational marketing
- The future of Pardot e.g. B2B Marketing Analytics
- Using Salesforce functionality to boost or stretch Pardot - classic Salesforce Admin tricks become Pardot hacks
At Computer Futures, we really care about making sure professionals are upskilling themselves and following a career path that’s right for them. That’s why we're passionate about providing with valuable insights - like our Q&A webinar with Stephanie Herrera - to help you land the best marketing automation jobs, Salesforce consultant jobs, and enhance Salesforce careers.
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