Recently, Desk.com joined the Salesforce Partner Program, opening new opportunities for existing partners to engage. But what exactly does that mean? To get some answers and insights on this new partnership, I had the opportunity to speak with Kevin Evans, Director of Strategy & Business Development at Desk.com. Kevin is responsible for working with partners of all kinds – from product integrations to consulting to ISV partners who want to extend Desk functionality. As Desk.com continues to grow, I wanted to get a sense from Kevin what makes Desk.com so unique and what are the advantages of becoming a Desk.com Preferred Partner.
In your opinion, what makes Desk.com distinctive in the current service & support marketplace?
Fast-growing companies face unique support challenges. They have customers falling through the cracks, their agents are drowning in customer inquiries, and their support can’t scale with their business growth. They need a tool that can help them overcome these unique challenges to provide amazing support from the start.
Kevin Evans, Director of Strategy & Business Development at Desk.com
Desk.com is the perfect tool to support fast-growing companies. Desk is the only support tool for companies who need a 360-degree view of their customers through a bi-directional Salesforce sync. This means all of your data is contained on the standard Account, Contact, and Case objects within Salesforce.
Desk.com or Service Cloud? How should customers decide?
It depends on where you are with your company. When just starting out, Desk.com may be the better solution. As you grow, you may have a need for more support, and that is where Service Cloud would be more beneficial. Here is a handy guide that can help customers see the differences and benefits of each in order to make the best decision.
http://www.slideshare.net/partnerforce/salesforce-does-service-43522191
What is the opportunity for partners with Desk.com?
Desk Preferred Partners can refer leads for Desk.com by using the same process that they use for Salesforce leads today. They will receive ACV credit and a referral fee (if applicable) for Desk leads in accordance with the Salesforce Partner Policies guidelines. The one notable exception is that Desk will pay referral fees for leads that close in AMER.
Later in FY16, we will be offering partners administrator level certification programs for Desk.com as well, much like those that partners take to become Salesforce Certified in other products.
How can partners engage with Desk.com?
Any Salesforce partner is eligible to become a Desk.com Preferred Partner. As a Preferred Partner, you will have access to Desk.com training and enablement materials to share with your customers, be able to submit leads for Desk.com, and be first on the list to be eligible for Desk.com certification later this year.
To become a Desk.com Preferred Partner, simply go to the Resources tab at http://p.force.com/desk. Review the materials, take the short quiz, and request to join
I heard something about 5 free licenses for partners, how does that work?
It’s true. Salesforce Partners may be eligible for up to 5 free seats on our Standard plan. Go to this link for more details:
help.desk.com/isvforce.
What about a demo of Desk.com? Is there something I can show prospects?
Definitely! A demo is available on the Resources tab of the Desk.com Partner Community page. You can also find a first call deck and other sales resources.
How can we collaborate with you on the Partner Community?
The Salesforce Partner Community can best collaborate with Desk.com by engaging their clients, especially their SMB clients, in a discussion about the importance of customer service and how Desk can help them with those needs.
Many of our ISV/OEM partners have worked with Leyla Seka on AppExchange, what is her new role at Desk.com?
Leyla moved from her role of leading the AppExchange to become the GM of Desk.com. She is responsible for all things Desk! Holla!
The Desk.com Team
For more information, check out the links below:
Desk.com Customer Site – http://www.desk.com/
Desk.com Partner Page – http://p.force.com/desk
Desk.com vs. Service Cloud (Comparison Guide) – http://www.slideshare.net/partnerforce/salesforce-does-service-43522191
Desk.com – 5 Free Licenses for Partners – help.desk.com/isvforce