Understanding the Salesforce Partner Tiers: What Do They Mean and Why Do They Matter?

If you're familiar with traditional tiering models like Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, you may find Salesforce’s partner tier system a bit more puzzling. Salesforce uses a data-driven, point-based scorecard system to determine a partner's status, or ‘tier’, and this is made up of multiple factors.

We are excited to share that we have recently achieved Summit status (yay!) - the equivalent of platinum for those new to the mountaineering theme. But what does that mean, and why should it matter to customers?

How the Salesforce Partner Tier System Works

Salesforce evaluates partners based on a score in the Salesforce Partner Community hub, a structured system that takes multiple factors into account. These scores determine a partner’s tier status, which ranges from Base (Bronze), Ridge (Silver), Crest (Gold), and Summit (Platinum) - with Summit being the pinnacle of the partner hierarchy. 

What Influences a Partner’s Score?

The Partner Trailblazer Score consists of several key performance indicators:

1. Customer Success  – Measures a partner’s customer satisfaction, retention, and successful project completions.
2. Innovation  – Evaluates technical expertise, certifications and growth.
3. Growth – Assesses a partner’s commitment to collaboration with Salesforce and its ecosystem.
4. Impact – Considers how partners incorporate diversity and inclusion practices into their organisations and measures thought leadership published, sustainable event management, sustainability and net zero commitment.
5. Bonus (Pledge 1%) - Awards partners an extra sum of points if they contribute to the Pledge 1% scheme (where at least 1% of profit and resources are allocated to support not-for-profit organisations).

Each of these areas contributes to the overall score, with partners needing to meet high benchmarks to advance in tiers. The tier-ranking categories are as follows:

Base (Bronze): 0-249 Points

Ridge (Silver): 250-499 Points

Crest (Gold): 500-749 Points

Summit (Platinum): 750-1000 Points

Why This Matters to Clients

For those familiar with traditional tiering models, ‘Summit’ status might not immediately resonate. However, this designation means recognising a partner’s excellence in the delivery of Salesforce services, customer success, and technical expertise.

Here’s why ‘Summit’ status matters when choosing a Salesforce partner:

• Proven Track Record: Certifications, successful projects, and deep understanding of Salesforce solutions ensure high-quality implementations and sustained success.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Strong customer success metrics reflect a partner’s commitment to delivering value and positive business outcomes.
• Access to Exclusive Salesforce Resources: Summit partners often receive priority access to updates on new Salesforce technologies and subsequent events, ensuring that our clients get the latest, most advanced solutions available.
• Stronger Salesforce Relationship: Elevated partnership status allows partners to collaborate directly with Salesforce teams, giving our clients access to enhanced support and strategic insights.
• Corporate Social Responsibility: Summit partners are scored on their commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Sustainability and Giving Back, all of which are important indicators of a quality organisation.

Why It’s Not Everything When Choosing a Salesforce Partner

Although partner ranking is a great way to sift through the array of Salesforce partners available, you should also consider the following:

AppExchange Score and Real Customer Testimonials - Look out for customer testimonials to get a feel for the partner’s working style and to hear some real-world success stories. We also advise reaching out to a current client of your chosen partner, if you can, when you’e making the buying decision to get some unbiased feedback. 

Fit for Your Business – A partner’s approach and expertise in certain Salesforce products (like, say, if you work with a specific industry cloud for example) can sometimes be more important than their tier level.

External Credentials - Salesforce credentials are important and can be a great indicator as to whether a partner aligns with your goals. However, there are other non-Salesforce certifications and accreditations, such as Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and even sustainability certifications that may be important to your business and it’s security requirements. 

Flexibility and Cost Considerations – If you are in need of a fast turnaround, you will need to check with your partner that they have the capacity and resources to complete your project to your deadlines. And, of course, many summit partners are larger or blue-chip organisations that come with a pricetag. And this begs the question:

‘Does Size Matter?’

You may think that Summit partners must be of a certain size to achieve the ultimate ranking, but actually, the way that Salesforce has structured the point system allows for smaller or ‘boutique’ partners to gain top-tier status. Of course, working with large partners with big reputations has its advantages - but if you’re looking for the attentive, flexible and collaborative support of a smaller partner, and perhaps a more affordable pricing model, then you will certainly be able to find ones with the Summit accolade. 

Final Thoughts

While traditional tiering systems rely heavily on sales volume and revenue, Salesforce’s Partner Score prioritises customer success, innovation, and overall business impact. Our achievement of Summit status is a huge milestone for us, and a testament to our team’s commitment to delivering the best Salesforce solutions for our clients.

If you’re looking for a trusted Salesforce partner to guide your digital transformation, get in touch with us today to understand how we can help you unlock the full potential of Salesforce for your business.