Salesforce proudly announced on December 1 that Kelley Austin officially advanced to the Summit (Platinum) tier, making the Salesforce Consulting Partner one of the fastest firms to achieve the Summit tier in Salesforce history.
“We have an extremely high-performing team that has chosen to push themselves to get where we are as quickly as this, not because anyone made them, but because they wanted to be more than just another consulting firm,” Co-founder Hunter Austin said.
The Dallas-based consulting firm was founded in March of 2021 by brothers-in-law Hunter Austin and Waylon Kelley and reached the Summit level in just two and a half years — a process that typically takes Salesforce Consulting Partners an average of 8 years to achieve.
The Salesforce Partner Program has four tiers: Base, Crest, Ridge, and Summit. These tiers are assigned based on points collected under an algorithm-based point system called the ‘Partner Value Score.’
Obtaining high customer satisfaction scores, certifications, completing projects, and additional factors all count as points – contributing to a partner's overall Partner Value Score. The more points a partner has, the higher tier they get assigned.
Picking the right partner is critical to your Salesforce implementation process, which is why the Consulting Partner tier system is so useful. It makes it easy to see which partners have the right combination of expertise and experience to get the job done to your standards.
Only a small percentage of Salesforce Partners achieve Summit status every year, which sets the bar high and ensures partners have a history of delivering exceptional Salesforce solutions for clients.
To achieve the Summit tier, the Kelley Austin team received an average of 4.9/5 across 80+ Customer Satisfaction Surveys (CSATs), brought their certification count to 300+, and met co-selling ACV (Annual Contract Values) targets set by Salesforce.
Achieving the score required to reach Summit status often takes years for Salesforce Partners to reach because of the number of certifications and projects that must be completed. As a team of ~70 Consultants, the remarkable rate at which Kelley Austin reached the Summit tier is a testament to the team’s passion for growing their Salesforce expertise and their commitment to client satisfaction.
Salesforce Summit Partners are able to demonstrate expertise across Salesforce products, industries, and implementation methodologies. Clients can benefit from specialized knowledge and best practices relevant to their business.
Summit Partners also have greater access to Salesforce resources, such as training, support, and early access to new features. Attaining Summit Partner status is a reflection of a firm’s continued commitment to Salesforce and delivering tailored and innovative solutions for clients.
By working in tandem with Salesforce thought leaders and innovators, Summit Partners can stay on the forefront of the latest Salesforce products and features and help clients achieve success.
Kelley Austin was established in 2021 because Hunter and Waylon wanted to create a work environment that prioritizes employee happiness and work-life balance, which can be difficult to find in the consulting industry.
With more than 20 years of combined experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, they felt that what was missing the most from the industry was an exemplary employee experience — an experience where team members felt connected, empowered, and appreciated.
At Kelley Austin, employees are supported by leadership and the rest of the team, are encouraged to take time off, and have the opportunity to put time towards furthering their education and expertise.
Kelley Austin University, a program created to recruit, train, and hire people who are new to the Salesforce ecosystem, is an example of the company’s commitment to hiring a diverse staff with careers outside of tech.
"Learning Salesforce can change your life," Co-founder Waylon Kelley said. "It's a story you hear from countless individuals. Our mission at KA University is to change people’s lives by giving them a firm foundation on the platform. If we can do this successfully, we can change lives and create a better ecosystem overall."
Austin and Kelley are proud of the work culture they’ve created, which has largely contributed to a growing team of Architects, Consultants, Developers and more who are passionate about providing quality Salesforce solutions for clients.
Client stakeholders often describe the experience of working with the Kelley Austin team as highly professional and “second to none.”
“Kelley Austin is awesome to work with,” said a VP in the Technology Industry. “Their entire team brought immense value to the engagement and always kept us up-to-date in real time. This partnership has been great since our first interaction.”
As a Salesforce Summit Partner, Kelley Austin is proud to help brands and businesses drive revenue and connect with their customers with the power of Salesforce.
At Kelley Austin we're proud to provide tailored Salesforce solutions across a variety of industries. Our expert knowledge and many years of experience in all aspects of the Salesforce ecosystem have earned us high levels of satisfaction from our clients.
We're ready to find the right solutions for your industry today.