What Sets Salesforce Ecosystem Leaders Apart in a $57B Market?

Greg Kinney, Senior Sales & Alliances Executive

The Salesforce consulting market is on fire, projected to surge from $20.93 billion in 2025 to $57 billion by 2032 (Fortune Business Insights). But in this high-stakes ecosystem, success hinges on go-to-market (GTM) strategies that drive exponential growth. With 14 years of experience leading sales teams at Appirio, Bluewolf, Silverline, and USEReady, and a tenure as SVP of Alliances at Tableau, I’ve distilled five lessons to help you thrive. From building elite teams to navigating AI-driven transformations, here’s my blueprint for mastering the Salesforce ecosystem.

Market Growth Snapshot  (Fortune Business Insights)

• 2025: $20.93B

• 2032: $57B

• CAGR: 15.4%

1. It’s the People

Your team’s caliber determines your success. No GTM strategy works without the right people executing it. When the marketing, sales, delivery, and project leadership teams are unified in their goal of delivering maximum customer satisfaction, we were always successful. My colleagues from Appirio are now leaders across the Salesforce ecosystem. Appirio's people-first approach—fostering collaboration and innovation—was key to scaling from a startup to a global leader, acquired by Wipro in 2016. Great people turn vision into reality. At USEReady, for example, we transformed an underperforming sales team with strategic hiring and enablement training, driving 228% revenue growth. We invested in curious, adaptable, client-focused people, empowering them with clear goals and coaching.

2. Align Your Service Models to Growth Engines

Ride the market’s biggest waves by aligning services with high-growth platforms or verticals. At Appirio, we saw Salesforce and Workday as the future of enterprise cloud solutions and aligned our services to lead those markets. Bluewolf leaned into Salesforce expertise, was acquired by IBM, and became the spearhead focused on data and analytics, forming alliances with Tableau, Snowflake, and Starburst to drive profitable sales growth for the GBS Digital agency. Silverline targeted Healthcare and Financial Services – two of the most critical Salesforce segments. At USEReady, we focused on data and analytics, forming alliances with Tableau, Snowflake, and Starburst to drive profitable sales growth.

3. Don’t Play Small Ball

Big problems with complex solutions fuel profitable growth. Chasing small deals might keep the lights on, but enterprise challenges drive transformation. At Bluewolf, we targeted accounts with over 5,000 employees, securing multi-million-dollar Salesforce integrations for customers like Walmart and Caesar's Entertainment. At USEReady, we partnered with the Tableau sales team to support and provide services around their largest deal of the year in FY2024 with Citi, setting an industry benchmark.

4. Focus on Your Strengths

Sharpen your core competencies and stay disciplined. Overextending dilutes the impact. Appirio succeeded by staying laser-focused on cloud platforms like Salesforce and Workday, avoiding the temptation to chase every trend. At USEReady, we focused on data and analytics, strengthening partnerships with Snowflake and Starburst to drive aggressive, profitable revenue growth. At Silverline, we doubled down on healthcare, consistently exceeding our goals. Discipline keeps you competitive. Chasing distractions risks losing your edge.

5. Be Resilient

Setbacks—a fluke deal loss or a crisis like COVID-19 are inevitable. Resilience means competing every day. At USEReady in 2023, market headwinds emerged, but I led GTM adjustments to maintain sales while improving margins and reducing the cost of sales with a leaner team. While I was at Silverline, Salesforce acquired Vlocity, completely changing its approach to the Healthcare industry. Our ability to lean into the changes helped us to close a $4M healthcare provider network solution for Blue Cross Blue Shield, setting an industry benchmark. Great salespeople are like marathon runners—they shake off setbacks and keep pushing forward.

Why These Lessons Matter Now

The Salesforce ecosystem is transforming, with AI tools like Agentforce automating sales processes and Swantide’s suite streamlining implementations. But GTM success hinges on execution:

• People: Elite teams stay focused and communicate relentlessly.

• Growth Engines: Aligning with Agentforce ensures market relevance.

• Big Problems: Solving AI-driven challenges positions you as a leader.

• Strengths: Specializing in niches like AI analytics builds expertise.

• Resilience: Navigating economic uncertainty keeps you competitive.

These lessons, forged through decades of leadership, serve as your roadmap for the $57 billion market.

Key Takeaways

• Build elite teams with training and clear goals.

• Align with growth engines, such as Salesforce or AI platforms.

• Tackle big problems for enterprise impact.

• Focus on strengths to stay competitive.

• Stay resilient in the face of setbacks and market shifts.

Ready to Supercharge Your GTM Strategy?

Whether you’re a Salesforce admin, SI leader, or executive, these lessons can shape your success. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn to discuss high-performance sales teams. Share your GTM insights below—let’s shape the future of Salesforce together!