This study plan is carefully structured to ensure maximum efficiency and retention using the Pomodoro Technique for time management and the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve for reinforcing learned concepts. Tasks are broken down into specific, actionable steps for better focus and understanding.

Plan Overview

• Duration: 6 Weeks
• Daily Study Time: 3-4 Hours (6-8 Pomodoro sessions)
• Weekly Review: Scheduled to reinforce learning and address weak areas.
• Goals:
  • Develop a thorough understanding of all Sales Cloud Consultant topics.
  • Apply concepts to real-world business scenarios.
  • Pass the exam with confidence by mastering core topics.

Week 1: Sales Lifecycle

Goals:

• Master the complete sales lifecycle, from lead generation to deal closure.
• Learn Salesforce tools that enhance each stage of the sales process.
• Build hands-on experience with lead and opportunity management.

Day 1: Lead Management (Part 1)

Pomodoro 1: Introduction to Lead Generation

• What to Learn:
  • Define what a lead is and why it’s important in the sales process.
  • Study lead sources such as Web-to-Lead forms, ad campaigns, and social media.
• Tasks:
  • Explore Salesforce Trailhead module: Leads and Opportunities Basics.
  • In Salesforce Developer Org:
    • Create a Web-to-Lead form.
    • Generate leads from mock campaign data.

Pomodoro 2: Campaign Management

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how Salesforce Campaigns help track lead generation effectiveness.
  • Learn how to associate leads with campaigns for better ROI tracking.
• Tasks:
  • Create a mock campaign in Salesforce and assign leads to it.
  • Configure campaign hierarchy to group related marketing efforts.

Pomodoro 3: Automating Lead Capture

• What to Learn:
  • Explore automation tools like auto-assignment rules for incoming leads.
  • Learn how Salesforce integrates with external systems like Google Ads.
• Tasks:
  • Set up basic lead assignment rules in the Developer Org.
  • Watch a short Salesforce Trailhead video on Lead Automation.

Pomodoro 4: Review and Practice

• What to Do:
  • Review concepts learned today using a flashcard app (e.g., Quizlet).
  • Practice creating and assigning 10 mock leads in the Developer Org.

Day 2: Lead Management (Part 2)

Pomodoro 1: Lead Scoring

• What to Learn:
  • Learn the purpose of lead scoring to prioritize leads for sales reps.
  • Study how to create scoring rules based on criteria like geography, industry, and budget.
• Tasks:
  • Configure a lead scoring rule in Salesforce:
    • Example: Leads with budgets >$50,000 get higher scores.
  • Explore Einstein Lead Scoring if available in the Developer Org.

Pomodoro 2: Lead Assignment

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how Salesforce queues and assignment rules route leads to the right sales reps.
• Tasks:
  • Configure a queue for leads in your Developer Org.
  • Create lead assignment rules based on region (e.g., East, West).

Pomodoro 3: Lead Conversion

• What to Learn:
  • Study the process of converting a qualified lead into an Account, Contact, and Opportunity.
  • Understand the importance of mapping lead data to new records.
• Tasks:
  • Practice converting 5 leads into accounts, ensuring field mappings are accurate.
  • Watch Trailhead video: How to Convert Leads in Salesforce.

Pomodoro 4: Hands-On Scenario

• Scenario:
  • Simulate a workflow where:
    • A lead is captured through a campaign.
    • Scored and routed to a sales rep.
    • Converted into an opportunity.
  • Document each step for review.

Day 3: Opportunity Management (Part 1)

Pomodoro 1: Opportunity Basics

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the role of opportunities in tracking potential deals.
  • Study the importance of customizing opportunity stages for your sales process.
• Tasks:
  • Customize opportunity stages in Salesforce:
    • Example: "Prospecting → Proposal Sent → Negotiation → Closed-Won."
  • Assign probabilities to each stage.

Pomodoro 2: Sales Path

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how the Sales Path feature guides reps through the opportunity stages.
• Tasks:
  • Configure a Sales Path for opportunities in Salesforce.
  • Add specific guidance for each stage (e.g., tasks, documents to review).

Pomodoro 3: Products and Quotes

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to link products and price books to opportunities.
  • Learn how quotes provide formal pricing to customers.
• Tasks:
  • Create a price book and add mock products to it.
  • Link products to an opportunity and generate a quote.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Simulate managing an opportunity:
    • Progress it through customized stages.
    • Add a product and create a quote for the customer.

Day 4: Opportunity Management (Part 2)

Pomodoro 1: Opportunity Forecasting

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how Salesforce forecasts revenue based on open opportunities.
  • Study forecast categories like "Best Case" and "Committed."
• Tasks:
  • Enable Collaborative Forecasting in the Developer Org.
  • Assign forecast categories to open opportunities.

Pomodoro 2: Analyzing Forecasts

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to interpret forecast reports to predict future sales performance.
• Tasks:
  • Create a report showing pipeline value by forecast category.
  • Adjust opportunities to see the impact on forecasts.

Pomodoro 3: Review Opportunity Features

• What to Do:
  • Summarize opportunity-related concepts in your own words.
  • Write down key tips for configuring stages, products, and forecasts.

Day 5: Sales Activities and Reporting

Pomodoro 1: Tasks and Events

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to track customer interactions like calls, meetings, and emails.
  • Understand the role of automated reminders in Salesforce.
• Tasks:
  • Log a task and schedule an event for a mock opportunity.
  • Configure automated reminders for overdue tasks.

Pomodoro 2: Reporting Basics

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how Salesforce reports visualize sales data.
  • Learn how to create a pipeline report showing opportunities by stage.
• Tasks:
  • Create a custom report on opportunity metrics:
    • Win rates, average deal size, and pipeline value.

Pomodoro 3: Dashboard Creation

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how dashboards display key metrics for stakeholders.
• Tasks:
  • Build a dashboard with:
    • A bar chart for opportunities by stage.
    • A leaderboard for top-performing sales reps.
    • A gauge chart for sales quota progress.

Pomodoro 4: Consolidate Learning

• What to Do:
  • Combine reports and dashboards into a polished presentation.
  • Summarize how these tools support sales forecasting and performance tracking.

Day 6: Weekly Review

Tasks:

1. Concept Reinforcement:
   • Use flashcards to review:
     • Lead generation, scoring, assignment, and conversion.
     • Opportunity management features.
2. Hands-On Practice:
   • Simulate a complete sales cycle:
     • Capture a lead, qualify it, convert it to an opportunity, and progress it through to closure.
3. Mock Quiz:
   • Take a practice quiz on Sales Lifecycle topics.
4. Reflect:
   • Write down any areas of difficulty for focused review next week.

Week 2: Implementation Strategies

Goals:

• Understand how to gather requirements effectively and translate them into actionable project goals.
• Learn project planning techniques, including timelines, budgeting, and risk management.
• Differentiate between configuration and development solutions and their appropriate use cases.

Day 1: Requirements Analysis

Pomodoro 1: Business Goals Assessment

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to identify and document a client’s sales goals, workflows, and challenges.
• Tasks:
  • Create a checklist for gathering business goals (e.g., revenue increase, lead conversion improvement).
  • Practice documenting business goals for a mock client:
    • Example: "Increase sales team efficiency by automating lead assignment."
  • Explore Trailhead module: Understanding Business Requirements.

Pomodoro 2: Workflow Mapping

• What to Learn:
  • Learn to visualize current workflows and identify inefficiencies.
• Tasks:
  • Use a tool like Lucidchart or Visio to map out the existing lead-to-opportunity workflow for a hypothetical client.
  • Identify bottlenecks (e.g., manual lead assignment) and note areas for automation.

Pomodoro 3: Stakeholder Interviews

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the importance of gathering input from stakeholders at different levels.
• Tasks:
  • Write interview questions for:
    • Sales reps (e.g., "What tasks consume the most time in your day?")
    • Sales managers (e.g., "What reports do you use to monitor team performance?")
  • Role-play an interview scenario with a peer or simulate responses for a mock client.

Pomodoro 4: Prioritization

• What to Learn:
  • Learn to rank requirements based on business impact and technical feasibility.
• Tasks:
  • Create a priority matrix:
    • High Priority: Automating lead assignment.
    • Medium Priority: Customizing dashboards for sales reps.
    • Low Priority: Adding AI-driven insights (future phase).

Day 2: Project Planning

Pomodoro 1: Agile vs. Waterfall

• What to Learn:
  • Compare Agile and Waterfall methodologies and their applications in Salesforce projects.
• Tasks:
  • Research pros and cons of each methodology.
  • Write a brief explanation of when to use Agile (iterative, flexible) vs. Waterfall (linear, clear requirements).

Pomodoro 2: Milestones and Timelines

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to break projects into phases and set achievable milestones.
• Tasks:
  • Create a sample project timeline with phases:
    • Week 1: Data migration preparation.
    • Week 2: Lead management configuration.
    • Week 3: User training.
  • Use a project management tool like Trello or Asana to organize tasks.

Pomodoro 3: Budgeting

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to allocate budgets for licenses, development, and training.
• Tasks:
  • Research Salesforce license costs and include them in a sample budget.
  • Create a cost breakdown for a project:
    • Example: 40% on training, 30% on customization, 30% on support.

Pomodoro 4: Risk Management

• What to Learn:
  • Identify potential risks in Salesforce implementations and create mitigation plans.
• Tasks:
  • List common risks:
    • Example: Data migration errors, low user adoption.
  • Write a mitigation plan:
    • Data validation before migration.
    • Ongoing user training and support post-implementation.

Day 3: Configuration (Click Solutions)

Pomodoro 1: Standard Objects

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the customization options for standard Salesforce objects like Leads, Accounts, and Opportunities.
• Tasks:
  • Add custom fields to the Opportunity object (e.g., "Estimated Delivery Date").
  • Customize page layouts to include relevant fields for different roles.

Pomodoro 2: Validation Rules

• What to Learn:
  • Study how validation rules enforce data quality.
• Tasks:
  • Create a validation rule to ensure "Close Date" is not earlier than "Today."
  • Test the rule by entering invalid data.

Pomodoro 3: Record Types

• What to Learn:
  • Learn to use record types to handle different business processes.
• Tasks:
  • Create two record types for Opportunities:
    • B2B (with fields like "Industry").
    • B2C (with fields like "Consumer Preferences").
  • Assign these record types to specific profiles.

Pomodoro 4: Practical Application

• Scenario:
  • Simulate configuring Salesforce for a business that handles both corporate and retail sales, requiring separate record types and validation rules.

Day 4: Development (Code Solutions)

Pomodoro 1: Apex Basics

• What to Learn:
  • Understand when and how to use Apex for advanced logic.
• Tasks:
  • Write a simple trigger:
    • Example: Automatically update the Opportunity "Stage" to "Negotiation" when a related Quote is created.
  • Deploy the trigger in your Developer Org and test it with mock data.

Pomodoro 2: Lightning Web Components (LWC)

• What to Learn:
  • Explore Lightning Web Components to create custom user interfaces.
• Tasks:
  • Build an LWC that displays a list of top 5 opportunities by value.
  • Deploy the component on a Salesforce Lightning page.

Pomodoro 3: Code vs. Click Decisions

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the trade-offs between using configuration and code.
• Tasks:
  • Write examples of scenarios where:
    • Click solutions are sufficient (e.g., creating a validation rule).
    • Code is necessary (e.g., complex data calculations).

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Implement a hybrid solution:
    • Automate a simple process using Flow Builder.
    • Add custom logic using Apex for more advanced requirements.

Day 5: User Training and Support

Pomodoro 1: Training Plan Design

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the importance of role-specific training.
• Tasks:
  • Create a training plan:
    • Admins: Managing users, configuring objects.
    • Sales Reps: Using reports, managing opportunities.
    • Managers: Forecasting and dashboards.

Pomodoro 2: Scenario-Based Exercises

• What to Learn:
  • Reinforce training with hands-on scenarios.
• Tasks:
  • Design an exercise:
    • Example: Create an opportunity, add products, and progress it through stages.

Pomodoro 3: Post-Go-Live Support

• What to Learn:
  • Study common post-implementation issues and support strategies.
• Tasks:
  • Write a help desk plan:
    • Example: Use a dedicated Chatter group for quick issue resolution.
  • Explore Trailhead module: Salesforce Adoption Strategies.

Day 6: Weekly Review

Tasks:

1. Reinforce Learning:
   • Review flowcharts, project plans, and scenarios created this week.
   • Use flashcards to test knowledge of implementation methodologies.
2. Hands-On Practice:
   • Simulate the implementation of a lead management system from requirements gathering to configuration.
3. Mock Quiz:
   • Take a practice test focused on implementation topics.
4. Identify Weak Areas:
   • Write down areas of difficulty to revisit in the next weekly review.

Week 3: Practical Application of Sales Cloud Expertise

Goals:

• Master Salesforce automation tools like Workflow Rules, Flow Builder, and Approval Processes.
• Learn to leverage Einstein AI features for predictive insights.
• Gain expertise in creating actionable reports and real-time dashboards.

Day 1: Automation Features – Part 1

Pomodoro 1: Workflow Rules

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how workflow rules automate tasks based on predefined criteria.
• Tasks:
  • Create a workflow rule:
    • Criteria: When a lead status changes to "Qualified."
    • Action: Send an email notification to the assigned sales rep.
  • Test the rule by updating lead records in the Developer Org.

Pomodoro 2: Workflow Actions

• What to Learn:
  • Explore different workflow actions: field updates, email alerts, task creation.
• Tasks:
  • Add a field update action to the workflow:
    • Update the "Lead Score" field to 100 when a lead is marked "Qualified."
  • Create a task action:
    • Assign a follow-up task to the sales rep after a lead conversion.

Pomodoro 3: Troubleshooting Workflow Rules

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to debug common workflow issues.
• Tasks:
  • Deliberately set incorrect criteria to observe workflow failures.
  • Adjust and test until the rule executes as expected.

Pomodoro 4: Review and Practice

• Scenario:
  • Create a workflow that automates task assignment for opportunities in the "Negotiation" stage.
  • Document each step for review.

Day 2: Automation Features – Part 2

Pomodoro 1: Introduction to Flow Builder

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how Flow Builder automates complex business processes.
• Tasks:
  • Create a record-triggered flow:
    • When a new lead is created, auto-assign it to the appropriate queue based on region.
  • Add a decision element in the flow to handle different regions.

Pomodoro 2: Screen Flows

• What to Learn:
  • Study how screen flows guide users through multi-step processes.
• Tasks:
  • Build a screen flow:
    • Use case: Capture opportunity details, such as "Close Date" and "Stage," directly from the user.
  • Test the flow by embedding it in a Lightning page.

Pomodoro 3: Scheduled Flows

• What to Learn:
  • Learn to schedule flows for time-based automation.
• Tasks:
  • Create a scheduled flow:
    • Example: Send weekly reminders to follow up on open opportunities.
  • Schedule the flow to execute every Monday.

Pomodoro 4: Compare Workflow Rules and Flows

• What to Learn:
  • Understand when to use workflows vs. Flow Builder.
• Tasks:
  • Write a summary of scenarios where workflows are sufficient and where flows are better suited.
  • Test both tools for similar use cases.

Day 3: Approval Processes

Pomodoro 1: Basics of Approval Processes

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the purpose and structure of approval processes.
• Tasks:
  • Create a simple approval process:
    • Example: Approve discount requests exceeding 20%.
    • Approval hierarchy: Sales Manager → Finance Team.
  • Test the approval process with mock opportunity records.

Pomodoro 2: Advanced Approval Processes

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to configure multi-step approval processes.
• Tasks:
  • Add conditional steps:
    • Example: If the discount exceeds 30%, include the VP of Sales in the approval chain.
  • Use email templates to notify approvers automatically.

Pomodoro 3: Debugging Approval Processes

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to resolve common approval process issues.
• Tasks:
  • Simulate errors by submitting incomplete records for approval.
  • Adjust criteria and re-test.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Create an approval process for contract approvals:
    • Criteria: Total contract value >$50,000.
    • Include multiple approvers and email notifications.

Day 4: Einstein Features

Pomodoro 1: Einstein Lead Scoring

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how Einstein AI evaluates lead data to predict conversion likelihood.
• Tasks:
  • Enable Einstein Lead Scoring in a Developer Org (if available).
  • Analyze scored leads and observe which factors influence scores.

Pomodoro 2: Einstein Opportunity Insights

• What to Learn:
  • Explore Einstein-generated recommendations for managing opportunities.
• Tasks:
  • Enable Einstein Opportunity Insights.
  • Analyze insights such as:
    • Positive signals (e.g., customer engagement).
    • Risk alerts (e.g., stalled opportunities).

Pomodoro 3: Interpreting Einstein Data

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to act on Einstein predictions and recommendations.
• Tasks:
  • For a stalled opportunity, use Einstein's suggestions to re-engage the customer.
  • Adjust sales strategies based on AI insights.

Pomodoro 4: Hands-On Practice

• Scenario:
  • Use Einstein tools to prioritize leads and opportunities for a mock sales pipeline.
  • Write a summary of how AI insights improved decision-making.

Day 5: Reports and Dashboards

Pomodoro 1: Creating Custom Reports

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to create custom reports tailored to specific business needs.
• Tasks:
  • Build a pipeline report:
    • Show opportunities by stage, expected close date, and value.
  • Add filters to focus on high-value opportunities.

Pomodoro 2: Joined Reports

• What to Learn:
  • Learn to combine data from multiple objects in a single report.
• Tasks:
  • Create a joined report:
    • Combine Accounts, Opportunities, and Products.
    • Analyze which products generate the most revenue.

Pomodoro 3: Real-Time Dashboards

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to build interactive dashboards to track sales metrics.
• Tasks:
  • Create a dashboard with:
    • A bar chart showing sales by rep.
    • A gauge showing progress toward the sales team quota.
    • A pie chart of opportunities by region.

Pomodoro 4: Hands-On Practice

• Scenario:
  • Present a comprehensive dashboard to a mock client:
    • Include KPIs such as win rate, pipeline value, and quota attainment.

Day 6: Weekly Review

Tasks:

1. Reinforce Learning:
   • Use flashcards to review automation features, Einstein tools, and reporting concepts.
   • Summarize key differences between workflows, flows, and approval processes.
2. Practice Exercises:
   • Automate a complete lead-to-opportunity process using workflows and flows.
   • Create a dashboard summarizing pipeline health and sales performance.
3. Mock Quiz:
   • Take a practice test on automation, Einstein, and reporting topics.
4. Identify Weak Areas:
   • Note areas needing improvement and revisit next week.

Week 4: Consulting Practices

Goals:

• Learn how to analyze business requirements and map them to Salesforce capabilities.
• Develop the ability to recommend solutions based on best practices and prioritize features.
• Master strategies to drive user adoption and ensure implementation success.

Day 1: Requirement Definition

Pomodoro 1: Understanding Business Processes

• What to Learn:
  • Study how to gather and document client workflows for their sales process.
• Tasks:
  • Identify key steps in the sales lifecycle:
    • Example: Lead capture → Lead qualification → Opportunity management → Deal closure.
  • Create a simple table for a mock client:
    • Current Process | Challenges | Improvement Suggestions.

Pomodoro 2: Process Mapping

• What to Learn:
  • Visualize workflows using tools like Lucidchart or Salesforce Flow Builder.
• Tasks:
  • Map a current sales process for a mock client:
    • Example: Lead routing from marketing to sales reps.
  • Highlight inefficiencies:
    • Example: Manual lead assignment or lack of follow-ups.

Pomodoro 3: Identify Inefficiencies

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to pinpoint bottlenecks and suggest improvements.
• Tasks:
  • Analyze the mapped process to identify delays or redundancies.
  • Example: Suggest automating task reminders for overdue follow-ups.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Document the sales process for a small business:
    • Include their current challenges and propose 3 actionable solutions (e.g., automation, custom dashboards, or Einstein features).

Day 2: Solution Recommendations – Part 1

Pomodoro 1: Recommending Best Practices

• What to Learn:
  • Learn Salesforce best practices for sales processes.
• Tasks:
  • Write a guide for:
    • Standardizing opportunity stages.
    • Automating lead assignment based on region or product interest.
  • Watch Trailhead videos on Salesforce Best Practices for Sales Teams.

Pomodoro 2: Tailoring Solutions

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to adapt solutions for different client needs (small vs. enterprise businesses).
• Tasks:
  • Write feature recommendations for:
    • A small business needing a simple pipeline tracker.
    • An enterprise needing advanced reporting and integrations.

Pomodoro 3: Data Governance Best Practices

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to ensure clean, reliable data for the sales process.
• Tasks:
  • Create a data governance checklist:
    • Include duplicate prevention, field validation rules, and mandatory fields.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Propose a best-practice guide for a mock client:
    • Example: "Streamlining Opportunity Stages and Ensuring Data Accuracy."

Day 3: Solution Recommendations – Part 2

Pomodoro 1: Feature Prioritization

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to rank features by business impact and feasibility.
• Tasks:
  • Create a prioritization matrix for a client:
    • Example: High priority (automating lead assignment), medium priority (custom dashboards), low priority (Einstein analytics for future phases).

Pomodoro 2: Managing Client Constraints

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to address budget, time, and technical constraints.
• Tasks:
  • Write a plan for implementing features in phases:
    • Phase 1: Core lead and opportunity management.
    • Phase 2: Advanced reporting and automation.
    • Phase 3: Einstein enhancements.

Pomodoro 3: Solution Design

• What to Learn:
  • Study how to design end-to-end solutions that address client pain points.
• Tasks:
  • For a mock client:
    • Map challenges (e.g., slow lead follow-ups) to Salesforce solutions (e.g., lead routing workflows).
  • Present your solution design in a short summary.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Simulate a client meeting where you explain why specific features were prioritized and how they address business goals.

Day 4: User Adoption Plans

Pomodoro 1: Importance of User Adoption

• What to Learn:
  • Understand why user adoption is critical to project success.
• Tasks:
  • Write a list of common adoption challenges:
    • Example: Resistance to change, lack of training.
  • Research adoption strategies like gamification and incentives.

Pomodoro 2: Incentives for Adoption

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how rewards motivate users to embrace new systems.
• Tasks:
  • Design an incentive program for sales reps:
    • Example: Leaderboards tracking Salesforce usage with monthly rewards for top users.
  • Configure a mock dashboard to monitor user activity.

Pomodoro 3: Training Strategies

• What to Learn:
  • Study how to create effective role-based training plans.
• Tasks:
  • Write a training outline:
    • Example:
      • Sales Reps: Lead conversion, opportunity management.
      • Managers: Forecasting, dashboards.
      • Admins: User management, configurations.
  • Use Salesforce Trailhead to explore training resources.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Create a sample training plan for a team of 5 sales reps.
  • Include practical exercises like converting leads, tracking opportunities, and generating reports.

Day 5: Implementation and Adoption Practice

Pomodoro 1: Reviewing Requirements

• What to Learn:
  • Practice consolidating client requirements into a project document.
• Tasks:
  • Review the requirements from previous days and finalize a clear, actionable list.

Pomodoro 2: Designing an Adoption Plan

• What to Learn:
  • Create a step-by-step user adoption strategy.
• Tasks:
  • Write a detailed plan:
    • Phase 1: Training.
    • Phase 2: Monitoring usage with dashboards.
    • Phase 3: Gathering feedback and adjusting.
  • Include how you will address low adoption rates.

Pomodoro 3: Simulating Client Meetings

• What to Learn:
  • Develop communication skills for presenting solutions and adoption strategies.
• Tasks:
  • Role-play a meeting:
    • Present your adoption plan to a mock client.
    • Address potential objections (e.g., "Our reps are too busy to attend training.").

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Consolidate the week’s work into a polished project plan for a mock client.
  • Include:
    • Requirement analysis.
    • Solution recommendations.
    • User adoption strategy.

Day 6: Weekly Review

Tasks:

1. Reinforce Learning:
   • Use flashcards to review consulting best practices, feature prioritization, and adoption strategies.
   • Summarize lessons learned from the week.
2. Practice Exercises:
   • Map workflows and design an adoption plan for a different mock client.
   • Revisit solution design and identify improvements.
3. Mock Quiz:
   • Take a practice test on consulting practices.
4. Reflection:
   • Write down any gaps or areas needing further focus for the final weeks.

Week 5: Data Management

Goals:

• Learn how to manage data effectively in Salesforce, including importing, exporting, and ensuring data quality.
• Understand data modeling and relationships between Salesforce objects.
• Master Salesforce data security features to protect sensitive information.
• Develop a backup and recovery plan to safeguard data.

Day 1: Data Import and Export

Pomodoro 1: Introduction to Data Management Tools

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the purpose of Salesforce data management tools: Data Import Wizard and Data Loader.
• Tasks:
  • Compare Import Wizard and Data Loader:
    • Import Wizard: For small and simple data imports.
    • Data Loader: For large and complex data operations.
  • Read Salesforce documentation on choosing the right tool for your needs.

Pomodoro 2: Import Wizard

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to use the Import Wizard for simple data imports.
• Tasks:
  • Import a small CSV file containing mock leads into Salesforce using the Import Wizard.
  • Configure duplicate management settings to prevent duplicate lead creation.

Pomodoro 3: Data Loader

• What to Learn:
  • Explore the capabilities of the Data Loader for bulk imports and exports.
• Tasks:
  • Install and configure Data Loader.
  • Import a large dataset of accounts and contacts.
  • Export opportunity data for analysis.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Simulate a data migration project:
    • Import a file of 100 leads.
    • Export a report of accounts with open opportunities.
  • Write down lessons learned and potential challenges during the process.

Day 2: Duplicate Handling

Pomodoro 1: Duplicate Rules

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how duplicate rules help maintain data quality.
• Tasks:
  • Configure a duplicate rule for contacts:
    • Example: Match contacts based on email address.
  • Test the rule by creating duplicate records and observing the system behavior.

Pomodoro 2: Matching Rules

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how matching rules identify duplicates during data entry.
• Tasks:
  • Create a custom matching rule for leads:
    • Example: Match based on first name, last name, and phone number.
  • Test the rule by entering similar records manually.

Pomodoro 3: Hands-On Practice

• Scenario:
  • Combine duplicate and matching rules to ensure clean lead data.
  • Clean up duplicate records using Salesforce's Merge Function.

Day 3: Data Model and Relationships

Pomodoro 1: Standard Object Model

• What to Learn:
  • Study the relationships between core Salesforce objects:
    • Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, and Cases.
• Tasks:
  • Draw a diagram of the standard Salesforce data model.
  • Practice creating accounts and associating them with contacts and opportunities.

Pomodoro 2: Custom Object Relationships

• What to Learn:
  • Understand Lookup and Master-Detail relationships for custom objects.
• Tasks:
  • Create a custom object called "Project."
  • Link it to the Account object using:
    • Lookup relationship for optional linking.
    • Master-Detail relationship for dependent records.

Pomodoro 3: Data Modeling Best Practices

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how to design data models that optimize performance and flexibility.
• Tasks:
  • Review common pitfalls in data modeling (e.g., too many fields, poor relationships).
  • Modify the custom "Project" object to include fields and validation rules for better usability.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Create a complete data model for a mock company managing projects and tasks:
    • Include relationships between "Projects" (custom object) and "Accounts."
    • Document the relationships and their purpose.

Day 4: Data Security

Pomodoro 1: Introduction to Data Security

• What to Learn:
  • Understand the different levels of data security in Salesforce:
    • Object-level, field-level, and record-level security.
• Tasks:
  • Read Salesforce Trailhead module on Data Security Basics.
  • Summarize the differences between profiles, roles, and permission sets.

Pomodoro 2: Field-Level Security

• What to Learn:
  • Study how field-level security protects sensitive information.
• Tasks:
  • Configure field-level security for the "Social Security Number" field:
    • Make it visible only to HR roles.
  • Test the configuration by logging in with different user roles.

Pomodoro 3: Sharing Rules

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how sharing rules extend access beyond role hierarchies.
• Tasks:
  • Create a sharing rule for opportunities:
    • Share all high-value opportunities (>$100,000) with the Finance team.
  • Test the rule by logging in as a user in the Finance team.

Pomodoro 4: Manual Sharing

• What to Learn:
  • Learn how manual sharing allows users to share individual records.
• Tasks:
  • Practice sharing specific records with colleagues:
    • Example: A sales rep manually shares an account record with a peer for collaboration.

Day 5: Data Backup and Recovery

Pomodoro 1: Backup Frequency

• What to Learn:
  • Study the importance of regular data backups and the available tools.
• Tasks:
  • Enable the Salesforce Data Export Service.
  • Schedule a weekly export of all data in CSV format.

Pomodoro 2: Recovery Process

• What to Learn:
  • Understand how to restore data after accidental deletion or corruption.
• Tasks:
  • Delete a mock record and attempt to recover it using:
    • Salesforce Recycle Bin.
    • Re-importing from a backup file.

Pomodoro 3: Third-Party Backup Solutions

• What to Learn:
  • Explore third-party tools for enhanced backup and recovery capabilities.
• Tasks:
  • Research tools like OwnBackup or Spanning Backup.
  • List the additional features they offer compared to Salesforce's native tools.

Pomodoro 4: Hands-On Scenario

• Scenario:
  • Simulate a disaster recovery scenario:
    • Export account and opportunity data.
    • Delete records accidentally, then re-import and validate the restoration process.

Day 6: Weekly Review

Tasks:

1. Reinforce Learning:
   • Use flashcards to review data import/export tools, security concepts, and relationships.
   • Summarize the key steps for configuring duplicate rules and matching rules.
2. Practice Exercises:
   • Create a new custom object with Lookup and Master-Detail relationships.
   • Apply field-level security and test sharing rules for the object.
3. Mock Quiz:
   • Take a practice test focusing on data management topics.
4. Reflection:
   • Write down any challenges faced during the week and revisit related materials as needed.

Week 6: Final Exam Preparation

Goals:

• Consolidate all topics covered in previous weeks.
• Identify and address weak areas through focused practice.
• Build confidence by taking full-length mock exams and simulating real exam conditions.

Day 1: Review Sales Lifecycle

Pomodoro 1: Key Concepts Recap

• What to Review:
  • Lead Management: Lead generation, scoring, assignment, and conversion.
  • Opportunity Management: Opportunity tracking, products, quotes, and forecasting.
  • Sales Activities: Tasks, events, and Einstein Activity Capture.
• Tasks:
  • Revisit notes and summarize key points for each topic.
  • Create flashcards for the main steps in the sales lifecycle.

Pomodoro 2: Practical Application

• Scenario:
  • Simulate a sales lifecycle:
    • Capture a lead from a Web-to-Lead form.
    • Convert the lead to an opportunity.
    • Add products to the opportunity and generate a quote.
    • Progress the opportunity through sales stages to closure.

Pomodoro 3: Reporting and Dashboards

• What to Review:
  • Sales funnel analysis, trend analysis, and key performance indicators.
• Tasks:
  • Create a dashboard with:
    • Pipeline value by stage.
    • Top sales performers.
    • Sales trends over the last quarter.

Pomodoro 4: Mock Quiz

• What to Do:
  • Take a short quiz focusing on Sales Lifecycle topics.
  • Analyze incorrect answers and revise weak areas.

Day 2: Review Implementation Strategies

Pomodoro 1: Requirements Analysis

• What to Review:
  • Gathering business goals, stakeholder interviews, and prioritization.
• Tasks:
  • Practice writing a requirements document for a mock client.
  • Include key sales goals and pain points.

Pomodoro 2: Project Planning

• What to Review:
  • Agile vs. Waterfall methodologies, timelines, budgeting, and risk management.
• Tasks:
  • Create a project timeline for a Salesforce implementation:
    • Include milestones for configuration, testing, training, and go-live.
  • Write a risk mitigation plan for data migration and user adoption.

Pomodoro 3: Configuration vs. Development

• What to Review:
  • When to use configuration (click) vs. development (code).
• Tasks:
  • Create a table comparing configuration (e.g., validation rules) and development (e.g., Apex triggers).
  • Write scenarios for each approach:
    • Example: Use Flow Builder for automating task creation.

Pomodoro 4: Mock Quiz

• What to Do:
  • Take a quiz on implementation strategies and project planning.
  • Focus on methodology selection and solution design.

Day 3: Review Practical Applications

Pomodoro 1: Automation Tools

• What to Review:
  • Workflow Rules, Flow Builder, and Approval Processes.
• Tasks:
  • Practice creating:
    • A workflow rule to automate lead assignment.
    • A record-triggered flow to update opportunity stages.
    • An approval process for discounts over 20%.

Pomodoro 2: Einstein Features

• What to Review:
  • Einstein Lead Scoring and Opportunity Insights.
• Tasks:
  • Simulate a scenario:
    • Use Einstein Lead Scoring to prioritize a lead queue.
    • Analyze Opportunity Insights for stalled opportunities and take recommended actions.

Pomodoro 3: Reports and Dashboards

• What to Review:
  • Custom reports and joined reports for actionable insights.
• Tasks:
  • Build a joined report combining Accounts, Opportunities, and Products.
  • Create a dashboard showing:
    • Sales quota attainment.
    • Open opportunities by close date.

Pomodoro 4: Mock Quiz

• What to Do:
  • Take a quiz on automation, Einstein features, and reporting.
  • Focus on applying tools to real-world scenarios.

Day 4: Review Consulting Practices

Pomodoro 1: Requirement Definition

• What to Review:
  • Process modeling and identifying inefficiencies.
• Tasks:
  • Map a mock sales process using Lucidchart.
  • Highlight pain points and propose improvements.

Pomodoro 2: Solution Recommendations

• What to Review:
  • Best practices and feature prioritization.
• Tasks:
  • Write recommendations for a mock client with:
    • Limited budget: Focus on automating lead management.
    • Larger budget: Include Einstein tools and advanced dashboards.

Pomodoro 3: User Adoption Plan

• What to Review:
  • Incentives, training programs, and post-go-live support.
• Tasks:
  • Design an adoption plan:
    • Create a leaderboard for sales rep performance.
    • Outline a role-based training program.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Prepare a presentation for a mock client:
    • Include recommendations for feature prioritization and a user adoption strategy.

Day 5: Review Data Management

Pomodoro 1: Data Import and Export

• What to Review:
  • Import Wizard, Data Loader, and duplicate handling.
• Tasks:
  • Practice:
    • Importing leads using the Import Wizard.
    • Bulk importing accounts using Data Loader.
  • Test duplicate rules by entering similar records.

Pomodoro 2: Data Security

• What to Review:
  • Field-level security, sharing rules, and manual sharing.
• Tasks:
  • Configure field-level security for sensitive fields.
  • Create sharing rules to extend access to high-value opportunities.

Pomodoro 3: Data Backup and Recovery

• What to Review:
  • Data Export Service and recovery strategies.
• Tasks:
  • Schedule a weekly data export in Salesforce.
  • Simulate a recovery scenario:
    • Delete a record and restore it using a backup file.

Pomodoro 4: Practice

• Scenario:
  • Create a data management plan for a company:
    • Include backup schedules, security configurations, and data cleaning practices.

Day 6: Final Exam Simulation

Tasks:

1. Full-Length Mock Exam:

   • Take a complete 60-question exam in one sitting.
   • Simulate real exam conditions:
     • No breaks, set a timer for 105 minutes.
   • Analyze your results and identify weak areas.

2. Review Weak Areas:

   • Revisit topics where you scored below 80%.
   • Practice hands-on exercises for those areas.

3. Relaxation and Reflection:

   • Skim through summaries and flashcards for confidence.
   • Get plenty of rest to ensure mental clarity.