It seems that Kaelan Moss has recently become my go-to person for all the good questions. A week ago, my article answering his question: “Is Salesforce shifting its focus away from Marketing Cloud Engagement (SFMC) in favor of Data Cloud, Marketing Cloud Growth, and Marketing Cloud Advanced?” sparked quite a debate. Now, another great topic surfaced:
“Should businesses invest in hiring in-house Salesforce Marketing Cloud experts, or is it better to work with consultants for implementations and strategy?”
It’s a great question! One that hits at the core of many challenges I’ve seen companies face over the years. And, frankly, it’s one I have strong opinions on, formed through countless hours spent rescuing broken SFMC implementations that were initially handled by underqualified in-house teams or cut-rate consultants.
Now, I’m not saying in-house teams can’t succeed — many do. But the truth is, I’ve spent far too much time fixing costly mistakes that could have been avoided if the right expertise had been involved from the start.
The issue isn’t just about whether to hire in-house or work with a consultant. It’s about understanding the true cost of a poorly executed SFMC implementation. It’s about knowing when to invest in the right expertise and recognizing the long-term risks of getting it wrong.
So, in response to Kaelan’s question, I want to dive into what I’ve seen firsthand: the hidden costs of inadequate SFMC setups, the real dangers of underutilized in-house talent, and how businesses can avoid paying twice by making smarter decisions upfront.
Let’s get into it.
When Good Intentions Lead to Bad Implementations
I want to be clear: most of the time, these issues don’t arise from malice or laziness. In-house teams are usually doing their best. The problem lies deeper — in the way companies approach hiring for SFMC and in the general scarcity of skilled talent in the market.
Let’s face it: Salesforce Marketing Cloud experts are in high demand and short supply. This scarcity drives up salaries, often leading companies to pay top dollar for talent that, while well-meaning, might not have the depth of experience needed to handle complex implementations. It’s not uncommon to see companies hiring someone who’s dabbled in Marketing Cloud but hasn’t faced the deeper, more intricate challenges the platform can present — things like integrating Data Cloud for real-time personalization, ensuring seamless cross-cloud data flows, and having an eye on the impact of the broader system landscape on marketing performance.
I remember one project vividly. A global company had invested in SFMC and hired a full-time “expert” to manage the implementation. Months later, they reached out to me because their marketing efforts weren’t yielding results. Upon review, I found that their data model was a complete mess: multiple data extensions where one would have sufficed, relationships between data sets that were poorly defined, and automation tasks that conflicted with one another, leading to inaccurate segmentation and broken journeys. Their lead scoring model? Practically non-functional. Their webinars, weren’t syncing properly with SFMC, leaving the sales team in the dark about attendee engagement.
The kicker? They had already sunk tens of thousands into the setup and months of time, time they couldn’t get back. I had to rebuild large parts of the system from scratch, all while keeping their ongoing campaigns afloat.
That’s the reality many businesses face when they rely on underqualified in-house resources. They pay twice. Once for the faulty implementation and again to fix it. And that’s without factoring in the lost revenue and brand damage caused by misfired campaigns and frustrated customers.
The Silent Killer: Underutilizing Skilled Talent
There’s another angle to this problem that often goes unnoticed. And that’s the underutilization of the skilled talent companies work so hard (and pay so much) to hire.
I’ve seen companies bring in highly capable SFMC experts, only to have them spend the majority of their time on basic campaign execution. Tasks like simple email sends, list management, or troubleshooting day-to-day issues. These experts, who have the potential to architect complex journeys, redesign enterprise data landscapes, or build AI-driven personalization models, end up operating far below their capabilities.
This underutilization isn’t just a missed opportunity. It’s a direct cost to the business. Imagine paying a premium salary for a senior-level SFMC architect, only to have them perform tasks that a junior marketer could handle at half the cost. Over time, this becomes a massive drain on resources, leading to bloated budgets without the corresponding ROI.
But the impact isn’t purely financial. Employee satisfaction and retention take a hit too. Talented professionals don’t want to spend their days executing basic tasks when they know they could be driving high-impact initiatives. When employees feel underutilized and disconnected from strategic goals, frustration builds, leading to higher turnover rates. And in a market where SFMC talent is already scarce, losing skilled team members because they’re bored or underchallenged is a risk businesses simply can’t afford.
I’ve spoken to SFMC experts who’ve left companies for this very reason: they were hired with the promise of leading complex projects, only to be bogged down by day-to-day execution. And when they left, the company wasn’t just faced with the cost of hiring a replacement. They also lost the internal knowledge and momentum that had been building!
This is where strategic consulting can play a pivotal role. By working with a consultant to handle the complex architecture, integrations, and strategic roadmapping, companies can free up in-house teams to focus on campaign execution and optimizations – the areas where they can make the most immediate impact. It creates a more balanced workload, ensures the full potential of the platform is utilized, and keeps talented employees engaged and motivated.
The Cost of Cutting Corners
It’s easy to look at a consultant’s hourly rate and think, “That’s expensive.” But what’s truly expensive is paying for a solution that doesn’t work. Or worse, one that causes active harm to your business.
I’ve seen cases where poorly configured automations led to customers receiving multiple versions of the same email. Sometimes in different languages – leading to confusion and, unsurprisingly, a flood of unsubscribes. In another instance, a mismanaged IP warm-up resulted in the company’s emails landing straight in spam folders, tanking their deliverability and requiring weeks of effort to recover. In this case, the deliverability issue was being addressed by an internal team member, who spent over 6 months trying to resolve the problems. Without any substantial effect.
These mistakes aren’t just technical glitches – they’re revenue killers. They erode customer trust, damage brand reputation, and create a negative feedback loop that’s hard to break.
And the worst part? They’re entirely preventable.
Why Getting It Right the First Time Matters
When I approach an SFMC implementation, I’m not just thinking about the technical side, I’m thinking about the business goals. Every data model I design, every automation I set up, and every integration I build is done with a clear understanding of what the company is trying to achieve. Is the goal to increase lead conversions? To improve customer retention? To boost engagement through personalized content? The technical decisions I make are always in service of those goals.
This business-first approach is what separates a solid implementation from one that merely “works.” It’s also why companies that partner with experienced consultants often see a faster return on investment. There’s no ramp-up time, no trial-and-error — just solutions that work from day one.
And it’s not just about building the system — it’s about empowering teams. One of the things I focus on during every engagement is knowledge transfer. I don’t want businesses to feel dependent on me forever. I train in-house teams, document best practices, and ensure that when I step away, the company has the skills and confidence to manage and optimize their SFMC instance on their own.
The Talent Scarcity Dilemma And How to Navigate It
Given the scarcity of skilled SFMC talent, what’s the best approach for businesses?
I’m not here to say that hiring in-house is always the wrong move. There are plenty of companies with fantastic internal teams running their SFMC operations smoothly. But the key is in how you approach it.
For most businesses, a hybrid model works best. Start with a consultant. Someone who can design the architecture, implement complex integrations, and set up the system for long-term success. Once the foundation is solid, let the consultant hand it over to in-house resources to manage day-to-day operations, campaign execution, and optimizations. I actually prefer to have in-house team to join me on building the foundation. This is how I ensure not only knowledge sharing and handover, but also long term ownership the day I am gone.
This approach ensures that the heavy lifting: the parts where deep expertise is most critical, is done right. It also gives in-house teams a clear, functional system to work with, reducing the learning curve and preventing costly mistakes.
And if you do choose to hire in-house from the get-go, make sure you’re investing in truly qualified talent. That might mean paying a premium, but it’s better to pay more for someone who can do the job right than to pay less for someone who will end up costing you more in the long run.
Business Transformation Beyond the Architecture
One of the most fulfilling parts of my work isn’t just fixing broken systems — it’s helping businesses realize what’s truly possible with SFMC.
I’ve had clients who initially just wanted a basic email marketing setup but, through strategic consulting, ended up with a full-fledged, cross-cloud marketing engine. We implemented real-time personalization, integrated their webinar data for smarter lead scoring, and used AI-driven insights to fine-tune their customer journeys. The result? A 30% increase in lead conversions and a significant uptick in customer engagement.
These kinds of transformations don’t happen by accident. They happen when businesses see beyond the platform’s basic features and start leveraging its full potential — something that only becomes possible when the foundational architecture is solid.
Hiring In-House? How to Ensure Success and Positive ROI
While much of this article has focused on the risks of poor SFMC implementations and the challenges of underutilized talent, the reality is that many businesses will still decide to hire in-house SFMC experts, and often, that can be the right move. But hiring the right person is just the first step. The real challenge lies in creating an environment where that expert can thrive and where their expertise translates into real business value. Over the years, I’ve seen businesses succeed with in-house SFMC hires, but I’ve also seen many struggle, not because they hired the wrong person, but because they didn’t set them up for success.
Start with a Clear Strategic Vision
One of the most common mistakes I see is bringing on an SFMC expert without a clear vision for how the platform will be used to drive business outcomes. Companies hire someone with technical skills but then leave them to figure out what to prioritize, often without aligning on goals or a roadmap. Without that strategic direction, even the most talented expert will end up spending their time reacting to day-to-day requests rather than building systems that move the needle. To avoid this, businesses need to define clear marketing objectives before making a hire. Is the focus on increasing lead conversions? Improving customer retention? Enhancing personalization? These goals should guide how the SFMC expert structures data models, builds automations, and designs customer journeys.
Provide Resources and Cross-Functional Support
Another issue I frequently encounter is that in-house SFMC experts are expected to operate in silos, without the necessary resources or cross-functional support. Salesforce Marketing Cloud doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It needs to integrate with CRM systems, sales data, customer service platforms, and other martech tools to function optimally. Yet, I’ve seen cases where SFMC experts are tasked with building complex integrations on their own, without access to the IT team or budget for external tools. This not only slows down progress but often results in fragile systems that break under pressure. Successful companies ensure that their SFMC experts have access to the right resources: from technical support and data teams to content creators, allowing them to build scalable, integrated solutions.
Focus on Strategic Work, Not Just Execution
One of the most damaging yet subtle issues I see is the misalignment between an SFMC expert’s skills and the tasks they’re assigned. I’ve lost count of how many talented specialists I’ve met who were hired to drive strategy and innovation, only to end up spending most of their time pulling lists, scheduling emails, and fixing minor errors. It’s a sure way to burn out skilled talent and waste resources. Companies need to free their SFMC experts from the day-to-day execution so they can focus on higher-impact work. Hiring junior marketers or campaign managers to handle basic tasks allows the SFMC expert to concentrate on optimizing automations, improving personalization, and enhancing customer journeys: the areas where they can drive real value.
Invest in Continuous Learning and Development
Ongoing training and development are also critical. The Salesforce ecosystem is constantly evolving, with new features, integrations, and best practices emerging regularly. Yet, many companies expect their in-house SFMC expert to stay current without providing any formal learning opportunities. This leads to stagnation and, ultimately, declining performance. Businesses that invest in continuous learning, whether through certifications, events, or community engagement, empower their teams to stay ahead of the curve and make the most of the platform’s capabilities.
Align Work to Business Outcomes
Finally, it’s essential to tie the SFMC expert’s work directly to business outcomes. Too often, performance is measured by output: how many emails were sent, how many journeys were built, how big is the subscriber base, rather than by the results those activities generated. Defining clear KPIs that align with broader business goals helps ensure that the work being done is actually moving the company forward. It also gives the SFMC expert a sense of purpose and a clear understanding of how their efforts impact the bottom line.
Know When to Bring in External Support
Of course, even with a talented in-house expert, there will be times when additional support is needed. Whether it’s for complex integrations, platform migrations, or specialized use cases. In these situations, bringing in an experienced consultant can complement the in-house team, helping them navigate challenges and adopt new features without the steep learning curve.
Creating an Environment for Success
Hiring an in-house SFMC expert can be a great investment, but only if the company creates the right environment for that expert to succeed. Without clear goals, proper support, and ongoing development, even the most skilled professional will struggle to deliver a positive ROI. But with the right approach, businesses can unlock the full potential of Salesforce Marketing Cloud and turn their in-house team into a powerful engine for growth.
A Final Thought: Don’t Pay Twice
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from years of fixing bad SFMC implementations, it’s this:
“If you think hiring an expert is expensive, try hiring an amateur — and then hiring an expert to fix their mistakes.”
The cost of getting it wrong isn’t just financial: it’s lost time, missed opportunities, and damaged brand trust. So, whether you’re just starting with SFMC or trying to fix a system that’s not performing as it should, make sure you’re investing in the right expertise.
Because in the world of digital marketing, getting it right the first time makes all the difference.