What is Salesforce Customer 360?

As corporate retail giants like Amazon continue to grow, we have come to enjoy the convenience and simplicity of getting it all under one roof with a one-stop-shop experience. And the business software world is catching on, especially if you’re a Salesforce customer. Users and developers of business applications are favoring a one-stop-shop approach across the board. However, even though there is a need for it, there has not been a fully connected business technology ecosystem like the Salesforce customer success platform. This article unpacks the components of Salesforce Customer 360 that users love and the key benefits you can expect.

Winning with Salesforce Customer 360

Using one platform to improve your company’s business software and meet all of your user’s needs can be one of the most effective ways to streamline processes and promote growth.

Many businesses are putting themselves at a significant disadvantage by using antiquated software systems to handle their everyday business needs out of habit and familiarity. Though they may be familiar, these systems can bog down the sales process, create a less-efficient customer experience and give business leaders and sales reps an inconsistent and incomplete customer profile.

These systems were acceptable at one time. Now, considering a changing global scenario, any lag in business processes, and the systems that drive those processes, could directly result in frustrated customers and lost business.

Salesforce Customer 360 features a full suite of business software products that can be customized to run many, if not all, areas of your business. These products can be integrated seamlessly into the central platform, Salesforce Sales Cloud CRM. This all-in-one platform is designed to help companies of all sizes streamline their processes, attract new customers, manage opportunities, manage operational processes and provide a delightful experience for customers from the first point of contact to the payment process.

How to run your business on Salesforce

Salesforce’s Sales Cloud has long been considered the world’s #1 customer relationship management (CRM) tool designed to help you interact with current and future customers, track sales data, aid in pipeline management and provide customer service tools.

Salesforce goes beyond CRM with its offerings, however. It’s a platform comprised of several core products plus thousands of apps in the AppExchange (business version of the AppStore) that handle things like expense management, sales incentives, invoices, inventory, project management, contracts and so much more.

Here’s a snapshot of the main products Salesforce customers love:

• Pardot: Create, deploy, and manage B2B online marketing campaigns that increase revenue and maximize efficiency.
• Marketing Cloud: Create personalized journeys for your leads and customers. Manage B2C marketing campaigns through a single platform.
• Sales Cloud: CRM that supports all aspects of the sales process and connects users with customers to close bigger deals faster.
• Salesforce CPQ: Streamline how you generate quotes and invoices with a solution built into the CRM.
• Service Cloud and Field Service Lightning: Customer service and support tool to connect with customers in entirely new ways.
• Commerce Cloud: Build and deploy an eCommerce platform that closely integrates with your CRM.
• Community Cloud: Modern Web portals that enable you to connect with suppliers, partners, employees, and customers for better collaboration and productivity.
• Salesforce Platform: A suite of point-and-click tools that make creating custom apps lightning fast. Better yet – these apps are mobile-enabled to save you time and money.
• Einstein Analytics: Analytics Cloud will help sales reps and other end-users analyze data that will help them win more deals in the field with a beautiful, interactive mobile experience.
• Mulesoft Integration: Unlock and integrate data from any system to deliver critical, time-sensitive projects.

When used together, these tools facilitate processes in an end-to-end customer lifecycle for businesses of all sizes. Let’s take a look at the key benefits.

Key benefits of Salesforce

The reasons a company can benefit from Salesforce are seemingly endless, so here are just a few of the top ways companies are benefiting from Salesforce products.

• Marketing automation: Nurture leads and target customers with the right offers at the right time
• Sales team reporting & management: Manage pipeline, opportunities, goals, and activities
• Configure-price-quote: Get quotes to customers faster and consistently
• Contract management: Streamline contract approvals
• Customer service: Provide “in the moment” service
• Project management: Manage your projects from a central hub
• Inventory management: Track products, parts, and equipment
• Customer and employee portals: Build self-service Communities for customers and vendors to manage their accounts
• Employee scheduling and routing: Manage field crews with GPS enabled systems
• Invoicing and accounting: Manage invoicing, expense reports and more from one place

Creating a winning Salesforce roadmap

To execute all the great things Salesforce products and AppExchange apps deliver, you have to create a robust strategy. Most companies use a Salesforce consulting partner to help guide them on a happy path for success.

1. Business discovery analysis: We advise clients to conduct a thorough discovery analysis to determine goals, identify inefficiencies, set timelines, establish budgets, and develop creative solutions. During the discovery, all business systems, processes, and people must be examined. Properly document any systems that will be phased out or integrated into Salesforce. Use the discovery as a starting point to create your long-term strategic plan or “Salesforce roadmap.”
2. Salesforce implementation: The multifaceted strategy you developed with your Salesforce Consulting Partner will be deployed to ensure the configuration is accurate, customized, and integrated with existing software.
3. Training and managed services: This guarantees proper Salesforce execution and deployment, that proper training is performed, and managed services are available.
4. Post-implementation and innovation: Your business needs will inevitably change over time. Salesforce is always innovating its products to adjust to the changing market. Work with your Salesforce rep and consulting partner to update your Salesforce roadmap at least every six months.

If you’re interested in learning more about Salesforce don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to learn more about your Salesforce instance and any challenges you may be facing.

About the author

Stephanie Gaughen is a senior Pardot consultant at Concentrix Catalyst. She holds a master’s degree in media and communications. She has a passion for entrepreneurship, technology innovation, and next-generation marketing.