Salesforce productivity tips

Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) tool used by sales teams around the world. While the platform is powerful, it can be challenging for sales teams to maximize their productivity. 

In this article, we will explore some tips and best practices for improving the productivity of sales teams using Salesforce. We will cover how to improve onboarding and training, how to increase Salesforce adoption and the best productivity integrations for Salesforce.

How to Improve onboarding and training on Salesforce

One of the biggest challenges sales teams face is ensuring new team members are effectively onboarded and trained on Salesforce. On the one hand, we have onboarding, which is the first step in starting to use a CRM platform for the very first time. On the other hand, when we discuss training, we refer to keeping coaching current users to adapt to new processes and integrations.

Both of these tasks are key. Naturally, you want your employees to engage with a CRM you’ve invested your resources in. And secondly, you also want to make sure that everyone (new and current users) is and will keep making proper use of this tool. Why? Because proper usage and engagement mean activity recording which translates into data gathering that helps to make more and better decisions. This is why, if you’re struggling with onboarding and adoption to improve productivity on Salesforce, you might want to try this out: 

1. Start with the basics: Begin with the basics of Salesforce and gradually introduce more advanced features. This will help new team members become familiar with the platform and avoid feeling overwhelmed.
   
2. Provide hands-on training: It is important to provide hands-on training to new team members. This can include creating test accounts or providing real-world scenarios for them to work on.
   
3. Leverage Trailhead: Salesforce’s Trailhead is a free, interactive learning platform that allows users to learn Salesforce skills through guided learning paths. Encouraging new team members to complete relevant Trailhead modules can help them become familiar with Salesforce.

How to Increase Salesforce Adoption

As we’ve mentioned before, Salesforce adoption is crucial for maximizing the productivity of sales teams. Adoption, simply put, is making sure your teams are indeed engaging with the platform. To do this, you need to understand the common factors which lead CRM users to not adopt Salesforce.

The first reason is that they do not see a benefit in using it. Sales reps, mostly, are the ones feeling that recording activities in the CRM only adds more administrative tasks to their day-to-day and this keeps them unproductive (which, in reality, is the exact opposite thing). The second reason is that traditional CRMs, like Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics, are not user-friendly and can be frustrating to navigate. 

So… How can we fix all this?

1. Communicate the benefits: It is important to communicate the benefits of using Salesforce to the sales team. This can include increased productivity, better collaboration, and more accurate reporting.
   
2. Lead by example: The sales team leaders should lead by example and actively use Salesforce. This will show the team that Salesforce is a priority and that they should be using it too.
   
3. Make it easy to use: Salesforce should be easy to use. This can be achieved by customizing the platform to meet the specific needs of the sales team, and by providing training and support when needed.
   

Provide incentives: Providing incentives for using Salesforce can be effective in increasing adoption. For example, offering bonuses or rewards for hitting certain milestones or using Salesforce consistently can encourage the team to use the platform more.

Best Integrations for Salesforce

Salesforce integrates with a wide range of productivity tools that can help sales teams improve their productivity. But when it comes to choosing the right solution, the number of available options can be overwhelming. 

How can you make the right decision and which integration works best for you? This will depend on your business goals, the way your team interacts, which processes you’re looking to improve, and which issues you’re currently facing. But in case you’re completely clueless and don’t know where to start, here are five basics you need to increase productivity on Salesforce:

1. Aircall
   Aircall is a cloud-based phone system and call-center software designed for businesses of all sizes. It enables companies to make, receive, and manage phone calls from anywhere, using a computer or mobile device. Aircall provides a variety of features and benefits that can improve communication, customer service, and productivity.
   
2. Zapier
   Zapier is a cloud-based automation platform that allows users to connect their favorite apps and automate workflows. It allows businesses to streamline their processes and increase productivity by creating automated tasks or “Zaps” that trigger actions between different applications.
   
3. DocuSign
   DocuSign is a cloud-based electronic signature platform that enables businesses to sign, send, and manage legally binding documents electronically. It allows businesses to streamline their document signing processes, reduce paperwork, and improve workflow efficiency.
   
4. Walkme
   WalkMe is a cloud-based digital adoption platform (DAP) that provides businesses with on-screen guidance and support for their software applications. It helps users navigate complex workflows, learn new features, and complete tasks quickly and efficiently.
   
5. Bloobirds
   Bloobirds is a cloud-based sales engagement platform that helps businesses automate their sales processes and increase revenue. It provides a variety of features and benefits that help sales teams improve their efficiency, collaboration, and communication.
   

Improving the productivity of sales teams using Salesforce requires effective onboarding and training, increasing Salesforce adoption, and integrating with the right productivity tools. By following the tips and best practices outlined in this article, sales teams can maximize their productivity and achieve greater success with Salesforce.