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What is Salesforce CRM?

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For every business to succeed it should have solid workforce management and also a dynamic customer relationship management tool that will help the business to evaluate and address the immediate needs of the customers. So Salesforce has come up with this tool SFA, salesforce management systems which is a combination of Information Systems and Customer Relationship Management systems. Using these tools, businesses can focus on Marketing and sales activities. These activities are considered to be the core of any of the CRM systems.

What is Salesforce CRM - Table of Contents

What is a CRM System?

A CRM system is nothing but a tool that tracks all the stages in a sales process. Within this tool, all the customer-related information is stored and any sort of contacts or follow-ups done for the customer are tracked perfectly. All of the tasks are monitored and also the room for duplication is negligible while using these types of tools. 

If a CRM system is not in place within a company then there will be a lack of communication within the different departments and ultimately affects the customer relationship.

Cloud Computing and Salesforce

Cloud computing offers a lot of benefits and few of them are listed out below:

  1. Cost Savings
  2. Security
  3. Flexibility
  4. Mobility
  5. Insight
  6. Increased Collaboration
  7. Quality Control
  8. Disaster Recovery
  9. Loss Prevention
  10. Automatic Software Updates
  11. Competitive Edge
  12. Sustainability.

The era of cloud computing has a jump start and businesses started banking on the benefits of Cloud computing. First and foremost the cost associated to maintain or acquiring the Infrastructure has drastically reduced because Cloud computing provides all of the infrastructure as a package. This has made a tremendous availability of resources on demand and at the same time they are offered for a very less price. 

Salesforce is also in line with the same business model of providing on-demand services for its customers based on the requirement. As a base version, they provide an opportunity for businesses to leverage their CRM models and also provide a way for them to customize according to their needs.

If you want to enrich your career and become a professional in Salesforce CRM, then enroll in "Salesforce Online Certification Training". This course will help you to achieve excellence in this domain.

CRM in Early Days

CRM tool or the process was not that concerned as we have today, it has gone through a lot of changes within the evolution phase. It has been in existence for the last 40 years where businesses have been using these type of tools to effectively manage their customers and their day-to-day operations.

It all started in the year 1980 when Robert and Kate Kestnbaum started analyzing the marketing database. Based on this study, the customers were communicated effectively. Thus the stand-alone CRM software got into the picture in the year 1986.

Later on, the demand and supply of Personal Computers and the server/client architecture got into the limelight. This has resulted in tremendous growth in terms of development. 

In the year 1990 to 1993, a lot of modifications has been done to the tool and the acronym got into the picture and the tool was brought together by combining the benefits of contact management, sales force automation and database marketing. 

Slowly CRM got wide acceptance and has seen tremendous growth. Most of the market competitors started building value-added suite services that can go along with the existing model, just to take the advantage of the platform. 

After the dot.com bubble disruption, most of the companies who were into CRM were either acquired by big companies or completely got dissolved. Later in the year, 2007 SalesForce has reintroduced the platform into the market with the brand name as Force.com where it has provided more tools and services than the traditional CRM system or tool will do.

With the help of Force.com, it has addressed all the criticism the cloud-based applications were not completely customizable. A lot of integration possibilities were observed during this transition, like:

  • Social CRM
  • Cloud-based customer services management etc.

The cloud-based and Saas-based CRM systems are completely available for very competitive prices where migration was easy.

[ Learn The Complete Salesforce Tutorial ]

Benefits of Using Salesforce CRM

The collection and organizing of customer data is a full-time tedious job where there is no scope for mistakes. So to avoid these types of manual errors or handling processes, there is definitely a need to have a high-quality Customer Relationship Management tool for every organization or business. This will help them to elevate their customer satisfaction barrier to the next level. 

With the help of this tool, it will assist you in identifying, understanding, and assisting your clients from time to time. This way you will be able to understand and approach your customers needs directly. The core benefits of using the Salesforce CRM tool are listed below:

1. Be organized and keep track of what has been done vs what needs to be done:

With the help of CRM tools, you will be able to understand the exact needs, all the follow-up conversations in one place. By understanding, this flow of information will help you stand out while answering any of the questions that are raised by the customers. This will help you to serve your customers above and beyond, which ultimately creates a positive experience. 

So everything you interact, intimate, and note all are tracked in a CRM tool. Accessing this information from any part of the world is another added advantage because all of the information is available in the cloud. This helps in reducing the time in terms of understanding the client and customer needs.

2. No need for a Single Point of Contact:

Usually, most of the time the customers like to have a single point of contact which helps them to describe their issue or concern. The practice has been in existence for quite a long time. This is because the customers are comfortable to talk the single point of contact only because they have known the entire history of the conversations and they can quickly relate to the problem or issue and work towards a resolution. The same concept has been implemented in the CRM system now, all of the customer support activity is tracked into the system it is easy for any new employee to pick up the case and work towards a resolution.

3. Response time is tracked and worked accordingly to resolve the task:

Being very active and aggressive in terms of solving customer issues is one of the crucial points where businesses are evaluated, by resolving the complaints quickly and effectively will increase the trust factor. This is possible with the help of a CRM system. From the time when the issue or problem is keyed into the system, the entire history for the customer can be accessed and possible resolution can be applied instantly. This will help to expedite the process and also at the same time increase the customer satisfaction levels. So having a CRM system is mandatory to have a happy customer or a client. 

4. Automation of Tasks:

For successful conversion of a potential lead to an actual sale takes a lot of time and effort. Tasks like filling out forms, reports that need to send across to the officials, legal issues, and administrative tasks. All of these activities should be completed. All of these tasks are completely automated and the load is taken off from the employee. The system will drive the entire process flow where the necessary inputs are provided by the customer on a timely basis. During this process, the steps involved in terms of closing a sale will be automated completely. 

5. Improvised data utilization:

With the use of a CRM system, all the customer-related information and follow-up-related information is available in one place. All of this data can be synthesized and analyzed accordingly. Further, the integration aspect into third-party tools will be possible. The data can be further analyzed and decisions can be derived which will help the organization to effectively handle the prospective customers.

[ Check out Top Reasons Why You Should Learn Salesforce and Get Certified ]

Different Products and Services Offered by Salesforce

The products and services that are offered by Salesforce are listed below:

  • Salesforce Application
  • Lighting Platform
  • App Exchange
  • Salesforce.com Community.

1. Salesforce Application

Within Salesforce Applications, predefined or pre-built apps are available, i.e. Customer relationship management where the sales executives can keep a track of their complete activity, i.e. from marketing, sales, and customer service or support.

2. Lightning Platform

This is part of the Platform as a Service (Paas) offering from Salesforce. Using this platform, customers can build any type of application without having any software installed or any infrastructure setup. All of the services are defined and provided within the Paas platform. The platform has the capability to integrate with third-party tools where customizations can be done to address the unique business requirements.

[ Related Article: Salesforce Lightning Tutorial ]

3. App Exchange

This is more sort of a community where a lot of applications are available that are built by independent vendors or partners. Most of these applications are free and can be tightly integrated with the Salesforce platform. 

4. Salesforce.com Community

Salesforce provides an active community for all individuals who are interested in the Salesforce platform. With ongoing training programs and consultation events, best practices sessions, and discussion boards, the entire community is active and already serving a lot of enthusiasts. 

Below are a few products that are built by salesforce which are offered to businesses based on their needs:

They are a lot of different products and services that are offered by salesforce to make sure the demand is acknowledged according to the need. The following are a few areas/ departments where they are various products/services are offered by salesforce. 

  • Sales
  • Service
  • Marketing
  • Commerce
  • Productivity
  • Analytics
  • Platform.

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The Products Offered by Salesforce for Sales Department

1. Sales Cloud:

This is a cloud-based solution where organizations can leverage this service and manage their contacts from anywhere with any device. This is one classified as the number 1 CRM system for businesses. 

2. Salesforce CPQ:

CPQ stands for Configure, Price, Quote.

Using this Salesforce CPQ tool, the executives can understand the customer requirements and configure the quote accordingly. So based on what is required, the customer will be billed accordingly. They will have a provision to apply any discounts so that they can configure the final price and send out the quote for the customers. This tool is very beneficial for sales executives to close their sales quickly and effectively. So by doing this, the billing and revenue recognition is streamlined.

The Products Offered by Salesforce for Service Department

Service Cloud:

With the help of the Service cloud, customer support activity can be taken to the next level. With instantaneous and personalized support service you can contact your customers via phone, email, and chat. Also you can take the advantage of AI functionality that is built-in within the Salesforce platform.

Visit here to Learn Salesforce Course in Hyderabad

The Products Offered by Salesforce For Marketing Department

1. Marketing cloud:

With the Salesforce Marketing Cloud service, you can build and manage any type of email campaign activity. This campaign can be helpful for your product marketing activities for an organization. The email campaign can be completely automated so that the relevant messages are sent across to the right person at the right time. 

With the help of this tool, you can build attractive landing pages where you can provide more information about the product that you are promoting and also increase the conversion rate from a potential buyer to an actual customer. 

Keep a track of the activity that your potential customers are doing with your email’s and based on the activity you can convert high-quality leads into actual customers. Using this tool will help you improve your overall business.

2. Salesforce DMP:

DMP stands for Data Management Platform

Using this tool, businesses can keep track of all their customer data in one place and can utilize this data based on different segmentation. All of this data can be accessed from anywhere as this is a cloud-based solution. 

3. Pardot:

This is a B2B marketing tool that has automation capabilities that will help you drive more sales and plan your marketing activity more effectively.

Check out Top Salesforce Interview Questions and Answers that help you grab high-paying jobs

The Products Offered by Salesforce for Productivity Department

QUIP:

Using this tool the businesses will be able to create spreadsheets, documents, checklists where all of the team members can collaborate and work towards a common goal. 

They are a lot of unique products in Analytics and commerce platforms where businesses can leverage and enhance or streamline their processes. 

Companies Using Salesforce Currently in USA and India

They are lot of companies that are utilizing and benefiting by using the Salesforce CRM application. In addition to the standard options, a lot of plugins and customizations are done according to their business needs and have seen tremendous growth in terms of sales activities, marketing activities and forecasting. 

Below are a few Indian companies that use Salesforce:

Sector the Company is intoCompany Name
EcommercePaytm, Snapdeal, Flipkart
Real EstateLodha Group, Brigade Group, K Raheja, etc.
Travel SitesGoibibo, Make My Trip
Random CompaniesBajaj Finserv, Practo

Below are few USA companies that use Salesforce:

  • American Express
  • ADP
  • Toyota
  • Philips
  • Financial Times
  • Design with Reach
  • TOMS
  • Zero motorcycles
  • Schneider.
All of these companies are listed out on the Salesforce page, with their in detailed case studies defining how the usage of Salesforce and its products have elevated their processes. Well, these are only a few companies that are listed out in this article but in reality, Salesforce has already helped a lot of companies worldwide.

Global CRM Software Market Trends & Growth

The CRM software has seen an ocean of changes right from its initial concept to the current market products. Nowadays, CRM software is provided on a Saas-based model where steady and incremental growth has been observed. The increased awareness and the necessity of CRM software in small and mid-level companies have boosted CRM software utilization.

With the constant updates to the CRM Software, getting in touch with customers and making sure the customer interaction is maintained at optimum levels is very easy and convenient for the businesses. Thus helping out companies by saving valuable time and also cost associated. 

With the help of cloud computing, the acceptance of software has been skyrocketed because all of the data is available 24/7 and can be accessed from anywhere. Cloud computing has actually revolutionized the software industry. Having an appropriate tool for businesses to manage their CRM activity has been very easy. Huge growth potential in terms of software utilization is observed in APAC (Asia Pacific) and ROW (Rest of the World) especially in service-related companies. 

Also, with the help of pay as you go, service model, most of the small-scale and mid-scale companies have started utilizing the services. The demand for CRM software is increasing exponentially and applying analytics on the CRM software is going to be the next big thing in the industry.

Visit here to learn Salesforce Online Course in Bangalore

What is The Future of Salesforce CRM Software?

The SaaS-based model ( Software as a service) has become very popular in the market and the need is growing exponentially because of its availability and also the service is offered at a very competitive price where a small to the mid-scale organization is also able to adopt these tools and get to enjoy their benefits.

Most of the companies that are already using Salesforce as their CRM platform convey that they have a tight relationship with their clients and customers where they were able to provide a personalized approach. This number will grow exponentially when the usage of the software will be expanded to other departments of an organization. 

According to the market survey, about 70% of the customer or client needs are fulfilled accordingly. This is a big number in the customer service industry where the organizations purely run on the satisfied customers count.

Salesforce has plans to introduce a lot of Analytical components into their service platforms where they are able to generate more value for their clients/customers. They have already launched their new Lightning CRM in 2015 and staying solid by adding more features on a quarter-by-quarter basis.

With the help of the Lighting CRM solution, the sales executives can completely customize their dashboard dynamically and make sure that the tool provides the required data for them to perform well.

Salesforce CRM Certifications

They are a wide range of certification options available for an individual to get certified and showcase their value in the market. All of the salesforce certifications are globally acceptable. They are different certifications available and it is best for the individuals to go through their domain-related certifications and get certified. 

The following are a few certifications that are available:

  1. Salesforce certifications based on the role
  2. Certification for Administrators
  3. Certification for Developers
  4. Certification for Architects
  5. Certification for App builders
  6. Certification for implementation experts or consultants
  7. Certification for Marketers
  8. Certification for Pardot experts.

[ Check out How Salesforce Certification Can Boost Your Career ]

Salesforce CRM Salary Trends

The compensation in terms of Salary varies from one to another and few other factors come into the picture, they are:

  1. It depends on the organization where the individual has secured the job.
  2. Depends on the years of experience the candidate has.
  3. Depends on the city and the place where the candidate is going to work.
  4. Depends on the need for the organization.

Considering these needs, the salary trends are projected below with their job titles:

 Job Title Salary Range
 Technical Architect $130,000
 Salesforce consultant $114,500
 Salesforce Project Manager $94,000
 Salesforce Business Analyst $90,000
 Salesforce Developer $87,000
 Salesforce Administrator $64,000

The above values are subject to change based on the factors that are listed above.

At MindMajix all for your training needs are addressed and we make sure that every candidate gets personal attention so that they can take complete advantage of the training program and be ready for their next move. 

We have the right combination of experienced trainers where they are trained on different platforms and have the expertise to train candidates from scratch. The training programs are designed keeping in mind the busy schedule of the candidates, i.e. individuals that attend training sessions and also go back to their work. With our flexible plan, the individual will be able to fulfill his personal requirement (i.e. getting trained) and doesn’t have to compromise with his existing work schedule.

The training sessions conducted by MindMajix are catered towards projecting a theoretical exposure as well as a practical exposure. With this type of training, the candidates can get maximum exposure to the subject and carefully plan for their next big move. 

Please get in touch with our experts to understand more about our training schedules and exclusive discounts for group lessons. We will be happy to answer all of your questions. Be diligent in terms of planning your next career move. 

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Last updated: 28 Jul 2023
About Author

Arogyalokesh is a Technical Content Writer and manages content creation on various IT platforms at Mindmajix. He is dedicated to creating useful and engaging content on Salesforce, Blockchain, Docker, SQL Server, Tangle, Jira, and few other technologies. Get in touch with him on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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