We’re not just saying this. Discover the significance of this certification here, and gain insights on how to excel in the exam. As we know you: you want to get things done fast. And best of all: while you are studying for this exam, you’ll actually learn a thing or two, even as an experienced Salesforce developer already, that will become utterly useful in your day job. So read on.

Overview of Salesforce Developer Certification

Introduction to Salesforce Developer Certification: The Salesforce Developer Certification showcases your ability to design and implement custom solutions on the Salesforce platform. It demonstrates proficiency in coding, customisation, and development.

Key Skills and Knowledge Areas Tested: The certification exam assesses your understanding of key areas such as Apex and Visualforce development, Lightning Web Components (LWC), Salesforce Object Query Language (SOQL) and Salesforce Object Search Language (SOSL), Salesforce integration and APIs, and debugging and deployment tools.

Advantages and Benefits of Earning this Certification: Earning the Salesforce Developer Certification opens doors to lucrative career opportunities in Salesforce development. It enhances your credibility, showcases your coding prowess, and allows you to create innovative solutions for businesses leveraging the Salesforce platform.

Exam Details and Preparation Tips

Understanding the Structure and Format of the Certification Exam

Familiarise yourself with the exam structure, question types, time limits, and passing score. Understanding the exam format will help you prepare effectively and manage your time during the exam.

Recommended Study Resources and Materials

Use a combination of official Salesforce documentation, developer guides, online tutorials, sample code, and practice exams to deepen your understanding of the exam topics. Hands-on experience and practical projects are also valuable in reinforcing your knowledge.

Effective Strategies for Exam Preparation

Create a study plan that includes dedicated time for each exam domain. Practice coding exercises, develop sample applications, and explore real-world scenarios. Engage in discussion forums and collaborate with fellow developers to enhance your skills.

Exploring Salesforce Developer Certification Domains

As a Salesforce developer, you must master a wide range of technologies and programming languages.

That is a lot to learn. And it’s why in larger companies, you’ll find a team of developers. But most often, you’ll find that developers work with consultancies, whereby the cost of a developer can be shared with many client companies. What’s good about this for Developers themselves is that they’ll get exposed to more Salesforce org, deepening their knowledge and keeping things interesting.

Career Opportunities and Salary Potential

Roles and Responsibilities for Salesforce Developers

Discover the diverse roles available to certified Salesforce Developers, including Salesforce Developer, Technical Architect, App Developer, and Integration Specialist. Understand the responsibilities and skill sets associated with these roles.

Average Salaries for Certified Salesforce Developers: You an explore the salary ranges for certified Salesforce Developers, considering factors such as experience, location, industry, and job responsibilities via varies timely studies. Among Salesforce professionals, Developers are the most sought-after and therefore often best paid, after project managers, who actually carry a lot more responsibility.

Over to you

So, time to start studying is now. You’ll be handsomely rewarded in many ways for your efforts.

The Salesforce Developer Certification is a testament to your coding prowess and ability to build custom solutions on the Salesforce platform. Obtain this certification to unlock exciting career opportunities in Salesforce development.

This article is one in a series on Salesforce certifications. Explore other options in our Salesforce Certificate Overview. And stay tuned for the upcoming articles in this series, where we will explore other valuable Salesforce certifications.

Let’s explore the details of the Salesforce Associate Certification, its significance in the industry, and provide guidance on how to excel in the certification exam.

Overview of Salesforce Associate Certification

Exam Details and Preparation Strategies

Understanding the Structure of the Certification Exam

The Salesforce Associate Certification exam assesses your knowledge of Salesforce through a series of multiple-choice questions. Familiarise yourself with the exam structure, duration, passing score, and question types.

Recommended Study Materials and Resources

To prepare for the certification exam, use a range of valuable study resources, including official Salesforce documentation, Salesforce Trailhead modules, online tutorials, and practice exams. These resources provide comprehensive coverage of the exam topics and help reinforce your understanding.

Effective Strategies for Exam Preparation

Create a study plan that suits your learning style and schedule. Allocate dedicated time for studying each domain, review key concepts, and practice with sample questions. Additionally, consider joining study groups or seeking guidance from experienced Salesforce professionals.

Exploring Salesforce Associate Certification Domains

These are the areas that will be covered in the exam that you need to study:

Salesforce Fundamentals

Understand the core principles and features of Salesforce, including navigating the platform, working with records and objects, and managing data.

Salesforce Data Model

Learn about the Salesforce data model, its structure, relationships between objects, and how to create and customise fields.

Salesforce Security and Access

Gain insights into managing security and access controls in Salesforce, including user management, profiles, permission sets, and data security.

Salesforce Sales Cloud and Service Cloud Applications

Explore the functionalities of Salesforce Sales Cloud and Service Cloud, including lead and opportunity management, case management, and customer support.

Salesforce Lightning Experience

Understand the benefits and features of the Salesforce Lightning Experience, including the use of Lightning components, page layouts, and productivity tools.

Career Prospects and Salary Potential

Job Roles Suitable for Salesforce Associate Certification Holders

There really are a wide range of job roles that align with the Salesforce Associate Certification. You can use this as an introduction cert when you are an accidental Salesforce Administrator and you want a low barrier starting point to skill up. You can also be a Salesforce user, such as a Support Specialist and want to learn more. Or you can be a non-Salesforce professional or even an Azure Data Analyst and need a more comprehensive view of how Salesforce is structured so that you can knowlegdeable join the conversation.

Salary Ranges for Professionals with this Certification

We are going to be honest with you: This certification is not likely going to give you a huge salary shift. See it more as a door opener and career facilitator.

However, you never know. Check with your HR department if there is a monetary rewards for skilling up. Having an extra qualification might bring you up into the next salary band.

Most importantly, it brings you into the Salesforce ecosystem, and from then on, you’ll find you’ll be on your way to learn more and more as time goes on.

Wrapping it up

The Salesforce Associate Certification serves as a stepping stone for professionals looking to establish a solid foundation in Salesforce. By earning this certification, you can enhance your career prospects, gain recognition for your Salesforce skills, and pave the way for further Salesforce certifications. Stay tuned for the upcoming articles in this series, where we will cover other valuable Salesforce certifications.

Get the Overview

This article is part of a series of articles on Salesforce certification. Have a look at the Salesforce certificate overview page to review your opinions and pick the best cert for you and your career progress and credibility.

Introduction to Salesforce Administrator Certification

Welcome to the world of CRM Administration!

The Salesforce Administrator Certification is designed for professionals who manage and customise CRM solutions. By earning this certification, you showcase your ability to leverage software features and functionality to meet business needs effectively.

Exam Details and Structure

The Salesforce Administrator Certification exam is a comprehensive assessment of your knowledge and skills. It consists of multiple-choice questions that cover various topics, including the CRM fundamentals, data management, security, automation, and more. To pass the exam, you need to achieve a minimum passing score.

Key Knowledge Areas and Skills

To excel as a Salesforce Administrator, you must have a solid understanding of key knowledge areas. These include configuring and managing the CRM objects, designing workflows and automation, implementing security controls, and handling data import and export. Additionally, strong problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills are crucial for success in this role.

Study Resources and Preparation Tips

Preparing for the Salesforce Administrator Certification requires a combination of self-study and practical experience. Here are some valuable resources and tips to help you succeed:

Official Salesforce Documentation

Explore the extensive documentation available on the official company website. It provides in-depth information about Salesforce features, best practices, and implementation guidelines.

Trailhead

Use Trailhead, which offers interactive learning modules specifically tailored for Salesforce Administrators. Complete relevant trails and earn badges to reinforce your knowledge.

Practice Exams

Take advantage of practice exams to familiarise yourself with the exam format and assess your readiness. Practice exams simulate the real exam experience and help identify areas where you may need additional study.

Online Communities

Engage with the Salesforce community through forums, discussion boards, and social media groups. Participating in these communities allows you to connect with other Salesforce professionals, share knowledge, and seek advice.

Exam Day Tips and Best Practices

On the day of the exam, it’s essential to be well-prepared and confident. Here are some tips to help you succeed:

• Review Exam Objectives: Refresh your understanding of the exam objectives and ensure you are comfortable with each topic.
• Time Management: Manage your time effectively during the exam. Read each question carefully, eliminate incorrect options, and allocate time based on the weightage of each section.
• Stay Calm and Focused: Maintain a calm and focused mindset throughout the exam. Avoid rushing through questions and take a moment to analyse before selecting your answer.

Real-World Scenarios and Hands-on Experience

Hands-on experience is invaluable when preparing for the Salesforce Administrator Certification. While studying theoretical concepts is essential, practicing real-world scenarios and applying your knowledge in a business CRM environment will deepen your understanding and boost your confidence.

Benefits of Salesforce Administrator Certification

Earning this cert offers numerous benefits:

• Career Advancement: The certification demonstrates your expertise and dedication, opening doors to new career opportunities and promotions.
• Industry Recognition: Being a certified Administrator enhances your professional reputation and increases your credibility in the industry.
• Expanded Skill Set: Through the certification journey, you acquire a comprehensive skill set that enables you to handle complex implementations and challenges effectively.

Continuing Education and Staying Current

The world of CRMs is ever-evolving, and it’s crucial to stay up to date with the latest advancements. Here are some recommendations for continuing education and staying current:

• Trailhead: Leverage the Trailhead training website to explore new modules and trails that align with your interests and career goals. Stay updated with the latest features, updates, and best practices through Trailhead’s interactive learning platform.
• Webinars and Events: Attend webinars and virtual events the company and its wider community to gain insights from industry experts, learn about upcoming releases, and discover new CRM innovations.
• Official Software Documentation: Regularly review the official documentation to stay informed about new features, enhancements, and changes in functionality.
• Online Communities: Engage with the #Ohana community through online forums, user groups, and social media platforms. Participate in discussions, ask questions, and share your knowledge with fellow CRM administrators.

Essentially, keep on referring to the resources mentioned before to study for the exam in the first place!!

Conclusion

Getting this cert would be a significant achievement that showcases your expertise in managing and optimising CRM solutions. By following the guidance provided in this article and leveraging the available resources, you can embark on a successful journey towards obtaining the certification. Stay committed to continuous learning and embrace the evolving world of CRMs to excel as an Administrator and advance your career.

Pick the cert that’s best for you

This article is part of a series. Have a look at our Salesforce certificate overview to all your options so that you can pick the ones that are best for you.

If you are nostalgic – and so you know that we know what we are talking about — we wrote about certification for Salesforce.com CRM admins back in 2008. Have a look at what the world looked like back in the day… ;-)

Salesforce certificates are highly regarded & validate expertise in Salesforce technologies.

CloudAnalysts, Ridge Salesforce Consulting Partner UK

What is a Salesforce certificate & why are they important

Salesforce certifications are structured programs designed to assess and recognise individuals’ skills and knowledge in various aspects of Salesforce. These certifications are categorised into different tracks, such as Administrator, Developer, Architect, and Specialist, each focusing on specific roles and skill sets within the Salesforce ecosystem. By earning a Salesforce certification, professionals can demonstrate their expertise and stand out in the job market.

Benefits of earning a Salesforce certificate

Obtaining a Salesforce certification offers numerous advantages for professionals. Certified individuals gain credibility and recognition for their Salesforce skills, increasing their job prospects and career opportunities. Employers often prefer hiring certified professionals, as certifications validate a candidate’s expertise, reducing the need for additional training. Moreover, certified individuals tend to earn higher salaries compared to non-certified counterparts.

Common Salesforce Certification Paths

Salesforce offers a range of certification paths tailored to different roles and career aspirations. The Administrator track focuses on the configuration and management of Salesforce implementations. The Developer track emphasises coding, customisation, and building applications on the Salesforce platform. The Architect track is for professionals specialising in designing and implementing scalable and secure Salesforce solutions. Additionally, there are Specialist certifications that cater to specific areas, such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and more.

Steps to Get a Salesforce Certificate

Effective preparation is crucial to passing Salesforce certification exams. It is recommended to gain hands-on experience by working on Salesforce projects or using Salesforce playgrounds. Salesforce Trailhead, an online learning platform, provides guided modules and trails specifically designed to prepare individuals for Salesforce certifications. Additionally, there are study guides, official documentation, and practice exams available to help candidates thoroughly prepare for their chosen certification.

Taking the Salesforce Certification Exam

Salesforce certification exams are proctored and delivered online. Candidates must register for an exam through the official Salesforce Certification website. The exams consist of multiple-choice questions, and the duration varies depending on the certification level. It is essential to familiarize yourself with the exam structure and guidelines, ensuring you have a reliable internet connection and a quiet environment to take the exam.

Maintaining and Renewing Certifications

To keep certifications current, Salesforce requires certified professionals to complete maintenance modules and earn a specific number of Trailhead badges within each release cycle. By doing so, individuals demonstrate their commitment to staying up-to-date with Salesforce technologies and features. Maintaining certifications not only validates continued expertise but also provides opportunities for professionals to expand their knowledge and skills.

Career Opportunities and Salary Potential

Salesforce certifications open doors to diverse and rewarding career opportunities. With the increasing adoption of Salesforce across industries, the demand for skilled Salesforce professionals continues to grow. Certified individuals can explore job roles such as Salesforce Administrator, Salesforce Developer, Salesforce Consultant, and more. Industries such as sales, marketing, customer service, finance, and healthcare value Salesforce expertise, offering attractive salaries and growth potential.

If you are interested in obtaining a Salesforce certification, we recommend taking the time to explore the various certification paths and identify the one that aligns with your career goals. Prepare thoroughly by leveraging resources such as Salesforce Trailhead, official documentation, and practice exams.

Remember that Salesforce certifications are not only valuable credentials but also a testament to your dedication and expertise in the Salesforce ecosystem. Stay motivated, continue learning, and embrace the opportunities that Salesforce certifications can unlock for your career and professional growth.

As you embark on your Salesforce certification journey, remember that dedication and continuous learning are key to success. Stay updated with the latest Salesforce updates, attend webinars, join online communities, and network with other Salesforce professionals. These efforts will not only enhance your knowledge but also broaden your perspectives and open doors to new opportunities.

Which Salesforce Cert is right for you?

In the upcoming articles in this series, we will delve deeper into specific Salesforce certifications, providing comprehensive information on each certification track, exam details, preparation strategies, and career prospects. Whether you aspire to become a Salesforce administrator, developer, architect, or specialise in a specific area, we will guide you through the necessary steps to achieve your certification goals.

Take the first step towards advancing your Salesforce career by exploring the certification paths that align with your interests and professional aspirations. Remember that Salesforce certifications are more than just credentials – they are the culmination of your hard work, expertise, and dedication to mastering the Salesforce platform.

Further information

Stay tuned for the next articles in this series, where we will provide an in-depth overview of the Salesforce Administrator Certification, Salesforce Associate Certification, and the Salesforce Developer Certification. Discover how these certification can propel your career and equip you with the skills to effectively manage and optimize Salesforce implementations.

If you’re ready to embark on an exciting journey of Salesforce certifications, seize the opportunity to enhance your knowledge, expand your career horizons, and become a recognised expert in the Salesforce ecosystem.

Did you know that 73% of consumers will ghost a brand after 3 or fewer negative customer service experiences? A recent survey by retaildive.com that out for us.

As we commence 2023, we are living in a world where many customers are not just comfortable interacting and purchasing from your business online but they are also more sophisticated in the channels they wish to use to communicate with your business and brand. Consequently its more important than ever that you are able to communicate with your customers across a range of channels and devices.

You may now be thinking how do brands both large and small achieve this? There are different ways this can be done but one such way is to use Salesforce Service Cloud.

Service Cloud…What?

Service Cloud is built on the Salesforce Customer Success Platform, giving you a 360-degree view of your customers and enabling you to deliver smarter, faster, and more personalised service. 

Contact centres are coming under significant pressure as online activity increases and high-volumes of customer inquiries become normality. Businesses might be considering Service Cloud for a number of reasons from releasing new products, launching new channels (Like SMS, Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp etc), to dealing with emergencies and seasonal spikes or simply a growing customer base. 

According to Cloudanalysts.com Service Cloud can bring the following benefits:

Benefits for Customers

• 35% increase in customer satisfaction.

Benefits for Companies

• 22% decrease in support cost.
• 26% increase in customer retention.
• 28% increase in agent productivity.
• 31% faster case resolution.

Salesforce Service Cloud Use Cases

1. Case Management (key feature in Service Cloud for organizing the work of a customer support department with a case system);
2. Agent Workspace (used for enabling your service team with quick and simple access to all of the things that are necessary for their work using the agent console);
3. Service Process Automation (helps to eliminate a lot of manual work by setting up automatic processes, it also allows to design automated processes which can walk the specialist through what should be done step-by-step when resolving specific cases via tools like scripts and reply suggestions for guidance; optionally, there’s a possibility for AI Chatbot integration which gains knowledge based on actual customer support chats with your clients);
4. Knowledge Management (is needed for not just resolving issues faster but ensuring they are dealt with in a consistent repeatable manner, the answers can be used by employees and even customers in the self-service format if you wish);
5. Omni-Channel Routing (used for automatically assigning cases, leads, and tasks to the best available customer service agent based on their skills or workload to close cases effectively);
6. Service Analytics (displays data regarding an employee’s performance, the volumes of cases, to predict customer trends, etc right on the dashboard);
7. Telephony Integration (a computer telephony plugin that allows adding calls into Salesforce without the need to use external tools; there also exists Service Cloud Voice software which is an AI-powered voice transcription tool);
8. Further features (along with that, Service Cloud provides the opportunity to support clients on a multi-channel level, the possibility to create cases automatically on a web-to-case or email-to-case basis, automation with Macros, asset and order management, as well as the collaborative tool called Quip for helping employees work in a team more successfully, among other functionality).

Salesforce Service Cloud Case Studies: Samsung

Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland gives B2B customers a faster and smarter experience with Salesforce

Business continuity is at the forefront of every organisation’s mind right now. But how many are using this time to embark on new initiatives and further transform operations?

For Gareth Hobson and Gary Skeels, both Heads of B2B Customer Experience at Samsung, the COVID-19 global pandemic has become a catalyst for change. It became proof that transformation efforts are paying off. Empowered with Salesforce Service Cloud, Samsung Electronics UK & Ireland’s customer success agents have seen a 60% increase in cases being raised via digital versus traditional channels such as voice and email – with 88% of these cases resolved on first contact. An increase that’s happened during the COVID-19 crisis. (See full case study)

The leading elevator and escalator company expands its use of Salesforce, to bring together cutting-edge technology and field service teams, providing a richer customer service experience.  Kone plans to send data from its IoT connected equipment to Salesforce, enhancing service availability and service quality for maintenance and remote monitoring.

Used with its current deployment of Sales Cloud Lightning, Salesforce will become central to KONE’s service workforce, enabling the company to set a new standard for customer experience, responsiveness and quality.

KONE’s equipment moves more than one billion users each day, with more than one million elevators and escalators in its service base. Currently, KONE uses a mix of custom-built and legacy technology solutions across its service operations in EMEA, Asia and Americas.

The future benefits of the Salesforce Platform will give an improved all-round view of KONE’s customers for people working in field operations and field service management. It will also significantly reduce the current complexity of interfaces and systems.

With Service Cloud Lightning and Field Service Lightning, KONE will be able to connect and mobilize its entire service workforce with a single view of the customer. This includes KONE’s customer service agents and dispatchers who work in its customer care centers, as well as its more than 20,000 field service technicians at customer sites who need the ability to access the latest customer information right from their mobile devices. In addition, service data coming from KONE’s IoT connected equipment will be routed through Service Cloud Lightning so that its service workforce can respond to issues more quickly. KONE expects to connect its more than one million elevators and escalators over the next few years.

As a result of bringing together its systems with the Salesforce Platform, KONE personnel will be able to drive benefits for customers including better service availability, improved equipment safety and reliability, and an improved understanding of customer needs.

Comments on the News

“We are always looking for new ways to increase the value we provide to our customers,” said Hugues Delval, ‎SVP and head of KONE’s Maintenance Services Business. “With Salesforce, we’re excited about the potential to improve our quality, safety and operational performance. We see Salesforce as being our ‘next generation’ field service platform that will allow us to stay ahead of the competition and continue innovating for the future.”

“Your brand is only as good as the service you provide, which is why service is quickly becoming the biggest differentiator for companies today,” said Mike Milburn, GM & SVP of Service Cloud, Salesforce. “With Salesforce Lightning, KONE can connect its entire ecosystem to become smarter about its customers and provide a more holistic customer service experience — from connected devices, to the call center, to the field.”

KONE, Leader in Elevator and Escalator Industry

KONE is one of the global leaders in the elevator and escalator industry. KONE’s objective is to offer the best People Flow® experience by developing and delivering solutions that enable people to move smoothly, safely, comfortably and without waiting in buildings in an increasingly urbanizing environment. KONE provides industry-leading elevators, escalators, automatic building doors and integrated solutions to enhance the People Flow in and between buildings. KONE’s services cover the entire lifetime of a building, from the design phase to maintenance, repairs and modernization solutions. In 2015, KONE had annual net sales of EUR 8,6 billion, and at the end of the year close to 50,000 employees. For more information, see Kone.com.

For many businesses, a partner ecosystems is imperative to helping companies scale and drive growth. Research showed that 70% of high-tech sales come from channel partners, on average [1]. But the reality many partners are hampered by the solutions that connect them with vendors today—archaic systems that are difficult to navigate, fragmented and impossible to access from a mobile device—limiting the potential of what their sales could be.

Introducing Lightning Partner Community: Supercharging your Partner Ecosystem

The new Lightning Partner Community enables companies to turn partners into an extension of their own direct sales team by giving them a single place to identify opportunities, track progress and close deals.

The new Lightning Partner Community includes:

• Lightning Partner Experience: Featuring a new, mobile-first design, the Lightning Partner Experience allows companies to easily deliver an intuitive, personalized and branded user experience across any device. For example, an insurance agent now has access to all of the policy and pricing information they need to answer any question that comes up during a meeting, even in a client’s home.
• Integrated CRM for Partners: Now including Sales Path, Kanban View, Lightning Dashboards and Salesforce CPQ, Integrated CRM for Partners extends CRM records—including leads, opportunities and accounts—in an intuitive workflow that provides partners with everything they need to close deals in a single location. For example, a technology reseller can now easily track their deals from lead-to-cash—identify opportunities, update deal progress and configure the best solution—enabling them to close more deals faster.
• Salesforce Einstein for Partner Community: Now with recommended answers, knowledge articles and experts, Salesforce Einstein for Partner Community enables partners to sell faster and smarter. For example, if a franchise owner is looking to expand their restaurant business, they’re bound to encounter a few questions along the way—everything from distance between locations to promotional offers and staffing ratios. Salesforce Einstein is able to recommend articles and experts in the community who can answer their questions, enabling the franchisee to grow their business as seamlessly as possible.

Comments on the news:

• “Companies have the ability to accelerate growth if they create a partner ecosystem that can act like an extension of their sales team,” said Mike Micucci, GM & SVP, Salesforce Community Cloud. “With the new Lightning Partner Community, companies can now arm partners with the world’s smartest CRM, helping them close more deals faster.”
• “With Lightning Partner Community, we will be able to more effectively capture the information related to our collective infrastructure and as a result provide better, more proactive support to our franchise community,” said Adrian Butler, CIO, DineEquity, Inc. “The ability to access critical information and communities across our system is an excellent enabling platform for DineEquity’s global growth.”
• “At Zurich, our priority is delivering fast, personalized service for our customers,” said Marc Fabris, Head of Digital at Zurich Australia. “Our continued development for Advisers using the Lightning Partner Community will enable them to work faster, smarter and build deeper relationships with our mutual customers.”
• Salesforce Community Cloud enables companies of all sizes to integrate business data and processes with their communities, creating a seamless customer, partner and employee experience. Built on the Salesforce Platform, Community Cloud is part of Salesforce CRM, and easily connects to third-party systems and data sources, so companies can access the tools and information they need to be successful. With Community Cloud, companies have experienced a 46% increase in partner engagement and a 43% increase in sales[2].

When will Lightning Partner Community be available

Lightning Partner Community is already generally available today with the Partner Community Cloud License, but Salesforce CPQ for Lightning Partner Community will be generally available in early 2017.

There are two immediate benefits of this:
• One is for companies where customers pay for a support contract—support teams can now see if the customer is up to date on their service contract payments.
• The other is for any company where customers file support cases regarding their payment status or their invoices. Rather than support cases having to be shunted between departments, adding touch points and delays, support reps can provide a one-and-done resolution to billing, payment, and invoice enquiries.

The ability to connect QuickBooks Online to Salesforce is provided by Breadwinner.

By connecting the two systems, all Invoices, Payments, and Credit Notes in QuickBooks Online are copied over to Salesforce and kept up to date by Breadwinner. Syncing occurs hourly, so reps are looking at near-live data. Reps can also re-issue PDF invoices, and answer questions about whether finance has received payments.

Breadwinner includes a level of security so that customer support reps are limited to accessing all QuickBooks Online data as read-only. And, this data is strictly limited to Accounts Receivables, so more confidential company data is also hidden from reps. And, by using Salesforce Profiles and security, further security can be enabled, for instance hiding the payment amount and only showing the payment dates.

More info: Breadwinner.

The further-integration leads to more powerful business solutions to better collaborate, be more productive and connected.
“As companies are becoming more mobile, social and connected, it is critical that anyone can instantly access the information they need, no matter where it is stored,” said Nasi Jazayeri, executive vice president of Community Cloud, Salesforce. “With Salesforce Files Connect for Box, files are available in context, exactly where they are needed – attached to an opportunity, a marketing campaign, a case or any object – creating a frictionless experience for users.”

Box Salesforce Integration

Today, Salesforce and Box are announcing:

• Salesforce Files Connect for Box – Without leaving the Salesforce platform, Box users can seamlessly search, browse, share and collaborate on Box files via any device, all while the existing access permissions and security of the original file are maintained by Box. Now, content managed on Box can easily be connected directly to records, users and groups within Salesforce. For example, a sales rep can collaborate with a product marketing manager on collateral stored in Box, or a service rep can share an FAQ from Box within a case.
• Box SDK for Salesforce – A toolkit for developers, the Box SDK for Salesforce enables developers to leverage Box content management within any app built on the Salesforce App Cloud. The SDK also allows developers to easily embed Box’s content management functionality into Salesforce processes and customizations. For example, developers can build on the Salesforce App Cloud a custom app to securely access and manage content from Box for specialized industries like financial services, healthcare and government.

“Solutions from Box and Salesforce are helping enterprises move to the cloud, scale their business, and deepen their relationships with customers, partners and developers,” said Aaron Levie, co-founder and CEO of Box. “We’re incredibly excited to expand into the next phase of innovation with Salesforce and deliver new tools that allow joint customers to leverage the content they work with on a regular basis in Box, directly from Salesforce.”

“There’s a remarkable opportunity to improve the way information is captured, managed and shared between doctors, patients and institutions,” said Bill Russell, CIO at St. Joseph Health. “Box and Salesforce both play important roles in helping us work seamlessly from anywhere, so a deeper collaboration between the two platforms will increase productivity for our employees and enable them to be more successful at communicating with the people they care for everyday.”

It’s scheduled to become available in Summer 2016 via the Lightning Experience, Salesforce1 and the Aloha User Experience. Today, Box SDK for Salesforce is available for free on GitHub for developers. Salesforce Files Connect for Box will first pilot February 2016.

In the age of the connected customer, engagement must be real-time and relevant. Marketers want technology to tell them who to target, when to target them and in what channels with what message. They need to make decisions in the moment that are based on a multi-dimensional view of the customer and include their true interests and intent, not just channel preferences. However, given the massive volume of customer interactions, it is not feasible for marketers to analyze each piece of data for insights and make individual decisions. Marketers simply can’t keep pace with every single customer and all of their interactions with a brand.

According to Forrester Research1, just 36 percent of customer experience leaders say that their companies always track what happens during customer interactions. While there are customer experience tools in existence today, they are a bit like looking at a map at home before leaving for a trip. At one time, having a map was the best way to navigate, but the static data can’t deliver the optimal route. It can’t adapt to events that happen along the journey, like traffic jams or a road closure, to bring a person to their destination in the best way possible

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Predictive Journeys: Create Smarter 1-to-1 Customer Journeys

Today, Marketing Cloud Predictive Journeys, with Predictive Scores and Predictive Audiences, can deliver dynamic “Waze-like” customer experiences that go beyond answering the question of what content to send to each customer to engaging customers in a smarter way by predicting their likelihood to take a specific action.

“Marketers want to put the customer at the center of their thinking and allow them to define each moment that matters. Now marketers can create smarter journeys that deliver the right content exactly when the customer needs it,” said Scott McCorkle, CEO of Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce. “With Salesforce Marketing Cloud Predictive Journeys, marketers can now go beyond simply meeting customer needs, to anticipating and greeting them at the next step of their journey as they arrive.”

New Salesforce Marketing Cloud Predictive Journeys breakthrough innovations include:

● Predictive Scores: Predictive Scores use data science to learn and score a customer’s likelihood to engage. For example, an online retailer can use Predictive Scores to determine a customer’s likelihood to open an email, unsubscribe from an email list or make a purchase. In addition, marketers can access new dashboards that include the overall score of individual customers aggregated into audience segments. This gives marketers the power to truly understand the behaviors that drive customer engagement.

● Predictive Audiences: Predictive Audiences is a smart audience segmentation tool that unifies customer data by grouping audiences based on their Predictive Scores, creating highly targeted segments. For example, if a customer has a score indicating a high likelihood to unsubscribe, the retailer can launch a re-engagement journey with content proven to deliver better outcomes. As people begin engaging with the new content, their likelihood to unsubscribe goes down and they are automatically put into a new journey that takes them down a path leading to a higher score.

Comments on the News

● “Rue La La delivers the most-coveted brands and serves up style inspiration to the next-generation shopper,” said Murali Narayanaswamy, VP, Marketing and Strategy, Rue La La. “With Salesforce Marketing Cloud, we will be able to create and execute smarter customer journeys based on understanding member browsing and shopping behaviors. This will allow us to forge a stronger bond with our loyal customer base.”

● “Customers, empowered with new technology and inbound channels, now outpace many businesses’ ability to respond. Marketers need systems that orchestrate and improve the effectiveness of customer dialogue across any channel,” wrote Rusty Warner, principal analyst, Forrester Research in the October 2015 report entitled, “Combine Systems of Insight and Engagement for Contextual Marketing.” “Rearview analytics — understanding how campaigns performed, how customer segments responded — is not sufficient to drive decisions that affect in-the-moment customer interactions. Advanced analytics methods predict and optimize customer behavior and enable marketers to proactively engage with customers.”

Global Leaders Deliver 1-to-1 Customer Journeys at Scale with the Salesforce Marketing Cloud

The Marketing Cloud is the world’s leading marketing solution. It enables marketers to build a single view of the customer, plan and optimize the journey, deliver personalized content on every channels and device and measure the impact on their business. Leading brands like DonorsChoose.org, Mattel and Rue La La harness the Salesforce Marketing Cloud to connect with customers in a whole new way.

Pricing and Availability

● Salesforce Marketing Cloud Predictive Scoring and Audiences are currently in beta and are expected to be available in the first half of 2016.

● Predictive Scoring and Audiences will be included with the Salesforce Marketing Enterprise edition and as add-on to Pro and Corporate editions. Pricing starts at $125 per month.

Additional Information

● Learn more about the Salesforce Marketing Cloud: https://www.salesforce.com/marketing-cloud/overview/

1. Forrester Research, “Brief: What Dreamforce 2015 Tells CX Professionals About Connected Experiences”, 10.26.15