Salesforce Sales Cloud Reviews

We mainly use it for sales purposes. This includes working with different customers and products, such as banking services, and managing pricing and attributes, especially for clients in the oil and gas industry.

We use workflows for sales flows and various automation, such as assignment rules and validations provided by Salesforce. When out-of-the-box solutions aren't enough, we delve into coding, utilizing synchronous and asynchronous methods. Additionally, we employ tools like lightning components. 

The tool includes reports and dashboards, CRM Analytics, Tableau, and Einstein Analytics. We can also integrate other tools as needed.

The product has improved overall performance and reduced time for many manual processes. For example, with a banking client, numerous manual processes, such as signing forms, were involved, leading to lengthy processing times, sometimes up to a month for a single request. However, after integrating everything into Salesforce Sales Cloud, the time for such processes decreased to just one or two days.

The tool's technical challenges vary depending on the requirements. When a new requirement arises, we must analyze the best approach to address it, whether through automation tools or coding. We encounter limitations such as the number of reports we can process or update, the queries we can write, and other similar constraints. Understanding when to utilize coding and when to rely on simple configurations is crucial.

I have been using the product for more than four years.

I haven't faced any issues with the tool's stability. 

Overall, the tool is a scalable solution. I've observed many large clients with over 10,000 users using it. While occasional issues may arise, they are manageable.

Responses in production environments are prompt, with issues addressed immediately. However, for concerns in sandbox environments, response times may be longer, often taking up to a week or even a couple of weeks for resolution.

It is standard procedure to start with an empty sandbox in Salesforce Sales Cloud when installing. From there, if a customer requires additional features, a package or URL is provided. Once the end user installs the package, all out-of-the-box features, including objects and their relationships, are automatically installed and linked. However, additional admin setup tasks are required post-installation, such as configuring user access levels and determining whether users will have read-only or read-write access.

The deployment time varies depending on the components we need to deploy and the tools we are using. For instance, it can be done easily if we need to deploy administrative setups like adding users to the Salesforce Sales Cloud environment. However, it can take longer if multiple customizations are involved, such as using automation tools or coding, and if there are several components to deploy.

The staffing needs for maintenance depend on various factors, such as the size of the product and the number of end users.

The tool's pricing is based on the number of users. It has a different pricing for 0-100 and another for 100-500 users. 

Customization options in Salesforce Sales Cloud are tailored to match specific business needs. One common method is using Apex code, which resembles Java. However, when utilizing code, it's essential to consider the platform's governor limits. To mitigate this, Salesforce provides asynchronous processing, expanding the limits further. For UI design, options include Lightning, Salesforce web components, and the recently acquired Vlocity. Users can create forms and pages through drag-and-drop configurations.

I rate the overall product a nine out of ten. 

I am not involved in hands-on activities as I manage the team. We primarily work with connections provided by our partners.

Salesforce is used for managing the data of our clients. It helps our sales team keep track of meetings and other relevant information.

The solution is very easy to use. It allows for straightforward data input, which is crucial for our operations.

I cannot comment on improvements as we haven't used their customer service.

We have been using Salesforce for an opportunity with our partners and inputting relevant details.

The solution is stable. Our team has not reported any difficulty.

We have never used Salesforce's customer service.

Positive

We prefer using local solutions like RD Station in Brazil due to pricing considerations.

We did not do the initial setup. It was handled by our partner.

We received access through our partner, so no direct implementation team was involved on our side.

As we do not pay for Salesforce directly, it's difficult to calculate a specific ROI. We receive access when we sign with partners.

Salesforce is considered expensive in the Brazilian market, suitable for big companies. We usually opt for local solutions like RD Station.

We use RD Station for CRM needs in Brazil, as it's easy to deploy and manage.

I do not have additional advice as we are not extensive users.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

Salesforce offers a comprehensive suite of CRM functionalities to support various aspects of sales and customer relationship management. I am currently focused on managing APAC roadmaps and strategies, and this product has been implemented for Australia and New Zealand this year. While I oversee the broader approach, one of my managers handles the detailed aspects of the implementation. It provides extensive CRM capabilities, including but not limited to case management. It can also integrate with other ERP systems, allowing for a more holistic view of sales and operations.

At our pharmaceutical company, we previously struggled with properly logging customer cases. Now, we can track cases effectively and manage responses more efficiently. We can also attach relevant documents directly to each case, which is a significant improvement over our previous system, in which everything was handled via email. This change enhances our ability to monitor cases and track their progress over time. Additionally, we have access to reporting features, including KPIs and dashboards, which allow managers and team leaders to review case-related data and performance metrics.

We do have a backlog, and we're currently working on addressing it. However, we're trying to overcome some limitations with the standard Salesforce features. We're exploring options to find a technical resource who can assist us with this backlog. 

Certain fields are not editable using standard Salesforce features, and I'm not fully aware of the specifics regarding this. Additionally, we're experiencing issues with copying and pasting data, which is impacting the efficiency of our customer service. These are the main challenges we're currently facing.

I have been using Salesforce Sales Cloud since April.

12-15 users are using this solution. 

It is scalable, but scaling it to meet the diverse needs of the APAC market can be challenging. Each market has unique requirements; for example, Australia and New Zealand might need to view only seven fields or features, while China might require twelve. The current setup displays all 40 fields, which makes it difficult to tailor the system to specific market needs. Improving flexibility to customize and control what each market sees would address these challenges and better support the varying requirements across regions.

Understandably, transitioning from a basic system to a feature-rich technology can be overwhelming. While I haven't been directly involved in the execution, it seems clear that comprehensive training could address many of these issues. The shift to using a technology with numerous features can be challenging, especially when users face more information than they need. For instance, displaying too many options when only a few are necessary can create confusion. This feedback highlights the need for improved training and possibly some adjustments to the user interface to streamline the experience and focus on what's essential.

It is expensive.

We're using SAP Commerce.

Previously, tracking cases effectively was a challenge, but with the recent improvements, we now have a better mechanism for monitoring cases received from customers. To enhance its functionality further, it would be beneficial to integrate this with an ERP or SAP system in the future. For instance, linking cases to trigger returns or other processes isn't set up yet.

Overall, I rate the solution a six out of ten.

We use the tool to manage our sales pipeline and life cycle.

The most significant features of Salesforce Sales Cloud that boosted our sales productivity are workflow management and integrated commentary. Workflow management allows us to progress from exploration and qualification to closing a sale. The integrated commentary feature lets us open conversation threads around a sale and bring in team members, enhancing collaboration.

The tool's reporting feature is also good, giving an idea of the number of open leads. We do benefit from automated alerting and reporting. This automation ensures we are automatically notified if something changes or an event occurs.

One consistent comment about the product internally is that it has a steep learning curve, especially for some sales executives. Simplifying the interface would be a big leap forward. Like a chatbot, fewer clicks and more direct AI interaction could help. A simplified interface with AI support would make things much easier. We need an AI feature like ChatGPT that helps us to hold conversations.             

I have been working with the product for five years. 

I rate the product's stability a nine out of ten. 

The solution is scalable. I rate it a ten out of ten. My company has around 7000 users. If we are more successful, we will increase our usage. 

I haven't contacted the support yet. 

I think the tool's setup experience is easier now because I know it, but initially, I found the learning curve quite steep. If I had to score it on complexity, with ten being easy, I'd probably rate it around six or seven.

There are many mouse clicks and things to be aware of, along with many controls. You can get stuck wondering why you can't move something from one stage to another. You get used to it over time, but the learning curve is steep.

I think Salesforce Sales Cloud has improved our control and visibility over the sales process, likely shortening our sales cycle. The workflow elements give us a better handle on the stages in the pipeline, helping sales executives focus on moving things along. This has sped things up compared to our previous sales life cycle.

Learning how to use Salesforce Sales Cloud took me about three months. I quickly developed a core set of skills but kept finding useful features over time.

My advice for those looking to use Salesforce Sales Cloud is to invest time at the beginning to understand the key features and how to use them. People often try to learn it on the side, only doing things when necessary. Focusing on proper usage from the start will prevent many issues and save time.

I rate the overall product an eight out of ten. 

We used Salesforce Sales Cloud to build a solution in the healthcare industry, where customers can log in and see patient's health data and a couple of related inferences. They can also see the previous encounters we had with their provider.

It is very easy to develop things and scale up the solution, saving time and resources. The solution is easy to debug, and everything is in a single interface. Salesforce Sales Cloud is very reliable and provides good stability and security.

Sometimes, we are confused about which Salesforce solutions to use for which purpose. The solution's customer support is not so good. It takes a lot of time to reach the support team, get some clarifications, or discuss with the Salesforce team, which is a horrible experience.

I have been using Salesforce Sales Cloud for four years.

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a stable and reliable solution.

Many teams in our organization are using Salesforce Sales Cloud. Around 10 to 20 people in our team are using the solution. Around 5,000 to 10,000 people are using the solution in our entire organization.

The initial setup of the solution is intermediate, which is neither difficult nor easy.

Salesforce Sales Cloud is an expensive solution.

Salesforce Sales Cloud is deployed on the Salesforce cloud. Our company decided to use Salesforce Sales Cloud because they wanted to upgrade their tech stack, and Salesforce was the safer choice. Salesforce Sales Cloud is easy to maintain.

New users should go through the courses Salesforce provides to understand what they can build and cannot do using the solution. Users should be clear about what they want before using the solution. The mobile accessibility of Salesforce Sales Cloud is easy and has improved over the years.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

Any organization with leads and a positive pipeline that spans different geographies can benefit from using Salesforce Cloud to manage its entire sales cycle effectively.

Salesforce includes various objects that help manage records of all incoming leads. These leads may come from different sources, such as workshops or other channels. Once the leads are collected, organizations use various methods to engage with them, including email marketing or direct calls. Each organization has its process for analyzing leads. 

For example, if a lead responds to an email, it may be considered a valuable lead. The sales or business development team will then reach out to understand their needs. The qualified leads eventually enter the opportunity pipeline. Salesforce provides a platform to manage and process these leads, from initial collection to closing opportunities, streamlining the entire process.

One of Salesforce's key features is its comprehensive management of the opportunity pipeline. You can document all relevant details during client discussions and use Chatter for team communication. Roles and permissions allow team members to see the status of opportunities and plan their actions accordingly. Salesforce offers extensive customization options, allowing you to tailor the opportunity pipeline to meet specific customer needs.

Additionally, Salesforce supports integration with various tools. You can connect it with marketing solutions, whether Salesforce's own or third-party platforms. Telecalling and quotation generation can be managed directly within Salesforce, eliminating the need for separate tools. The platform also facilitates asset assignment during contract phases. 

One concern with Salesforce's CPQ solution is that the integration and user interface are not as seamless as possible. Although CPQ was successfully integrated into Salesforce following its acquisition, there are still noticeable gaps in the UI and the features. These issues reflect the challenges of merging acquired solutions with the existing Salesforce platform, which, despite successful integration, still shows areas for improvement.

I have been using Salesforce Sales Cloud for over five years.

Occasionally, certain features may not work due to ongoing maintenance or background updates. If you encounter an issue and raise a ticket, Salesforce responds quickly. Their support team provides direct assistance for major issues.

It can be scaled both horizontally and vertically.

It offers excellent technical support with multiple service levels. For prime customers, on-call support is available. There are three levels of support: at the basic level, you raise a ticket and receive a response based on the ticket's severity within 24 hours, with most issues resolved in a few days. Prime customers benefit from direct, on-call support, ensuring a high level of service.

Positive

The initial setup depends on the organization's requirements. It is relatively straightforward for a small organization with only fifty licenses. However, for a larger organization that needs 500 licenses and has extensive requirements, the process becomes more complex due to the significant customization needed. Thus, the setup complexity is directly tied to the client's specific needs.

I rate the initial setup a six or seven out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.

It streamlines the entire sales process, allowing top executives, such as the CEO, to easily access sales performance data without connecting with numerous individuals. They can review pipeline statuses and overall performance directly from their laptop. This efficiency significantly benefits CXO-level executives by providing a clear and comprehensive view of sales operations.

Pricing for Salesforce can be high compared to some other products. For example, Zoho often has lower prices.

Forecasting in Salesforce involves analyzing conversion rates and probabilities set by the customer for each deal. For instance, if a positive pipeline is forecasted for six months to a year, you can predict the potential revenue for the upcoming quarter based on these probabilities. Additionally, historical data from previous years can help refine these forecasts. Immediate predictions rely on the current pipeline, while long-term forecasts use historical data to project revenue over the next few years.

Salesforce requires minimal maintenance because it handles infrastructure management itself. The primary maintenance tasks involve managing customizations, adding new users, and addressing evolving requirements, particularly in larger organizations. Other than these updates, Salesforce operates with little need for additional maintenance.

Salesforce can be costly, but it is highly recommendable if it aligns with your organization's needs.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

It's for managing the sales cycle.

When it comes to the lead management process, we track and evaluate the different stages and the challenges in each stage. It's so that the entire team has visibility of what's going on with each individual lead.

It has significantly impacted the sales cycle because we are able to get more precise updates, report back to our senior execs using the Salesforce stats, and make database judgments. So, it has shortened the sales cycle.

I like that I can customize the sales process to a particular team so that, based on whatever framework I use, I can significantly adapt sales. That's the security of the system.

It might be easier if there were better integration with other sales systems or clouds that are not powered by Salesforce. For example, when we work with partners, such as Amazon or any other major tech company, sometimes we collaborate to develop a sales lead. 

We use integrations between Salesforce instances so the partner can add opportunities to our account and vice versa.

The integration between systems used by different partners is very hard. So, that's something that can definitely be improved.

There are features I would like to see in future releases. It could give recommendations on what could be a possible next step and highlight important points; that's where AI would come in. If it sees patterns in sales and Sales Cloud could evaluate it and showcase to us how that sales cycle could be shortened – that would be a great feature.

I have been using it for five years now. 

The solution is fairly stable. I have not faced any issues. 

I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.

The solution adapts to our use cases. It's highly customizable, but you just need to know how to customize it.

I would rate the scalability an eight out of ten.

I would rate my experience with the initial setup a six out of ten, with one being easy and ten being difficult. 

It's just a matter of enablement. Sometimes, when it comes to inputting data, it has to be in certain formats, and it doesn't work properly. When you convert it to a report, it doesn't display the report correctly, so you need to know exactly how it needs to be tailored.

Our IT team deployed it.

I would recommend having a good Salesforce administrator. Other than that, it's pretty easy to use. 

Overall, I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. I would recommend using it. 

We use Salesforce Sales Cloud for lead management, contact and account management, sales forecasting, collaboration, and workflow automation.

I've found lead management to be the most valuable feature of Salesforce Sales Cloud. It helps capture, track, and manage leads throughout the sales process. The tool is easy to learn. 

One aspect I find challenging with Salesforce Sales Cloud is its forecasting feature. While it's useful for analyzing sales data and predicting future revenue, I've encountered instances where the outcomes weren't as perfect as expected.

I have been using the product for three years. 

I haven't encountered any bugs with the product. 

The tool is scalable. My company has 35 users. 

Whenever we encounter issues or have questions regarding the product, we contact their support team by creating a ticket. They are always ready to assist us. 

Positive

Our organization decided to go with Salesforce Sales Cloud because it provides all the features we need to offer to our customers.

The tool's deployment is easy. 

I rate the overall product a nine out of ten.