Salesforce Sales Cloud Reviews

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 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. 

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.

I have expertise in Salesforce Sales Cloud, Revenue Cloud, and a little experience in Experience Cloud as well. I have been using Salesforce Sales Cloud for around three years. The Sales Cloud is generally used for lead management, where we can grab leads, convert them, and track opportunities and accounts. It helps manage our entire business process and track revenue by setting up quotes, orders, and invoices.

Salesforce has helped by providing a comprehensive system to capture opportunities and leads, maintaining everything in one place, and tracking customer data. Additionally, the automation features enhance business operations and revenue growth.

Salesforce provides a lot of tools out of the box like opportunity tracking, automation, and linking between account, contact, and posting. The lead conversion process, approval processes, and automation are particularly valuable.

The developer console might be enhanced. Sometimes, there can be a lot of open files, and improving the learning process of data processing would be beneficial.

I have been using this solution for around three years.

There are no stability issues found yet.

The solution is scalable.

Most of the time, customer service resolves the issues effectively. Sometimes they provide guidance on whether the issue is on their side or ours and suggest solutions.

Positive

As a Salesforce developer for three to four years, I consider it the best CRM to use. It is the first CRM I have worked on.

The initial setup doesn't take much time, it depends on the deployment tool used. For Capado, the setup might take one day or half a week. For others, it may be as quick as one hour.

Generally, we use tools and follow a structured process to deploy. Specific tools might be required as per customer requests.

I am not exactly sure about the numbers, but the licensing for different purposes can be checked online. The cost might vary if you need licenses for specific functionalities like CPQ.

I would recommend Salesforce for an enhanced revenue system, whole automation process, and CRM to lead management.

I'd rate the solution 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.

The main use case of the solution is to create tasks and flows. The sales team uses Salesforce Sales Cloud to do the tasks and assign them to campaigns and managers.

The main benefit of the product is that it provides a 360-degree view of the customers. We can integrate all the data, get the visions, and establish analysis. The solution is easy to use. The product helps get metrics from the sales team, contact the customers, and see whether the features in the products are doing well.

If a customer is not in the report, we cannot see these aspects and place some tasks on the sales team. Tracking the campaigns, the return of the contacts, and how a contact becomes a sale is the main benefit. The strategy is based on market analysis.

The cost of building integrations is the main challenge we face. We hired a Salesforce integrations partner so that we do not overload our team. It's very costly and takes a lot of time to do. Salesforce must build some connectors and features to make integrations easier.

I have been using the solution for two years.

We have 100 users, including sales team members and managers. We are thinking of expanding. We might evaluate Salesforce along with other data visualization tools like Tableau.

The technical support is good, but the team must improve the time it takes to respond. The escalations must be quicker.

Positive

The main challenge in the deployment is understanding the workflows. The technical setup is not difficult and long. Understanding and building the workflows is the main challenge. It is not a big problem, though. The product is SaaS-based. It's not a costly deployment. We can get new features and integrations quickly. Salesforce does the maintenance of the solution.

The return on investment is based on the tracking of the tasks. We can build campaigns. It makes the investment work. The main benefit is how the product integrates with the campaign tool and provides features to track the campaigns.

The price is fair. The tool is not that expensive, considering what it offers. It is worth the money.

I will recommend the product to others. It is worth the money. It provides a good price, service, and quality. It's a leader in their market. The product is worth it if we have the budget to use the mobile version, web version, and business intelligence features. Overall, I rate the product a seven out of ten.

I use the tool for a company with which our company used to work in the past. I used the backup and archiving capabilities of the solution.

My company generally uses the tool for all kinds of use cases. For a particular case of our company's customer who needed us to deal with the areas of archiving and backup, we used Salesforce Sales Cloud.

In general, the data model and everything is really helpful for the development phase. The tool is quite flexible, and you can modify its features easily. The whole development process is quite advanced in that you have all the support you need to take care of the development phase as easily as possible. The development phase is as easy as possible for all areas, including the UI, data model, custom logic, and processes, along with areas like reports, dashboards, and everything.

The areas revolving around archiving and backup in Salesforce Sales Cloud are not as advanced as some of the other solutions in the market. The aforementioned areas can be considered for improvement in the product. Maybe the tool covers bare backup requirements, but it is usually insufficient.

For the additional features needed in the product, I can say there is a very nice comparison on LinkedIn that I saw about the tool explaining compliance, granular restoration, and other related areas.

The price of the product needs to be lowered.

I have been using Salesforce Sales Cloud for two or three years. At the moment, my company is not even a customer of Salesforce since, presently, we do custom development, meaning we do development in Salesforce for other companies who need to use the tool's services.

It is a very stable solution. Stability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Scalability-wise, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

My company is a medium-sized company with around 400 people.

I have experience with CRM solutions that were either used in-house or made available from other vendors. I think Salesforce is currently the solution that is accepted by all the markets. I see another tool similar to Salesforce in advertisements called monday.com, which I have never used. I think monday.com has quite an aggressive marketing campaign.

I think it is not that difficult to install the product. I don't have that much experience with the product's installation phase. I am not a developer or administrator, but from my experience with the tool, I can say it is quite easy to use and do everything a user wants. I wouldn't say that the product's installation phase is complex. At an organizational level, things are usually more complex, especially when you agree on things inside your organization over what you need and how you are going to try out new processes. Once the aforementioned are cleared out at an organizational level, then I would say that things are not that complex.

I don't have any data to prove the return on investment I have seen from the use of the solution in my company. There is definitely some benefit from the use of the solution in the company, but I cannot speak about it specifically.

Price-wise, the product does not fall under the category of cheaply priced products.

The ease or difficulty with the maintenance part of the product users' experience depends on what they need from the product. The archiving and backup features of the product are not that flexible and convenient for certain use cases. You can use just a basic backup with the tool, which is not enough in most cases. If a user wants more backup features, then the user May need some additional tools while dealing with Salesforce Sales Cloud's installation phase.

I think Salesforce Sales Cloud is the right solution to use, as it is a good solution that is widely adopted and has proven itself in practice. I think it is a good decision to use Salesforce Sales Cloud. There are many aspects an organization needs to consider before adopting Salesforce, which are matters that can be greater than just the technical part.

I rate the overall tool an eight to nine 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. 

I last used it to trace a commercial opportunity. I use it since I am notified about commercial opportunities. Our main use case is tracking. 

The most valuable features of Salesforce Sales Cloud are the ability to track portfolio opportunities and reporting capabilities. The notification process inside the platform is also very valuable, and extracting reports is extremely useful. However, we are currently using only a small part of its functionality.

At the moment, Salesforce Sales Cloud is mainly used by key account managers and the commercial team. We are also looking to extend its use and functionality to the presale team.

As a presale team leader, I see a need to better understand the platform because our current knowledge is limited. This makes it difficult to explore possible extensions of its use. We also want more detailed information on commercial opportunities included in the tool. It needs to include better documentation on the functions it offers. 

I have been using the product for two years. 

The tool's stability is very good, and I rate it a ten out of ten. 

I rate the tool's scalability a nine out of ten. We use it two to three times a month. My company has around 100 users, and my team has 12 members. 

I haven't contacted the technical support team for the solution yet. 

Currently, there is no impact on the duration of our sales cycle. We are asking more in-depth questions about the platform because, so far, there is no clear benefit. We are still looking internally to understand how to use it more profitably. I'm not involved in the investment itself. I'm just the final user, so it's something that other sales teams in the company evaluate.

We update all our software to the latest versions as an internal policy. Salesforce Sales Cloud is the standard tool in our company. It is integrated with other application platforms developed in the company, which are proprietary software. The integration was difficult, but I don't have direct experience with that process.

My advice to people looking to implement the tool is that they should understand the organization in which the solution will be applied, including the business processes. A certain degree of customization is needed when applying the platform to the real context. Good advice would be to analyse the needs deeply before implementation.

I rate the overall product a nine out of ten. I think it's a good platform. It's versatile and can be applied in many different contexts so that it can be recommended.

Sales Cloud helps me manage and track my sales pipeline effectively. It is a CRM system that integrates with other systems for comprehensive sales management.

Sales Cloud has positively impacted lead generation and conversion rates. It enhances lead generation efficiency and tracks lead from various sources and campaigns effectively, ensuring a high level of reliability in lead acquisition and conversion.

The features of Sales Cloud most useful for testing and running email campaigns are highly valuable. The CRM system is excellent for managing campaigns effectively. I also find Salesforce security authentication very good.

Sales Cloud could improve in areas such as AI integration, particularly for templates.

I would rate the stability of Sales Cloud as a six out of ten.

I would rate the scalability of Sales Cloud as a five out of ten. My clients who use it are mostly enterprise businesses.

I would rate the easiness of the initial setup as a ten out of ten. It is very easy. The implementation of Sales Cloud took approximately four months.

Salesforce is good value for money, but compared to the market, it is relatively high-priced.

The AI functionality built into Salesforce is good. It was not available when I first started using Salesforce.

Using the Sales mobile app has many benefits. I have used it, and it is great for accessing Salesforce on the go.

Integrating Sales Cloud with other Salesforce products or third-party applications has been good.

I would recommend Salesforce to others, especially for its effectiveness as a CRM system. It stands out compared to other software, particularly in India.

Overall, I would rate Salesforce Sales Cloud as an eight out of ten.