On this blog, we’ve discussed the ins-and-outs of Salesforce Marketing Cloud and Salesforce Community Cloud.
Today we’re delving into the biggest Cloud of all: Salesforce Sales Cloud.
What Exactly is Salesforce Sales Cloud?
Salesforce Sales Cloud is the world’s top-rated CRM software.
There’s often some confusion about whether Salesforce Sales Cloud is different than Salesforce. Here’s how Salesforce explains it:
Salesforce is the first company that took CRM to the cloud, enabling companies to access all of their customer information online, from any device, anywhere in the world, 24/7.
The Sales Cloud platform is part of the CRM system that Salesforce offers. The Sales Cloud platform is created especially for salespeople. Because it’s our most popular product, many people say Salesforce when they actually mean the Sales Cloud platform. Now you know!
In short, Salesforce Sales Cloud is a cloud-based CRM platform that keeps information about leads, customers and sales all in one place. There are four different editions of Salesforce Sales Cloud, priced accordingly, to support different business sizes and needs. It’s separate from, but can be connected to the other Salesforce Cloud platforms: Marketing Cloud Service Cloud, Community Cloud, and Analytics Cloud.
So Why Should I Use It?
Think of Sales Cloud as a one-stop shop for your entire team, where they can both input and access every detail of a customer interaction.
Customer data stored in various documents, spreadsheets and emails is messy and inconvenient, and it doesn’t provide meaningful insight. When it all lives in one place, like on Sales Cloud, that data gets put to good use.
Your team can log in at anytime — from mobile devices or from a desktop computer — for an up-to-the-minute look at how any one prospect or customer is doing. You can forecast your upcoming quarters, generate visualizations of your data, and discover trends. Sales Cloud also offers rich options for customization, so that the platform becomes finely attuned to your business needs, style and language.
Keep reading for examples of the value Sales Cloud can deliver.
It can be used anywhere, anytime
The name says it all. Sales Cloud stores your data in the cloud, which means you can access it from anywhere in the world, at any time of day, and from any device.
Sales data is only effective if it’s up-to-date and accessible, and that’s what Sales Cloud offers.
If your rep is working from home and wanted to log the details of a call with a customer, no problem. Closed a deal on the road? Update the record on the road.
It boosts productivity
Sales Cloud automates the sales process, and uses point-and-click tools to enhance and customize workflows. Using the Sales Path tool, sales managers can customize the stages and steps that reps will follow as they create and maintain records.
It helps reps save time on administrative legwork and visualize what actions they need to take to move a prospect through the pipeline. For sales managers, it assures that records are being filled out correctly and that reps are filling in the information most relevant to the managers’ needs.
Plus, Sales Cloud can be connected to Gmail, Exchange and Office 365 email clients, giving your reps the ability to instantly and seamlessly update Salesforce records with email data with just a couple of clicks.
It helps grow your business
The most powerful thing about Salesforce Sales Cloud is how it uses your sales data. It ranks your leads, helping you zero in on the warmest opportunities and connecting them to the best possible rep, maximizing your odds of closing.
There’s also Einstein, Salesforce’s comprehensive artificial intelligence system, developed specifically for CRM success. It can be used with several Salesforce tools, including Sales Cloud. Once your data is in the Cloud, Einstein will do its work. It can prioritize your best leads, automatically log interactions, autodial the next phone number, and remind reps when it’s time to follow up.
So, Should I Be Using Salesforce Sales Cloud?
If you want to centralize your sales data, automate workflows, connect your team members, and use your data to power more deals, then yes. Sales Cloud is a top-rated solution for companies of all sizes. The availability of four different editions make it possible to find a version best suited to your needs, and the level of customization available on the platform means that your Sales Cloud won’t feel like a one-size-fits-all CRM.
Ready to take your sales efforts to the next level? Start here.