What is Salesforce and who uses it?

Salesforce has been around since 1999. It's one of the most popular CRMs on the market today. The company behind this software is called Salesforce.com and their flagship product is known as Salesforce Platform.

It was originally called Onyx but then changed to Apex when they decided to focus solely on developing applications rather than selling them. This application development is done using Java or JavaScript.

There are two main versions of the Salesforce Platform - Standard Edition and Enterprise Edition. There are also several other products available from Salesforce such as AppExchange which allows developers to build apps specific to different industries, and Force.com for enterprise-level deployments.

The standard version is free while the enterprise edition costs $4 per user per month. You will need to have at least 5 users before you get access to it, so if you're looking to use Salesforce for just yourself, there may be better options out there.

But why would anyone want to pay for something like this anyway? Well, Salesforce offers many benefits over its rivals, not least of which is price. With no additional fees involved beyond the monthly subscription fee, Salesforce is considerably cheaper than some competitors. Its pricing structure means that even small businesses can afford to start using Salesforce without breaking the bank.

If you're interested in learning how to set up and run Salesforce, check out our guide below!

What all is Salesforce used for?

Before we go into detail about what exactly Salesforce does for us, let's take a look at some examples of where the system could come in handy.

Retail

A retail business needs to keep track of customers' shopping habits and preferences. They'll also need a way of managing stock levels across multiple locations. If you own a shop or cafe, you probably already know how important these tasks are. But what if you don't?

You might find it useful to create a database of your clients' details and store information about each individual customer here. Then, whenever someone comes along wanting to buy something, you simply search through the list of potential buyers until you find the right person.

This is especially helpful if you sell items online because you can see whether people have previously bought similar items elsewhere. So if you've got lots of clothes hanging in your wardrobe, you can easily cross off any old stock by searching through your records. And of course, you always benefit from having detailed records of past purchases, meaning you can improve future offerings based on previous demand.

Healthcare

In healthcare, patient data is extremely valuable. Doctors often rely on it for diagnosis purposes, which helps ensure patients receive accurate treatment. However, storing large amounts of sensitive personal information in one place is risky. For example, if a hacker were able to gain access to this information, the consequences could prove disastrous.

So imagine being able to securely share this kind of information between doctors and nurses. Instead of sending documents back and forth via email or faxing, you'd simply enter the relevant information straight onto the patient record. This makes everything much easier for everyone concerned.

And once again, thanks to Salesforce, you won't need to worry too much about security issues either. As long as you follow best practices when setting up Salesforce, the chances of hackers gaining access to your systems should remain slim.

What is Salesforce mainly used for?

While Salesforce is primarily aimed at helping companies manage their client relationships, it has plenty of features designed specifically for marketers. Here are three key areas where the platform excels:

Campaign management

Marketing campaigns aren't easy to organise. If you haven't worked with a team of dedicated account managers before, finding time to make sure everything runs smoothly can sometimes feel impossible.

That's where Salesforce comes in. Using powerful tools within the platform, you can monitor progress against goals, compare results with those achieved last year, and even automate repetitive tasks so you never miss another deadline.

Customer relationship management

When you first sign up for Salesforce, you'll get access to a basic CRM toolset. From here, you can add custom fields, dashboards, reports, and integrations to help you analyse and plan your workflow.

However, Salesforce isn't limited to providing generic CRM functionality. Some of its features allow you to connect directly to external APIs and services. These include Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, and Amazon Web Services.

With these connections in place, you can integrate Salesforce with third party websites and apps, giving you a comprehensive overview of your entire customer base.

Data analysis

At times, you'll need to perform advanced statistical calculations using raw data pulled from Salesforce. While spreadsheets offer great flexibility, they lack the power needed to crunch numbers quickly and accurately. That's where Salesforce shines.

Built upon the same platform as the rest of the Salesforce suite, this feature lets you carry out complex analytics using SQL queries. In addition to allowing you to extract data from tables and display it graphically, you can also save this content to files and send off emails containing charts and graphs.

What are the things we can do with Salesforce?

As well as offering its core CRM capabilities, Salesforce allows you to extend its functionality further using plugins. By installing these extensions, you can turn the platform into whatever you wish.

Here are four common types of plugin that you might install:

Web Forms Plugins

These enable you to integrate web forms into Salesforce. Once installed, you'll be able to collect contact info from visitors to your website. After the form is submitted, you'll automatically import the new data into Salesforce.

Email Marketing Plugins

Using Email Marketing Plugins, you can send newsletters and automated emails to existing contacts. These messages contain links to landing pages on your site where people can opt in to subscribe to regular updates.

Integration Tools

By integrating various platforms and applications, you can pull together disparate bits of data stored in separate databases. Integrating Salesforce with Google Apps, Microsoft Office 365, PayPal, Twitter, LinkedIn, Shopify, Zendesk, and others is possible.

API Connections

Some organizations require direct access to internal resources. To provide this, Salesforce includes API Connections, which enables you to link with 3rd parties using SOAP calls.

For instance, you could call an external app to update certain elements of your Salesforce profile. Or perhaps you'd like to connect to a financial institution's API to retrieve transaction history. Whatever the case, you can achieve anything through the use of integration tools.

Is Salesforce only for sales?

Although Salesforce is primarily used by organisations in the IT industry, there's nothing stopping you from taking advantage of its full range of features. Indeed, Salesforce is ideal for B2B teams responsible for delivering projects and working closely with partners and suppliers.

If you work in sales, you'll definitely appreciate the benefits offered by the CRM platform. Not only will it give you greater insight into your current and prospective leads, but it'll also streamline processes and reduce admin overhead.

All told, Salesforce is a versatile piece of software that provides countless advantages to both individuals and businesses alike. If you're thinking about trying it out, read our guide above to learn more about getting started with Salesforce.

If you're looking to make the most out of your CRM software, Salesforce is likely on your short list. But what exactly is it? What does it do for companies like yours? And how can businesses benefit from its powerful features?

There's no doubt that Salesforce has become the world leader in CRM platforms. In fact, Salesforce is so widely used that there are now over 1 million users worldwide -- and growing! However, if you're still not sure whether you should consider investing in this product or not, here's everything you need to know about Salesforce.

Who is using Salesforce?

Salesforce is primarily geared towards B2B enterprises. It started as a tool for small-to-medium sized business only, but today many larger organizations have adopted the platform. The main reason why large corporations are adopting this solution is because it integrates with other applications such as Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps, SAP Business Suite, Oracle EBS, NetSuite, ServiceNow.NET, and others. For example, when you connect Salesforce to these systems, they will automatically sync data between them.

The best news is that even though Salesforce is considered one of the biggest names in cloud computing, it comes at relatively low cost compared to competitors like Microsoft Dynamics AX, Oracle Fusion Applications, Sage 100 ERP, and others. You get access to the same functionality across different devices through mobile apps, desktop clients, and web portals, which makes it easy to manage your team members' workflows regardless of where they are located. This means that everyone involved in the process can collaborate without having to worry about compatibility issues.

This feature also allows salespeople to easily send emails and documents, track their leads and opportunities, and create reports to better understand their performance. All of this information is stored within Salesforce, allowing managers to see the status updates of each person working under them.

The company also provides services for government agencies, financial institutions, health care providers, retailers, insurance firms, non-profit organizations, universities, manufacturing plants, and transportation companies among others. While some industries may require customizations, the platform itself remains unchanged.

Who are customers of Salesforce?

As mentioned above, Salesforce was originally designed specifically for SaaS (Software As A Service). Today however, Salesforce supports both on premise installations alongside SaaS deployments.

In addition, the platform works great for both startups and established businesses since it offers plenty of flexibility and scalability. If you want to start small then you don't have to pay anything until you reach certain revenue thresholds. On the contrary, once you've reached those goals, you'll be able to take advantage of features and benefits offered by Salesforce.

For instance, you might decide to purchase additional licenses depending on the size and complexity of your organization. Or perhaps you would rather host the entire system yourself instead of relying solely on third party hosting solutions. Either way, Salesforce has got you covered.

Does Amazon use Salesforce?

Yes, Amazon actually uses Salesforce extensively. According to a recent study conducted by McKinsey & Company, nearly 40 percent of the Fortune 500 companies rely on Salesforce for various purposes. Some examples include internal operations, employee management, external relations, reporting, analytics, and collaboration.

Amazon is one of the largest online retail stores currently operating. With over 300 warehouses around the globe, the company processes millions of orders per day. To keep things streamlined, Amazon uses several different tools and integrations to help streamline their workflow. One of these tools includes Salesforce.

It provides employees with detailed insights into their activities and helps manage complex projects efficiently. Furthermore, it enables Amazon to monitor inventory levels, order fulfillment, and shipping schedules.

Additionally, the platform lets sellers interact with buyers directly through email, chat, and phone calls. These interactions allow sellers to build relationships with new prospects while simultaneously increasing conversion rates.

Does Netflix use Salesforce?

Netflix is another big name in the entertainment industry that relies heavily on Salesforce. Just like Amazon, the streaming giant utilizes multiple Salesforce products to meet the needs of its diverse workforce. Notable ones include Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, Channels Cloud, Commerce Cloud, Analytics Cloud, Community Cloud, and Developer Cloud.

These products enable Netflix to provide personalized recommendations based on user behavior. They also let people search for content and navigate effortlessly through their catalogs. Additionally, they empower employees to improve productivity by automating routine tasks.

Another interesting thing about Salesforce is that it's entirely open source. This means that anyone can download the code and customize it according to their requirements. So while Netflix may not be willing to share exact details regarding how they utilize the platform, it definitely shows that Salesforce is capable of handling any task thrown at it.

Does Salesforce Certification matter?

You probably already knew that Salesforce is one of the most popular CRMs available on the market right now. However, did you know that being certified by Salesforce could give you an edge against competition?

According to Forbes, Salesforce is considered to be the "king" of enterprise CRM platforms due to its vast range of offerings. Companies that choose to adopt Salesforce often end up saving money and time thanks to its ability to integrate with numerous other software programs.

Since becoming a global brand, Salesforce has introduced several certifications and training courses. There are three types of certifications: basic, advanced, and Architect. Each category covers specific topics related to the particular area of expertise.

Basic Certificates cover foundational concepts and skills necessary to operate Salesforce effectively. Examples include Introduction to Salesforce, Administering Salesforce, and Configuring Salesforce. Advanced certificates focus mainly on Salesforce administration and include topics such as Administration and Monitoring, Security and Compliance, Data Migration, Customization, Database Objects, Custom Fields, and Lightning Platform. Finally, Architect certificates teach developers about developing customized applications that integrate with Salesforce.

While Salesforce doesn't offer free courses, they do offer paid options. Basic certification costs $99, whereas Advanced and Architect certs come at prices ranging from $299 to $1,999 respectively.

However, despite the high price tag, Salesforce isn't just for professionals. Anyone interested in learning about how Salesforce operates can enroll in beginner classes that run for 30 minutes on average.

To learn more about Salesforce, check out our guide below.

How to set up Salesforce

Learn how to install and configure Salesforce

How to use Salesforce

Why Salesforce?

Is Salesforce worth buying?

Do I really need Salesforce?

Should I buy Salesforce?

Which Salesforce plan am I eligible for?

Can I switch plans later?

Are there Salesforce discounts available?

Where can I find Salesforce coupons?

How much does Salesforce cost?

Do I qualify for student pricing?

Will my employer reimburse me for Salesforce?

Can I rent Salesforce?

Can I sell Salesforce?

Salesforce provides cloud-based CRM software to help organizations manage their customers better. It has become popular among businesses because it helps them build deeper relationships with clients while also providing insights on the performance of each individual client. In addition, it allows you to stay connected with your clients even when they're not physically present at your office or business.

The company's flagship product - Salesforce1 - was originally launched as AppExchange but later changed its name to Salesforce One. The name change happened after the acquisition of Demandware Technologies Inc., which had been using the term 'One' for its own products before being acquired by Salesforce.

In this article we will cover some basic facts about Salesforce and explain how it works. We'll also discuss different ways you can use it for marketing purposes. For example, if you want to create targeted email campaigns, leverage data from other sources, and offer real time feedback to your employees, then there are several tools available that you can easily integrate into Salesforce to make the most out of your campaign.

What are three types of services provided by Salesforce?

There are three main areas where Salesforce operates:

Marketing Cloud-- Salesforce Marketing Cloud acts like a hub connecting various third party vendors such as Hubspot, Marketo, etc. You have access to these external platforms through Salesforce Connections. These include social media management tools, landing pages, websites, analytics apps, ecommerce solutions, etc. Most importantly, you get to see reports related to your online presence and activity across multiple channels. This way you can analyze whether your efforts are paying off.

Service Cloud -- This area focuses on internal processes within your organization. Using this tool, you can automate certain activities so that human resources staff doesn't need to be involved in day-to-day operations. Examples include employee onboarding, leave approvals, vacation request processing, and many others. There are also custom integrations available between Service Cloud and third-party systems like SAP BusinessObjects BI. Another advantage here is that since everything happens automatically, you don't require any additional training. All you need to do is ensure that those who work under you are familiar with the automated process.

Chatter -- Chatter is essentially a group messaging solution designed primarily for teams to communicate internally. If you've ever used Slack, you know how useful this feature can be. As a matter of fact, Chatter has now replaced Slack as the preferred communication channel inside Salesforce. A lot of companies prefer to keep discussions private until needed. However, the ability to share information across groups, share documents, schedule meetings, record notes, track tasks, add links, photos, videos, files, etc., makes Chatter extremely versatile.

What is Salesforce in simple words?

Salesforce is a comprehensive suite of applications developed specifically for small and medium enterprises (SME). Unlike enterprise resource planning (ERP) software that requires large capital investments, Salesforce is free and open source. What does this mean exactly? Well, it means that you only pay for the licenses required by your team members. And once you buy a license, anyone in your team can install and run the application without having to ask permission first.

Another interesting aspect of Salesforce is that unlike traditional ERP suites, it offers a complete package that includes data entry forms, reporting, dashboards, and many interactive features. When compared to other CRMs, Salesforce takes things up a notch by offering advanced functionality along with user friendliness.

Also, Salesforce is built around a concept called Force.com, which basically refers to the force exerted by gravity. So, when you look at the logo, it looks like two forces coming together. But what actually lies beneath that simplicity is the power of the platform itself.

What is Salesforce in one word?

It is quite difficult to define something as complex as Salesforce in just one word! Let us try our best though...

Customer relationship management

Cloud computing

Collaboration

Analytics

Mobile

Social

Enterprise

Data integration

Platform

Open source

Software-as-a-service

Web 2.0

Integrated

These are just a few aspects of Salesforce. To learn more about how this powerful SaaS (software as a service) platform can benefit your business, check out our guide to Salesforce.

What is Salesforce easy explanation?

Here are some key points that describe why you should consider using Salesforce for your next project:

You can customize the system according to your needs and requirements.

It comes with prebuilt modules that allow you to quickly set up new projects.  For instance, there is a module dedicated for creating contact records. Once created, you can move on to building opportunities based on the contacts. Or if you wish to create lead records, you can simply import leads from another database.

Customers love its ease of use.

They find it very convenient to deal with the system directly rather than interacting via emails. Also, there isn't much paperwork associated with it. Your customers can log in anytime, anywhere and start working immediately. They can update their profile details, upload pictures, attach documents, send messages, view charts and graphs, and perform other common actions, right from the app.

It integrates seamlessly with other tools you already use.

By integrating with external tools, you gain greater control over your workflow. Some examples include Google Analytics, LinkedIn, Facebook Ads Manager, PayPal, Zapier, and hundreds of others. With these you can connect your accounts and monitor results instantly.

Conclusion

Salesforce is known for its extensive array of customizable options. Apart from standard CRM functions, it also offers numerous unique functionalities. Whether you are looking for a fully customized CRM solution or ready to take the plunge into cloud computing, Salesforce has got you covered.

To give you a glimpse of how big the market for Salesforce is, in 2017 alone, the company announced $11 billion worth of acquisitions and partnerships. That's roughly equivalent to 10 times the revenue generated last year by Apple ($9.7 billion), Microsoft ($24.6 billion), Amazon ($22.4 billion), and Alphabet ($21.5 billion).

As a result, Salesforce became the world's largest provider of cloud-based CRM software. Its competitors are currently IBM, Oracle, Zendesk, Workday, Netsuite, SugarCRM, Eloqua, NetSuite, MicroStrategy, RightNow Software, Jitterbit, and Taleo.

So, if you haven't tried yet, go ahead and download a trial version of Salesforce today and experience the magic yourself!