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Upgrades Coming to the Salesforce Mobile App

Upgrades Coming to the Salesforce Mobile App

Salesforce Mobile is the latest branch of the Salesforce UI to get a significant face lift. As many of you know, Salesforce is making a large push to get all of their users onto Lightning. And for good reason. The interface is more user friendly and the workflows and layouts have been improved. Of course, Salesforce Classic will no longer be getting the newest features, support and upgrades, so it only makes sense to make the jump to lightning.

That is where the new Salesforce Mobile App comes in. The mobile version of Salesforce has been a bit behind for some time now, and was in need of some love. The latest upgrades have made the mobile app completely in sync with Lightning, giving users an extremely similar experience.

If you are a Lightning user, the above screenshot should look pretty familiar to you. The end result of these upgrades:

  • Users can have a smoother transition from desktop to phone, and can see the same screens and components on either
  • You can set up different pages, templates, or components to show as default, depending on which type of device is being used (desktop, tablet, phone)

So, for any remote sales teams, or regular mobile users, the Salesforce Mobile App should be much improved and better enable you to grow your business.

Click here for a short guide on setting up and using the new Mobile App

 

-Ryan and the CloudMyBiz Team

 


 

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The Benefits of Salesforce Automation

The Benefits of Salesforce Automation

We talk a lot in our blog about the in-depth nuances and details of using Salesforce and how you can get the most from it. However, this week we thought it would be nice to step back a bit, and look at why Salesforce and workflow automation is so beneficial, specifically for Sales Teams.

For those of you who have been using Salesforce for a long time, this might seem like a trip down memory lane. For those of you who have yet to make the switch, hopefully, you learn something new and of course, if you realize you have gone on for too long without the benefits of Salesforce automation, the team here at CloudMyBiz is ready to help.

 

Saves Time and helps Sales teams Focus

Sales teams should be allowed to do what they do best, which is sell – not get bogged down in administrative tasks. Using a centralized Salesforce database, lead and contact details can be automatically updated and accessed from anywhere by anyone. This means the sales team gets the info they need when they need it.

What about all of the time-consuming tasks revolving around the sale? Scheduling follow-up calls, sending emails, tracking down contracts and updating sale opportunities. This can be a big part of the day of a sales rep. However, with Salesforce automation, a majority of these tasks can be automated, making the entire sales process much faster, and not to mention more accurate. The end result of the automation and a centralized database where sales info is right at the reps fingertips? They can focus more on making sales, and less on everything else.

Close deals faster

With such significant improvements as listed above, another result is the lifespan of getting deals done gets quite a bit shorter. The Sales team has faster, easier access to their sales data, and with a host of productivity apps, such as e-signature, contract generation, and terms stipulation, the deal doesn’t get bogged down once it is time to get the paperwork out and signed. Everything can be done directly in the system and tracked each step of the way.

It’s easy to use

One of the best features of Salesforce is its intuitive and clean User Interface. Salesforce makes a special effort to keep their UI easy on the eyes. This means that even brand new users can figure out what they need to do without hunting through page after page (or in the old world, mountains of papers and forms). Smart filters and searches also make digging into the data a snap. Documents and links can be readily associated, so you can always find your way to what you need.

Customizable

Following up on the above point – while Salesforce is naturally intuitive and easy to use, it inevitably won’t be perfect for everyone. That is why the system features significant ability to customize the system. Just about any organization or industry can use the CRM for their specific needs. From simple workflow and page layout automation that any internal Admin can handle, to complex custom development that usually requires an outside consultant, Salesforce can be tweaked in just about any direction you can imagine.

Reporting and Analysis

This can be a real game changer. A Salesforce CRM gives management some powerful tools to get deep insights into the business. Just about anything that is in the system can be measured, tracked and reported on. Companies can monitor sales conversion ratios, past performances vs current, and volume trends. Of course, there is always that golden nugget of ROI analysis as well! All of this is done through automated reporting and dashboards that can be set to run at regular intervals and delivered right to your inbox if you desire.

These reporting tools give managers the data and insight they need to make better decisions and guide the company in the right direction. If a certain campaign isn’t working, change it. If a certain Sales rep has a great conversion rate in a particular territory, keep it going! And none of it is based solely upon gut feel or a few recent examples, but solid history of sales data within the system.

Sales Forecasting

Finally, on the heels of the reporting tools, a Salesforce CRM can help with forecasting. Managers can see the trends, look at the pipeline and make more accurate predictions about what they can expect in the future. Giving management the ability to look into the future can help avoid potential crises, or conversely, if the future is looking very bright, they can put more infrastructure in place to better take advantage of it!  

We could go on all day about the benefits of Salesforce and CRM automation for Sales Teams and their managers. No matter how you slice it though, a properly implemented and customized CRM solution is pretty much essential for the modern day business, thanks to the host of automation possibilities and data insights that it enables.

-Ryan and the CloudMyBiz Team

 

 

6 Admin Tips to Make Your Salesforce Org More User Friendly

6 Admin Tips to Make Your Salesforce Org More User Friendly

 

Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or expert admin, or have recently inherited an org, there are a number of things just about any admin can do to make their org more user-friendly. With some of these simple tricks and processes, you can not only give your users a better environment to work in, but you can also reduce the administrative challenges on your end too!

So what does it mean to have a user-friendly org? We all get that it means to tailor the system towards your users’ specific needs, but a truly user-friendly system will have most if not all of the characteristics below:

  • Easy to use and understand, leading to higher adoptions  
  • Enforced business processes – a properly designed user experience will naturally enforce business process, and not allow gaps or loopholes for improper practices
  • Increased user buy-in and confidence in their processes
  • Significantly increased efficiency from a well setup system
  • Increased data integrity & accuracy – making it easier for users to create records, and ensure they are accurate

planning financial salesforce consultation group office analyst

So without further ado, here is our list of tips that in even small amounts, will be able to make your org more user-friendly:

1.) Reduce data entry and duplicates

This might seem like a no-brainer, but that’s why we put it at number one. Why spend hours entering data, or dealing with duplicate records if you don’t have to? One of the big advantages of Salesforce is that you have so many options for automation. And you should automate just about as much as you can. Lack of automation can lead to:

  • Inefficient processes – manual data entry wastes time, plain and simple
  • Turns off users – a user who has to repeat multiple steps throughout the day will likely be a disengaged user
  • Data quality issues – the time users spend manually inputting tedious amounts of data, the more likely they are to make mistakes
  • Reporting issues – if you have data quality issues, you certainly can’t use that data for reporting. Now your decision makers can’t have reliable metrics to track performance and understand where the company stands.

If you have some significant processes that need automation, feel free to talk to one of our Salesforce Specialists and see how we can streamline your data entry process.

2.) Use visuals and a smart UI layout

Spending a bit of time thinking about the visual layout and design of your org will make a big difference to people who work with it every day. A page full of small lines of text immediately looks overwhelming. Spice it up with as many visual indicators as you can.

For example, consider using custom icons (via custom fields) on account pages to indicate what type of account it is, or on a related case list!

Also, consider laying out your important pages in a way that people will naturally be led through the page. The Gutenberg Diagram has been a proven as one of the smartest ways to approach UI.

 

The tldr: People generally look at the top left first and visually scroll diagonally to the bottom right. Use this to your advantage for placing the most important elements on your page.

3.) Embed reports and dashboards

Keeping with our theme of making things as visual as possible, a good admin tip is to embed relevant reports onto different pages, such as accounts and opportunities. This will make it easy for your users to see all sorts of important details, without needed to scroll through lines of data.

Make sure you spend some time, talking to your users and execs to find out exactly what reports they would like and what would help them the most.

4.) Streamline what users see

There are a lot of fields in most Salesforce orgs. Too many fields some would argue. Make it easier on your users by keeping layouts clean, organized and focused with only the fields that are really necessary. present fields when relevant, focus user attention.

In addition, you can customize search layouts, so that when users are searching for records, only the most relevant fields will be displayed.

5.) Add help text

For those fields that you do keep on each page, adding help text will make everything a bit easier. You will be hard pressed to add too many helpful tips. Define just about anything for your users with these simple hover tools, such as what type of data is required, or how to understand the input. 

 

6.) Enable quick actions

Salesforce Quick Actions are a great way for users to focus on the most important workflows and information that they need every day. This integration works from any computer or device that connects to Chatter. Through the Chatter feed, users can log cases, add notes to records and more! native in chatter feed. Can quickly do it when mobile, traveling etc. Because Quick Actions can be easily accessed from Salesforce1, they are pretty much an essential addition for any user who is regularly on the road.

That wraps it up for our quick 6 Admin Tips for a more user-friendly org. Feel free to comment below with any thoughts or other user-friendly org tips that you find particularly helpful.

-Ryan and the CloudMyBiz team

 


 

Ready to upgrade to the world’s #1 CRM? Already have Salesforce but need some improvements?

Whatever your needs, we have you covered. Contact one of our Salesforce experts and we will find you a better business solution.

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How to Get The Most From Your Salesforce Implementation

How to Get The Most From Your Salesforce Implementation

 

Are you considering a new Salesforce implementation? Or maybe you just implemented Salesforce. Great! But before you continue with business as usual, there are a few things you should consider. Salesforce, like most major investments, takes a little bit of love, practice and know how to get the most out of. From a high-performance car to planting your own garden, how much you put into your investments dramatically influences what you get out of them. Whether your Salesforce Org is brand new, or a couple of years old, it’s never too late to adopt better practices and improve your business.

So in that vein, we have put together a short but powerful list of tips, based on research, discussion with Salesforce, and our own personal experience, on how to get the most out of your Salesforce implementation. The tips fall under two categories: things to do before your implementation, and things to do following a Salesforce implementation.

Preparing for a Salesforce Implementation

Think of it as moving into a new house or apartment. You don’t just pick a random place, sign a mortgage and drive straight over. A lot of planning and preparation is needed to make the big move, just the same as it is for a Salesforce Implementation.

Business Process Review

This is your chance for a better system and process.  A well designed Salesforce platform should mirror, support, and augment your business process, reflect your internal roles, hierarchies, security, and enable your organization to be more efficient. Take a little time, think about what you have that works, what doesn’t and what you could do to improve. This is your foundation…make a commitment, invest in it, and you’re well on your way to a positive, organization-changing implementation.

Get Advice from Certified Salesforce Expert

Just about any businesses can benefit from receiving expert advice. A certified Salesforce expert can help you develop a deeper understanding of your business goals and advise on best practices or potential solutions. Certified Salesforce experts can help you in just about any area of your business, from figuring out a better system architecture to the strategic guidance of creating a better business roadmap that aligns with your implementation. 

Review Your Data

Do you know where all of your data currently is?  Are you planning/preparing to move from silos to one system of record? Once you’ve taken the time to review your data the best thing you can do it simplify!  Not everyone on your team or inside of Salesforce needs to see every bit of minutiae, so be smart about your permissions, security and how everything is divided. If you do it right, not only will you avoid your team from feeling overloaded with data, which will negatively affect adoptions, but you will also set the foundation for a more secure and streamlined database.

Designate an IT project manager

As you prepare for a new implementation, you absolutely need to designate an individual who can work across functions, quickly gain consensus, make decisions and remove obstacles, and serve as the overall project champion. Having an IT project manager significantly improves both the quality of the implementation and the speed at which the implementation progresses. In addition, having continuity and leadership throughout the duration of the implementation will help immensely to ensure all goes smoothly and ensure that all your expectations are met. If you are working with a certified Salesforce developer and Consultant, this will be one of your primary contact points with the Salesforce expert.

Be Ready to Get Involved

Even if you are working with a developer or consultant to install Salesforce, you need to be ready to get your hands dirty. The more you participate with the implementation team, the better everyone can remain in sync, and generate the best results. Too little participation often leads to project delays and misaligned expectations.

Be Ready for Change. Expect Change

And set aside some extra funds for just in case you want to make additional changes. No project goes perfectly smooth from start to finish. Understanding this from the beginning will help ease any tensions or stress later on.

Post- Implementation Tips

Following your successful implementation, you need to remember that everything isn’t done yet. You still have plenty to do to make sure your system is optimized and stays that way.

Train, Train, Train

Training is one of the most critical points in ensuring user adoption and the long-term success of your Salesforce implementation.  It’s crucial that users not only learn how to use the system, but that they know how to make the most of it. If you can make the commitment to effective, ongoing training, you’ll end up with a confident and effective user base. And remember to keep on training as time goes on. The more you invest in your team’s knowledge, the more they will be able to do!

Plan for Support

Having a plan to support your user base is important to the continued growth of your platform. If you have a consultant or developer working with you, discuss with them a support plan that meets your needs to ensure any unexpected issues are covered. Make sure you have a plan ready to go for how you are going to support your user base.

User Feedback

Make sure your users have a way to submit support requests, make suggestions for improvements, and request additional training. Engagement with your team is critical to make sure your users know you’ve got their back and that they’re going to be heard. This will significantly improve user adoption, and of course, the better your user take to the new system, the better they can perform their jobs.

Automate All the Things

While some automation may be better left to the Salesforce partner who did your implementation, there are plenty of smaller tasks that you automate yourself. Things such as auto scheduling emails, workflows, and task notifications, can all significantly streamline your day and give you more time to focus on your most critical tasks.

Download Apps from the Appexchange

Why build when there is a marketplace of over 3000 pre-built apps. Need an email marketing client? Check. Want a better call center. Also check. Need to put fun quotes and emojis into your org? Yep, got that too. Need advice on the best app to use for a particular pain point? Our Salesforce consultants are happy to help.

Use Analytics

Reports & Dashboards should be relevant for the business. Take the time to learn how to utilize and build proper reports and dashboards. If they are showing irrelevant information, or the information they show isn’t easy to understand, you aren’t doing yourself any favors.

Salesforce1 Mobile

Finally, think about adopting Salesforce1. With Salesforce’s mobile integration, you can carry all your vital information with you anywhere you go, and access it from any device. Essential for any business that goes on the road regularly!

Whew. How’s that for a short list? No matter what stage of the Salesforce journey you are on, hopefully these tips have given you a little something extra to improve your experience.

If you are still hungry for more, stay tuned for our comprehensive guide to getting the most from a Salesforce Implementation, coming out in the next few weeks.

 

-Ryan and the CloudMyBiz Team

 


 

Ready to upgrade to the world’s #1 CRM? Already have Salesforce but need some improvements?

Whatever your needs, we have you covered. Contact one of our Salesforce experts and we will find you a better business solution.

Contact Us

 

Tip of the Week – Using Salesforce Trust Notifications to Your Advantage

Tip of the Week – Using Salesforce Trust Notifications to Your Advantage

For any veteran users of Salesforce, you have probably experienced the frustration of unexpected system maintenance, or performance degradation. It slows you down and all you can do is wait until Salesforce gets things fixed up. This is where the Salesforce Trust Status page comes in.

The status page tracks and displays upcoming maintenance or any current issues for Salesforce instances. Even better, you can have these events sent to you as Trust Notifications, which are near real-time email notifications that are triggered by updates to an instance’s availability on the Trust Status page. You can customize exactly which Salesforce Apps or Instances you are interested in, and Salesforce will do the rest.

Click here for a Trust Notification User Guide!

-Ryan and the CMB Team