20-point Plan to Maximize Your Salesforce Investment

Maximizing the return on investment (ROI) in Salesforce involves strategic planning, effective implementation, and ongoing optimization. Here are 20 ways organizations can get more out of their investment in Salesforce:

Do you have Crystal Clear Objectives?

• • Clearly define business objectives and align them with Salesforce capabilities to ensure that the platform is effectively supporting organizational goals.

Have you Customized for Specific Needs and Roles?

• • Tailor Salesforce to meet specific business processes and requirements. Leverage customization options to align the platform with the unique needs of the organization.

Have you Built Comprehensive Training Programs?

• • Invest in comprehensive training programs for users to ensure they fully understand Salesforce features and can utilize them to their full potential.

Do you have a User Adoption Plan?

• • Implement user adoption strategies, such as incentives, recognition, and ongoing support, to encourage employees to embrace and effectively use Salesforce.

Have you Automated Repetitive Tasks?

• • Identify and automate repetitive tasks using Salesforce automation tools, reducing manual work and increasing overall efficiency.

Have you Integrated with other Systems?

• • Integrate Salesforce with other critical systems within the organization to ensure seamless data flow and collaboration across departments.

Do you Regularly Update and Customize Reports?

• • Keep reports and dashboards up to date, customizing them to reflect changing business needs and key performance indicators.

Have you Implemented AI and Analytics?

• • Explore and implement Salesforce's AI and analytics capabilities to gain deeper insights into customer behavior, trends, and opportunities.

Are you Optimized for Mobile?

• • Ensure that Salesforce is optimized for mobile use, allowing sales teams to access crucial information and updates while on the go.

Do you Follow Security Best Practices?

• • Implement and enforce security best practices to protect sensitive data and maintain the trust of users and customers.

Do you Understand you Customer’s Journey?

• • Use Salesforce to map and optimize the customer journey, ensuring a seamless experience from lead generation to conversion and ongoing customer relationships.

Have you Implemented Communities?

• • Create Salesforce Communities to enhance collaboration among employees, partners, and customers, fostering a sense of community and improving communication.

Do you Utilize AppExchange Apps?

• • Explore and leverage apps from Salesforce AppExchange to extend the platform's functionality and address specific business needs.

Are you Regularly Auditing Data Quality?

• • Conduct regular data quality audits to identify and address inconsistencies, errors, and duplicates within Salesforce.

Do you Utilize Workflow Rules and Automations Effectively?

• • Leverage workflow rules to automate processes and ensure that tasks are assigned and completed efficiently.

Do you have a plan to Scale?

• • Plan for scalability to accommodate business growth. Regularly reassess Salesforce configurations and make necessary adjustments to support increased data and user volumes.

Are you Regularly Reviewing and Optimizing Integrations?

• • Regularly review and optimize integrations with other systems to ensure they remain efficient and aligned with evolving business needs.

Do you Encourage Continuous Training?

• • Provide ongoing training opportunities to keep users informed about new Salesforce features and best practices.

Have you Sought Expert Consultation?

• • Engage with Salesforce consultants or experts to receive guidance on optimizing configurations, implementing new features, and staying current with platform updates.

Do you Measure and Analyze?

• • Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly measure and analyze Salesforce usage, performance, and impact on business outcomes. Use this data to inform ongoing optimization efforts.

By implementing these strategies, organizations can ensure that their investment in Salesforce is not only maximized but also aligned with their evolving business needs and objectives.

Orchid Connect is a woman-owned Salesforce implementation firm with 30 years of experience serving associations, non-profits and small/medium businesses. We specialize in strategic and implementation services, go-to-market support, and ongoing support. To learn more, reach us at reachout@orchidconnect.com.