Everpeak Partners

Salesforce Optimization & Development Consulting based in Portland, OR

Oliver Sholder

Ask a Salesforce Consultant: How to Increase Salesforce Adoption

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Salesforce Consulting in Boise Idaho

It’s one thing for a manager and a consultant to sit together in a conference room planning out how Salesforce should be integrated. In reality, the users may not take to the system the way you anticipate. The delta between the plan and the reality can be significant when there isn't a clear adoption strategy in place. Aligning with the user’s core needs has as much to do with planning, strategy, communication, and leadership as it does with the technical elements of the system. We have listed out five areas where you can focus on to increase user adoption.

Collect User Feedback inside Salesforce: ​User Acceptance Testing (UAT) is a trial of new system features with a select group of users to ensure that the real-world usage of the system is aligned with intended design. Because the UAT process allows users to provide input, they consequently feel a greater level of ownership because their voice is heard. This makes valued, validated and gives them more motivation to be successful with Salesforce since everyone is on the same team. In addition to the automatic buy-in benefit, you collect crucial feedback that can make the system even better. Pro tip: have your Salesforce administrator create custom "Feedback" custom object in Salesforce to track the feedback all in one place. A field for priority, status, comments, submitting user etc. can be collected in this object. The users will submit their feedback right in Salesforce makes it easy to track and has the added benefit of assisting with adoption.

Keep it Simple: ​Poor Salesforce adoption is often the result of too many unnecessary things on a user's screen. There are unnecessary fields, old junk data, extra buttons on page layouts, old apps that were never removed, clunky manual processes, and a lack of time saving automation. Salesforce feels like a chore to use when it's bogged down with clutter. Set a solid foundation that users can trust by eliminating anything that isn't crucial to the users needs. Custom profiles, record types, data management, de-duplication tools and hidden fields can go a long way in cleaning up Salesforce.

Document Procedures: Whenever we do a training whether on-site or remote, we always record it to save for future use. We send that recording out right afterwards so anyone can re-watch. The video ca also serve as a resource for new employee onboarding. In addition to the training video recordings, we offer a flow-chart diagrams (we use LucidChart) and training PDFs (we export from Microsoft Word). The flow charts show the flow of the system visually in a step by step process with deviations depending on the path they take with their prospect / customer. The PDF documents combine text with screen shots and arrows pointing where to click to guide the users through the processes. Good documentation saves time and money because it cuts down on the time administrators and consultants must spend onboarding new users or answering questions with existing users.

Reinforcement Training: ​Training & reinforcement training is an absolutely critical component of user adoption. It is essential that trainings are clear and easy to understand. Implementing new technology solutions require buy-in from users at all levels of the organization. Training is a key time to internally sell the value of Salesforce to various stakeholders. It's the time to show how it will help them sell, service or manage their team more effectively. Refresher trainings to reinforce the fundamentals and build upon previous sessions should aim to turn users into power users. It doesn't happen overnight.

Tracking Adoption Levels:​ Measuring success is important. We recommend creating a user adoption dashboard. Using reports and dashboards, system administrators and managers can track the number of times a user logs in, number of tasks created, number of records owned, number of record updates and much more. A cursory analysis of the adoption data will help identify which users are not using Salesforce to its fullest potential. A plan can be created from the dashboard data to address any concerns that may arise. Sitting down and asking users with low adoption for feedback about the system is a helpful way to start the conversation about increasing their usage.

 

Three Reasons Your Business Needs to be on Salesforce Lightning 

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By Oliver Sholder 

At Everpeak Partners, one of the most common types of projects we take on is the Lightning migration (going from the older ‘Classic’ interface to the newer ‘Lightning’ interface) For those considering switching, here are my thoughts as a system architect and a user of both Salesforce Lightning and Salesforce Classic for years. Two years ago, you’d be a pioneer to be on Salesforce Lightning. One year ago, there was a strong argument to migrate. Today in 2018, it’s a no brainer. Salesforce has fixed enough bugs and so many improvements that the threshold has been clearly crossed to the point that I recommend Lightning to all my clients. I can confidently say that a migration from Salesforce Classic to Salesforce Lightning will have a very high ROI. Here are three reasons why: 

Modern Simplified User Interface (UI)

I had a client that had one division of the business on Salesforce Lightning and another division on Classic (the old UI). The client-side project manager I was working with had to log in as a different user on one of our calls and the user was from the division on Classic. His immediate reaction was “it feels like I took a time machine back to the 1990s.” The truth is, it’s easy to get very confortable with Salesforce Classic but you are working on an extremely dated and old interface. Sure, you can use Windows XP or Mac OSX Panther, both released in 2003. Sixteen years ago, software interfaces worked well. But the technology developments over the last 16 years have made huge leaps and bounds. 

With Lightning, the color scheme is pleasing to the eye, the spacing allows the eye and brain to take in information at an easier pace and the layout allows for more to be done with fewer clicks. While fundamental system architecture hasn’t changed. We still have dropdown fields and checkboxes and relationships between objects in the system. Leads, Contacts, Accounts and Opportunities are still at the core of Salesforce Sales Cloud. However, the look and feel of the system is totally new. It’s not a new skin, but it’s new in a fundamentally different way. 

Process and Organization 

There is one field which holds much more value than all the others on the Lead object and another on the Opportunity object. On the Lead, the field is called “Status” and on the opportunity, it’s called “Stage.” These are the two fields that dictate where you are in the sales process. In Salesforce Classic, it’s just a regular old field, but in Lightning, there is a component on the top of the page layout called Sales Path. (See below)

Sales path allows for a visual view of the field in order and it allows for the delineation of the stages of the process are further expanded upon with a tool called Kanban view. This is a view that allows users to drag and drop leads or opportunities into different stages. It can calculate the total value in a stage without the need to run a report. Kanban allows for a quick visual reference of where a user stands with his prospects.  (see below)

Reporting

Reporting in Salesforce is fundamental. For many managers, reporting is the #1 feature of the system. With Salesforce Lightning, the interface for reporting is significantly improved. It’s more than just a new look and feel. The functionality has been expanded. Take for example the fact that within a report, a preview dashboard component can be created. (See below)

Additionally, there are major improvements to the way that dashboards are built. Salesforce Lightning allows for dashboard components of different sizes and  allows for more dashboards to be added to the homepage. It goes without saying that the new interface for reporting not only adds some useful features, but it looks much better. It’s don’t just look slick, it feels very slick.

In conclusion, it should be apparent that Lightning has made tremendous improvements. From interface to actual functionality, the modern update to Salesforce lives up to the hype. Everpeak Partners has tackled many Salesforce migrations from Classic to Lightning. If you have questions about Salesforce Lightning, please reach out to us at info@everpeakpartners.com.

Also for training resources on getting started with Salesforce Lightning check out the following resources:

Five minute demo video of Salesforce Lightning 

Finding your way around records 

“Get Your Bearings on Lightning” Trailhead Page

Be More Productive with Salesforce Lightning

Ready, Aim, Fire is what makes Salesforce Implementations Successful

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 Guest Blog Post By Colin Longren, VP Global Sales at The Millau Group Global

 

 

Salesforce (like other CRMs) can be compared to an all-inclusive gym membership with a pool, gigantic weight room, smoothie bar, and tanning beds…when really all you need is a treadmill! All those gym “features” and amenities are a nice to have, but not a need to have. Salesforce features and ‘add-ons’ can be the same way, depending on your situation. Because of this, working with a firm who asks the right questions worth its weight in gold; resulting in a lean CRM, not just a glorified phone book.

 

The strategy is…”Ready, aim, fire”…not “ready, fire, aim.”

 

I’ve been involved in multiple CRM purchases through various companies. Some better than others, but 6 months after launch, I wasn’t impressed with the function of either. The organization was looking for a gym with a treadmill, dumbbells, and a rowing machine, and got a stair stepper, kettlebells, and medicine balls instead. The results? A major revamp 8 months after launch because the sales team wasn’t using it and management wasn’t getting the tools they needed (both are dependent on each other).

 

As the leader of a sales training organization (The Millau Group Global), I know how important it is to get the “ready, aim…” accurate before pulling the trigger. I’m not necessarily talking about making a decision to buy, but more to the project plan and what needs to be done to make a successful adoption of a Salesforce platform. At Millau, we teach sales organizations how to identify where they’re positioned on each sale and how to move it forward. This is a vital foundation that can be implemented into Salesforce. As a Salesforce user myself, I have become very critical of the early conversations and stress that more come out sooner than later.

 

CRM shoppers seem to look at the CRM features and think to themselves “yes! I do really need that awesomely animated report!” When in reality, they do very little or no coaching to make someone successful based on the data. This is ASSUMING the data is accurately entered in the first place! A semi-accurate activity report is not going to change the nonexistent level of coaching.

 

However, as I stated, working with the right CRM firm (like Everpeak) will help avoid unnecessary resources or distractions. A firm with Salesforce expertise is going to ask the “difficult to answer questions” before “wowing” you with the next best feature. You should welcome these conversations for the same reason I saw past implementations delivery unsatisfactory results.

 

Here at topics of conversation you should expect to be having:

  • If you state you need Salesforce to produce a certain report, expect the response of “how do you feel about your team’s ability to input the data?” The purpose of the question is to uncover “what’s a day in the life look like today?” You may also realize you’re looking for a report just for the sake of reporting…not to produce measurable change.

 

  • Before getting into all the “features” of a salesperson’s data entry fields, be prepared to talk about what data each salesperson needs to document in order to move a sale from start to finish. There are SO MANY field options for a Salesforce Opportunity. If you put in too many, users become overwhelmed. Start with the basics, you can always add later once the routine is adopted.

 

  • Your goal is to increase sales efficiency, not be distracted by technology. Leverage resources around you to help everyone involved understand the “WIIFM: What’s In It For Me” to utilize the CRM and contribute to making it a success.

 

Remember, “Ready, Aim” is what makes a “fired” shot successful.

 

The Millau Group (TMG) is a global consulting organization whose charter is to provide their customers with the skills and tools to immediately and measurably improve their sales results.

Those skills are two-fold:

First, TMG teaches salespeople the skill to review any sales opportunity and what to do next to move it forward.

Second, TMG teaches people how to ask for what they want…and get it!

 

Colin Longren

651-402-4116

Colin@millaugroupglobal.com

www.millaugroupglobal.com

 

 

Three Impactful Uses of Salesforce That Don’t Involve Sales

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Three Impactful Uses of Salesforce That Don’t Involve Sales

 

Post by Oliver Sholder – 11/21/2017

 

My first job in the Salesforce consulting world was literally with a company called “Idle Tools.” The name confused a lot of people but owners picked that name for a reason; they saw so many businesses that weren’t taking full advantage of Salesforce even though they were paying full price. To this day, the vast majority of businesses that I consult with aren’t using Salesforce to it’s full potential. While there is practically a limitless number of business applications for salesforce, I want to take a look at some practical steps aimed towards increasing functionality in common areas that aren’t touched upon in most initial implementations of the system.

 

#1. Support Case Management System

In today’s competitive environment, every business must be a customer centric organization. Anything less than stellar customer service can lose customers in a heartbeat. So it’s important to make sure that issues never slip through the cracks. Implementing Salesforce Cases can allow for tracking of any type issues. Maybe it’s a billing issue, a new feature request or a troubleshooting task. Using Cases to tie in the support arm of your business with Salesforce Accounts and Contacts will connect your data so your reps can see a bigger picture. The replacement of siloed systems with integrated systems is a move forwards creating a ‘single source of truth’ where all data can be gathered in one spot. Stop logging into so many different systems and stop duplicate data entry!

Cases can be easily integrate with web forms without writing a single line of custom code. When someone submits a support ticket, the system can automatically route the case to the right rep depending on the variable we choose – who is a specialist in the type of issue, who has the most bandwidth or who is in the region (for example). Information about how cases are resolved can be shared and publicly accessible within the organization. And since this data is in Salesforce, we have excellent reporting capabilities. Useful insights can be gleaned from the data when you see it complied together which can allow for mitigation of common support cases with things like a FAQ page or a change in the process of delivering the product or service.

Salesforce Support Cases Management System

 

#2. Project Management & Time Tracking System

Salesforce can be used to track the status of a project and deliverables that are a part of projects. Unlike cases which is a standard object (but a lesser used one), the objects which I’ve named “Projects” and “Time Tracking” are completely custom. No code is required to create these objects but they are extremely powerful and add a whole new dimension to Salesforce. Users can own projects, teams can be tied into projects, deliverables can be tracked against due dates etc. The whole nine yards.

For businesses that provide services billed on an hourly basis or even those that want to understand where their employees allocate their time, building a time-tracking system in Salesforce can be a great solution. When an opportunity is won, a project can be automatically created and tied to a “time tracking” module log time against projects or segments of the projects. Among a plethora of useful metrics, formula fields can be used to calculate how many hours are left on a project, the average number of hours billed per week or the number of hours each user is billing. Top this off with reporting and you have an excellent tool for organizing and understanding employee utilization and time investment into different projects.

 

Salesforce Time Tracking System

#3 Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

Just like the way Salesforce opportunities tracking progress towards closing a sale, an ATS system built in Salesforce can track progress towards filling open positions. The ATS can a status field with something like: New, Resume Collected, Job Interview 1, Reference Check, Job Interview 2, Hired, Unqualified, or On-Hold. Fields tracking certifications, education, references, previous roles and more can be build as custom fields. I’ve seen clients build their ATS into Salesforce then ditch the old disconnected system and the monthly fees they paid for their old ATS system. Better connected data and a cost savings. That’s a real win / win situation.

With the data in Salesforce, once they are hired, they can be converted into an employee in your database without copying any information. Emails and job alerts can even be sent from Salesforce to applicants who meet a certain criteria. A related object called “Job Openings” can be created which can track all open positions. This can turn into a comprehensive system that a human resources team can thrive in.

Salesforce Applicant Tracking System (ATS)

 

 

In conclusion, these are just three practical uses of Salesforce outside of the sales arena but there are an unlimited number of other ways the system can be used. If you are interested about learning more, I’m happy to chat. You can email me directly at oliver.sholder@everpeakpartners.com.

Setting up Gmail with Salesforce

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Employees spend a lot of time in Gmail and CRM tabs. A good number of them may have these two tabs perpetually open and active in their browser. Let’s take a moment to ensure that these tools are working harmoniously.

Effective Salesforce instances will utilize high transparency regarding the contact info and status of a lead, contact, client, or partner, but users may not have access to one another’s email discourse with these without request. This is where Gmail integration with Salesforce comes in. It can help your users increase transparency of communication with leads and will eliminate time spent on back & forth emails to be updated on conversations with leads or clients. After following these simple configuration steps, your employees can BCC the Salesforce-connected address with a few keystrokes to have email messages saved to their associated Salesforce record. It’s that easy.

1. Login to Salesforce

2. Click the cog icon in the top right and select Setup

3. Under Administration > Email > Email to Salesforce, ensure that the Active box is checked

4. Under Administration > Email > Enhanced Email, ensure that this object is enabled

5. Under Administration > Email > Lightning for Gmail, ensure that Enable Lightning for Gmail has been switched on, as well as Enable Enhanced Email with Lightning for Gmail

6. Click your profile icon in the top right and select Settings

7. Under Email > My Email to Salesforce, find the email address in the yellow box

8. Copy this email address

9. In a new tab, login to Gmail

10. To the upper left, above the ‘Compose’ button, click Mail

11. From the drop-down menu, click Contact

12. Create a New Contact, using ‘Record in Salesforce’ as a name and the copied address from Step 7 as the email address

 

Now when you wish to log an email with the associated lead, contact, opportunity, or even custom object in Salesforce, BCC ‘Record in Salesforce’ in that email, and it will be saved under the ‘Activity’ of that record. Hooray for correspondence transparency!