Every year, the coming of Salesforce’s huge idea-sharing conference Dreamforce brings exciting news of the company’s innovative software updates and CRM add-ons that push their customer relations systems to new heights. From revamping user interfaces and providing ever more capabilities and tools to break down and alleviate the work of sales reps, Salesforce is consistently working to keep their CRM software up to date and to stay in line with competitors. Dreamforce ’15 was no less exciting as Mike Rosenbaum, GM and EVP of Sales Cloud announced the new updates to the company’s core Salesforce platform, Salesforce Lightning. Here are the key facts you need to know about the update and how it can work for your business.

Homepage Updates

Salesforce Lightning will roll out a totally new homepage view, focused 100 percent on helping sales reps meet their numbers by improving sales pipeline visibility. With a new lead page that allows you to both amalgamate and separate each individual client’s timeline, the interface ensures that reps can focus on their big picture goals while also giving individual clients the personalized attention that will keep them satisfied.

New app building features within the selling page also allow every user to alter the interface to fit their unique processes. No longer do you need to be an expert software dev to craft a CRM that engages with and displays data exactly how you want it to. If you want to create a tool that will filter support queries for your relations team, it’s possible.If you like your sales charts done a certain way, you can now more easily customize your instance to support however best your business sells.  Along with 50 new pages, tabs and options for filtering CRM data, the incredible customization features of the new Lightning update allow you to leverage the CRM software to sell the way you want to, when you want to.

Activity Timeline

With the new Sales Cloud update, you can view and engage with the sales timeline from end-to-end through an updated graphic interface. Each stage of the sale—from initial interest to closing—is visible, meaning reps can see which stage they have reached, what has already been done and what more needs to happen for them to sign that client. The software won’t let you move onto the next stage until every item in the current one has been completed. Not only will reps be motivated to move through the new activity timeline fully and quickly, it will also be able to keep track of every team member’s work, meaning that your business has a consistent and effective sales experience on all fronts.

Salesforce Engage

Engage gives every team member the power to integrate their email with key elements of their CRM system. You can now automatically capture all calls and emails from potential leads and clients, mark initial interest emails as a lead and more right within your inbox: no need to transfer data over to the Salesforce App. This not only means that your system will always contain the most accurate client contact information, it also ensures that you are keeping track of potential clients instantly as they come in — no more leads will fall through the cracks. Instead of spending your time on data entry and making sure your client book is up to date, you now have more time to push your sales towards new heights and work more efficiently within one integrated CRM system.

Salesforce IQ

One of the most excitement announcements of the keynote speech, Salesforce IQ will allow users to view a full CRM instance within their mobile devices. Imagine instant access to client data, lead notifications and sales development anywhere you or your sales reps might be. Instead of trying to remember important information, meetings or key client data, it will be at your fingertips. Client meetings will be easier to prep for, timelines more effectively tracked and colleagues more accessible. Totally integrated with the Salesforce1 app, Salesforce IQ is just another indication of the company’s multi-tenant Cloud Model, driving to integrate the selling experience between every single employee and device within your company, helping it run smoother than ever.

Wrap Up

The timing of the company’s huge conference this year couldn’t have been better; coinciding with the roll out of the software’s winter update, users could interact with and navigate the new changes and give real-time people to the minds behind Salesforce; and it’s clear that those minds want to push their selling software in front of competitors and into new horizons of selling and user experience. From new interfaces to innovative integration with mobile and email platforms, the advanced capabilities of the Lightning update should have every single sales manager and rep paying attention to what a CRM instance can really do for their business.

For more information on the new and improved Salesforce software or help implementing a CRM system of your own, contact an expert at Datix.