Salesforce looks to push more online sales with updated Sales Cloud platform

Sales Cloud 360
(Image credit: Salesforce)

Salesforce has revealed an updated version of its Sales Cloud CRM growth platform complete with AI-driven features under the banner of Sales Cloud 360.

The update has been designed to meet the changing needs of businesses post-COVID with a firm focus on improving its digital-based sales tools. Business professionals will have a suite of CRM features at their disposal including a more dynamic Salesforce Meetings tool that packs in a 360 view of all attendees.

Meanwhile, Pipeline Inspection is another new tool that uses AI to home in on the most critical deals that appear in the workflow of sales staff. And, with only 38% of salespeople saying they’ve received training on virtual selling over the past year, Salesforce has built in myTrailhead, a digital skills platform that has been integrated into the Sales Cloud package.

Salesforce carried out research and compiled data from 250 sales professionals in the run up to the release. The results of its survey show that 51% expect to travel less than they did prior to the pandemic, while 45% reckon most of their selling will be done virtually in the future. A substantial 61% of professionals questioned also felt that their roles have changed permanently since the arrival of coronavirus, resulting in an increasing need to use their CRM systems in a slightly different way.

Sales Cloud

The new package will also boast Einstein Conversation Insights, which is a feature that analyzes video call transcripts and then visualizes trending keywords including product names, competitor mentions and other key points raised during meetings. AI will again be called into play for making sales predictions, offering insights and delivering automated explanations.

With businesses under pressure to deploy new systems rapidly Salesforce made a point of creating the new CRM to be quick and easy to configure. It has built in MuleSoft Composer for Salesforce, a feature that connects data and apps without the need for any coding. It’ll allow sales operations teams to deploy the system more rapidly and automate sales processes, along with connecting their own apps and systems into the Salesforce platform.

“Salesforce created the playbook for sales 22 years ago, and today we’re rewriting it for an all-digital world,” said Warren Wick, EVP AMER Commercial Sales and Chief Revenue Officer, Sales Cloud.

“Over the past year, we held more than six million calls with customers to understand what they needed to be successful as they worked to transform their business with more urgency than ever before. We’ve reimagined Sales Cloud to guide every company as they rethink the digital sales experience, from leads to coaching to processing revenue.”

Rob Clymo

Rob Clymo has been a tech journalist for more years than he can actually remember, having started out in the wacky world of print magazines before discovering the power of the internet. Since he's been all-digital he has run the Innovation channel during a few years at Microsoft as well as turning out regular news, reviews, features and other content for the likes of TechRadar, TechRadar Pro, Tom's Guide, Fit&Well, Gizmodo, Shortlist, Automotive Interiors World, Automotive Testing Technology International, Future of Transportation and Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International. In the rare moments he's not working he's usually out and about on one of numerous e-bikes in his collection.

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