Cloud Computing Technologies have seen a significant increase in recent years. Salesforce is one such technology that has had an enormous impact in this field. Businesses and organizations worldwide are adopting this particular CRM platform, while Salesforce Admins and Salesforce Developers are probably the most demanded and highly valued professionals in today`s IT job market.

In this article, we will introduce you to Salesforce and answer the following questions: What exactly is Salesforce? Who and why uses Salesforce? Why are businesses looking for Salesforce professionals so eagerly? And how do I become a Salesforce Admin or Salesforce Developer?

The beginning of Salesforce. Who and how created the world`s best CRM?

Salesforce was founded in March 1999 by Marc Benioff and Parker Harris. Marc Benioff came up with the idea of Salesforce while still working at Oracle, one of the leading software companies at the time. Benioff saw an opportunity to use the power of the internet to deliver business software in a new way since he noticed that software applications were becoming increasingly complex and expensive.

Benioff envisioned a cloud-based Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that would revolutionize the way businesses managed their customer interactions and sales processes. The inspiration for this concept came from the simplicity and effectiveness of websites such as Amazon and eBay. Benioff realized that by delivering software over the Internet, businesses could avoid complex installations and expensive hardware, making it more accessible to businesses of all sorts and sizes.

Salesforce launched its first product, Salesforce Automation (now known as Sales Cloud), in 2000. The company’s CRM platform gained significant traction and popularity due to its innovative cloud-based approach, which offered flexibility, scalability, and real-time collaboration for businesses.

Today Salesforce continues to expand its product offerings and capabilities offering Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and other cloud-based solutions tailored to specific business needs. Salesforce is now one of the world’s largest and most well-known cloud computing companies, that offers a diverse set of software and services to help businesses in managing their customer relationships, sales, and marketing efforts.

So, what does Salesforce actually do?

Now that you know where Salesforce comes from, let`s continue our free Salesforce tutorial by answering another common question: What does Salesforce actually do? In other words, why do businesses and organizations choose Salesforce over other seemingly similar CRM providers, and why Salesforce Admins and Salesforce Developers are in such high demand today?

Salesforce offers a variety of software solutions and services to help businesses manage their customer relationships, sales processes, marketing efforts, and other activities. Because the platform is highly customizable and scalable, it is suitable for businesses of all sorts, from small startups to large enterprises. 

Here are some of the key functions and solutions Salesforce has to offer:

• Sales Cloud

Sales Cloud is a CRM solution designed to help sales teams manage their leads, opportunities, accounts, and sales pipelines. It provides tools for tracking customer interactions, automating sales processes, and generating sales forecasts and reports.

• Service Cloud

Service Cloud is a customer service and support solution. It enables businesses to manage and resolve customer inquiries, complaints, and issues through various channels, such as email, phone, chat, and social media. Service Cloud includes features like case management, a knowledge base, and self-service portals.

• Marketing Cloud

Marketing Cloud is a suite of marketing automation tools that allow businesses to create and manage marketing campaigns across various channels, including email, social media, and mobile. It provides features for audience segmentation, personalized messaging, and performance tracking.

• Commerce Cloud

Commerce Cloud enables businesses to create and manage online e-commerce websites and provides tools for managing product catalogs, pricing, promotions, and customer shopping experiences.

• Community Cloud

Community Cloud helps businesses build and manage online communities for their customers, partners, and employees. It fosters collaboration, engagement, and support within these communities.

• Einstein GPT

An AI-powered analytics platform, Einstein GPT, provides data visualization, business intelligence, and predictive insights to help businesses make data-driven decisions.

• Platform and App Development

Salesforce Platform or Salesforce App Cloud, allows businesses and developers to build custom applications and extend Salesforce’s capabilities. It provides tools, APIs, and services for app development, integration, and deployment.

• IoT Cloud

IoT (Internet of Things) Cloud allows businesses to connect, monitor, and process data from internet-enabled devices, enabling them to gain insights and automate actions based on real-time data.

• Industry Solutions

Salesforce also offers industry-specific solutions tailored to the needs of various sectors, such as financial services, healthcare, education, nonprofits, and more.

Versatility, a wide range of original and customizable solutions, as well as endless opportunities for all sorts of businesses to develop their own solutions tailored precisely to their needs, are the factors that made Salesforce the world`s leading CRM and certified Salesforce professionals highly valued team members in any business or organizations.

Who uses Salesforce today?

Now let`s answer the question that has probably led you to this online Salesforce tutorial: who uses Salesforce in 2023? In other words, what are the employment perspectives for Certified Salesforce Admins and Salesforce Developers today?

The good news, they are practically endless! Salesforce works perfectly for a wide range of businesses and organizations from all industries, and of all sizes. Its adaptable and scalable platform enables it to serve a diverse customer base.

Here are only some examples that also give an idea of employment perspectives for Salesforce professionals.

• Enterprise Organizations

Large enterprises often use Salesforce due to its ability to handle complex and extensive customer data, as well as its scalability to support their operations globally.

• Small and Medium-sized Businesses (SMBs)

Salesforce offers solutions suitable for SMBs, providing them with an accessible and cost-effective way to manage their customer relationships, sales processes, and marketing efforts.

• E-commerce and Retail Businesses

Commerce Cloud is widely used by e-commerce and retail companies to create and manage online stores, product catalogs, and customer shopping experiences.

• Sales and Marketing Teams

Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud are widely used by sales and marketing teams to manage leads, opportunities, campaigns, and customer interactions.

• Customer Service and Support Departments

Service Cloud is popular among customer service and support departments for managing customer inquiries, and cases and providing personalized support.

• Financial Services

The financial industry benefits from Salesforce’s capabilities in managing customer data, automating sales processes, and providing personalized financial services.

• Healthcare and Life Sciences

Salesforce is used in healthcare organizations for patient management, health tracking, and managing relationships with healthcare providers and patients.

• Education Institutions

Salesforce is employed by educational institutions for student recruitment, enrollment management, and alumni engagement.

• Nonprofit Organizations

Salesforce’s Nonprofit Cloud offers solutions tailored to the needs of nonprofit organizations, helping them manage donors, volunteers, and fundraising efforts.

• Government and Public Sector

Some government agencies and public sector organizations use Salesforce for case management, citizen services, and engagement.

• Manufacturing and Industrial Companies

Salesforce can be utilized by manufacturing and industrial companies for sales, customer support, and partner relationship management.

In other words, by becoming a Salesforce Admin or Salesforce Developer, and getting your Salesforce Certification, you get a chance to work in any field or industry imaginable from retail and fashion to governmental structures, charity, and humanitarian organizations.

The structure of Salesforce. How does Salesforce work?

It is time to dive deeper into the structure of Salesforce and continue our online Salesforce tutorial with details about the inner workings of Salesforce and Salesforce tools that allow its customers to upscale their CRM game.

The Salesforce platform is built on a multi-tenant architecture, where multiple customers share the same infrastructure while their data remains isolated and secure.

Here are the primary components that form Salesforce architecture:

• Org – it is the fundamental unit of Salesforce. It represents a customer’s instance of Salesforce and serves as an independent database with its own configuration, data, and users. Each Salesforce Org operates independently from other Orgs, ensuring data privacy and security.
• Objects – these are database tables that store specific types of data. The platform provides standard objects like Leads, Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities, Cases, etc. Additionally, users can create custom objects to store data relevant to their specific business processes.
• Records – individual data entries within objects. For example, a single contact entry or a lead entry would be considered a record within the Contacts or Leads object, respectively.
• Fields – data points or attributes within an object. For example, in the Contacts object, fields may include “Name,” “Email,” “Phone,” and so on. Users can define custom fields to capture unique data requirements.
• Layouts – they determine the appearance and arrangement of information on a page for a particular object. They control how users view and interact with data in Salesforce.
• Apps – collections of objects, fields, and other components tailored to specific use cases. An App typically groups together the necessary tools and data to support a specific business process or role.
• Tabs – they represent different functionalities or objects within a Salesforce App. For example, the standard Sales Cloud app has tabs like Home, Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, etc.
• Workflows and Automation – Salesforce allows users to define workflows and automation rules to streamline business processes. This includes actions like automated email alerts, field updates, and approval processes.
• Reports and Dashboards – they enable users to analyze data, track performance, and gain insights into their business operations.
• Integration and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) – they provide seamless data exchange between Salesforce and other applications, enabling businesses to have a unified view of their data.
• AppExchange –  a vast array of third-party apps and integrations to extend the platform’s functionalities.

The salesforce structure is designed to be highly customizable. It allows businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs and workflows. It’s easy-to-use interface and extensive features make Salesforce a popular choice for companies looking to improve their customer relationship management and overall operational efficiency, and Salesforce Admins and Developers are highly-demanded professionals who can make all this magic happen.

 A Salesforce use case.

To help the information of this online Salesforce tutorial sink better, let`s take a look at an example of how a business can utilize Salesforce solutions and benefit from them.

Suppose, we have a business called ABC Group – a retail company. Let`s see what sorts of challenges such a company can face in the modern market and how Salesforce can help it upscale its game.

Let`s get more familiar with our business.

ABC Group:

• has multiple stores across different locations, which makes it hard to manage customer data and sales processes efficiently;
• its marketing team struggles to create targeted campaigns and measure their effectiveness;
• its customer support requests are often scattered, leading to delays in resolving issues;
• lack of real-time visibility into sales and inventory data leads to stockouts and overstock situations.

Here are the Salesforce solutions and tools that will help ABC Group overcome those challenges and get ahead in the competition in its market segment:

• Sales Cloud: ABC Group implements Sales Cloud to manage its sales processes. Sales representatives use the Sales Cloud to track leads, opportunities, and customer interactions. They can easily prioritize leads, schedule follow-ups, and collaborate on deals with the help of Sales Cloud’s collaborative features. This leads to increased sales productivity and improved customer engagement.
• Marketing Cloud: The marketing team utilizes Marketing Cloud to create targeted email campaigns based on customer preferences and behavior. They segment the customer database and send personalized promotions, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. With Marketing Cloud’s analytics, they can measure campaign performance and optimize marketing efforts.
• Service Cloud: Customer support requests are now streamlined through Service Cloud. Customers can reach out for support through various channels like email, chat, or social media, and Service Cloud automatically creates cases for each request. The support team can prioritize and manage cases efficiently, leading to faster issue resolution and improved customer satisfaction.
• Commerce Cloud: ABC Group launches an online store using Commerce Cloud, providing customers with a seamless shopping experience. Commerce Cloud’s built-in inventory management helps avoid stockouts and overstock situations, ensuring products are available when customers need them.
• Reports and Dashboards: With Salesforce’s robust reporting and dashboard capabilities, the management team gains real-time insights into sales performance, customer trends, and inventory levels. They can make data-driven decisions to optimize operations and improve overall business performance.
• Integration with ERP System: Salesforce is integrated with ABC Group ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system, allowing data to flow seamlessly between the two platforms. This integration ensures accurate and up-to-date information on inventory levels, orders, and financial data, facilitating better decision-making and resource allocation.

Now, let`s see what changes for our example business after implementing all these Salesforce solutions:

• ABC Group increases sales revenue and customer retention due to improved customer engagement and personalized marketing efforts;
• Customer support response times are reduced, leading to higher customer satisfaction and loyalty;
• The online store powered by Commerce Cloud opens new revenue streams and reaches a wider customer base;
• Real-time insights from Salesforce’s reports and dashboards help the management team optimize inventory levels and operational efficiency;
• The integration with the ERP system streamlines business processes, reducing manual data entry and ensuring data accuracy.

This is just one of thousands of examples of how Salesforce CRM solutions and automation tools help businesses to grow, compete, provide customers with better service, and create healthy work environments for their employees.

Salesforce Admins and Salesforce Developers – What do they do and why are they so important?

By now you probably understood the meaning and potential of Salesforce for the modern business world. But what is the deal with Salesforce Admins and Salesforce Developers?

Why are they so important for businesses that use Salesforce and why are they willing to write those employees, especially certified ones, such fat paychecks?

In other words, why do you want to start your Salesforce training in 2023 and join the community of Certified Salesforce experts?

What do Salesforce Admins do?

• Configuration and Customization – Salesforce Admins are responsible for configuring and customizing the Salesforce platform to align with the organization’s unique business processes. They can create custom objects, fields, page layouts, workflows, and validation rules, among other features, without the need for coding.
• User Management – Admins handle user provisioning, permissions, and access control. They ensure that the right users have appropriate access to data and functionalities, maintaining data security and compliance.
• Data Management – Admins oversee data integrity, data quality, and data import/export processes. They are responsible for maintaining a clean and accurate database, preventing data duplication, and managing data storage limits.
• User Training and Support – Admins provide training and support to end-users, helping them understand how to use Salesforce effectively and efficiently. They act as a liaison between users and the platform, ensuring that user feedback is incorporated into system improvements.
• Integration and App Management – Admins manage the integration of Salesforce with other business systems and third-party apps through Salesforce APIs and AppExchange. This enables the organization to leverage additional functionalities seamlessly.
• Reports and Dashboards – Admins create and manage reports and dashboards to provide real-time insights into the organization’s performance and key metrics. This helps stakeholders make data-driven decisions.

What do Salesforce Developers do?

• Custom Development – Salesforce Developers extend the platform’s capabilities by building custom functionality using Apex (a Java-like programming language) and Visualforce (a markup language). They can create complex business logic and custom interfaces tailored to the organization’s unique needs.
• Integration and APIs – Developers specialize in integrating Salesforce with external systems, databases, and APIs. They ensure smooth data exchange and communication between different applications to create a unified technology ecosystem.
• Automation and Workflows – Developers can implement advanced automation using Apex triggers and Process Builder to streamline business processes and reduce manual efforts.
• Lightning Web Components (LWC) – With the advent of Lightning Experience, Salesforce Developers use LWC to create modern, responsive, and mobile-friendly user interfaces.
• AppExchange App Development – Developers create and publish apps on the Salesforce AppExchange, providing additional functionalities and solutions to the broader Salesforce community.

Salesforce Admins and Developers are essential for unlocking Salesforce’s full potential, from customizing the platform to building custom solutions that enable efficiency, growth, and success.

Through Salesforce training under the mentorship of certified Salesforce experts, provided with a credible Salesforce Training institute like CRS Info Solutions is your key to a successful and dynamic career, endless employment opportunities, financial independence, and all the benefits that the Salesforce ecosystem has to offer.

If you have any questions left or want to start your journey in the Salesforce universe, make sure to contact CRS Info Solutions and learn about training options from the world’s leading Salesforce study platform. Join the free demo lesson, get in contact with the faculty and make the first step towards your dream job with CRS Info Solutions today!