Top 7 Salesforce CRM Trends To Watch Out for in 2020

When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), Salesforce has established itself as a clear market leader in recent times. As they continue to dominate the industry, they are beginning to take it in new, exciting directions.

All those working in the CRM space need to be conscious of what Salesforce is doing. In 2020 and moving forward, the developments in this area are all likely to come from this company. 

We’ve taken a look at the seven most important trends in this area. If you work in customer relationship management, these are the areas upon which you’ll need to focus in the coming months and years.

Compliance

The word “compliance” has newfound relevance since the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe in 2018. You need to be much more careful about managing customer or client data, including their transaction history, location data, correspondence, and contact details. There are even time limits on how long you can store a record of customers’ names.

If you’re looking for the best Salesforce consulting company, you need one that gives the right amount of respect to compliance. Regulators take breaches very seriously in 2020, and you don’t want to be left with a hefty fine arising from an avoidable slip.

Luckily, Salesforce platforms make compliance easy most of the time. The company’s framework is set up to help you tick all the necessary boxes to stay in line with rules and regulations.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has become something of a buzzword in recent years. Some view AI as the next frontier in technological advancement, while others are skeptical of its impact on human employment and society.

When it comes to customer service, however, artificial intelligence has a huge amount to offer. Developers are now moving toward systems that they can scale, putting highly efficient AI functions to work on large projects.

Salesforce’s artificial intelligence platform is called Einstein. It has a host of cutting-edge features, including functionality that will identify the best sales opportunities for a given company and provide analytics on these opportunities. 

Blockchain

Blockchain, which is crucial to cryptocurrency trading, is an oft-misunderstood concept. However, it’s becoming necessary in many different professions, and it’s also something that Salesforce has begun to leverage very effectively in its approach to customer relationship management.

Salesforce Blockchain allows businesses to share verified sets of blockchain data with third-party contacts. Transferring data in this way will allow businesses to become much more efficient in their operations. Blockchain is a technology with huge potential for the future.

Mobile Use

More and more people are using mobile devices to do heavy browsing and execute important work functions. Service providers are starting to capitalize on this trend in earnest, optimizing their content and platforms for handheld devices. In fact, many developers now prioritize mobile optimization ahead of desktop optimization.

Salesforce Mobile recognizes the importance of handheld devices. It increases your capabilities in terms of managing customer relations on the go massively. If you’ve got a good phone and a reliable internet connection, you’ll be able to run your business from your phone.

One of Salesforce’s critical improvements is an enhanced purchasing mechanism for customers shopping on mobile devices. The easier it is for a lead to purchase on your site, the more likely they are to make it.

Crisis Response

Every business encounters a crisis from time to time. That said, crisis response has never been as relevant to CRM as it is right now. The COVID-19 pandemic has left businesses worldwide scrambling in every direction, and an effective crisis response framework can often be the difference between a minor blip and a catastrophe.

If you work in the CRM space and you’ve been affected by COVID-19, you’ll be glad to know that Salesforce has got your back. They’ve implemented newly-designed crisis response tools in their suite of products in 2020. It has a host of features that make it easier for workers to communicate with each other and connect with clients from remote locations. It also has improved emergency recovery tools.

As movement restrictions continue to limit how we interact, this type of functionality will continue to grow in importance.

Salesforce Lightning

Salesforce Lightning is the company’s user interface. It allows clients to code their website more easily, automate certain functions and services, and offers huge customizability. Expect more developments on this interface in the coming years.

Lightning is the replacement for the old Salesforce Classic interface. There are still technical supports in place for Classic, which means users can access Salesforce’s services through it. However, if you want to get the most out of your CRM services, you should upgrade to Salesforce Lightning as soon as you can.

Customer-Centric Experiences

The Customer 360 platform that Salesforce has introduced is a game-changer for the customer experience. As we advance, it will revolutionize how customers and clients interact with business sites. 

Salesforce’s recent innovations in this area suggest that they’re moving towards a unified customer profile. You can now assign a unique user ID to those who visit your business website and leverage this to gather more accurate data. It will allow you to see a record of previous transactions and interactions with individuals and use these to create a more seamless user experience for your customers.

The platform also has increased capacity for writing and leaving reviews on company websites. 

Staying on Top of the CRM Pile in 2020

Customer relationship management is a dynamic area to work in. What works right now might not be relevant at all in a year. Staying abreast of trends like those we’ve looked at here will help you to be at the pinnacle of your CRM game.

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