Five Smart Tech Tricks to Boost Salesforce KPIs

Let’s cut to the chase. Boosting Salesforce KPIs isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a make-or-break factor today.

Salesforce is an absolute powerhouse in CRM, but here is the thing: tools are only as effective as the strategies you use with them. Without optimizing those KPIs, or Key Performance Indicators, you are kind of sailing a ship without a rudder.

I’ve seen it with my own eyes. You can have the best tech in the world, but if you don’t know how to wield it, it’s just a pretty dashboard. Here’s how you can change that.

Why You Need to Focus on Salesforce KPIs

You think you’ve got enough data, but let me tell you – it’s never enough until you turn it into meaningful action. KPIs give you the roadmap to success. Without them, you’re just guessing.

Salesforce KPIs measure everything that matters. Whether it’s sales conversion, lead time, or customer engagement, your KPIs tell you if you’re cruising or stuck in the mud. Getting those numbers dialed in? That’s how you separate the top performers from the pack.

#1. Use Einstein Next Best Action to Optimize Sales Opportunities

source: Salesforce

Let’s cut to the chase-to take your Salesforce KPIs to the next level, you need to optimize sales opportunities. One of the most powerful ways to do this? Einstein Next Best Action.

Einstein Next Best Action is the AI-powered solution from Salesforce that equips your team with intelligent, real-time recommendations on what to do next to close more deals. Think of it as your AI-powered virtual sales assistant that keeps you ahead of every lead and ensures you never miss a beat.

So, how can you leverage this tool to enhance your Salesforce KPIs?

Predictive Insights for Personalized Recommendations

AI isn’t just about number-crunching; it means that you understand your prospects better, and the recommendations are something that will resonate with them. With Einstein NBA, you can utilize predictive insights to get hyper-personalized recommendations based on each lead’s behavior and historical data.

Here’s the deal:

• Einstein analyzes each point of contact a lead has with your business-from what they viewed to past interactions and buying patterns.
• It then predicts which action is most likely to convert that lead into a customer based on similar cases.

Instead of having your sales reps guess which leads to pursue, Einstein gives them a roadmap, making their efforts laser-focused on the highest-impact tasks. This level of intelligence takes personalization to a whole new level – ensuring every engagement is relevant, timely, and most likely to generate results.

Automating Lead Prioritization Based on AI-Driven KPIs

Let’s face it: there isn’t time for the sales reps to bother with every single lead. They have to focus on the ones that matter.

With Einstein NBA, it’s possible to automate the prioritization of leads by using AI-driven KPIs that update in real time. That means your team doesn’t have to spend much time chasing low-value leads but can focus on the ones who are most likely to convert.

Here’s how it works:

• Establish rules of lead prioritization dynamically based on key metrics: engagement level, probability to convert, or total deal value.
• These rules are constantly updated by Einstein as your leads move down the sales funnel to make sure your reps work with the most real and actual data out there.

What does this mean for your KPIs? More conversions, faster sales cycles, and right at the top of it all-better performance on your Salesforce dashboard.

How Developers Can Customize Rules and Actions for Targeted KPIs

Now, here’s where things get interesting for developers. If you want to supercharge your Salesforce KPIs and tailor the AI recommendations to your exact needs, Einstein NBA offers the ability to customize rules and actions using Apex code.

Here’s why that matters:

• You can create dynamic rules that update based on your specific sales processes and data.
• Customize recommendations to align with your company’s strategic goals (for example, prioritize high-value accounts or leads in a particular geographic area).
• Fine-tune how actions are triggered – for instance, when to send a personalized email, schedule a call, or prompt an upsell opportunity.

Customization opens the door to deeper personalization and ensures that your recommendations are directly aligned with the KPIs you care about the most.

If your team lacks the expertise to make these advanced customizations, it might be a good idea to hire remote developers to achieve targeted KPIs. Bringing in the right technical talent can help ensure you’re optimizing the system to meet your specific business objectives.

Let’s put it this way: Einstein NBA isn’t just a tool; it’s the sales game-changer you didn’t know you needed.

#2. Implement Real-Time Data Sync with External Systems Using MuleSoft, SyncApps, Jitterbit, or other Salesforce iPaaS players

Let’s talk real-time data sync. Having data that matches the pace of your business operations is a must-have. You know what I mean, right? You’ve got Salesforce, your marketing tools, your finance platforms, and more, all operating in silos, but without connecting them in real time, you’re just juggling data without any clarity.

Enter iPaaS. These integration tools can solve the chaos. It’s the bridge that seamlessly syncs your data from external systems like marketing or finance into Salesforce. The goal? No more manual updates. No more data silos. Everything flows seamlessly, ensuring that your KPIs reflect the latest, real-time numbers, giving you the insights you need to drive decision-making.

Now, let’s break it down. It’s time to implement an integration platform to keep things running smoothly.

Why Siloed Data Is Killing Your KPIs

Listen, siloed data is your business’s silent killer. Don’t just take my word for it – take a hard look at your KPIs. You’ve got your marketing numbers here, finance stats over there, and Salesforce metrics somewhere else. With all these disconnected data streams, it’s no wonder your KPIs are all over the place. You think you’re tracking your performance, but in reality, you’re staring at skewed data that doesn’t reflect your true metrics.

The problem is that disconnected systems do not share data in real time. This means that when your marketing team sends out email campaigns, it takes until someone actually opens up Salesforce before leads generated show up on the system. By the time they hit your system, they’re no longer relevant. It’s those slow, outdated updates that give you misleading KPIs. And who wants that in a fast-moving business environment?

That is where real-time integration comes in. It pulls all that fragmented data together in real time and puts it exactly where you need it—no more waiting, no more confusion-just the freshest data at your fingertips, ready to drive decisions.

Setting Up Integrations for Seamless Data Integration and Real-Time Sync

Now that we have identified the problem let’s get practical. An integration setup to sync your data between Salesforce and external systems is pretty straightforward, but only if one stays on the right track. Here it goes:

1. Connect your external systems: First, connect all the external systems you rely on (marketing, sales, etc.) to the MuleSoft, Jitterbit, or SyncApps platform. Think of these platforms as an orchestra conductor, making sure all your systems play in harmony.
2. Choose the right connector: Each comes with out-of-the-box connectors, making it super easy to link up with Salesforce and all your other platforms. Select the one that matches your external system. For example, use marketing connectors if you’re syncing data from a marketing platform.
3. Set up the data flow: This is where the magic happens. You’ll define which data needs to be pulled, how often it should be updated, and where it should go. Ensure that the flow is happening in real time so your Salesforce dashboard stays current and accurate with fresh metrics.
4. Create real-time syncs: You’ll set up triggers for data updates. For example, when a new lead is generated in your marketing system, the platform triggers an immediate update to Salesforce, ensuring the latest lead is reflected instantly in your sales pipeline.
5. Monitor and test: Once set up, you need to test everything. You don’t want to discover that data syncing didn’t work after the fact. Use built-in monitoring and reports to keep track of the integration’s health and ensure no hiccups in your real-time data flow.

This isn’t a ‘set it and forgets it’s kind of setup. To stay on top of the game, you need to test, monitor, and optimize regularly. But once it’s live, you’ll be able to track real-time KPIs without a hitch.

3. Harness Dynamic Lightning Pages for Custom KPI Dashboards

source: Salesforce

The truth? Static dashboards hold you back from those slick real-time decisions that would change the game for your sales team. It’s time to quit living in the past and move forward with dynamic Lightning Pages, placing KPIs front, center, and exactly where they need to be.

Let’s break this down.

How Static Dashboards Are Limiting Your Sales Insights

Here’s the cold, hard truth: working with static dashboards is like trying to drive a car without a rearview mirror. Sure, you may be able to make it from point A to point B, but you are completely blind to everything that is happening around you.

Sales teams have been chained to inflexible dashboards displaying data in a one-size-fits-all approach for far too long. You get your basic KPIs, sure, but what you don’t get is any real-time context that would actually help you make decisions. These dashboards don’t adapt to who you are, where you are in your sales journey, or what particular insights you need to succeed.

The worst part? They can’t adjust as your needs evolve—whether you’re a sales rep, manager, or executive. That means important insights get buried, and the dashboard becomes a stagnant tool rather than the dynamic powerhouse it should be.

Building Adaptive Lightning Pages to Reflect Real-Time KPIs

This is where Lightning Pages come in. Imagine having a dashboard that’s tailor-made to fit your exact role, needs, and objectives. It’s like switching from a blindfolded drive to cruising with an open road ahead. You need data that speaks to you in real time, providing insights that align with your specific sales stage and KPIs.

Building adaptive Lightning Pages means setting up a system that actively updates and refreshes the data shown to users based on their role and current sales activity. A sales rep might need lead conversion metrics, while a manager could be more focused on team performance. These pages give you what you need, when you need it, without any fluff.

The beauty of Salesforce’s Lightning pages is their flexibility. You don’t just display a general set of data—you set up a personalized, dynamic experience that evolves with each user. So, while your sales team is tracking progress, you’re also tracking what matters most, in real time.

4. Automate Workflow Approval Processes with Flow Orchestrator

source: Salesforce

Let’s be brutally honest: manual approval processes are a killer. Slow, clunky, and a productivity nightmare. If you’re still using spreadsheets and emails to manage approvals, you’re basically playing with a ticking time bomb.

You know what I’m talking about. The endless back-and-forth, the waiting game, the inefficiency. It’s like waiting for a bus that never arrives. And while you’re stuck in this cycle, your KPIs—like time-to-close or win rates—are tanking.

Now, imagine a world where you don’t have to chase down approvals. Where your team doesn’t have to play a guessing game, waiting for that one crucial “okay” from management to move forward. That’s where Salesforce Flow Orchestrator comes in.

Let’s break it down.

Why Manual Approval Processes Are Hindering Productivity

Look, we’ve all been there. Manual approval processes are like that one piece of tape you can’t get off the wall. It just won’t let go.

Every time you have to rely on human intervention, you risk delays, errors, and frustration. You’re bogged down in emails and forms that could easily be handled automatically. The problem? Slow workflows suck the life out of your business and mess with your KPIs.

Time-to-close? It takes longer because of those approvals. Win rates? Not great when you’re stuck waiting for sign-offs.

Here’s the kicker: It doesn’t have to be this way.

Automating Multi-Step Approvals Using Salesforce Flow Orchestrator

So, how do we get out of this mess? How do we stop the madness and accelerate the sales cycle?

Here’s where Salesforce Flow Orchestrator kicks in like a hero on a mission. You can create multi-step, automated approval processes that don’t just save time—they streamline everything.

Here’s a step-by-step plan for making it work:

1. Map Out Your Approval Process
   First, sit down with your team and clearly map out the approval steps. Who needs to approve what? Who does what after an approval? Get clear on the flow.
2. Set Up Your Flow Orchestrator
   Head into Salesforce, open up the Flow Builder, and start piecing together your process. Add in all those approval stages: sales reps, managers, and finance team. It’s all about connecting the dots.
3. Set Automations
   Automate decision points—whether it’s a simple “yes/no” or a more complex decision based on data. This is where the magic happens: You don’t need a person to manually approve every step.
4. Test and Optimize
   Don’t just hit “save” and call it a day. Run tests and optimize your flow based on how your team uses it. Make sure the approval steps move as quickly as you need them to.

Boom—you’ve just taken a slow, outdated approval process and made it faster, smoother, and automated.

5. Track Customer Health Scores with Custom IoT and Service Data Integration

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Customer retention isn’t just about hoping people stick around—it’s about knowing exactly when they’re about to bail and making sure you catch them before they do.

You want to stay ahead of churn? You need to track your customer’s health like it’s your own. And that means diving into the real-time data you already have and using it to your advantage.

Here’s how to do it right:

Why Tracking Customer Satisfaction in Real-Time Can Improve KPIs

You’re not just playing a guessing game here. Real-time customer insights are your secret weapon. When you’re watching product usage, support tickets, and interactions in real-time, you have a crystal-clear view of where things stand. And let’s face it—if you don’t have this data, you’re just reacting after the fact, which is like trying to fix a sinking ship after it’s already gone under.

Real-time tracking allows you to:

• Spot problems before they escalate: If a customer’s usage is dipping or they’re raising issues in support tickets, you’re already on the case before they even think about leaving.
• Personalize your outreach: You don’t have to send out generic “We’re sorry to see you go” messages. With data in hand, you can send targeted messages based on their actual behavior.
• Boost customer satisfaction and loyalty: Proactive, personalized support builds trust, and trust keeps customers around.

Real-time insights give you the upper hand. Period.

Integrating IoT and Service Data with Salesforce for Real-Time Customer Monitoring

Now, let’s talk practical steps. You’ve got a bunch of data coming from different sources—IoT devices, customer service platforms, maybe even social media interactions—and you need to pull it all into one spot: Salesforce.

Here’s how to get it done:

1. Gather your IoT data: You’ve got product usage stats, device health reports, and performance metrics coming from your IoT network. Make sure this data is flowing into a centralized system.
2. Sync it with your service data: Your customer support platform has a wealth of information—open tickets, past issues, satisfaction ratings. Connect this to Salesforce via APIs or third-party integrations.
3. Use Salesforce for monitoring: Once all that data is in Salesforce, you’re ready to track customer health in real time. Salesforce can help you create dashboards and alerts that give you a 360-degree view of customer satisfaction.
4. Customize your alerts: Set up automated alerts for when things go south. If a customer’s product usage drops or they hit a support roadblock, you’ll know right away—and you can act before they churn.
5. Automate your responses: Use Salesforce’s automation features to send out personalized emails, schedule check-ins, or assign a support rep to reach out.

Now, you’re not just reacting. You’re proactively managing customer satisfaction like a pro.

Final Thoughts

In short, if you want to keep your customers happy and your KPIs on track, you need to start thinking strategically about tracking their health in real time. With the right data integration and a custom scoring system, you’ll be ahead of the competition and able to act before problems even hit.

And that’s how you transform customer satisfaction from a wish into a strategy.

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