Chapter 1: Introduction to Salesforce

 

1.1 What is Salesforce?

Salesforce is the world’s leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. It helps businesses manage relationships with customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability. Salesforce provides tools for sales, customer service, marketing, and commerce all under a cloud-based platform.

Founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, Salesforce revolutionized business software by delivering it over the internet rather than installing it on individual computers — this approach became known as Software as a Service (SaaS).

1.2 Why Salesforce?

Some key reasons Salesforce has become so popular:

Cloud-based: Access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

Scalable: Suitable for businesses of all sizes.

Customizable: Tailor the system to fit business needs.

Automation: Automate repetitive tasks like sending emails or setting reminders.

Integration: Connects easily with other applications like Gmail, Outlook, or third-party systems.

Regular Updates: Salesforce releases three updates each year packed with new features.

1.3 Key Salesforce Products

Product

Purpose

Sales Cloud

Manage sales processes, leads, and opportunities.

Service Cloud

Manage customer support cases and service processes.

Marketing Cloud

Manage digital marketing campaigns and customer journeys.

Commerce Cloud

Create seamless e-commerce experiences for customers.

Experience Cloud

Build websites, portals, and forums for partners or customers.

Analytics Cloud

Visualize and analyze data to make better decisions.

AppExchange

Marketplace for Salesforce apps and integrations.

1.4 Core Terminology

Objects: Tables in the database (like a "Contact" or "Account").

Records: Rows in the object (an individual customer record).

Fields: Columns in the object (name, phone number, email address).

Apps: Collection of tabs that work together to serve a function.

Tabs: Navigation menu items to access objects.

Workflow Rules: Automate standard internal procedures and processes.

Reports and Dashboards: Summarize and visualize your data.

1.5 Step-by-Step: Setting Up a Salesforce Developer Account

Follow these steps to get your own free Salesforce Developer account:

Visit the Website:
Go to https://developer.salesforce.com/signup

Fill in the Form:

Enter your first and last name.

Enter a valid email address.

Choose a unique username (e.g., john.doe@mycompany.com).
(Note: The username must be an email format but doesn’t have to be a real email address.)

Activate Your Account:

You’ll receive an email from Salesforce.

Click the activation link in the email.

Set a Password:

Choose a strong password.

Set a security question for account recovery.

Login to Salesforce:

Visit https://login.salesforce.com

Enter your username and password.

Congratulations! You now have access to your own Salesforce Playground to practice and learn.

1.6 Navigating Salesforce - Basic Interface Overview

Once logged in:

App Launcher ("Waffle" icon): Lets you switch between different apps (Sales, Service, Marketing, etc.)

Tabs: Navigate between different areas like Leads, Opportunities, Accounts.

Home Page: Shows key dashboards, tasks, and recent activity.

Setup Menu: The backend of Salesforce where you configure settings and customizations.

1.7 Salesforce Editions

Salesforce offers different editions depending on business size and needs:

Essentials: Basic CRM for small businesses.

Professional: Complete CRM for any size business.

Enterprise: Advanced customization for large businesses.

Unlimited: Maximum CRM power and support.

Developer Edition (what you'll be using) is free but similar to Enterprise Edition for learning purposes.

Homework Exercises

Practical Exercises:

Create a Salesforce Developer Account

Follow the step-by-step process given above.

Take a screenshot of your Salesforce homepage and upload it to the class portal.

·        Explore the App Launcher

·        Find and open the "Sales" App.

·        Locate objects like Leads, Contacts, Accounts, and Opportunities.

·        Create Your First Record

·        Navigate to "Contacts."

·        Click New.

·        Fill in the required fields (like First Name, Last Name, Email) and save the record.

·        Take a screenshot of the saved contact.

Theory Exercises:

·        Short Answer Questions:

·        What is CRM? How does Salesforce help businesses manage CRM?

·        List and explain any three Salesforce products.

·        What are the differences between an Object, Field, and Record?

·        Research Question:

·        Research and find one company that uses Salesforce.
Write 100 words on how they use it to improve their business.

Quick Recap

Salesforce is the #1 CRM platform in the world.

It’s cloud-based, scalable, customizable, and rich with features.

Signing up for a developer account is easy and free.

Basic understanding of Salesforce's navigation is essential before building more complex apps and automations.

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