For any business to grow substantially over a projected timeframe, it is important to build long-term customer relationships and not just sales pipelines. Whether the business is large or small, it is important to engage the customers throughout their life cycle to minimise dissatisfaction and optimise the value they expect from their investment. However, before adopting a platform, it’s important to read a Salesforce CRM review from trusted sources to understand both the benefits and potential limitations. For CX leaders at consumer brands and D2C companies in the US, UK & Australia, choosing the right CRM can make a transformation.
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CRM adoption is no longer optional. According to Nucleus Research, every $1 invested in CRM returns an average of $8.71 in revenue. Data also reveals that companies using a CRM effectively are 81% more likely to close sales compared to those without one.
Salesforce CRM, one of the oldest and most established platforms (founded in 1999), has consistently evolved to meet enterprise needs. Let’s examine its key differentiators.
What Sets Salesforce CRM Apart From Other Options?
Salesforce CRM has been in business since 1999, which itself is not a mean feat, with new technologies being launched and more enterprises entering the competitive fray every day. Therefore, what can be gleaned from this observation is that the company has got its basics right, and has been doing something right consistently. Let’s take a look at the major USPs that Salesforce CRM offers.
1. Integrated Outlook
One positive point that often comes up in Salesforce CRM software reviews is that it believes in an integrated interface for handling operations. The Salesforce CRM uses its in-house Einstein 1 interface to elevate the CRM experience for clients. Furthermore, this CRM has its own integration platform which combines CRM with MuleSoft for integration and Tableau for analytics, giving CX leaders a unified view of sales, service and marketing. This integration helps consumer brands align support and success data with revenue outcomes which is a key concern for VPs and Directors managing omnichannel operations.
2. Seamless Collaboration
One of the best features Salesforce boasts of is its ability to help teams collaborate on different platforms. That is to say that the marketing and sales teams can collaborate effortlessly with each other on a common chat platform like Slack. Through Slack integration, marketing, sales and customer support teams can collaborate in real time. For CX departments, this ensures faster issue resolution, which directly impacts CSAT and NPS.
3. High Scalability and Security
Scalability remains a concern for enterprises regarding the products and services they use. With the Salesforce CRM, scalability is not really an issue because more with more than 150,000 companies using Salesforce CRM, scalability is proven. Its Hyperforce infrastructure provides advanced compliance and carbon-neutral operations. For enterprises scaling internationally, this ensures flexibility and regulatory confidence. Thus, as a business owner, you can count on Salesforce as a carbon-neutral technology that can be trusted with customer compliance presently as well as in the near future.
4. Adaptability
Salesforce can be trusted with its adaptability, which is an important aspect to consider in these times when market dynamics are prone to frequent changes. It is highly probable that businesses would need frequent operational upgrades to keep up with customer needs. With 8,700+ partner apps available on the AppExchange and more than 9 million installs, Salesforce remains adaptable to changing market dynamics. This flexibility matters for growing D2C brands that must make changes quickly in response to customer behavior. A majority of the accolades that the company gathers in many Salesforce CRM reviews can be attributed to this particular feature.
5. Customer-centric Operations
It is supremely important for a CRM client to be responsive towards its prime consumers like Atidiv, and Salesforce does a more than decent job at it. As a part of its assistance programs, the company provides expert assistance to its consumers and their employees to optimise the value derived from the CRM client. With Salesforce’s 11 million-strong user community and extensive support programs provide guidance for both employees and leaders. For CX executives, this ecosystem reduces risk and accelerates ROI.
Pros and Cons of Salesforce CRM
While Salesforce is a leader, no solution is perfect. Here’s a balanced view:
Pros:
- Comprehensive integrations (MuleSoft, Slack, Tableau).
- Scalable infrastructure for enterprise growth.
- Large community and support resources.
- AI-driven automation and analytics.
Cons:
- Can be costly for small to mid-sized businesses.
- Steeper learning curve compared to lighter CRMs.
- Customization often requires certified Salesforce consultants.
For CX leaders, the key question isn’t whether Salesforce is powerful, it’s whether your team has the resources and processes to maximize that power.
How Does Salesforce CRM Ensure Lower Company Expenses?
CRM clients must be cost-effective so that companies using them can derive the most value out of them.
- Firstly, Salesforce CRM comes with a cloud-first infrastructure, which means all data is stored in an integrated system. Thus, the company can operate with reduced space and hire fewer employees for paperwork-related work, as the CRM is AI-powered and can reduce manual workload drastically.
- Secondly, the Salesforce CRM does not come with any hardware, thus eliminating any chance of maintenance-related expenses. The cloud system also makes sure that operations are not stalled for faulty mechanisms, thus ensuring 24×7 customer service.
- Lastly, the cloud system enables companies to hire competent employees from any part of the world, thus bringing down salary expenses.
Gartner research shows that companies using AI enabled CRMs can cut service costs by up to 30% while improving customer satisfaction.
Salesforce is a powerful, enterprise-grade CRM with extensive capabilities. For VPs and Directors in consumer brands and D2C companies with $5M+ revenue, it is one of the most scalable options on the market.
That said, smaller teams may find the cost and complexity a challenge, making alternatives like HubSpot or Zoho worth exploring.
If your goal is to unify sales, service and customer experience into one platform, Salesforce CRM is a great choice but it requires investment in both training and strategy.
Therefore, it can be said in an honest Salesforce CRM review that it makes life easy for businesses like Atidiv by enhancing customer satisfaction and offering such favours at a much-reduced cost.
FAQs on Salesforce CRM Review
1. What do I need to know if I want to use the Salesforce CRM as a small business owner?
There are a few things that you need to consider as a small business owner:
- Figure out your business requirements
- Try to have a basic understanding of the CRM components
- Lastly, decide which platforms would work best for you
2. What scope does Salesforce CRM have in the real estate industry?
The old-school real estate agents have sensed the pervasion of new AI-powered CRM that deal with sales better than their human counterparts. For retail, D2C and real estate, Salesforce’s AI-driven CRM improves personalization and forecasting, making it relevant in competitive markets.
3. How important is a competent CRM for startups?
A general trend of fierce competition leaves very little scope for startups to survive, and only half of the startups survive their first five years in the industry. Therefore, retaining a loyal customer base is a must for survival, and Salesforce CRM can be of great help in this regard.