The two most used tools by a salesperson are a good customer relations management (CRM) system and email. These tools help them stay on top of their communication game and allow them to be in constant touch with their customers. However, for a long time, CRMs and emails were disconnected, which meant salespersons had to go back and forth to check and countercheck on CRM entries based on email threads. This resulted in a huge loss in time and effort and also led to decreased productivity in the salesforce.
That is when erstwhile rivals Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff joined together to come to the rescue of salespeople around the world by integrating CRM systems with email. Recently, they launched their 11th joint product–Lightning for Outlook, an add-in that integrates Salesforce’s app-building platform into Outlook. The add-in reduces the time lost on toggling to and from these two tools by giving you the ability to view, search and update all Salesforce entries that are linked to your email contacts right from your Outlook inbox. This, then, saves your time, gives your productivity a boost and turns you into a smart seller. So let’s look at how this new integration will be of help to businesses.
How Salesforce Lightning for Outlook keeps you on top of your selling game
The new add-in is 100 percent cloud-based and requires no download, installation or maintenance of software of any kind. It lets you view all your contacts, opportunities and cases linked to your email addresses without going back and forth between Salesforce and Outlook and it works very well with Salesforce Classic and Salesforce Lightning Experience. So here are some features that make it stand out:
Save time switching: The add-in gives you direct access to Salesforce from your Outlook inbox. Once you open your inbox, all data that is of use to you is available at a single place. It is also extremely easy to update records of customers, thus, making the daily workload a lot lesser and bringing your sales reps closer to your customers.
Stay connected, always: The next time you need to find email addresses or meeting schedules, dig no more as with Lightning Sync you can keep all your contacts and events in sync between your Outlook and Salesforce accounts without having to manually enter details twice. The system will remember frequently used email addresses and auto-complete them and you can always stay on schedule with the updated calendar.
Use it on any version of Outlook: The add-in is available free of cost to existing Sales Cloud users via the Office Store. To access it, you will need Outlook 2013 for Windows or Outlook 2016 for Windows/Mac, Outlook on the web, Office 365, Exchange 2013 or Exchange 2016 mailboxes. It is also soon expected to be available on Outlook Mobile. It is also 100 percent cloud-based, complete with automatic upgrades and is fully customizable.
Easy-to-use interface: The new add-in has been redesigned to reflect the Lightning User Experience. The UX design is modern and intuitive, making it possible for users to easily view and engage in the insights and app they find relevant for their work. There is also a new search functionality through which they can track down Salesforce records within Outlook. One can search for an existing Salesforce customer record without having to leave their inbox, thus saving time and keeping the distraction of handling too many tabs at bay.
Customize it to suit your business needs: No two businesses have the same needs, which is why Salesforce lets them use Lightning Components. These are reusable building blocks of code that can be used to embed new and customized CRM integrations into Outlook email. For instance, you can integrate Salesforce SteelBrick CPQ into Outlook and update price quotes while emailing your customers without having to go to the CRM system again.
The evangelists and followers of Salesforce and Microsoft are already showering praises for this new add-in. Salesforce Lightning for Outlook provides out-of-the-box integration between platforms, avoiding rework. This joint solution also helps to deliver at great speed. It helps salespersons have relevant data at their fingertips. Enterprises should definitely adopt this new integration feature that helps you connect globally and deliver unparalleled insights and value to your clients.
We, at Suyati, will be able to lend you a hand in navigating through this new feature as our experts are well-versed in both Outlook and Salesforce CRM systems. Get in touch with us services@suyati.com to know more about how we can help you reap better sales results at lightning speed.