Salesforce Marketing Automation Archives - gettectonic.com
AI Agents Are About to Disrupt Your Marketing Channels

AI Agents Are About to Disrupt Your Marketing Channels

AI Agents Are About to Disrupt Your Marketing Channels—Here’s How to Adapt The Future of Marketing Isn’t Human-Centric—It’s Agent-Driven AI agents are poised to revolutionize how brands and consumers interact. These autonomous systems don’t just assist—they research, decide, and transact on behalf of users, fundamentally altering the role of traditional marketing channels. Google knows this. That’s why it’s replacing traditional search with Gemini, an AI agent that delivers answers, not just links. Meta is integrating AI across WhatsApp and Messenger, enabling two-way, large-scale brand interactions. Soon, every channel—email, social, loyalty programs, even your website—will become an AI-powered research and transaction hub. The question isn’t if this will impact your marketing strategy—it’s how soon. What Are AI Agents—And Why Should Marketers Care? AI agents are the next evolution of autonomous AI, combining:✅ Generative AI (content creation, personalization)✅ Predictive AI (data-driven decision-making)✅ Complex task execution (end-to-end customer journeys) Today’s challenge? Most companies struggle to move from AI experimentation to real-world impact. Agents change that—they bridge the gap between hype and execution, turning AI potential into measurable business results. 3 Ways to Future-Proof Your Channel Strategy 1. Build a Bulletproof Data Foundation (Now) AI agents won’t just use data—they’ll demand it to make decisions for customers. 🔹 Example: A customer asks an agent, “Find me the best CRM for small businesses.”🔹 Without structured data: The agent may overlook your product.🔹 With optimized data: Your CRM appears as a top recommendation, complete with pricing, features, and a seamless sign-up link. Action Step: Audit your product data, pricing, and USPs. Ensure they’re machine-readable and easily accessible to AI-driven platforms. 2. Rethink “Channels” as AI Conversation Hubs Traditional marketing funnels (search → browse → convert) will collapse. Instead: Action Step: Optimize for AI-native experiences—structured FAQs, API-accessible pricing, and instant conversion paths. 3. Prepare for AI-to-AI Negotiation B2B and high-consideration purchases (e.g., SaaS, automotive, real estate) will see AI agents negotiating deals on behalf of users. 🔹 Example: A corporate procurement AI evaluates your software against competitors, automatically requesting discounts or custom terms.🔹 Winners will be brands that enable AI-friendly decision-making (clear pricing, comparison data, instant approvals). Action Step: Develop agent-friendly sales collateral—dynamic pricing tables, competitor comparisons, and API-driven contract automation. The Bottom Line: Adapt or Get Displaced The shift to agent-driven marketing isn’t gradual—it’s exponential. Companies that wait will find themselves invisible to AI intermediaries shaping customer decisions. Your roadmap: The future belongs to marketers who design for AI-first experiences. The time to act is now. “AI agents won’t just change marketing—they’ll redefine it. The brands that win will be those that engineer their systems for machines, not just people.”—Salesforce AI Research, 2024 Ready to future-proof your strategy? Contact Tectonic. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Competitive Landscape of Retail

Navigate the Competitive Landscape of Retail

A shorter shopping season, the rise of Chinese shopping apps, and value-conscious consumers are expected to result in modest growth this holiday season. According to Salesforce’s 2024 holiday shopping forecast, U.S. holiday sales (Nov. 1 – Dec. 31) are projected to grow 2% year-over-year, reaching $277 billion. Global sales are also predicted to increase by 2%, totaling .19 trillion. This reflects softer growth compared to 2023, when global holiday sales rose by 3%. Challenges Ahead Salesforce warns that the 2024 holiday season may be difficult for retailers, with consumers having less spending power, a shortened 26-day shopping window between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and 43% of shoppers carrying more debt than last year. Additionally, 47% of surveyed shoppers plan to spend the same as in 2023, while 40% intend to spend less. New data from Salesforce’s Shopping Index shows that two-thirds of global consumers say price will dictate their shopping choices, while less than a third will prioritize product quality. Impact of Chinese Shopping Apps Salesforce predicts that 21% of holiday purchases will come from Chinese apps like Temu, Shein, AliExpress, and TikTok, with 35% of consumers reporting increased use of these apps. TikTok, in particular, saw a 24% increase in purchases since April 2024, highlighting the growing influence of Chinese platforms on holiday shopping. Retail Strategies To navigate the competitive landscape, Salesforce recommends retailers use strategic discounts and AI-powered tools to improve efficiency, enhance customer relationships, and boost profit margins. “This season will be competitive and focused on pricing strategies,” said Caila Schwartz, Salesforce’s director of strategy and consumer insights. “Leveraging AI and customer data is essential to guide marketing campaigns and holiday promotions.” Key Findings Salesforce’s insights are based on data from 1.5 billion global shoppers across 64 countries, focusing on 12 key markets, including the U.S., Canada, and U.K. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Agentforce Advances Copilot and Prompt Builder

Agentforce Advances Copilot and Prompt Builder

Agentforce was the highlight of the week in San Francisco during Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference—and for good reason! Agentforce Advances Copilot and Prompt Builder and that is truly exciting. Agentforce represents a groundbreaking solution that promises to transform how individuals and organizations interact with their CRM. However, as with any major product announcement, it raises many questions. This was evident during Dreamforce, where admins and developers, eager to dive into Agentforce, had numerous queries. Here’s an in-depth look at what Agentforce is, how it operates, and how organizations can leverage it to automate processes and drive value today. Agentforce Advances Copilot and Prompt Builder Many Dreamforce attendees who anticipated hearing more about Einstein Copilot were surprised by the introduction of Agents just before the event. However, understanding the distinctions between the legacy Einstein Copilot and the new Agentforce is crucial. Agentforce Advances Copilot and Prompt Builder. Agentforce Agents are essentially a rebranding of Copilot Agents but with an essential enhancement: they expand the functionality of Copilot to create autonomous agents capable of tasks such as summarizing or generating content and taking specific actions. Here are some key changes in terminology: Just like Einstein Copilot, Agents use user input—an “utterance”—entered into the Agentforce chat interface. The agent translates this utterance into a series of actions based on configurable instructions, and then executes the plan, providing a response. Understanding Agents: Topics A key difference between Einstein Copilot and Agentforce is the addition of “Topics.” Topics allow for greater flexibility and support a broader range of actions. They organize tasks by business function, helping Agents first determine the appropriate topic and then identify the necessary actions. This topic layer reduces confusion and ensures the correct action is taken. With this structure, Agentforce can support many more custom actions compared to Copilot’s 15-20, significantly expanding capabilities. Understanding Agents: Actions Actions in Agentforce function similarly to those in Einstein Copilot. These are the tasks an agent executes once it has identified the right plan. Out-of-the-box actions are available right away, providing a quick win for organizations looking to implement standard actions like opportunity summarization or sales emails. For more customized use cases, organizations can create bespoke actions using Apex, Flows, Prompts, or Service Catalog items (currently in beta). Understanding Agents: Prompts Whenever an LLM is used, prompts are necessary to provide the right input. Thoughtfully engineered prompts are essential for getting accurate, useful responses from LLMs. This is a key part of leveraging Agent Actions effectively, ensuring better results, reducing errors, and driving productive agent behavior. Prompt Builder plays a crucial role, allowing users to build, test, and refine prompts for Agent Actions, creating a seamless experience between generative AI and Salesforce workflows. How Generative AI and Agentforce Enhance CRM GenAI tools like Agentforce offer exciting enhancements to Salesforce organizations in several ways: However, these benefits are realized only when CRM users adopt and adapt to AI-assisted workflows. Organizations must prioritize change management and training, as most users will need to adjust to this new AI-powered way of working. If your company has already embraced AI, then you are halfway there. If AI hasn’t been introduced to the workforce you need to get started yesterday. Getting Started with Agentforce With all the buzz around Dreamforce, it’s no surprise that many organizations are eager to start using Agentforce. Fortunately, there are immediate opportunities to leverage these tools. The recommended approach is to begin with standard Agent actions, testing out-of-the-box features like opportunity summarization or creating close plans. From there, organizations can make incremental tweaks to customize actions for their specific needs. We have all come to expect that just as quickly as we include agentic ai into our processes and flows, Salesforce will add additional features and capabilities. As teams become more familiar with developing and deploying Agent actions, more complex use cases will become manageable, transforming the traditional point-and-click Salesforce experience into a more intelligent, agent-driven platform. Already I find myself asking, “is this an agent person or an ai-agent”? The day is coming, no doubt, when the question will be reversed. Tectonic’s AI Experts Can Help Interested in learning more about Agentforce or need guidance on getting started? Tectonic specializes in AI and analytics solutions within CRM, helping organizations unlock significant productivity gains through AI-based tools that optimize business processes. We are excited to enable you to enable Agentforce to Advance Copilot and Prompt Builder By Tectonic’s Solutions Architect, Shannan Hearne Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Create Delightful Experiences

Create Delightful Experiences

Ever had one of those unexpected moments when you reach out to customer service to resolve an issue, and by the end of the conversation, you’ve ended up purchasing something new—and actually feel good about it? Salesforce can help you Create Delightful Experiences. It’s those delightful experiences—when a company truly understands you—that make all the difference. Yet, far too often, these moments are the exception rather than the rule. Why is that? Despite having access to mountains of data from every click, call, and transaction, many companies still fail to create the seamless, personalized experiences that customers expect. In fact, 80% of customers believe their experiences should be better, given the wealth of data available. However, many organizations remain trapped in silos, with marketing, sales, and service teams working in isolation. The data exists, but it’s not being utilized effectively. Siloed data, un-unified data, and restricted access data make your agents seem less emphathetic. Customers expect them to know everything about them there is to know. For CMOs, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Positioned at the intersection of every customer touchpoint, many find themselves navigating disjointed strategies from different departments. But what if we could turn the tide? What if every interaction across any channel—whether in marketing, sales, or service—felt like one continuous conversation? From Silos to Synergy: Maximizing Every Customer Interaction The reality is that customers don’t recognize the internal barriers we’ve erected. They don’t care about the silos of marketing, sales, and service; to them, it’s one relationship. What matters most to them is being understood and treated consistently, regardless of whom they are engaging with. Create Delightful Experiences This is where a more unified approach comes into play. It’s not about collecting more data—we already have plenty of that. Instead, it’s about piecing together a puzzle where each interaction reveals a bigger picture. By doing so, we can anticipate customer needs and respond in ways that feel personal and relevant. Consider Fisher & Paykel. By integrating data from their online stores and marketing efforts, they gain a clearer understanding of their customers’ buying habits. Whether someone is a one-time buyer or a frequent shopper, they can tailor the experience accordingly. For instance, if a customer purchases a new fridge, rather than suggesting another fridge during their next visit—as if they were unaware of the previous purchase—the system might recommend relevant accessories like water filters. Plus, with connected device data, they can send timely reminders when it’s time for a replacement part. Now, picture a customer calling in with a service issue. Instead of merely resolving the problem, the representative is empowered by AI to suggest the next best action—perhaps offering a discount on a recently viewed product or an option for self-service. By leveraging AI insights from browsing behavior and purchase history, service teams can present timely offers that build trust and drive future purchases. This transformation turns service interactions into opportunities for building loyalty and generating revenue while ensuring customers feel valued and understood. With customer acquisition costs rising by 60% over the last five years, strategies like upselling, cross-selling, and referral marketing can yield new revenue at a fraction of the cost of traditional channels. The Technology That Ties It All Together None of this is feasible without the right technology. To craft these interconnected experiences, we need systems that consolidate data from every corner of the business. Salesforce’s Data Cloud accomplishes this by centralizing customer data and layering Einstein AI on top to generate meaningful, actionable insights. If your marketing chops are your muscles, your Salesforce org is your tool box. Gone are the days of guessing what customers need—you’ll know exactly when and how to engage them, transforming transactional interactions into those delightful moments that keep customers coming back. Take Air India as an example. Faced with managing over 550,000 monthly service cases within a decentralized system, they utilized Salesforce’s Data Cloud to unify customer data from various sources, providing service teams with a 360-degree view of every passenger. With AI-driven recommendations from Einstein AI, Air India’s teams can offer personalized services, such as seat upgrades during delays or tailored travel deals based on past trips. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also streamlines operations and fosters business growth. The Strategic Imperative for CMOs So, what’s the key takeaway for marketers? We must think beyond our traditional roles and collaborate across the entire customer journey. It’s crucial to advocate for breaking down silos, aligning teams, and integrating data throughout our organizations. However, let’s be realistic: this is easier said than done. Internal politics can complicate efforts to unify departments, with leaders often fixated on their own priorities. The key lies in fostering a spirit of collaboration, not competition—demonstrating to other leaders how a unified approach benefits everyone. By working closely with other departments, marketing can evolve from merely a function into a pivotal part of the broader business strategy, helping to drive consistent customer experiences, increased revenue, and long-term loyalty. The future of marketing isn’t about doing more; it’s about being smarter. It’s about crafting personalized, meaningful experiences that reach the right customers at precisely the right moment, transforming every touchpoint into an opportunity to build lasting relationships. Unified data is the cornerstone of achieving this goal. Ultimately, the companies that understand their customers best will thrive—and that journey begins with us. Create Delightful Experiences with technology and AI for your customers. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are

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Qwary Salesforce Integration

Qwary Salesforce Integration

Qwary Enhances Customer Insights with New Salesforce Integration HERNDON, Va., Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — While surveys have long been a staple for gathering customer feedback, data entry often poses a challenge in obtaining comprehensive insights. Qwary’s new Salesforce integration aims to resolve this issue by enabling seamless data transfer and synchronization between the two platforms. This integration allows teams to consolidate customer information into a single hub, providing real-time visibility and enhancing strategic planning and collaboration. Key features include creating email campaigns, importing contacts, mapping survey results, and automating event-based workflows. What Is Qwary’s Salesforce Integration? Qwary’s Salesforce integration is designed to streamline the analysis of Salesforce survey data, offering a more efficient way to understand customer interactions with your brand. By integrating survey feedback with CRM data, this tool helps you quickly adapt your products and services to meet evolving customer needs. It tracks customer journeys, collects feedback, and reveals pain points, enabling you to deliver tailored solutions. Benefits of Using Qwary’s Salesforce Integration Qwary’s integration offers several notable benefits: Automate Feedback Collection The integration automates the feedback collection process by triggering surveys at strategic points in the customer lifecycle. This allows your team to act swiftly to foster engagement and generate leads. Gain Actionable Insights Seamlessly integrating with Salesforce CRM, Qwary scores, analyzes, and enriches customer data, helping your team identify emerging trends and seize opportunities for personalization and customer development. Synchronize Data Automatically With Qwary’s integration, your contact data is consolidated into a single, reliable source of truth. Whether you’re using Salesforce or Qwary, automated data synchronization ensures consistency and provides real-time updates. Collaborate Effectively The integration promotes effective teamwork by sharing data between Salesforce and Qwary, enabling your team to solve problems collaboratively and refine strategies to boost customer retention. Key Capabilities Qwary’s Salesforce integration excels in managing customer feedback, automating workflows, and consolidating contact data: Salesforce Workflow Automation The integration simplifies scheduling and automating survey triggers, eliminating manual processes. Surveys can be initiated via email or following significant events, with responses seamlessly mapped into Salesforce. This creates a comprehensive view of customer behavior, helping your team act on insights, strengthen connections, and enhance satisfaction. Contact Data Importation Qwary facilitates quick access to Salesforce contacts, providing a holistic view of your customer base. The integration streamlines contact data importation and updates, eliminating manual data entry and speeding up data management. Potential Business Impacts By combining automation, synchronization, and data consolidation with a user-friendly interface, Qwary’s Salesforce integration enhances your sales team’s ability to collect and leverage customer feedback. Immediate access to comprehensive consumer insights allows your business to respond promptly to customer needs, improving satisfaction and loyalty. Real-time data aggregation helps your company adapt quickly and refine offerings to exceed customer expectations. Stay Ahead with Qwary’s Salesforce Integration Qwary continuously updates its solutions to meet the evolving needs of businesses focused on customer engagement. Leveraging automation, synchronization, and advanced analytics through an accessible platform, Qwary’s Salesforce integration empowers your team to enhance offerings and connect with customers efficiently. By optimizing the use of survey data and Salesforce feedback, Qwary keeps your business at the forefront of market trends, enabling you to consistently delight your customers. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Einstein Chatbot

Einstein Chatbot

Businesses have increasingly adopted “chatbots” to provide quick answers to customer queries outside regular business hours or to route customers to the appropriate department after answering preliminary questions. While these chatbots can be useful, they often fall short in delivering the same level of value as human interaction, sometimes leading to frustration. Today, chatbots are advancing significantly, with Salesforce’s Einstein Service Agent leading this evolution. This technology offers notable benefits but also presents challenges that businesses must address for effective implementation. Advantages of Einstein Service Agent Seamless Integration with Salesforce: Unlike standalone AI tools, Einstein Service Agent leverages comprehensive customer profiles, purchase histories, and previous interactions to offer personalized responses. Its integration within established Salesforce workflows allows for rapid deployment, reducing both time and cost associated with implementation. Experience has shown that selecting technologies with built-in CRM or ERP integration is a significant advantage over those requiring separate integration efforts. Built on Salesforce’s Trust Layer: Einstein Service Agent ensures secure handling of customer data, adhering to relevant regulations. This enhances trust among businesses and their customers, facilitating smoother adoption. GenAI Capabilities: The AI can manage complex, multi-step tasks like processing returns or refunds, and deliver tailored responses based on specific customer needs, enhancing the overall customer experience. Scalability Across Salesforce Clouds: Einstein Service Agent is adaptable to various business needs and can evolve as those needs change. Whether a company expands, introduces new services, or shifts its customer service strategy, the agent can be scaled and customized to maintain long-term value and utility. Challenges in Implementing AI Agents Data Quality and Integration: The effectiveness of AI tools relies heavily on the quality of the data they access. Incomplete, outdated, or poorly maintained data can lead to inaccurate or ineffective responses. To address this, businesses should prioritize data quality through regular audits and ensure comprehensive and up-to-date customer information. Change Management and Employee Training: The introduction of AI can lead to resistance from employees concerned about job displacement or unfamiliarity with new technology. Businesses should invest in change management strategies, including clear communication about AI as a complement to, not a replacement for, human agents. Training programs should focus on helping employees work alongside AI tools, enhancing skills where human judgment and empathy are crucial. Balancing Customer Service: Over-reliance on AI may diminish the personal touch essential in customer service. AI should handle straightforward and repetitive inquiries, while more complex or sensitive issues should be escalated to human agents who can provide personalized responses. Considerations for a Successful Deployment Customization and Flexibility: Tailoring the AI to fit unique processes and customer service requirements may require additional configuration or custom development to align with the company’s goals and service expectations. Ethical and Bias Concerns: AI systems can unintentionally perpetuate biases present in their training data, leading to unfair interactions. Businesses must actively identify and mitigate biases, ensuring that their AI operates fairly and equitably. This includes regularly reviewing training data for biases, implementing safeguards, and maintaining a commitment to ethical AI practices. Customer Acceptance and User Experience: Some customers may be hesitant to interact with AI or have negative perceptions of automated service. To improve acceptance, businesses should design user-friendly AI interactions, ensure transparency, and provide clear options for escalating issues to human agents. Einstein Chatbot Implementing AI agents like Salesforce’s Einstein Service Agent can significantly enhance customer service efficiency, personalization, and scalability. However, businesses must carefully navigate challenges related to data quality, change management, and maintaining trust. A thoughtful approach to AI deployment can transform customer service operations and drive business growth. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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