Omnichannel Archives - gettectonic.com

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Amadeus and Salesforce Expand Partnership

Amadeus and Salesforce Expand Partnership to Transform Hotel Service Centers Amadeus is deepening its collaboration with Salesforce to develop a next-generation hotel service center, designed to tackle key challenges in hospitality reservations and customer service. Currently in development, this innovative solution integrates Salesforce Service Cloud with Amadeus’ Central Reservations Systems and Guest Interaction solutions, targeting the global hospitality market. Enhancing the Guest Experience and Driving Revenue At its core, the new service center will elevate the Amadeus Central Reservations System (ACRS™) and iHotelier® by streamlining booking experiences and transforming how call center agents assist travelers. Key benefits include: By leveraging intelligent automation and real-time guest insights, hotels can enhance customer interactions, drive incremental revenue, and deliver more tailored experiences. A Flexible, Scalable Solution for All Hotel Operators The new service center is designed for maximum adaptability, enabling hoteliers to seamlessly integrate with Salesforce Service Cloud while scaling from entry-level solutions to advanced implementations. Capabilities range from basic booking and guest profile management to advanced features such as: ✔ Agent task automation for improved efficiency.✔ Ongoing case management to ensure seamless guest support.✔ Omnichannel communications for a unified guest experience. From boutique hotels to global chains, operators can now access enterprise-grade technology tailored to their needs, boosting both service quality and operational efficiency. Leveraging AI and Automation to Empower Hotel Agents Recognizing the potential of Agentforce to enhance productivity, Amadeus is exploring AI-driven automation and intelligent case management to further streamline workflows and optimize customer service operations. Brian Landsman, EVP, Global Business Development and Partnerships at Salesforce, stated: “Building on the success of Amadeus Delphi® on Salesforce, Amadeus has chosen the Salesforce Platform and Agentforce to scale its new Service Center offering. This collaboration empowers customer service representatives with the combined power of Salesforce Service Cloud and Amadeus’ ACRS and iHotelier solutions. We see incredible potential in continuing to bring innovations to our mutual customers.” Peter Waters, Executive Vice President, Hotel IT Solutions at Amadeus, added: “We’re thrilled to expand our partnership with Salesforce to deliver an end-to-end solution that enhances hotel guest services while driving bookings and revenue. By optimizing guest management and service workflows, this next-generation service center will redefine hospitality operations.” Tectonic has additional implemented Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement with Amadeus for marketing automation. About Amadeus Amadeus powers personalized, seamless travel experiences, helping hospitality providers attract, serve, and retain guests. With over 30 years of expertise, Amadeus develops cutting-edge, open software solutions that drive operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. With a presence in 175+ countries, Amadeus is committed to enabling hotels to create unforgettable guest experiences while maximizing revenue opportunities. 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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February 21, 2025in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Service Cloud, Technology0 Comments
B2B Customer Service with Agentforce
12Feb

B2B Customer Service with Agentforce

Simplify and Transform B2B Customer Service with Agentforce B2B customer service is inherently complex. It involves managing layered relationships, high-value transactions, and specialized support needs—all of which require heightened attention to detail. With fewer but larger customers, the stakes are high. In fact, our research shows that 88% of customers are more likely to remain loyal with exceptional service, underscoring the importance of consistently delivering excellence. Enter Agentforce, an AI-powered solution designed to tackle these challenges. By complementing your service reps, Agentforce handles intricate B2B cases autonomously and within your predefined parameters. This ensures reliable 24/7 support for even the toughest queries, reducing rep burnout and enhancing customer satisfaction. Here’s how Agentforce can redefine B2B customer service and take it to the next level: What You’ll Learn What Is B2B Customer Service? B2B customer service focuses on providing personalized support and expertise to other businesses, addressing their unique needs and challenges. This service model aims to build lasting relationships by boosting loyalty, driving repeat business, and encouraging referrals. What Are AI Agents? AI agents like Agentforce are advanced systems capable of understanding and responding to customer inquiries without human involvement. Unlike basic chatbots, Agentforce uses natural language processing (NLP), machine learning, and contextual understanding to provide intelligent, conversational, and personalized support. At the heart of Agentforce is the Atlas Reasoning Engine, which simplifies complex queries, retrieves precise information from your Data Cloud, and creates accurate, reliable action plans—all within your company’s guardrails. Agentforce’s multi-modal understanding allows it to interpret inputs like text, images, and audio, making it a versatile tool for engaging customers. Crucially, Agentforce continuously learns and adapts, ensuring it evolves with your customers’ needs for more accurate, efficient support. Why AI Agents Are Ideal for B2B Customer Service B2B support often involves managing: Agentforce rises to these challenges by providing scalable, round-the-clock support that accommodates time zone differences, personalizes interactions, and resolves intricate inquiries with ease. Top Benefits of AI Agents in B2B Customer Service Use Cases for Agentforce in B2B Customer Service Challenges of Implementing AI Agents—and How to Solve Them 5 Best Practices for Success Ready to Elevate Your B2B Customer Service? Agentforce empowers your business to deliver consistent, reliable, and scalable support—around the clock. By handling complex interactions and reducing workload on service reps, it builds stronger customer relationships and positions your company for long-term success. 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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February 12, 2025in Data, Salesforce0 Comments
Opportunity Scoring with Einstein
22Jan

Agentforce Versus Einstein

Salesforce offers a variety of tools and platforms to help businesses manage customer relationships, automate processes, and leverage AI for better decision-making. Two of its prominent offerings in the customer service and AI space are Service Cloud (Agent Console) and Einstein AI. Here’s a comparison of Agent Console (part of Service Cloud) and Einstein: 1. Salesforce Agent Console (Service Cloud) The Agent Console is a core component of Salesforce’s Service Cloud, which is designed to help customer service agents manage cases, interactions, and customer data efficiently. Key Features: Use Case: The Agent Console is ideal for customer service teams that need a centralized platform to manage customer interactions and resolve issues quickly. 2. Salesforce Einstein Einstein is Salesforce’s AI platform that integrates artificial intelligence across Salesforce products, including Service Cloud, Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and more. It provides predictive analytics, automation, and personalized recommendations. Key Features: Use Case: Einstein is ideal for organizations looking to leverage AI to enhance customer service, improve decision-making, and automate routine tasks. Agent Console vs. Einstein: Key Differences Feature/Aspect Agent Console (Service Cloud) Einstein AI Purpose Centralized platform for managing customer service operations. AI-powered insights, automation, and personalization. Core Functionality Case management, omnichannel support, and agent productivity tools. Predictive analytics, chatbots, and AI-driven recommendations. Automation Workflow automation for case management and task routing. AI bots and automated responses for customer inquiries. Insights Basic reporting and analytics for agent performance. Advanced predictive analytics and AI-driven insights. Integration Part of Service Cloud, focused on customer service. Integrated across Salesforce products (Sales, Service, Marketing, etc.). User Interaction Primarily used by customer service agents. Used by agents, managers, and customers (via bots). How They Work Together The Agent Console and Einstein are not mutually exclusive; they complement each other. For example: Which One Should You Use? In many cases, businesses use both together to create a seamless, AI-enhanced customer service experience. 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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January 22, 2025in Artificial Intelligence, Data, Einstein Insights, Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein
Agentforce for Retail
17Jan

Agentforce for Retail

Salesforce Introduces Agentforce for Retail and Retail Cloud with Modern POS Just ahead of the National Retail Federation (NRF) conference in New York, Salesforce has announced Agentforce for Retail and Retail Cloud with Modern POS, further expanding its AI-driven capabilities into the retail sector. This launch underscores Salesforce’s commitment to leveraging agentic AI to enhance productivity and streamline retail operations. Saks Fifth Avenue and SharkNinja: Early Adopters Retail giants like Saks Fifth Avenue and SharkNinja are among the first to test Agentforce for Retail, showcasing its potential to redefine customer engagement and operational efficiency in the industry. Agentforce for Retail Agentforce for Retail equips businesses with a library of pre-built AI agent skills tailored specifically for retail use cases, delivering what Salesforce calls “digital labor.” These skills are designed to simplify routine tasks, freeing up human employees to focus on higher-value activities. New Pre-Built Skills These tools aim to help retailers deploy AI agents efficiently, improving customer satisfaction and operational scalability. Retail Cloud with Modern POS Retail Cloud with Modern POS consolidates online and offline inventory data into a single, unified platform, empowering retailers with modern tools for seamless customer experiences. Key Features Retail Cloud integrates seamlessly with Commerce Cloud, Service Cloud, and Order Management, ensuring a cohesive ecosystem for retailers. Why This Matters This dual announcement highlights Salesforce’s strategy to embed Agentforce as a foundational capability across its multi-cloud architecture, while also tailoring solutions for specific industries like retail. “Together, AI-fueled digital labor and a modern POS can unlock a new scale of operational capacity for retailers,” said Nitin Mangtani, Salesforce SVP and GM of Retail, in a press release. With Agentforce for Retail, Salesforce empowers brands to embrace AI-driven automation while modernizing their point-of-sale systems, enabling a seamless blend of personalized customer engagement and operational excellence. 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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January 17, 2025in Agentforce Platform, Agentic AI, Data, Salesforce
Rise of Agentforce
03Jan

How Agentforce Augments Marketing Cloud

Key Features of Salesforce Agentforce for Marketing and Marketers AI-Powered Assistance: Agentforce leverages AI to automate and optimize marketing tasks, allowing your team to focus on strategic initiatives. From generating campaign plans to analyzing metrics, Agentforce acts as your trusted assistant working around the clock with nary a coffee break. Omnichannel Support: Engage with customers across multiple platforms, including email, social media, and messaging apps like WhatsApp. Agentforce ensures a consistent and personalized experience at every touchpoint. Recognizing your prospect and customer throughout every interaction. Real-Time Analytics and Reporting: Gain in-depth insights into your marketing performance with real-time analytics. Agentforce helps you track key metrics and make data-driven decisions to improve your campaigns. Integration with Salesforce CRM: Seamlessly connect Agentforce with your existing Salesforce CRM to leverage customer data and create more targeted and effective marketing strategies. Proactive Customer Engagement: Agentforce enables personalized, two-way conversations with customers, helping you build deeper relationships and reduce churn through proactive retention strategies. Added Value of Integrating Agentforce with Salesforce Marketing Cloud The integration of Agentforce with the Salesforce Marketing Cloud platform, whether you choose the Growth or Advanced edition, brings several benefits: Enhanced Personalization: With the power of AI and unified customer profiles, you can deliver highly personalized content and offers across every customer interaction. Scalability and Efficiency: The Growth edition supports companies looking to scale their marketing efforts with powerful data tools and content management features. The Advanced edition offers additional tools for deeper insights and more sophisticated customer engagement strategies. Seamless Campaign Management: Both editions provide tools to create, deploy, and adapt campaigns faster, with Agentforce helping to surface insights, define strategy, and generate content. Improved Customer Journeys: Use intelligent reprioritization and real-time interaction management to enhance customer journeys and drive better engagement. Elevating Customer Experience with AI-Powered Marketing Offering a great product or service is important—but have you considered how your customers feel when they engage with your brand? Beyond features and pricing, the real differentiator is the experience you create. How the customer experiences your company can be more impactful than how they experience your product or service. Salesforce research reveals that 80% of customers value their experience with a company as much as the products or services themselves. It’s not just about what you have to offer; it’s about how you make people feel at every interaction. Because in today’s competitive marketplace, customers don’t just buy products—they invest in experiences. In the go-to-market space, Salesforce Agentforce is redefining the Marketing Cloud experience by making customer interactions more intelligent, personalized, and human-like than ever before—all powered by AI. Imagine a marketing strategy where every interaction—every click, every purchase—delivers actionable insights instead of guesswork. This is the future of AI-driven marketing. In fact, recent research found that nearly half (46%) of financial services firms leveraging AI report enhanced customer experiences. With AI-driven automation, conversational intelligence, and predictive analytics, Agentforce helps businesses engage customers at the right time, in the right way, and on the right platform—building deeper, more meaningful relationships. Salesforce’s Ongoing Relationship with Data Since pioneering cloud-based CRM in 1999, Salesforce has been relentless in its pursuit of data-driven experiences. Over time, its capabilities have expanded far beyond traditional CRM, culminating in the Salesforce Data Cloud—a unified data platform that consolidates insights across Sales, Service, Commerce, and Marketing. Data, especially the data we use for ongoing marketing, lives in various platforms like email, advertising tools, social media, analytics, CRMs, and perhaps even spreadsheets. And it is completely unstructured. What began as a Data Management Platform has evolved into a real-time decision-making engine. By integrating Agentforce AI, Data Cloud moves beyond just storing information—it enables businesses to act on real-time insights with automation and intelligence that move deals closer to the goalpost. Meet Agentforce: Humanizing AI in Marketing Cloud At the heart of AI-driven marketing transformation is quality data—which is why Einstein AI is built on Salesforce Data Cloud. “AI is only as good as the data that powers it, and Salesforce is where thousands of companies across industries manage their sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT data,” says Jayesh Govindarajan, Salesforce SVP of AI & Machine Learning. “That’s an advantage for Salesforce customers because they can use their existing data to create and deliver AI-generated content at scale, seamlessly within their current workflows.” With Agentforce, businesses go beyond access to data—they gain an AI partner that understands how to foster authentic customer connections. How AI is Humanizing the Marketing Experience Instead of generic messaging, Agentforce crafts and delivers hyper-personalized content, offers, and recommendations—at scale. The Future of AI-Driven Marketing is Here With Agentforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, and Einstein GPT, businesses can move beyond static campaigns and embrace dynamic, AI-driven experiences that feel authentic, intuitive, and deeply personal. The next era of marketing isn’t just about automation—it’s about delivering humanized AI experiences that drive lasting customer relationships. The evolution of Einstein, GPT, AI, and Data on top of a powerful marketing platform is the future of AI-driven marketing. 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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January 3, 2025in Agentforce Platform, Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud
Tools to Liberate Salesforce Data
23Dec

Student Experience Modernization

Transforming the Student Journey: Utah State University Launches ‘OneUSU CRM’ with Salesforce Utah State University (USU) proudly announces the launch of OneUSU CRM, an AI-driven Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing Automation Platform built on Salesforce Education Cloud for Student Experience Modernization. This forward-thinking initiative is set to transform the student experience by simplifying services, enhancingfor engagement, and creating personalized educational journeys for all students—from prospective applicants to lifelong alumni. “USU is redefining student support, starting from the first interaction as prospective students to ongoing engagement as alumni,” said Margo Martinez, VP & GM of Education at Salesforce. “With their AI-powered engagement platform, USU is enabling deeper collaboration among faculty and staff, delivering holistic, personalized support, and strengthening lifelong relationships with students. These efforts will enhance retention and institutional impact.” Breaking Down Silos for a Unified Experience For years, USU’s student data and communication systems operated independently, resulting in fragmented processes. OneUSU CRM consolidates these disparate systems into a single, unified platform, providing a 360-degree view of students and donors. This comprehensive approach enables USU to offer seamless, student-centric experiences, streamline processes, and improve service delivery across the university. “Implementing Salesforce as an enterprise solution will revolutionize how we operate,” said Bill Plate, VP of Marketing and Communications at USU. “It will foster unprecedented collaboration across the university, breaking down silos, enhancing communication, and allowing us to better engage with students and alumni. The result is an elevated experience that strengthens our institutional impact.” The Lifecycle Connection The CRM will connect every touchpoint in the student lifecycle—from recruitment and admissions to active alumni engagement. This integration provides actionable insights to better serve stakeholders, boost enrollment, improve retention, and cultivate stronger relationships with alumni and donors. The initiative aligns with USU’s mission to leverage data for meaningful improvements in the university experience. “This project lays the groundwork for USU to provide personalized support at every stage of the student lifecycle,” added Niel Nickolaisen, USU’s IT Director. “By making comprehensive data accessible to those best positioned to assist, we are better equipped to meet students’ needs, enhance their learning journey, and create stronger institutional bonds.” Four Pillars of Transformation in Student Experience Modernization The OneUSU CRM initiative will roll out in four key phases over 18 months, each focusing on a core area: Guiding Implementation USU’s Operational Strategy division will oversee the rollout, with cross-divisional teams led by Rene Eborn spearheading the transition to Salesforce Education Cloud. By adopting agile principles, minimizing customizations, and redesigning legacy processes, USU is committed to a smooth and effective implementation. “After an extensive analysis, we’re ready to transform and simplify services for our students and community,” noted Eborn. “This initiative will reimagine how we operate, ensuring a seamless transition and delivering optimal performance across the university.” Driving Institutional Impact The project began in November, with the first phase launching in summer 2025. Each phase will build on the previous one, and progress updates will be shared regularly. “This initiative is an opportunity to streamline processes and create a connected experience for students, faculty, and alumni,” said Eric Hawley, CIO at USU. “By improving data, communication, and marketing with a student-first focus, we aim to boost enrollment and retention, shorten time to graduation, and foster lasting relationships with alumni and donors.” Student Experience Modernization Students, faculty, and staff can expect a more connected, responsive campus environment. Detailed updates and training opportunities will be provided to ensure a smooth transition. Student Experience Modernization. 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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December 23, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Marketing Automation, Salesforce, Salesforce Education Cloud
Sales Incentives That Work
31Oct

Sales Incentives That Work

Sales Incentives That Actually Work Spooktacular Sales incentives to kick off your Halloween. Sales Incentives That Work are an essential tool to encourage and reward desired behaviors within a sales team. They serve as a motivational driver, helping teams achieve their goals while reinforcing the company’s objectives. Incentivizing a team goes beyond merely showing up for work—it involves sparking enthusiasm and a genuine drive to exceed expectations. With the right incentive program, companies can energize their teams, ensuring they come to work motivated and ready to achieve results. Below is a guide on different types of sales incentives, their impact on performance, and best practices for creating an effective incentive program. What Are Sales Incentives? Sales incentives are rewards offered to sales representatives in addition to their base pay for exceptional performance, typically when they meet or exceed sales targets. While monetary rewards such as bonuses are common, sales incentives can take many forms, all aimed at motivating the sales force toward specific goals. Types of Sales Incentives There are five main categories of sales incentives, each tailored to motivate different roles and sales activities: How Sales Incentives Motivate a Team Sales incentives work by reinforcing the behaviors a company wants its team to prioritize. For highly competitive reps, the prospect of a reward adds an extra layer of motivation. For others who may not be as driven by competition, incentives provide tangible goals to strive toward. Moreover, well-structured incentive programs can enhance job satisfaction, decrease turnover, and ensure top performers stay motivated. 10 Effective Sales Incentives While monetary rewards are often the most straightforward incentive, incorporating a mix of creative rewards can enhance a company’s incentive program. Some ideas include: Best Practices for Implementing Sales Incentives A well-designed sales incentive program ensures both clarity and motivation. Some best practices for implementation include: Measuring the Impact of Sales Incentives To gauge the success of a sales incentive program, companies should track key performance indicators (KPIs) like overall sales, new and returning customer numbers, program costs versus ROI, employee turnover, and employee satisfaction. Monitoring these metrics ensures that the program aligns with both sales goals and employee satisfaction. Tectonic’s Final Thoughts Sales incentives are an effective way to drive performance and boost morale. By designing a simple, clear, and motivating incentive program, companies can align their sales goals with individual motivation, ensuring both business success and employee satisfaction. If you need assistance utilizing sales incentives and your Salesforce platform, contact Tectonic today. 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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October 31, 2024in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Sales Cloud
Revolution Customer Service with Agentforce
08Oct

Revolution Customer Service with Agentforce

Agentforce stole the spotlight at Dreamforce, but it’s not just about replacing human workers. Equally significant for Service Cloud was the focus on how AI can be leveraged to make agents, dispatchers, and field service technicians more productive and proactive. Join a conversation to unpack the latest Sales Cloud innovations, with a spotlight on Agentforce for sales followed by a Q&A with Salesblazers. During the Dreamforce Service Cloud keynote, GM Kishan Chetan emphasized the dramatic shift over the past year, with AI moving from theoretical to practical applications. He challenged customer service leaders to embrace AI agents, highlighting that AI-driven solutions can transform customer service from delivering “good” benefits to achieving exponential growth. He noted that AI agents are capable of handling common customer requests like tech support, scheduling, and general inquiries, as well as more complex tasks such as de-escalation, billing inquiries, and even cross-selling and upselling. In practice, research by Valoir shows that most Service Cloud customers are still in the early stages of AI adoption, particularly with generative AI. While progress has accelerated recently, most companies are only seeing incremental gains in individual productivity rather than the exponential improvements highlighted at Dreamforce. To achieve those higher-level returns, customers must move beyond simple automation and summarization to AI-driven transformation, powered by Agentforce. Chetan and his team outlined four key steps to make this transition. “Agentforce represents the Third Wave of AI—advancing beyond copilots to a new era of highly accurate, low-hallucination intelligent agents that actively drive customer success. Unlike other platforms, Agentforce is a revolutionary and trusted solution that seamlessly integrates AI across every workflow, embedding itself deeply into the heart of the customer journey. This means anticipating needs, strengthening relationships, driving growth, and taking proactive action at every touchpoint,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “While others require you to DIY your AI, Agentforce offers a fully tailored, enterprise-ready platform designed for immediate impact and scalability. With advanced security features, compliance with industry standards, and unmatched flexibility. Our vision is bold: to empower one billion agents with Agentforce by the end of 2025. This is what AI is meant to be.” In contrast to now-outdated copilots and chatbots that rely on human requests and strugglewith complex or multi-step tasks, Agentforce offers a new level of sophistication by operating autonomously, retrieving the right data on demand, building action plans for any task, and executing these plans without requiring human intervention. Like a self-driving car, Agentforce uses real-time data to adapt to changing conditions and operates independently within an organizations’ customized guardrails, ensuring every customer interaction is informed, relevant, and valuable. And when desired, Agentforce seamlessly hands off to human employees with a summary of the interaction, an overview of the customer’s details, and recommendations for what to do next. Deploy AI agents across channelsAgentforce Service Agent is more than a chatbot—it’s an autonomous AI agent capable of handling both simple and complex requests, understanding text, video, and audio. Customers were invited to build their own Service Agents during Dreamforce, and many took up the challenge. Service-related agents are a natural fit, as research shows Service Cloud customers are generally more prepared for AI adoption due to the volume and quality of customer data available in their CRM systems. Turn insights into actionLaunching in October 2024, Customer Experience Intelligence provides an omnichannel supervisor Wall Board that allows supervisors to monitor conversations in real time, complete with sentiment scores and organized metrics by topics and regions. Supervisors can then instruct Service Agent to dive into root causes, suggest proactive messaging, or even offer discounts. This development represents the next stage of Service Intelligence, combining Data Cloud, Tableau, and Einstein Conversation Mining to give supervisors real-time insights. It mirrors capabilities offered by traditional contact center vendors like Verint, which also blend interaction, sentiment, and other data in real time—highlighting the convergence of contact centers and Service Cloud service operations. Empower teams to become trusted advisorsSalesforce continues to navigate the delicate balance between digital and human agents, especially within Service Cloud. The key lies in the intelligent handoff of customer data when escalating from a digital agent to a human agent. Service Planner guides agents step-by-step through issue resolution, powered by Unified Knowledge. The demo also showcased how Service Agent can merge Commerce and Service by suggesting agents offer complimentary items from a customer’s shopping cart. Enable field teams to be proactiveSalesforce also announced improvements in field service, designed to help dispatchers and field service agents operate more proactively and efficiently. Agentforce for Dispatchers enhances the ability to address urgent appointments quickly. Asset Service Prediction leverages AI to forecast asset failures and upcoming service needs, while AI-generated prework briefs provide field techs with asset health scores and critical information before they arrive on site. Setting a clear roadmap for adopting Agentforce across these four areas is an essential step toward helping customers realize more than just incremental gains in their service operations. Equally important will be helping customers develop a data strategy that harnesses the power of Data Cloud and Salesforce’s partner ecosystem, enabling a truly data-driven service experience. Investments in capabilities like My Service Journeys will also be critical in guiding customers through the process of identifying which AI features will deliver the greatest returns for their specific needs. Agentforce leverages Salesforce’s generative AI, like Einstein GPT, to automate routine tasks, provide real-time insights, and offer personalized recommendations, enhancing efficiency and enabling agents to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Agentforce is not just another traditional chatbot; it is a next-generation, AI-powered solution that understands complex queries and acts autonomously to enhance operational efficiency. Unlike conventional chatbots, Agentforce is intelligent and adaptive, capable of managing a wide range of customer issues with precision. It offers 24/7 support, responds in a natural, human-like manner, and seamlessly escalates to human agents when needed and redefining customer service by delivering faster, smarter, and more effective support experiences. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM

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October 8, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Salesforce, Unified Knowledge
Competitive Landscape of Retail
04Oct

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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October 4, 2024in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Automation, Salesforce Sales Cloud
Sales Incentives Can Boost Morale and Performance
03Oct

Sales Incentives Can Boost Morale and Performance

Showing up to work is one thing, but bringing genuine enthusiasm to the job is another. How can you motivate your team to meet and exceed their goals? Sales incentives are a powerful tool to ignite motivation, but they aren’t one-size-fits-all. Figuring out the best structure for your team can lead to more energized, results-driven reps. In this Tectonic insight, we’ll explore different types of sales incentives, how they motivate teams, and best practices for implementing an effective incentive program that drives real results. What are Sales Incentives? Sales incentives are rewards given to sales reps, in addition to their base compensation, for exceptional performance. This often means hitting or exceeding sales targets. While financial bonuses are the most common, incentives can come in many forms, all designed to motivate specific behaviors or outcomes. Types of Sales Incentives Here are five common types of sales incentives to consider: How Sales Incentives Motivate Your Team Sales incentives help reinforce desired behaviors, offering a clear path to rewards. They provide a mutual win: your company increases sales, while reps enjoy additional rewards. Many sales professionals are naturally driven by competition, but incentives give everyone, competitive or not, something tangible to work toward. Incentives also boost employee satisfaction, reduce turnover, and show that you value hard work. This can save your organization the cost and hassle of recruiting and onboarding new talent. Sales Incentives That Actually Work While money is the most popular reward, mixing in creative incentives can add excitement to your program. Consider these options: Best Practices for Implementing Sales Incentives To create an effective sales incentive program, keep these points in mind: Measuring the Impact of Sales Incentives on Performance To assess the effectiveness of your incentive program, track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as: Sales Incentives Can Boost Morale and Performance The key to a successful sales incentive program is simplicity and transparency. By crafting a plan that’s easy to understand and aligned with your team’s motivations, you can drive better performance and improve job satisfaction at the same time. 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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October 3, 2024in Data, Technology
Salesforce and the Customer-Centric Dealership
03Oct

Salesforce and the Customer-Centric Dealership

Building Blocks for a Customer-Centric Dealership For a dealership to thrive, it must be truly customer-centric. As a Salesforce Implementation Partner, we at Tectonic know the key to success lies in prioritizing customer needs at every step. Growth, profitability, and market expansion come from consistently putting customers at the center of your strategies. Tectonic can help you implement Salesforce and the Customer-Centric Dealership. Customers as the Ultimate Scorekeepers Your customers are the true measure of your dealership’s success. Their evaluations extend far beyond pricing—they assess every touchpoint, from your website’s ease of use to the cleanliness of your parking lot, from your voicemail system to post-sale follow-ups. Each interaction shapes their perception. A single negative encounter, such as a poor experience with a parts associate, may not drive them away, but it certainly won’t motivate them to return. Creating positive, seamless interactions is crucial. Optimizing Customer-Centric Processes Are your processes truly serving your customers? Are they complimenting your dealership’s efficiency? Take something as routine as monthly statements. While they may be straightforward for your team, have you considered your customers’ perspectives? They may not even want a statement, or they might need quicker, more accessible responses to their inquiries. As customer expectations rise due to experiences with brands like Amazon and Starbucks, your dealership must ensure its processes meet or exceed those standards. A Customer portal like Salesforce Experience Cloud can put resources at your customers’ fingertips with the click of a button. Treating Customer Data as a Strategic Asset Customer data is one of your dealership’s most valuable assets. Yet, many dealerships struggle to fully utilize this resource. Are you effectively visualizing and leveraging your customer data? This data, gathered over years of operation, can drive strategic decision-making. To maximize its potential, it’s crucial to have a dedicated role—perhaps a Chief Data Officer—focused on managing, updating, and safeguarding this information. A well-managed data strategy unlocks insights that fuel customer-centric improvements. Letting Data Shape Your Processes With Salesforce, you can use customer data to quickly identify inefficiencies and enhance processes. Streamlined operations lead to happier customers and a more engaged team. For instance, if your manufacturer can deliver most parts within 24 hours, why maintain an overstocked inventory? By analyzing your inventory data, Salesforce can help you identify which parts are essential and which are surplus, allowing you to optimize stock levels and ensure smoother operations. Aligning your inventory with actual demand ensures your dealership functions efficiently, keeping both your customers and staff satisfied. Expert Guidance in Leveraging Salesforce for Growth Adopting a customer-centric approach and utilizing Salesforce to analyze and act on your data can transform your dealership. As your Salesforce Implementation Partner, we’re here to help you integrate these solutions to meet and exceed customer expectations while driving growth and profitability. Together, we can build a dealership that not only competes but thrives in today’s competitive market. With the future of AI, the connected car, and more; there has never been a betrter time to add Salesforce to your customer-centric tool box. Reach out to schedule an introductory call and start your journey toward a more customer-centric future. 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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October 3, 2024in Data, Google, Salesforce, Salesforce Experience Cloud
Marketing Cloud and Generative AI
02Oct

Marketing Cloud and Generative AI

Generative AI and Salesforce: Revolutionizing Digital Marketing with Einstein AI Generative AI is a form of Artificial Intelligence that learns from existing content to generate new, creative outputs. Salesforce has long been at the forefront of AI innovation, primarily through its Einstein assistant, which has evolved to offer increasingly sophisticated solutions over time. Artificial Intelligence: Key Concepts Before diving into Salesforce’s AI capabilities, let’s clarify some foundational concepts. Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the creation of intelligent systems that can learn and reason autonomously. Within AI, Machine Learning (ML) plays a crucial role by enabling computers to learn from data and improve over time without explicit programming. ML models fall into two broad categories: Deep Learning and Neural Networks A more advanced subset of ML is Deep Learning, which uses neural networks to process large amounts of data and make autonomous decisions. Deep Learning powers technologies like voice assistants (e.g., Alexa or Siri), which can recognize speech and execute tasks. A specific application within Deep Learning is Generative AI, capable of autonomously creating new content based on learned patterns from vast datasets. Another critical AI system is the Foundational Model, which is trained on enormous amounts of unstructured data from across the web, including text, images, and videos. These models offer a wide range of capabilities, such as generating text, answering questions, creating designs, or solving complex problems. Salesforce Marketing Cloud and AI Salesforce has utilizeded AI through its Einstein platform, which has evolved over time to offer a variety of data-driven tools. For example, Sent Time Optimization uses customer data to determine the best time to send emails to maximize engagement. AI Tools in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Salesforce offers several AI-powered tools for Marketing Cloud to help businesses leverage data for personalization and efficiency: The Einstein Trust Layer: AI in Salesforce CRM Einstein is the first generative AI model integrated into a CRM, and Salesforce refers to its AI process as the Einstein Trust Layer. Here’s how it works: Marketing Applications of Salesforce AI Tools Salesforce’s AI tools can be applied across omnichannel marketing campaigns to hyper-personalize communication, increasing conversion rates and customer engagement. Predictive analytics also allow businesses to optimize cross-selling and upselling, offering tailored product recommendations based on customer behavior. Chatbots powered by AI further enhance productivity by interacting in natural language, collecting leads, suggesting products, and resolving customer inquiries. Salesforce’s Commitment to AI in Digital Marketing Salesforce has been a pioneer in AI, continually expanding its capabilities through Einstein. With the latest AI tools for Marketing Cloud, businesses can now interact with customers more precisely, boost engagement, and optimize purchase predictions—paving the way for a new era in digital marketing. 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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October 2, 2024in AI Tools, Artificial Intelligence, Data, Generative AI, Salesforce, Salesforce Marketing Cloud

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