Salesforce is the go-to sales CRM solution for most businesses. It's accessible, scalable and offers easy integration. But, what are some of the basic features of Salesforce that make it such a valuable tool? Here are a few examples of how the Salesforce.com CRM helps your business be successful.

Data That's Always Ready

Cleaning up your database and keeping it updated is a mammoth task. A sales CRM is only as good as the data in it, and, with Salesforce, capturing and entering data becomes easier and more streamlined. Your leads, existing customers and other pipeline-related data is at your fingertips. The cost of managing your data should not exceed what you spent on acquiring leads! Plus, with apps like Salesvue, you can see the minute details of each interaction and conversation, so you know exactly where each rep stands.

Automation Without The Hassle

Many sales CRM systems require extra steps or coding to get automation tools up and running, but that's not the case with Salesforce. Salesforce's built-in workflow system, in conjunction with tasks and email reminders, can solve a lot of problems without any extra effort. These include quote approvals, stale-lead alerts, service level agreement (SLA) escalations and automatic renewals. There are several built-in mechanisms that make the reps' and the managers' tasks easier. Plus, there is a wide range of apps and tools available on App Exchange to power your teams (both free and paid apps are available).

Streamlining Marketing + Sales

Salesforce isn't just for sales reps and managers. It's a great tool for the marketing team as well, but there are some basic differences between sales and marketing automation. The first big difference is at the business process level; marketing automation is built around lead cultivation. This comes about by promoting brand awareness and generating demand for the product or services. Sales automation, on the other hand, is about activities, the output of the marketing automation process. Reps end up with quality, qualified leads and contacts who are ready to start a sales conversation. And, when a CRM likes Salesforce is combined with an app like Salesvue, you can measure campaign success and effectiveness, so you know what's working and what isn't. When you find a prospecting tactic that works, you can replicate it for future success. To learn more about how Salesforce and Salesvue can help you increase your sales, download our white paper, "The Math of Sales: Your Formula for Sales Success," by filling out the form below: