If you work for a company that uses Salesforce, then you’ve been given an opportunity to lead in your organization. If you think I’m crazy, just here me out for a few minutes.
No organization ever bought Salesforce to allow their employees to be mediocre with it. When a company makes an investment in the application, it’s usually attached to grand visions of big productivity gains, increased revenue streams, visibility into the sales pipeline, and general “magic”. All of this is possible with the application, but perhaps that level of energy has not trickled down to your day to day operations.
Tip #1 – Be “That Guy”
When I say “That Guy”, I mean, the enthusiastic person on the team that champions use of Salesforce. The guy who puts things in Salesforce systematically and on purpose. By being “That Guy”, you’re the one that the people running the project want on their side and want to have more confidence in. Don’t be a naysayer, be the opposite. Learn everything you can about the application. Attend every training and ask to be trained in some admin tasks. Train your peers. Be their dream user.
Tip #2 – Be the best – On Paper
Every company implementing Salesforce wants to measure things. Find out what your company is measuring and figure out how to be the best in those categories. If someone is outperforming you, but it’s not in Salesforce, than as far as you’re concerned (and the leadership), it didn’t happen. Log every call. Send every email through the system. Keep up on your data every day. (See my other blog on Checklists for more ideas). You don’t need a fancy gamification application to create your own personal goals and play that game.
Tip #3 – Build Your Community
You’re not alone. Seek out your local Salesforce Users’ Group and ask permission to attend. Setup a community profile and ask questions to Salesforce Answers. Get on Twitter, follow the Salesforce MVPs to get started. Beg to go to Dreamforce. Start reading as many blogs as possible. Leave comments, and ask questions. Get involved and you’ll realized that there are many people out there in the same position as you, and willing to help and share what they’ve learned. Here’s a few helpful links:
Conclusion
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither is your promotion. Be consistent. Consistently champion Salesforce and consistently figure out how to be the best. Always keep learning. What is the best may change over time. Adapt and be a leader. Your managers will notice.
Does your organization have Salesforce and no plan to implement it? Is it floating in space with no defined performance metrics? Is it hard to use because it was poorly designed? Contact us, we’re always happy to talk about Salesforce. We might even be able to give you enough tips in 15 minutes to help you do more than you ever have.
One more thing – if by any chance you’ve received a promotion during your career because of Salesforce please leave a comment, we’d love to hear your story!
