Salesforce World Tour: Yikes, that was a disaster

Salesforce is a huge multinational and a company I have followed since its first year due to an introduction from Genesys then President. I’ve watched the company raise money and list on the NASDAQ, becoming the go-to CRM company for enterprise and small business alike.

Back then, they were affordable. Today, not so much.

As I arrived at Salesforce World Tour, I thought the out-the-front set-up was cool. While the line was long to register, it moved at a fast pace. Tick.

After walking into the exhibition centre, I could see that there was one thing very evident – that the hall was empty and not just with attendees, but things to see. A waste of time as there was little to keep anyone in the room. Sponsors were light on and exhibitors were discount houses. By that I mean only a handful had any real stand and nothing like what you would see at SAP Sapphire or an Adobe Summit. This was so light and underwhelming that I felt as though Salesforce had totally lost its lustre.

Which got me thinking… is Salesforce cutting costs and therefore making themselves less relevant to the market? Does Salesforce hold a certain level of arrogance and believe that because they now are so big, and deeply entrenched in companies and government, they cannot fall?

When we talk to clients, it is obvious that companies find that Salesforce is overpriced and lacking the functionality of newer technologies around the CRM and marketing automation space. They also don’t understand marketing strategy or sales strategy and are not giving their customers the end-to-end tools needed to be most successful.

Salesforce was my go-to when I started Marketing Eye but after 5 years I found myself saying goodbye. It really did not have the bells and whistles for a marketing agency that would be enticing to ensure that our team used the software. In fact, we found that they were not using it and therefore it was an unnecessary expenditure. Today they use Nimble CRM which by all accounts offers next level CRM and marketing integration.

I also took time while I was there to walk around and talk to people about what they have to offer.

Some pointers:

• No business card and no brochure --- sorry, unless you are totally compelling, I am going to forget you the minute I walk out.
• Scanning my badge is not my cup of tea. I know that within a week you will be hounding my cell phone (and it’s personal!) and your telemarketers won’t give up which is annoying.
• If you just have a screen and nothing else, I don’t need to bother with seeing what you have to offer. I am sure it is online.
• Train your people on the ground before they start presenting your product.
• Having a cheap bag as a promotional product and nothing else just makes me shake my head. Either have nothing or have something.

I could go on, but I won’t.

Now for the cruncher… Tableau. Oh, my lordy! Underwhelmed. Now I know why so many people get excited by Robotic Marketers Digital Dashboard. It’s featureless and does not understand marketing. Surely, with the billions you can get a simple digital dashboard right? There will be more to say about this in the next blog.