The rollout of Salesforce Foundations has shattered the glass ceiling for what’s possible for many business operations. But what is Salesforce Foundations?
Let’s break it down and offer practical examples of how these features can be leveraged to increase your productivity and transform your CRM.
In this article:
- What is Salesforce Foundations
- Game-changing features Salesforce Foundations puts at your disposal
- Real-world examples of businesses leveraging these tools to succeed.
- Help maximize and adopt these new features.
What is Salesforce Foundations?
Foundations is a new Salesforce service tier that integrates a powerful suite of features into Sales Cloud and Service Cloud—all at no additional cost.
These enhancements have the potential to unify sales, service, marketing, commerce, and data management tools into one comprehensive platform. It has also extended powerful additions to the Salesforce ecosystem, such as Pay Now, Omni-Channel Routing and Agentforce.
If you’ve been around Salesforce as long as we have, you’ll likely understand how important this update is for streamlining operations, enhancing customer engagement, and unlocking an accurate 360-degree view of their customers.
If you are considering activating Foundations for your CRM instance, this walkthrough on its features will help you know what to expect.
Example Case Study of Foundations Features
Meet Apex Outfitters, our Example Company for Salesforce Foundations. To bring these features to life, we’ll explore how our fictitious business “Apex Outfitters,” a growing outdoor gear retailer, transformed its operations after using Salesforce Foundations.
Sales Cloud Features: Boost Engagement
Pay Now: A Game-Changer for Sales Cloud
Salesforce’s introduction of the Pay Now feature within Foundations is revolutionary.
Pay Now is a streamlined payment solution that simplifies the payment collection process, allowing you to embed payment links directly into the Salesforce app and making it simple to receive payments quickly and effortlessly.
“The fact Salesforce is now offering the Pay Now feature for free within Foundations is a big deal—it’s a game-changer for streamlining transactions without the need for additional payment solutions.”
Darrel Niemann, CRMNinjas Founder
Previously, businesses needed third-party payment solutions or costly upgrades to access the Pay Now features, but Foundations is bringing them to thousands of Salesforce instances at no extra cost.
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Pay Now allows businesses to provide payment links in proposals or quotes, simplifying transaction completion. | Pay Now simplifies payments and builds customer trust through secure transactions. Thus, businesses can focus on revenue growth rather than chasing unpaid invoices. While the feature is free, companies should be mindful of potential merchant fees associated with payment processing. |
Case Study Example
For Apex Outfitters, a retailer specializing in outdoor gear, Pay Now has dramatically reduced payment delays from their B2B clients. By incorporating payment links directly in their quotes, they’ve streamlined the payment process, improving their cash flow and eliminating the need for manual follow-ups.
Service Cloud Enhancements
Omni-Channel Routing
The availability of Omni-Channel Routing is a cornerstone service feature of Salesforce Foundations. By directing inbound inquiries to the most qualified agent, this tool ensures customers receive the right help at the right time.
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Omni-Channel Routing automatically matches incoming support cases with agents based on skills, workload, or availability. | This feature reduces delays, ensures efficient resource allocation, and enhances customer satisfaction—all key to building lasting customer relationships. |
Case Study Example
The support team at Apex Outfitters uses Omni-Channel Routing to manage technical queries about climbing equipment. By routing these cases to agents with specific expertise, they’ve improved resolution times and built customer trust.
Agentforce: Revolutionizing Customer Engagement with AI
Salesforce Foundations introduces Agentforce, a suite of AI-driven tools designed to elevate customer engagement and support.
By leveraging conversational AI, businesses can automate routine interactions, enhance personalization, and streamline customer service processes.
AI-Powered Agents
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Conversational AI agents assist customers and support staff by handling common inquiries, reducing the workload on human agents. | Delivers quick, accurate responses to customers while cutting down on support costs. |
Case Study Example
AI agents manage Apex’s frequently asked questions, such as store hours or return policies, allowing human agents to focus on more complex issues.
Configurable Service Agent
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| A customizable AI solution that businesses can tailor to meet specific needs. | Builds customer trust and enhances satisfaction through meaningful, personalized interactions. |
Case Study Example
AI agents provide personalized product recommendations based on customer preferences, creating a tailored shopping experience.
Agent & Prompt Builders
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Tools that allow businesses to create and deploy AI-driven interactions with ease. | Boosts customer confidence and drives sales by offering expert-like guidance. |
Case Study Example
Customized AI prompts help customers choose the right gear for specific activities, such as hiking or skiing, simplifying the decision-making process.
Free Agentforce & Foundations Readiness Audit
Explore how Agentforce can transform your customer interactions—book your free 30-minute consultation with CRMNinjas today!
Marketing Cloud Features
Email Campaigns: Creating Personalized Connections
Personalized marketing is critical to building strong customer relationships. Salesforce Foundations enables businesses to create tailored email campaigns directly within Salesforce Flows, fostering engagement and driving conversions.
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| An easy-to-use tool for designing, executing, and managing email campaigns with built-in automation. | Businesses can stay top-of-mind with their customers by delivering relevant, timely content, enhancing loyalty and driving repeat business. |
Case Study Example
Seasonal campaigns have become a key strategy for Apex Outfitters. By promoting winter jackets and camping equipment during peak seasons, they’ve boosted customer interest and driven sales.
Targeted Segmentation: Reaching the Right Audience
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Salesforce Foundations’ targeted segmentation allows businesses to categorize audiences based on specific criteria, such as purchase history or geographic location, for precise marketing efforts. | This laser-focused approach increases marketing ROI and builds stronger customer relationships by showing customers you understand their unique needs. |
Case Study Example
Using segmentation, Apex Outfitters markets region-specific outdoor gear, like hiking boots for mountain enthusiasts and waterproof jackets for coastal adventurers.
Data Cloud Upgrades
Unified Customer Profiles: A 360-Degree View
Salesforce Foundations aggregates data from across your organization into a single customer profile, delivering unparalleled insights.
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Unified Customer Profiles combine data from e-commerce, in-store purchases, marketing campaigns, and more to offer a complete view of customer behavior. | With a single source of truth, businesses can provide personalized service and make informed decisions, ultimately improving customer satisfaction. |
Case Study Example
By analyzing unified profiles, Apex Outfitters identified trends among frequent buyers, allowing them to offer personalized product recommendations and exclusive deals.
Data Services & Storage: Actionable Insights
| What It Is | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Foundations include robust data storage and processing capabilities, enabling advanced analytics. | Actionable insights empower businesses to plan better, reduce waste, and meet customer expectations. |
Case Study Example
The team used data trends to forecast inventory needs for an upcoming hiking season, ensuring they stayed ahead of customer demand.
Foundational Change for Your Salesforce Instance
As showcased by Apex Outfitters, Salesforce Foundations is a game-changer for businesses seeking to streamline operations and provide personalized experiences.
Whether you’re improving payment workflows, segmenting audiences, or leveraging AI to support your customers, Salesforce Foundations equips your business to excel in a competitive landscape.
Book a Free, 30-minute Salesforce Audit & Alignment
Curious about how Salesforce Foundations—or any other CRM solutions—can fit your business needs?
Skip the Salesforce sales funnel and take control of your CRM strategy with direct, honest insights from the experts at CRMNinjas, all in a free, 30-minute Salesforce Audit & Alignment session.
Free Salesforce Audit & Alignment Session
- Discuss your unique use cases and goals with a certified Salesforce professional.
- Receive a tailored assessment of how tools like Salesforce Foundations or Agentforce could align with your business needs.
- Explore alternative solutions, including integrations like ChatGPT, if they better suit your objectives.
This is your opportunity to get an unbiased, expert review of your CRM strategy—no strings attached.
Let’s explore how we can align Salesforce (or other solutions) with your vision to maximize results.
