Slack is one of the most popular workplace communications platforms, while Salesforce is one of the world’s leading Customer Relationship Management Systems(CRMs). When you use both of these solutions together, you may strengthen customer connections and streamline communication across your core organizational units.
In this in-depth article, you will get to know about Salesforce Slack Integration, along with the considerations you should have in mind during the process and the main challenges customers see while using Salesforce Slack together.
Table of Contents
Introduction to Salesforce
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Salesforce is a CRM software vendor that uses SaaS (Software as a Service). It enables companies to connect with customers, partners, and other enterprises. Customers are at the center of every business, and Salesforce makes it easier for businesses to communicate with existing customers and acquire new ones. Salesforce assists businesses in keeping track of consumers, gaining insights from data, and handling customer service and complaints. Salesforce’s purpose is to keep a close relationship between the customer and the firm. Salesforce allows users to keep track of contacts, generate reports, manage E-Commerce firms, and participate in social engagement.
Key Features of Salesforce
Salesforce improves the link between businesses and their customers. It provides a uniform platform for companies to arrange their integrations and manage their consumers. When it comes to providing businesses with a high-productivity environment, it is the most popular CRM software. The following are some of Salesforce’s most important features:
- Lead Nurturing: Its clever lead nurturing approach helps businesses produce more sales. It focuses more on attracting clients and converting them.
- CRM Automation: Salesforce’s intelligent technology automates various business operations, including task assignments and the creation of e-mail alerts. It comes with a process builder that allows you to make recommendations with a single click. It makes recommendations for the next step in a business transaction.
- Einstein Analytics: Salesforce’s Einstein Analytics provides intelligent Business Analytics solutions. Users can extract information from data, forecast sales, and much more. It enables businesses to develop interactive dashboards and shareable reports.
For further information on Salesforce, check out the official website here.
Introduction to Slack
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Slack is a Team Collaboration messaging platform designed to enhance real-time communication among team members. The software, like other instant messaging apps, provides users with Chat Rooms, Private Chat, and Direct Message options. Slack is compatible with a wide range of apps thanks to its high-performance API.
Slack messages are gradually replacing emails in many teams nowadays. As Slack is a better option to bulk emails and SMS, this is the case. A team leader or member can just send a message on Slack once, and it will be received by all members of their team.
Key Features of Slack
The key features of Slack are:
- Message Pinning: Slack allows users to pin critical messages and links to their channels. Teams will be able to conveniently access information whenever they need it in this manner.
- Remind: The remind command in the Slack app can be used to remind you of an impending business meeting or event.
- Advanced Search: Slack offers a search bar that makes it simple for teams to find files. If you type in a search query that returns a lot of results, you can place quotes around it to reveal an exact match.
- Setting Customization: Slack allows you to tailor the app to your tastes.
- Task Management: Slack’s task management functionality allows organizations to more effectively coordinate their workflow.
For further information on Salesforce, check out the official website here.
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Understanding How Salesforce Slack Work Together
Salesforce Slack Integration is a little different than other programs. You’ll need to install the Salesforce App on your Slack account before installing the Slack App on your Salesforce account if you want to send/receive notifications and execute commands without any limits/restrictions.
To fully integrate these platforms, you’ll need to connect your Salesforce Slack accounts and assign the needed rights after you’ve installed both Apps.
Slack requires access to the Salesforce API, thus it’ll only operate with Salesforce’s Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, or Developer Editions.
Before repeating the installation process in your production Salesforce instance, Slack suggests that you first integrate the Slack App to Salesforce in Sandbox or Development Mode to check that all functions are working properly. The steps to be followed are:
Step 1: Install the Salesforce App to Slack
Installing the Salesforce App on your Slack account is the first step in the Salesforce Slack integration process. The Salesforce App was recently updated by Slack, and various new capabilities and features were introduced. The App can be found in Slack’s App directory.
Here’s how to get the Salesforce App installed:
- Sign in to your workspace in Slack.
- In the left menu on your screen, select Add Apps from the Apps section. This will take you to a page where you may search for Slack Apps and Tools.
- Look for Salesforce in the search box. Under Salesforce, click on the Add button. This will take you to the Salesforce Slack App directory page. To begin the installation procedure, click “Add to Slack”. You’ll be sent to a page dedicated to the Salesforce Slack App.
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- You’ll find the Salesforce App installation button beneath Step 1 as you scroll down this page. To continue, go to step 1 and click Add to Slack.
- By clicking on Allow, you’ll be able to complete your App installation by granting the Appropriate rights. The Salesforce App has now been installed on your Slack account, and it can be found in your workspace’s Apps section.
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You have successfully completed the first step in Salesforce Slack Integration.
Step 2: Install the Slack App to Salesforce
Installing the Slack App for Salesforce is the second step. As only Salesforce System Administrators have the necessary permissions, you’ll need a Salesforce System Administrator to install and set up the Slack App in Salesforce.
- Go to your Salesforce account and log in.
- Go to the App area by clicking on the Menu icon. Select Visit AppExchange from the drop-down menu. In the search box, type Slack.
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- in the bottom right corner, click Get Now. You’ll be prompted to login into your account once more. Open the Login Screen by clicking the Open Login Screen button.
- After that, you can either deploy the Slack App directly into your Production System or test it first in a Sandbox. To ensure that there are no issues with the integration, Salesforce suggests that you perform the latter. Under “Install in This Org,” select Install Here.
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- Accept the terms and click Confirm and Install to begin the installation.
- Finally, Salesforce lets you choose whether the Slack App should be installed solely for Admins, Certain Users, or All Users. Select the most appropriate option for you and click Install.
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- Accept any other prompts or permission requests that may appear throughout the installation process, and then return to your Slack window when it’s finished.
Step 3: Connect your Slack and Salesforce Accounts
- Now that you’ve successfully installed the Salesforce Slack Apps, you’ll need to connect your Salesforce Slack accounts to finish the integration process. Click the Salesforce symbol in the Apps area of your Slack workplace. Click Connect Account under the heading “Connect your Salesforce account” on the Salesforce chat window.
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- Accept any permission requests from Slack by clicking Allow.
- Slack will also ask for your permission to access your Salesforce account.
- Your Salesforce Slack Accounts will be linked once you grant the required permissions.
- You can sync the two Apps even if you don’t install the Slack App on your Salesforce account; however, your permissions and functionalities will be limited to simply searching Salesforce data.
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However, you’ll be able to access and leverage all functionalities if you install both the Salesforce Slack Applications.
Steps to Find and Share Salesforce Records in Slack
You can search for six different Salesforce records and share them with your team members using the Slack Salesforce Integration without leaving your Slack conversation window:
- Account
- Case
- Contact
- Lead
- Opportunity
- Task
If a Salesforce Admin configures them for you, you can also search for additional Standard or Custom Salesforce records. Here’s how to use Slack to get different Salesforce records.
- Open your Slack Workspace and select the Appropriate person or channel to share a record with. In your chatbox, click the Lightning Bolt icon.
- From the menu, select the Salesforce App.
- Select Find and Share a record from the drop-down menu.
- Search for the appropriate record or select it from a dropdown menu. Click View Record once you’ve found the record you’re looking for.
- Click Share again, then select the discussion you wish to share from the drop-down menu.
- To finish the process, click Done.
Slack will retrieve the Appropriate Salesforce record and present it in your conversation window.
Steps to Set up Alerts in Slack
When a record is amended or changed, you can utilize the Salesforce App to receive alerts in Slack. You’ll be able to speed up on the status of a lead or customer this way.
- In Slack, go to the Apps menu and open the Salesforce App.
- Set up My Alerts can be found on the App’s homepage.
- Enable all of the Salesforce alerts you want to receive.
- To finish the process, click Save.
You’ll now receive Slack notifications whenever a Salesforce record changes.
Steps to Set up Slack Channel Alerts for Salesforce Record Changes
You can also use Salesforce alerts to notify all members of your team when a record changes in a Slack channel.
- Click the Lightning Bolt icon next to your message box in the Salesforce App.
- From the dropdown menu, select the Salesforce App.
- Add/Edit Alerts for a channel by clicking on it.
- Select the Slack Channel to which you’d like to send alerts.
- Select Add a Record from the drop-down menu.
- From the dropdown menu, select the Appropriate Record.
- Select Add to [Channel Name] from the View record menu.
- To finish the configuration, pick all of the alerts you wish to send to your chosen channel and click Save.
The Salesforce App will now send all relevant alerts to the channel you specified.
Steps to Set Up Bulk Alerts in Slack
Bulk alerts can be used to provide updates to your Slack channels about all the records of a specific type. Use this only when your team requires entire data, as too many alerts and unrelated records can make it difficult to recognize important data and messages.
- In your Slack workspace, open the Salesforce App.
- Select Bulk Alert under the Home Tab.
- Select the Slack Channel where the bulk alerts should be sent.
- For the notifications, select a Record Type.
- Save after clicking Add To Channel.
All of the updates you’ve specified for a record type will now be sent to the Slack channel you’ve chosen.
3 Key Benefits of Integrating Salesforce Slack
The benefits of integrating Salesforce Slack are:
1) Communication
When several departments such as Sales, Customer Service, Technical Teams, Finance, and others are involved in closing a lead, communication is one of the most significant issues.
You can ensure that all relevant team members are always up to date on a lead’s status by connecting Salesforce Slack. This drastically decreases confusion and offers all stakeholders a clear picture.
2) Information Update
Using Salesforce App alerts in Slack to ensure you never miss an essential update on a lead or customer is a wonderful method to make sure you don’t miss anything. In large enterprises with hundreds or thousands of leads and customers, it’s easy to miss vital developments.
This does not occur when all necessary updates are delivered directly to your Slack account.
3) Integrating Apps
It’s inconvenient to switch between Salesforce Slack for information needs, and it costs large teams thousands of dollars each year.
You can obtain all the information you need on one platform thanks to the Salesforce Slack Integration.
Challenges of Integrating Salesforce Slack
Here are some common problems faced while integrating Salesforce Slack:
1) Complicated Process
You’ll need to install both the Slack App for Salesforce and the Salesforce App for Slack to properly integrate Salesforce Slack.
Because numerous versions of the Slack App for Salesforce have been launched in the past, this complicates the procedure. While not all of them are now active, they are still listed in the Salesforce App exchange documentation, which might be misleading to users.
2) Technical Issues and Bugs
On the Salesforce AppExchange, users have reported numerous issues with the Slack App. These apps cause Permission Issues, Data Recovery Issues, and Unexpected Deployment Faults.
Salesforce app support isn’t great, which is understandable given that Slack is a free App for Salesforce users.
These variables might have a negative influence on the user experience and make integration a time-consuming procedure.
3) Bulk Alerts Problem
If you’re using Salesforce Essentials, you won’t be able to completely integrate Salesforce Slack. This occurs because the Slack app for Salesforce requires API access, which is not available in Salesforce Essentials.
Salesforce Essentials users, in particular, are unable to set bulk alerts or send/receive messages via Slack.
They can, however, use Slack to search for Salesforce records and set up Salesforce My Notifications and Channel Alerts.
Conclusion
This detailed guide provided insights on Salesforce Slack Integration. Due to the restrictions of the Salesforce Slack Integration, manually syncing data is time-consuming. Users/business teams should have Salesforce Slack accounts and authorize appropriate permissions to set up Salesforce Slack Integration for such procedures. This is where Hevo saves the day.
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Hevo Data provides its users with a simpler platform for integrating data from 100+ sources such as Salesforce and Slack for Analysis. It is a No-code Data Pipeline that can help you combine data from multiple sources. You can use it to transfer data from multiple data sources into your Data Warehouse, Database, or a destination of your choice. It helps transfer data from Salesforce to a destination of your choice for free. It provides you with a consistent and reliable solution to managing data in real-time, ensuring that you always have Analysis-ready data in your desired destination.
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