We are nearing the end of our Road to the AppExchange series. Now that we’ve reached the penultimate video, we’re covering a topic we’ve talked at length on — selling with Salesforce. While this topic often focuses on those who’ve been part of the Salesforce ecosystem for a while and are looking to improve their relationships, we’re resurfacing a webinar that has key information for those who are new or evaluating their opportunity on the platform.

We’re bringing you only a preview of the topics covered. If you want to explore this topic fully, you’ll have to register here: https://www.codescience.com/road-to-appexchange-webinar-series — as an added bonus, by registering once, you’ll gain immediate access to the previous and future entries in our series.

Strategic Positioning Matters

Salesforce has 200,000+ customers across the globe. And when trying to cut through all the noise, how you position yourself can make all the difference.

Tom Martin, CEO of Glance Networks, advises companies to move beyond company-centric messaging and think through the value-add for the Salesforce rep you are talking with.

“One of the things that I always tell any partner is, ‘It’s not about you.’ The second you decide to get enamored with what your product does versus what it enables Salesforce to do, [you lose]…giving the salesperson a holistic solution they can speak to is the key.”

To start, answer these questions for your company:

  • What three things define and differentiate your solution — especially in the context of the Salesforce platform?
  • What’s your 30-second elevator pitch to Salesforce specifically? (This should be different than your pitch to customers)
  • How does your product fit into the Salesforce ecosystem? Is it a stand-alone solution, or does it extend one of Salesforce’s core products?
  • Who are your direct and indirect competitors?
  • What other products does yours work with?

If you can answer these questions clearly, you are already doing better than a majority of new partners.

Making Inroads to Salesforce

Knowing your positioning and messaging is only the first step; next, you must create a strategy of how you reach the right people at Salesforce. Instead of speaking generally to any person at Salesforce that you can get the attention of, we recommend targeting the customer success and account executive teams. These roles are the ones who connect with your potential customers and are responsible for closing business.

Tom DiVittorio, Chief Product Officer at MapAnything, explains that “there’s no magic solution, it’s about time, effort, and persistence to capture brand equity.”

To engage these teams, you must understand how your solution solves for gaps in the current Salesforce platform (i.e., whitespace) or you have compelling customer stories that demonstrate the specific use cases of your product. Additionally, customer stories within specific industries can help accelerate your conversations and open more doors.

If you’d like to hear first-hand stories of selling to Salesforce or learn how to use tools like chatter to reach Salesforce AEs, you’ll have to register here.


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