Salesforce Sales Cloud Reviews

“Organization-wide features”

Pros

It continues to impress me with how powerful it is. There are tons of options and features built in, way beyond what I personally need for my role but they're incredibly useful for other teams across my organization.

Cons

One thing that really bothers me is that it isn't an in-house tool. Any company that adopts it ends up heavily tied to them because of how deeply the system takes hold. If you try to move away from it, all of the valuable data they've gathered for you feels like it gets left hanging in limbo.

“Reliable cloud CRM”

Pros

When it comes to cloud-based CRM, this still feels like the most professional and dependable option around which is exactly why enterprises looking for CRM in the cloud will keep choosing it. It's a very great system overall and it gives the sense of being powerful and unlikely to fall over.

Cons

One thing that really should be better is the amount of built-in functionality it offers, instead of pushing that responsibility out to third-party marketplace vendors. A good example was when GDPR came in, was that fully built into the core product? No, they leaned on third-party vendors to come up with solutions.

“Classic but dependable”

Pros

At its core, Classic is an excellent CRM. It can definitely feel overwhelming for someone brand new but once you've spent enough time with it, the learning curve levels off after about a year. Like most platforms, it can suffer from messy or unreliable data but that usually comes from years of poor setup, admin turnover and weak processes rather than the system itself. I honestly don't know of another tool that can match how powerful its functionality is. At the same time, it seems like they know they don't have much real competition which has made them a bit less innovative and less supportive of existing customers because there aren't many better options to switch to.

Cons

Moving over to the new version has been a frustrating experience and I'm not looking forward to the day Classic is fully retired. The only part that feels better in new version is the dashboard functionality, beyond that, nearly everything feels slower, harder to navigate and far too focused on visuals. In a CRM, most admins care more about speed and efficiency than making reports look flashy. The setup in the new version has probably changed the most and that is especially aggravating since admins spend so much of their day there. I still haven't seen a meaningful improvement from the new version and it feels more like a cheap attempt to make the platform seem newer and more capable for first-time users. The visual side may appeal to sales users who only need to look at a few parts of the system but for admins it's genuinely tough and I really wish classic version could remain available as an option.

“Pipeline visibility and reporting”

Pros

During my time in inside sales, I relied on it to manage our sales pipeline and it did a really good job of keeping opportunities organized. It was helpful to see exactly which stage each account was in and to forecast the pipeline more accurately. One feature I especially appreciated was being able to estimate total sales using the percentages tied to each stage in the pipeline. It also gave our team a reliable way to log all outreach so a manager or another rep could open an account at any time and instantly understand its status and most recent contact. The reporting was another strong point especially for monitoring each rep's progress, visualizing pipeline forecasts and comparing results against previous months.

Cons

Even though some parts of the platform were very easy, other areas came with more of a learning curve. Since it's such a powerful system and can hold so much information, it can sometimes feel overwhelming because there are so many options and the interface can look a bit cluttered. Having a strong administrator really matters since the account views and page layouts need to be organized well to keep everything clear and manageable.

“Customizable reporting hub”

Pros

One of the biggest strengths here is how customizable it is. You can pull virtually any data field into reports and dashboards which makes it possible to tailor the system around the metrics that actually matter to your business. To set it up the right way though, you really need to work backward from the reporting you want. Once you clearly understand what you need to measure, you can create the fields, picklists, radio buttons and other inputs needed to capture the right data. That flexibility is where the platform really shines because you are not boxed into the default setup. The out-of-the-box configuration is decent but it is fairly generic. I have previously used it to build out lead source and ROI tracking, appointment-setting quality scores, commission reporting, stack ranking and several other highly customized reports. It works best when you begin with the end goal in mind and partner with a strong implementation team that can bring that vision to life.

Cons

Cost is the main issue, along with the level of support you get on the lower-tier plans. If you are not paying for premium support, customer service can be slow to respond and not especially quick to take action.

“Great for sales records”

Pros

Beyond handling our sales pipeline and customer relationships, this program has also become the place where we review transactions and keep that data stored. We've been relying on it for more than just the usual CRM work and it covers those needs well.

Cons

Biggest downside is the price since it costs more than other similar platforms. It also doesn't really fit transaction analysis or asset management very well. If they added a workflow that properly supported those tasks, it would make the product much more valuable overall.

“Sales support in one place”

Pros

Having everything centralized in one tool makes quote creation much easier. It helps us quickly look up customer numbers, account details and other information needed for sales support so the whole process feels more organized and efficient.

Cons

One issue is that some customer numbers and accounts show up as duplicates which can make searches confusing. When there are too many similar entries especially with typos, it sometimes takes extra time to figure out which account is the right one.

“Great features but poor UX”

Pros

Being at the top of the CRM world, it can basically handle just about anything. That's obvious from the huge app marketplace, the whole ecosystem of companies built around customer implementations and the endless layers of admin and configuration menus hidden behind the standard user view. The hard part isn't whether it can be customized, it's figuring out how to actually make use of all that flexibility.

Cons

Tradeoff is that while it makes almost anything possible, it doesn't make much feel easy. Anytime I try to do something new in it, I already assume I'll be paying in one of three ways, money, developer help or pure frustration. It's pretty common to open a support article and watch it jump from simple "click here" guidance to DNS setup instructions to downloading a Java console applet and running code locally. That complete lack of concern for how the platform feels to the people actually using it shows up everywhere. There's a reason its UX is often cited as proof that UX supposedly doesn't matter as much as people say, the ones dealing with it usually aren't the executives signing the checks and the product choices make that very clear.

“Dashboards and lead tracking”

Pros

Once the IT process is fully set up and running efficiently, this software is really great to work with. It makes leads and opportunities easy to access and managing the data inside them is usually pretty hassle-free. The dashboard feature is also a big plus since it lets you view a lot of information from different reports in a visually appealing way. I haven't personally used Zoho CRM but my company made the switch and has been using this system for more than two years now.

Cons

Getting everything set up can be challenging and may require some coding knowledge. Like most software, there are times when certain features do not work properly and you end up needing help from your company's IT administrator to sort it out. Report setup can also be a little tricky. My biggest frustration is that two people cannot edit the same file at the same time. There have been situations where I spent 15 minutes entering information into a file, clicked save and then got an error saying someone else had already edited it. I really wish it supported real-time collaboration between coworkers or at least let me refresh the page without losing everything I had already typed. I'm also not a fan of "lightning mode," the newer UI they are pushing. The classic version feels much more user-friendly and you can see far more data at once when reviewing leads and opportunities.

“Custom onboarding options”

Pros

Our onboarding team relies on it to bring new customers on board. It helps us keep up with communications and activities, check off completed tasks and build reports and dashboards that show how each account is moving through the onboarding process. When it comes to customization and tracking, it really feels best in class. We're able to set up whatever fields we need and capture the right data for different workflows. It also lets us create automated tasks which is a big help.

Cons

At times, the system feels a little awkward and can be slow. We also needed training from an IT expert to get the setup we wanted in place so I wouldn't call it especially user-friendly. That said, with a platform this powerful, that tradeoff is somewhat expected.

“Daily sales visibility”

Pros

Every day, this helps me stay on top of the opportunities I'm working on. Being able to set next steps, update stages and run reports gives me a much clearer view of the sales cycle and those tools are genuinely really useful.

Cons

Honestly, there's nothing I really struggle with. There was a recent update that took a few hours to adjust to but now that I'm used to it, it's made the system even more easy to use.

“Reporting and visibility”

Pros

One thing this software does really well is provide a clean layout where you can see all your opportunities, sales stages, quotes and notes in one place. It's also very flexible when it comes to customizing and saving reports which makes it convenient to run them on a daily or weekly basis. The email tracking is useful too since it shows how many times an email was opened or whether a client viewed it at all. On top of that, it connects well with other tools like Act-On so the marketing team can also track how their work is influencing sales performance.

Cons

Getting around the program doesn't always feel simple. Some features, like setting up custom reports, are easy but others such as printing or adjusting a quote take more effort than they should. There are also items available in the Classic view that don't appear in the supposedly improved new version view. Daily tasks don't just show up on the dashboard either so the task field has to be customized to see them as a list. After a lead is converted into an opportunity, the view changes and previously created tasks are no longer visible. Notes also become harder to locate and that often leads the sales team to create duplicate accounts for the same client which makes everything messier and more difficult to manage.

“Flexible apps and roles”

Pros

Being able to add apps and make changes on the fly to fit the needs of our business has been amazing. Setting up roles and profiles is also fast and easy which is incredibly important for a business model that keeps evolving. Almost every day, we come across another software option, whether paid or free, that helps us improve efficiency and makes our team's work easier. It has also been a really valuable tool for our students, helping us close gaps in their lifecycle, improve retention and boost overall efficiency.

Cons

The price is a bit high for a CRM although it does feel worth it if your budget allows for it. For a smaller business or school, it may not be the most cost-effective option but the value you get from it still makes the investment worthwhile.

“Access from anywhere”

Pros

Having your information available from anywhere is definitely reassuring and gives some peace of mind.

Cons

Using it feels pretty convoluted. You have to jump through a lot of hoops before the software really works the way you need it to and if something goes wrong, support is not very helpful at all, at least from what I've dealt with.

“Customization and reliability”

Pros

Compared with other CRM platforms I've used, this one offers the most flexibility and customization by far. We've relied on it every day for the last five years and I honestly can't recall a single instance of downtime.

Cons

Getting comfortable with it takes a while because the learning curve is pretty steep. The interface isn't something you pick up right away and it can take time to navigate all the tools. Over the years, I've also run into a few odd bugs related to how tech support cases are handled and they've been extremely hard to troubleshoot because there aren't enough debugging or logging tools available.

“Integrations that deliver”

Pros

Getting this software up and running was very easy and it's highly customizable. In our organization, we were able to set up a lot of tailored integrations for different forms and multiple ways to send customer applications to our corporate office.

Cons

It does come across as a bit expensive especially when you need several or a large number of user licenses.

“my review!!”

Pros

This has been an excellent CRM for managing client relationships more effectively and beyond that, it also works as a strong development platform that gives us the flexibility to build custom solutions around our clients' specific needs.

Cons

A few of the security features in the Shield add-on are pretty challenging to implement unless you also buy extra third-party tools.

“CRM integration hub”

Pros

Between the integrations and flexibility, this really sets the standard for CRMs. It connects with just about everything and that mattered most for our team. It's definitely not the simplest tool to use or the most affordable but nothing else we looked at came close on integrations. You can pretty much customize it to do whatever you need.

Cons

At the same time, it's a pretty tough platform and making changes isn't always easy. It's not a fit for everyone and getting the most out of it takes real skill. Yes, it can do almost anything but there's a reason Salesforce has its own university.

“Full pipeline visibility”

Pros

After bringing it into our sales engineering team, we finally have complete visibility across quotes, inquiries and sales pipeline activity. Before this, everything was split into separate functions and relied heavily on spreadsheets, constant discussions and whatever the salesperson happened to remember. It has turned into a really valuable central hub and clearinghouse for all of that information. The Outlook integration was also a key part of making it work for us and we bought that through a third party.

Cons

Upfront pricing looked reasonable at first but it took a lot of customization to reach the level of usability and process integration we needed. We actually had to increase the customization scope twice after the original contract was signed. Because of that, the total startup cost and per-user cost ended up being much higher than we had budgeted.

“Flexible workflows and compliance”

Pros

Right out of the box, it included the core features we needed and those could be tailored to match almost any business process. Once we mapped and codified our workflows in the system, it helped us standardize how things were done, stay compliant and onboard new employees much more efficiently.

Cons

The tradeoff for that level of flexibility and powerfulness is the cost. It's a very powerful system but it definitely isn't cheap.