I know I’ve shared this app with you in the past, but now that we’re all mostly recovered from Dreamforce, it’s time to turn those chats at vendor booths and parties into actionable leads and powerful partnerships, and this one’s worth repeating. ScanBizCards is a great way to fly through the data entry so that your team can get to what they’re best at fast – selling.
ScanBizCards Enterprise App for Salesforce delivers easy, accurate business card scans and offers best in class Optical Character Recognition, instantly turning a business card into a new lead or contact. Admins can control licenses through a corporate Salesforce account and manage individual ScanBizCards user features.
This app may cost a few bucks a month, but with the rave reviews on the AppExchange, ScanBizCards is definitely worth a look. Check it out!
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
The last two years have been amazing. It has been a blast sharing tips, tricks, hacks, and ideas with you. We wanted to do something special for our 100th tip, and when I realized it would coincide with my first Dreamforce experience, I knew just the thing! This week’s Tip of the Week is simple: GO TO DREAMFORCE! If you didn’t go this year, let me share with you some of my favorite experiences, and if you did, well, Dreamforce is huge, and I hope you’ll help fill in the gaps in the comments.
Get in the Zone
One of my favorite parts of Dreamforce was wandering around the zones. With booths from Salesforce and vendors, demos galore, and lots of hands-on training, you could spend all of Dreamforce in one section of one zone and have an incredible experience. Being my first year, I didn’t feel satisfied going to just one, so I split my time between the Dev Zone, the Admin Zone, and the Internet of Things Zone.
Dev Zone:
The Dev Zone was a blast. If you’ve never spent your time surrounded by a bunch of nerds all nerding out about the same thing, I highly recommend it. The Dev Zone had loads of awesome demos on interesting applications, and there was a lot of information on working with the new Lightning Experience. Along with attending a few demos on cool use cases and sitting in on a few of the hands-on sessions, I also picked up a couple of awesome books and starter kits, all powered by Trailhead (which is free and you should totally check out). If you missed your opportunity to pick up these great books, you can download everything online here.
Admin Zone:
The Admin Zone is the perfect place for new users and admins to get a feel for Salesforce and begin their journey towards Salesforce Superheroism, but it’s so much more than that too! The zone was filled with enthusiastic and knowledgeable members of the Salesforce team and longtime Salesforce admins ready with a firm handshake, a friendly smile, and loads of great ideas for improving your skills. I’d share some of those with you, but then I wouldn’t be able to share them in our upcoming series of Tips from Dreamforce!
Internet of Things Zone:
The Internet of Things Zone (IoT for short) was probably the coolest of the zones. The Dev Zone and Admin Zones are all about what Salesforce does and how to make it do more, but in the IoT Zone, the focus was on taking Salesforce to the next level. There was a smart grill powered by Heroku, a booth by Automatic, a smart car, a Salesforce connected freezer for biotech labs (probably my favorite), a 5-axis Salesforce connected precision measurement device, and I even got to play with a foosball table connected with Salesforce that allows players to track their stats and rankings. (It didn’t like me – the second I touched the iPad controller, it spat out a Visualforce error the developers had never seen. These sorts of problems followed me the whole week, and I felt bad every time someone’s tech crashed the second I showed up.) It was seriously amazing seeing all the cool things creative developers and makers have accomplished with the platform!
Living the Dream
You’ve not really experienced Dreamforce if you’ve missed the opportunity to hear from Benioff himself, and this year’s big keynote was an awesome opportunity. After a few introductory presentations, the show got underway with a traditional Hawaiian blessing. The conch shell sounded remarkably like a shofar, the ram’s horn traditionally blown around the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which was appropriate given the timing of the event, just days after the Jewish holiday. As the performers left the stage, we were treated to a fun video highlighting the Lego Dreamforce Experience, #awesome. It got me humming Alanis Morissette to myself (“I’m in the front row, the front row with popcorn”) until the lighting changed, the music keyed up, and the real party started.
Stevie Wonder is a man who needs no introduction, and so he got none but a couple of unexpected chords. To the woman who was rocking out on the big screen during “Signed, Sealed, Delivered”, no shame, I was rocking out pretty hard myself! And when Stevie pulled out the harpejji for Superstition (check out that video, seriously!), even the Hawaiian couple who kicked off the event couldn’t help but dance. Stevie didn’t hold anything back, as he introduced “my friend, Marc Benioff.” The music stopped, and I don’t know who the applause was for, but it went on for miles.
“Why don’t we cancel the keynote and let Stevie keep playing?” were Benioff’s opening remarks, and the echoing cheers it elicited were followed up by “thanks for the vote of confidence!” Benioff spoke of the number of registered attendees (170k+), the success of Salesforce, and its standing compared to its biggest competitors. Then he introduced Laura Esserman of the Athena Breast Health Network who discussed the focus on data-driven healthcare. “Data my kids have when they pick their fantasy teams, I want that for medicine.” It was a powerful address, and the entire room was silent as she spoke.
Following Esserman’s presentation, Salesforce Lightning took center stage, ushered in by Lightning Man (Parker Harris, cofounder of Salesforce) and a shocking boom of thunder. The goal of the ground-up platform rebuild known as the Lightning Experience, Harris explained, was bringing the ease, simplicity, and speed of the Salesforce1 mobile experience to every device, be it smartphone, tablet, or desktop. Components allow new functionality to be dragged and dropped onto the page in a flash. Then he showed us that all it takes to switch to the new Lightning Experience was to click your name -> Switch to Lightning Experience. That’s it, “lightning fast!”
Up next was a presentation on the new SalesforceIQ app (check out this week’s App of the Week for more details), but unfortunately I had to run to my next exciting experience, the Alternative Lending Lunch ‘n Learn.
Party Like it’s 1999
Dreamforce is known for its amazing parties, and I had the opportunity to eat, drink, and be merry while rubbing elbows with some awesome people.
Alternative Lending Lunch ‘n Learn
This year, CloudMyBiz had the opportunity to host an amazing lunch and learn alongside Salesforce for companies in the alternative lending industry. The food was late, but, in my opinion, very tasty, and after dealing with the typical conference room internet problems, it was pretty uneventful. I felt the presentation went well, and everyone seemed to get a lot out of it. My favorite question came from a developer (what can I say, I’m biased) who asked about the most common Salesforce limits and how to work around them. In my experience, formula fields and API limits are the most common to run up against. Getting around formula field limits can be accomplished by moving your formulas into triggers or workflow rules. If you’re dealing with API limitations, you should review your code to identify if it can be refactored to reduce the number of API calls or reach out to your Salesforce Account Executive to purchase additional API calls. Easy.
App Bash
Alcohol was flowing freely as Salesforce team members and partners gathered to schmooze over loud music and louder colleagues. Business cards were flying this way and that, and arguments were equally heated and nerdy. I was caught in the middle of a customer support rep and a sales guy who couldn’t come to common grounds on which was more important to a successful business. I met lots of interesting people from across the Salesforce ecosystem against an absolutely gorgeous backdrop. And while dark beer was lacking, there were some yummy themed drinks tailored to the event, along with some incredible IPAs and wonderful wines. Though when I ordered a Jack and Coke, my bartender was so excited, she threw me a big grin, started head banging to Lady Gaga, and informed me the best way to wake the boisterous musician was to “poke her face.”
Dinner with the CloudMyBiz Team
Despite the amazing parties happening everywhere, I think my favorite was the party of seven at First Crush, where the CloudMyBiz team gathered for dinner one night. It was so nice to spend some time with familiar faces, share war stories over a bottle of wine, and enjoy some incredible food. And to top off the wonderful experience, the staff were amazingly accommodating to everyone, and rolled with it as our party went from three to six to five to seven.
The Concert I Missed
Some of you may have heard about some big concert that happened during Dreamforce. There was these little musicians performing, the Foo Fighters, The Killers, and Gary Clark Jr., who I think are supposed to be something big, but despite my excitement to be a part of THE Dreamforce event, I needed some down time. If you have pictures or illegal recordings, SHARE THEM WITH ME!!!
Finding My Zen
While I was working my way through the crowds, enjoying the keynote, getting amazing demos of the latest that Salesforce has to offer, and trying to lull myself to sleep at night, I was keeping myself centered, as recommended by my amazing colleague, Henrietta, in this year’s pre-Dreamforce post. Some of you might have gone to the mindfulness keynote, but my zen was knitting. I’m still working on my Dreamforce socks, but they’re coming along beautifully. They even gave me the opportunity to connect with a fellow knitter, talk Ravelry, LYS’s, and gourmet yarns, and gave me a little taste of home in the hustle and bustle of Dreamforce.
That’s All Folks!
So that was my first Dreamforce experience. It was long and short, fun and exciting, rousing and relaxing, and most of all, a great opportunity. I learned a lot, got a lot of great ideas, and found some new avenues for investigation and study. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for tips from the Salesforce team, share your experiences in the comments, and I hope to see you at Dreamforce ’16!
-Jared and the Salesforce Guys Cover image and photo editing by Joelle Diane
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
With all the excitement of the 100th Tip of the Week, this post may seem dull by comparison, but I assure you, it is anything but. While it may sound a lot like all our other Apps of the Week, this is one of our most exciting yet! So, your sales team is selling at lightning speed. Emails are flying this way and that. While sending email from Salesforce is the best way to have them logged to the appropriate records, it’s frequently just not practical. There are some great solutions for linking your inbox with Salesforce – Cirrus Insight is one of our favorites – but each comes with an additional cost. You need an email connector that’s quick and easy to implement at a low cost with as many tools as possible to help improve your team’s workflow so that they can close more details. You need to check out the new SalesforceIQ for Sales Cloud, the latest solution designed by Salesforce for Salesforce.
Meet SalesforceIQ, the power of Relationship Intelligence seamlessly integrated into your inbox. With productivity tools and customer data at your fingertips, identify opportunities, connect with customers, and sell smarter than ever before.
This free email solution is available for iOS, Android, and as a Chrome extension, and offers loads of powerful tools out of the box to help your team sell more, faster.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
Dreamforce is one of the largest tech conferences in the world. Over 160,000 people attending, and a place where even the most extroverted can find themselves overwhelmed.
With less than a week to go, do you have the knowledge you need to make it through without losing your marbles whilst helping others to keep theirs all in one place too?
Under promise, over deliver. There are over 1,600 sessions to choose from. All of which will be available on YouTube. If you haven’t worked out which sessions you want to attend, then do that right this minute. Yes, I’m bossing you about, but you don’t want to show up on Monday with no idea of what’s going on, as you’ll lose earlier said marbles right off the bat. And don’t have a meltdown if you can’t reserve a seat – 25% of seats are ‘secretly’ left unreserved to allow for walk-ins.
Book the sessions you want to attend, then book back-up sessions. Aim for 3 to 4 a day and then expect to attend 2 of them. Apptus has a great guide to the Agenda builder. But, you need to go with the flow here. If you run into Miss Piggy and are having a fascinating conversation about how Kermit keeps himself so green, then know that you don’t have to run off because you can catch that session online.
If you need help deciding which sessions to choose from, Dreamforce has a handy filter, where you can filter down to 17 industries, 21 roles, 20 products, 26 themes, and 3 levels.
In the same vein, book into every party you think you might want to attend and go, if Miss Piggy will let you. Don’t worry about being a flake here – everything’s oversubscribed, as they know people are trying to hit every party on the block. However, whenever possible, try to get VIP passes for guaranteed entry, fancy drinks and a good serving of grub. Check out the Apptus party calendar for up to-date info on the DF15 parties.
Get into the Zone.Make sure you give yourself time to head over to the Zones. Each Zone focuses on content for their respective audience and will provide areas to recharge – yourself and your devices! This year, Moscone West will host the Dev, Admin, Design, Analytics and SMB zones. If you head over to Park Central you’ll be in the Partner Zone, Palace will hold the Service Zone, Hilton will host the Salesforce U Zone and the Marriott will inspire you with the Foundation Zone. Do not mistake multiple zones for wormholes to Planet Vega.
My body is a Temple. But it won’t be if you keep grabbing all the junk food that’s being thrown at you.
At Dreamforce, you’re going to walk a lot. What’s going to make that easier for you? Comfy shoes? Baggy Hammer pants? A Hurricane stick? Whatever it might be – take it and wear it with pride.
You’re probably going to get a headache. Be it from lack of food, the air-conditioning, too much booze, non-stop chattering, walking into glass doors… Whatever it may be – what do you need for that headache? Advil? Tiger balm? Tracks of crickets chirping in the rain forest? Make sure you have it with you.
Coffee is everywhere! Over 5,000 gallons of coffee were consumed at DF14. And you know what? It’s not going to keep you going… Caffeine wreaks havoc on your blood sugar levels and makes you even more fatigued. It’ll boost you up, you’ll then crash and reach for another cup. Remember what it can do to your belly too… Uh-oh! Reach for an apple instead of that 2nd or 3rd cup. It honestly has more wake up power than a cup of Joe.
What do you need for energy? With all that chinwagging and shuffling around, you’re going to need to keep your energy up. Avoid the endless supply of junk food and sugary snacks. Pack your own snack in your pocket or backpack and drink plenty of water. You will get dehydrated and will have no idea that you’re so fatigued because you need water (…okay, maybe the 6 martinis and slow dancing with SaaSy til 1am come into play there too).
Find a zen place. This is going to be an intense 4 days. It’s important to take time to yourself and ground yourself. Your mind will be so scattered and you’ll be running on adrenaline, so any time you have a spare moment, go find a place to just sit and breathe. If you struggle with that, then why not try the Mindfulness Keynote on Friday?
Run Forest Run! Whether you’re a runner, or a walker… or maybe a hopper or a skipper, you will have the time to exercise at DF15. If you want to make the time, that is. San Francisco is a truly fabulous city and you’ll want to take advantage of its early morning bustle. The sessions don’t start til mid-morning, so get up early, have a good run/walk/hop/skip/jump, release that serotonin, clear your head, get a hearty breakfast and start your day off right. Salesforce’s Matt Wesson, lists some great running routes here.
Give: freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone)
Whilst the parties and schwag are cool beans, the work the Salesforce Foundation does is incredibly inspiring.
Last year the focus of #DFGives was to donate over 1 million meals to the hungry. They ended up being able to donate over 3 million! This year, the goal is to donate 1 million books to schools and libraries around the world. You can bring a book to Dreamforce (focusing on grades K-12), or donate online.
Whilst altruism is admirable, you can also get something back for your donations… The Concert for UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals is on September 17 at Pier 70 and promises an evening of joyous entertainment with performances from the Foo(d) Fighters, Gary Clark Jr, will.i.am and MC Hammer (get out those baggy Hammer pants y’all). Tickets can be purchased here.
What’s even more awesome, is you can see where the funds are going, as on Thursday, there’s a tour of UCSF Mission Bay – the biotech capital of the world – which is the home to the all-new UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Sign up for tickets here.
There’s a new giving theme for each day of Dreamforce, and multiple events you can attend, observe or donate your time to. And don’t forget to do your bit for the environment and follow these handy tips on going green at Dreamforce (Kermit jokes aside).
The final countdown.
Worried about networking? Firstly, check out my article on Expressions of Awesomeness and remember:
Every conversation is a possibility of something fabulous (maybe they know Kermit…?);
Give more than you take – leave some energy and space for them, as well as for you;
If you’re on your own and there’s someone less than 3 feet from you, then start a conversation;
Put yer bloomin’ phone away!!
Still can’t get a last minute Dreamforce ticket justified to your boss? Get onto the ROI Calculator and Letter. There’s no chance of a ‘no’ after showing them this….
Be clear about what you want to achieve and the steps to achieve it;
Plan, plan, plan, then forget about it and go with the flow;
Learn the campus and look for people in blue for help;
Forgive me for too many Kermit references.
Hopefully, this will help you keep the inanition, indisposition and enervation at bay and bask in the inspiration, imagination and innovation that will be Dreamforce 2015.
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
Salesforce is an incredibly powerful platform with some awesome functionality available out of the box. If you do Sales, Marketing, or Customer Support, much of what you need to do your job is waiting for you when you log into Salesforce for the first time. If you’re in a more specialized business, though, like healthcare or financial services, you will likely rely heavily on a Salesforce Implementation Partner and 3rd party AppExchange Applications to gain access to the core functionality critical for your day-to-day operations. Well, the people at Salesforce have heard your cry.
The lead-up to Dreamforce always brings exciting news from the Salesforce team, and this year has been no different. Last week’s announcement that Salesforce would be getting an all new UI was just the start. This week came the official announcement of the Salesforce Health Cloud, building on a few weeks ago when Salesforce announced the Financial Services Cloud, both slated to launch in February. If you are in either industry, you might want to do some reading. The Financial Services and Health Cloud pages are waiting for you. Check it out, and I look forward to chatting with you about them at Dreamforce!
CEO of CloudMyBiz Salesforce CRM consulting services with a deep knowledge in the lending industry. Taking keen interest in the project management side of operations, playing a vital role in the 31% YOY company growth. Strategic leader, mastering the ability to problem solve at every level of the business, providing effective solutions for clients.
The Dev Zone was a blast. If you’ve never spent your time surrounded by a bunch of nerds all nerding out about the same thing, I highly recommend it. The Dev Zone had loads of awesome demos on interesting applications, and there was a lot of information on working with the new 
After a few introductory presentations, the show got underway with a traditional Hawaiian blessing. The conch shell sounded remarkably like a shofar, the ram’s horn traditionally blown around the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, which was appropriate given the timing of the event, just days after the Jewish holiday. As the performers left the stage, we were treated to a fun video highlighting the 
and trying to lull myself to sleep at night, I was keeping myself centered, as recommended by my amazing colleague, Henrietta, in 
