5 Habits that Help Salesforce Admins to Steer Sales Teams to Success

The following guest post is authored by Amanda Nelson, Senior Manager of AppExchange Content and Community at Salesforce. 

If Salesforce is a giant ship, an experienced captain must be at the helm to steer it to success. Salesforce admins are that captain. They decide which sails to trim, and where to steer their ship in order to make the most impact.

Working in the AppExchange community, I’ve heard tales of budget blues and needed functionality that seems as elusive as a lost island. But fear not, here at Salesforce we’ve created a powerful compass for Salesforce admins: Habits, Hacks and Helpful Hints: The Salesforce Admin’s Guide to Steering a Successful Salesforce Ship. And from that guide, here are 5 key habits that Salesforce administrators should cultivate in order to successfully steer their sales teams to more revenue.

Put on Your Explorer’s Hat

Each week, focus on upping your knowledge of Salesforce. But don’t stop there! Get out and explore your office. Ask coworkers how they are doing. See if they are experiencing any pain points with Salesforce. And offer them tips. Oftentimes, Salesforce users have a lot of questions but don’t have time to ask them. So bring your expertise to them.

Get inspired on the AppExchange

Every day, new apps are being added to the AppExchange. Each app is built to make Salesforce more powerful. The apps all address common challenges and opportunities. You may find yourself learning how to address issues that you didn’t even know that your sales team had. Regular visits to the AppExchange will almost certainly make you a better Salesforce administrator.

Read release notes like a treasure map

New releases — whether seasonal updates from Salesforce or an app implementation from you — can as brutal as a case of the gout if you’re unprepared. Study Salesforce release notes and ensure that users are made aware of relevant changes. That goes double for your internal changes! You should always be certain to test internal changes in your Sandbox and then demo them to your users. Demos can be live or via a video posted in your Chatter user group.

Learn From the Salesforce Admin Community

When Prince Henry the Navigator formed the first navigation school in Portugal, he helped create a community of explorers who could share knowledge and help each other learn. Like a navigation school, the information in the Salesforce Admin community is there to help inspire you on your journey. Share your tips the world in an admin group. And learn how some of the world’s best salesforce admins are helping their sales teams succeed.

Get certified!

Salesforce certifications are one of the best ways to prove you’re passionate and have the ability to weather any storm. Getting certified can help build confidence with your stakeholders sales reps, managers, and other crew members. And best of all, it can influence how YOU view your own ability to get the job done. After all, anyone can claim to be a captain, but Salesforce certification is your way of proving to the world that, as a Salesforce administrator, you have what it takes to steer sales teams to success.

Be sure to check out Habits, Hacks and Helpful Hints: The Admin’s Guide to Steering a Successful Salesforce Ship.