Salesforce User Course: Foundations for Effective CRM Utilization

$0.00

This course provides new and existing sales professionals with a practical, hands-on introduction to Salesforce as a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Designed to improve user adoption, data accuracy, and pipeline visibility, the program equips participants with the knowledge and skills needed to manage leads, track opportunities, and maintain clean, actionable customer data.

Through guided demonstrations and real-world exercises, participants will learn how to navigate the Salesforce interface, create and update records, and utilize dashboards and reports to monitor sales performance. The session emphasizes best practices for data entry discipline, account ownership, and communication tracking to ensure that every opportunity and customer interaction contributes to measurable business insight.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • Navigate Salesforce efficiently and customize their workspace.

  • Create and manage Leads, Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities using standardized data protocols.

  • Record and schedule follow-up activities for consistent client engagement.

  • Use dashboards and reports to track performance and forecast sales.

  • Apply CRM best practices for data integrity, collaboration, and compliance.

This course is ideal for sales representatives, account managers, business developers, and technical sales professionals who use Salesforce to manage customer relationships and want to improve productivity, forecasting accuracy, and organizational alignment.

Category:

Description

Salesforce User Training: Foundations for Effective CRM Utilization

Duration Options:

  • Half-Day (4 hours) — standard internal rollout format

  • Full-Day (6 hours) — includes extended exercises and performance dashboards module

This hands-on course introduces sales, business development, and account management professionals to the practical use of Salesforce as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. The session focuses on navigating the system, maintaining data accuracy, tracking leads and opportunities, and using Salesforce tools to forecast, report, and communicate effectively. Participants will develop confidence in managing their pipelines while aligning with corporate reporting and compliance standards.

Learning Objectives:

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  1. Navigate the Salesforce interface and customize their workspace for efficiency.

  2. Enter, update, and maintain accurate Lead, Account, Contact, and Opportunity data.

  3. Manage pipelines and forecast revenue using standardized stages and close dates.

  4. Log activities, track communications, and schedule follow-ups for client engagement.

  5. Build and interpret dashboards and reports for personal and team performance tracking.

  6. Apply company data governance and CRM discipline to ensure data consistency and transparency.

Target Audience:

  • Sales representatives and account executives

  • Business development and marketing personnel

  • Technical sales and product specialists

  • Customer success and inside sales teams

  • Managers seeking consistent pipeline visibility

Course Outline

Module 1: Introduction to Salesforce (30 min)

  • What Salesforce is and why CRM matters

  • How CRM supports sales visibility, forecasting, and collaboration

  • Overview of dashboards, objects, and relationships (Leads, Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities)

Module 2: Navigating the Interface (30 min)

  • Home screen layout and quick actions

  • Personalizing dashboards, views, and favorites

  • Understanding tabs, global search, and record navigation

Module 3: Managing Leads and Accounts (45 min)

  • Creating and qualifying Leads

  • Converting Leads into Accounts and Contacts

  • Maintaining accurate organization hierarchies

  • Duplicate prevention and record ownership

Module 4: Opportunity Management (60 min)

  • Creating opportunities and defining deal stages

  • Recording potential value, probability, and close dates

  • Adding products, quotes, and pricing

  • Managing pipeline flow and forecasting methods

  • Activity tracking: calls, emails, and meetings

Module 5: Data Integrity and Best Practices (45 min)

  • The importance of consistent data entry

  • Required fields and validation rules

  • Avoiding common user errors

  • Syncing with Outlook/Teams and logging interactions

  • Using notes and attachments effectively

Module 6: Reporting and Dashboards (45 min)

  • Building and customizing reports (list, summary, matrix)

  • Tracking personal KPIs and team metrics

  • Dashboard creation and automation

  • Exporting and sharing performance data

Module 7: Mobile and Collaboration Tools (30 min)

  • Salesforce Mobile App overview

  • Using Chatter, Tasks, and collaboration tools

  • Managing field sales activities remotely

Module 8: Compliance, Security, and Etiquette (15 min)

  • Account ownership rules

  • Data privacy, security, and GDPR basics

  • Internal communication standards

Module 9: Workshop and Q&A (30 min)

  • Live exercises: Create a lead, convert to account, create opportunity

  • Troubleshooting scenarios

  • Open discussion and performance improvement tips

Course Deliverables:

  • User quick-start manual (step-by-step screenshots)

  • “Top 10 CRM Best Practices” handout

  • Sample Salesforce dashboard template

  • Certificate of completion

Instructor:

Michael D. Holloway
EVP Sales & Strategy, Avivid Water Technology

Related products