Executive Sales Leadership and Revenue driver; Sales Enablement & Training, GTM strategies, Sales Process Design, Revenue Ops, and Customer Success. (Recent SVP Digital Sales & Sales Enablement Nexstar Media Group)
Quick Question: So, Forbes reported this, "Dow Slumps 380 Points As Salesforce Stock Suffers Worst Loss Since 2008" -- Salesforce stock’s drop followed the business software platform’s earnings report which included weaker revenue forecasts than expected and takeaways from analysts like Bernstein’s Mark Moerdler that investor “expectations must reset and reset lower.” So, are expectations unrealistic, Salesforce has hit their tipping point for growth, or is the economy contracting? I don't know about you, but one of the ONLY ways to grow in an environment like this is to optimize your sales process using technology, streamline for efficiency, and leverage data to drive focus. There are sooooo many businesses without proper sales systems; so tech like Salesforce CRM, Hubspot, etc., are a way forward. Why are businesses failing to get this? You can't just keep doing things the same way and expect growth. Thoughts?
Mark Zahar
1mo
Jennifer, the only modification to your post that I'd say is that it starts with strategy - and that's where most people fall down. It's easy to buy technology but putting in the work in to determine your current/future process and how technology supports that strategy is critical. I get it, it's hard - not fun - but critical for change.
As with most enterprise businesses, I believe they are at the crossroads of "machine learning" and "human learning." I believe this is a symptom of a much greater reality. There are theoretically no bottlenecks to machine learning but human learning is much more restricted. Technology can and does change faster than we can adapt. Add to this our limitations with "human" layers for information dissemination, ability to assimilate and then train the frontline. I believe there will be more market adjustments for similar companies since the seal for the AI Pandora box was broken. As the AI supported products and services available to the general public increase, organizations and companies such as Salesforce dependent on human learning will need to retool or become obsolete. I am not promoting or downplaying AI but I believe this is our reality and an inflection point.
Advisr
1mo
Your points are well-taken. Your emphasis on optimizing the sales process through technology is spot-on. In challenging economic environments, businesses should indeed focus on efficiency and data-driven decision-making to improve profitability. Businesses must adapt to the changing landscape by embracing innovation and leveraging platforms for sustainable growth.
Steve Daniloff
1mo
In the TV business, you get to sell time. The trouble is, you don't get to buy any. Salesforce and other software systems help salespeople plan their work.. and work their plan. Time is money.
Certified Salesforce Admin | Nonprofit Executive | Wilderness River Guide | Veteran | Working to extract real human value from this tech thing
1moI have a friend, Jennifer Scilabro, who works for a multi-billion dollar organization. The books might show, when they win contracts, they're making money hand over fist. At the same time, they're sitting on an unused Salesforce instance (not even mentioned, much less trained up, when my friend onboarded) and leads die on the vine on the daily. Of course, if you're not even looking at the data, it's hard to feel those losses. Similarly, if you skip your annual check-up, you'll have no idea of your cholesterol levels. Just don't act surprised when it all hits the fan.