Salesforce-Experience-Cloud-Consultant action - Salesforce Certified Experience Cloud Consultant Updated: 2023

The stock of Salesforce Inc (CRM) has seen a 5.45% increase in the past week, with a 8.11% gain in the past month, and a 8.11% flourish in the past quarter. The volatility ratio for the week is 1.93%, and the volatility levels for the past 30 days are at 2.11% for CRM.. The simple moving average for the past 20 days is 7.03% for CRM’s stock, with a 9.26% simple moving average for the past 200 days.

Salesforce Inc (NYSE: CRM) has a higher price-to-earnings ratio of 138.68x compared to its average ratio,, and the 36-month beta value for CRM is at 1.18. Analysts have varying views on the stock, with 31 analysts rating it as a “buy,” 4 rating it as “overweight,” 15 as “hold,” and 0 as “sell.”

With so many companies out there, it can be tough to nail down the best Salesforce alternative for your business. To find the right one for you, consider your goals, budget and must-have features. Additionally, consider user reviews and review articles to get a fuller picture of what the CRM software is like. We also suggest asking friends or colleagues from other companies to see what they use for their business and if they recommend it.

Essential Features

You may have certain CRM features or integrations in mind that are necessary for your business to run smoothly. If so, be sure to write them out and reference them during your search. Consult your team and other relevant stakeholders to review the list and add to it, if applicable.

• Automation tools: Your CRM software should be a central hub for finding leads, turning leads into customers, and relating with them to build customer retention. That means you need a CRM with automation features for lead management, contact management, sales forecasting, sales completion, project management, pipeline management and even email marketing.
• Reporting and analytics: Your business requires a CRM that provides in-depth and easy-to-understand CRM analytics. The data and reports you’ll get will guide your teams to develop and maintain the marketing and customer relationship strategies they need to achieve better and faster results.
• Integration capability: Ensure the CRM you’re considering enables integration with third-party apps. That’s because you’ll need CRM integration with customer data platforms, marketing software, VoIP services, email marketing software, scheduling tools such as Calendly and Doodle, and others to relate with your customers appropriately and from one place.
• Mobile accessibility: You need a CRM that provides access to CRM features even when you’re away from your desktop. That means accessing essential customer data and insights, staying on top of relevant information and initiating or completing necessary customer relationship tasks—on your Android or iOS devices with easy navigation.
• Customization options: Choose a CRM platform that allows you to customize the app to suit your business operations. You should be able to select dashboard elements, customize workflows, personalize communications and customize your package via multiple pricing plan options or add-on availability. Even better is a CRM that enables application programming interfaces (APIs) for enhanced CRM software configuration.
• Robust data security: Ensure your chosen CRM can secure customer data. Security features to look out for are encryption, two-factor authentication and advanced user permissions.

Goals

Aligning with your team is the first step you should take when looking for a Salesforce alternative. Understand what they need or don’t need in a CRM and ask if there are any pain points with Salesforce in particular.

Measure these against your business’s priorities. Review past reports to identify gaps or areas of improvement, and make sure that a CRM can help you reach your goals. For example, if you find that your customer satisfaction score (CSAT) numbers were lower than expected, a CRM can help you streamline your customer support management to provide better service.

Pricing and Budget

CRM providers vary in price. Companies such as Freshsales CRM and monday.com offer free versions, but you’ll need to pay something per month or year to get their premium features or add as many users as required. Generally, CRM pricing ranges from a few dollars per user to hundreds per month. It all depends on your needs. However, consider factors such as a CRM’s per-user per-month rates and whether discounts are available for bulk subscriptions.

Also, check for the need for specific contracts, add-ons or integration capabilities. For instance, Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables software integration only when you pay for its add-on feature. So, consider each CRM’s pricing peculiarity and nail down your budget ahead of time to make your search easier.

Ease of Use and Support

You need a CRM that is easy to set up and navigate. So, choose one with user-friendly layouts that allow you to create tasks, import and export data and update information. Also, ensure the CRM supports its users via various channels, including phone, live chat and email. Other popular support channels to look out for are tickets, user forums and resources such as webinars, tutorials, live demos and a rich knowledge base of answers to FAQs, infographics and videos. A CRM software that is easy to use will help you enjoy CRM benefits, and a reliable support team will make sure you don’t miss out on those benefits due to glitches.

In a notable insider transaction, Srinivas Tallapragada, the President and Chief Engineering Officer of Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM), sold 10,000 shares of the company on November 13, 2023. This sale is part of a series of transactions over the past year, where Tallapragada has sold a total of 267,538 shares and has not made any purchases. The insider's latest move has caught the attention of investors and analysts, prompting a closer look at the implications of such insider activities on the stock's performance and valuation.

Who is Srinivas Tallapragada at Salesforce Inc?

Srinivas Tallapragada plays a pivotal role at Salesforce Inc, holding the position of President and Chief Engineering Officer. His responsibilities include overseeing the technological advancements and engineering efforts that keep Salesforce at the forefront of the Customer Relationship Management (NYSE:CRM) industry. With a career deeply rooted in software engineering and development, Tallapragada's actions and insights are highly regarded within the company and the tech community at large.

Salesforce Inc's Business Description

Salesforce Inc is a global leader in CRM solutions, providing a suite of cloud-based applications for sales, service, marketing, and more. The company's platform is designed to bring companies and customers together, helping businesses of all sizes to grow and manage their customer relationships more effectively. Salesforce's innovative approach to CRM has revolutionized the way companies engage with their clients, making it a critical tool in the digital transformation of businesses worldwide.

Analysis of Insider Buy/Sell and Relationship with Stock Price

The insider transaction history for Salesforce Inc reveals a pattern of insider selling, with 280 insider sells and no insider buys over the past year. This trend could be interpreted in various ways. On one hand, insiders might sell shares for personal financial planning reasons that do not necessarily reflect their outlook on the company's future. On the other hand, consistent selling by insiders, especially without any offsetting buys, might raise questions about their confidence in the company's valuation or growth prospects.

Story continues

On the day of Tallapragada's latest sale, Salesforce Inc shares were trading at $212.86, giving the company a substantial market cap of $215.21 billion. This price point is particularly interesting when considering the company's price-earnings ratio of 139.11, which is significantly higher than the industry median of 26.97. Although this elevated P/E ratio might suggest a premium valuation, it is lower than the company's historical median, indicating a potential normalization of valuation multiples.

The relationship between insider selling and stock price can be complex. While insider sales can sometimes lead to negative market reactions, the impact on Salesforce's stock price must be analyzed in the context of the company's overall financial health and market conditions. It is also essential to consider the volume of shares sold relative to the total number of shares outstanding; in the case of Salesforce, the insider transactions represent a small fraction of the company's total market cap.

Valuation and GF Value Analysis

Salesforce's current stock price of $212.86, when compared to the GuruFocus Value (GF Value) of $268.46, suggests that the stock is modestly undervalued with a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 0.79. The GF Value is a proprietary intrinsic value estimate from GuruFocus, which takes into account historical trading multiples, a company-specific adjustment factor based on past returns and growth, and future business performance estimates from analysts.

This modest undervaluation could be an attractive entry point for investors, especially if the insider selling is not indicative of underlying business issues. It is also worth noting that the stock's valuation is not solely dependent on insider transactions but also on broader market trends, investor sentiment, and Salesforce's continued performance and growth trajectory.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the latest insider sale by Srinivas Tallapragada at Salesforce Inc warrants attention but should be contextualized within the broader scope of the company's financials and market valuation. While the pattern of insider selling over the past year may raise some eyebrows, the current GF Value suggests that Salesforce's stock might still be an attractive investment opportunity. Investors should continue to monitor insider activity, alongside other financial metrics and market trends, to make informed decisions about their investments in Salesforce Inc.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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Data has long been vital to the success of business initiatives. However, with the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence (AI) data has become even more important. Salesforce, a leading cloud-based CRM platform, in collaboration with Tableau, released its inaugural State of Data and Analytic report.

One of the roadblocks in realizing the full potential of AI is to manage and leverage data for business needs. According to Salesforce Chief Data Officer Wendy Batchelder, “The AI revolution is actually a data revolution, and a company’s AI strategy is only as strong as its data strategy, with trust at its core.” 

The Salesforce report was compiled by surveying over 11,000 information technology, analytics, and line-of-business leaders across 18 countries to discover how businesses are navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape. 

A Strong Data Foundation Fuels AI

Advances in AI are moving fast, and data management teams are feeling the pressure to supply algorithms and high-quality data. Almost 9 in 10 (87 percent) of IT and analytics leaders believe that the rise of AI makes data management a higher priority.

Over nine in 10 (91 percent) business leaders say generative AI would benefit their organization, however, they are concerned about their organization’s ability to capture generative AI value. Early adopters of generative AI are already seeing positive results such as improvement in customer satisfaction. It’s not surprising that the early success of some organizations has resulted in over three-quarters of business leaders (77 percent) fearing their company is missing out on generative AI’s benefits. 

According to the report, a major roadblock to deriving maximum value for generative AI is the lack of a united data strategy that integrates generative AI into the existing tech stack. Eighty-six percent of respondents believed the AI outputs are only as good as the data inputs. There are also some ethical concerns about the use of AI and uncertainty about generative AI bias that can potentially lead to inaccurate results. 

The report highlights the importance of data maturity as a sign of AI preparedness. Organizations that have higher data maturity have a more positive assessment of their organization’s data quality, technology infrastructure, and AI strategy. 

(Kostyantyn Skuridin/Shutterstock)

Data’s Full Potential Remains Elusive

While business leaders realize that data is the key to getting AI benefits, there is significant misalignment between data strategy and business goals. According to the report, many line-of-business leaders (41 percent) believe that their data strategy has either partial or no alignment with business objectives. Similarly, 37 percent of analytics and IT leaders also see room for improvement. 

The core reasons for this disconnect include the lack of shared KPIs across teams, dealing with overwhelming volumes of data, and security threats. Technical and line-of-business leaders are concerned that integrating new data sources could increase security vulnerabilities. 

The lack of data visibility could be a reason why business leaders are concerned about security threats. Nearly half (45 percent) of analytics and IT leaders say that they have partial or no visibility on how data is used within their organization. 

The teams closest to data, including the analytics and IT teams, have the highest confidence (57 percent) in data quality. This shows an opportunity to instill data confidence across other teams including marketing, sales, and service teams.

The Road to Data and AI Success is Winding

Building confidence in data accuracy is more than just a technical fix – it requires a shift in mindset. There needs to be a collective change in behaviors and beliefs about the importance of data. The good news is that analytics and IT leaders are taking action. Nearly eight in ten analytics and IT leaders plan to increase the budget for data training and development. 

The findings of the report show that data governance can play a key role in buying data trustworthiness with 85 percent of analytics and IT leaders using data governance to quantify and Strengthen data quality.

“Managing data is the most important action a business can take to successfully implement generative AI,” said Batchelder. “To effectively manage data, leaders must use data governance strategically and invest in a strong culture now more than ever.” 

The report indicates that analytics and IT leaders lean on cloud solutions to mitigate data gravity, which refers to the concept that data has mass as the mass grows larger it pulls additional resources making it more challenging and expensive to manage that data. 

Analytics and IT leaders are relying on better infrastructure (44 percent), using multiple cloud providers (41 percent), and employing decentralized or distributed data storage solutions (40 percent) to mitigate the threats of data gravity. 

Looking ahead, companies need to overcome several hurdles to unlock the full potential of AI. The Salesforce report indicates that business leaders are aware of the key challenges and understand what tools can help them succeed in leveraging the power of AI technology. 

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Businesses must successfully convert leads and manage and grow customer relationships to succeed. Salesforce CRM features myriad customization options to achieve these goals, empowering businesses of all sizes – and across various industries – to better understand and support prospects and customers. You can adapt nearly every aspect of the software’s interface and performance to help sales, marketing, customer service and technical support teams succeed. Salesforce CRM features thousands of fully integrated apps, plug-in scripts, and a superior API interface to help businesses create a flexible, customized solution. Once implemented, you’ll enjoy a beautifully designed product that’s speedy, powerful, and perfectly tailored to your company’s specific needs and processes.

DUBAI, UAE: - Veeam® Software, the leader in Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery, today announced it has launched Veeam Backup for Salesforce v2, available on Salesforce AppExchange Veeam Backup for Salesforce eliminates the risks of Salesforce data and metadata loss from human, integration, and corruption errors. This existing version from Veeam — the #1 data protection provider — extends support for multiple clouds, provides greater security with single sign-on (SSO) and multifactor authentication (MFA), and provides a safe environment for testing and developing via sandbox seeding. Organizations can deploy on-premises or in the cloud, recover exactly what they need when they need it, and experience backup that is custom-engineered for Salesforce data and metadata.

Veeam Backup for Salesforce is currently available on AppExchange at https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=a0N4V00000FhrqeUAB.

Veeam Backup for Salesforce    

Data loss is inevitable within an organization, so it’s important for organizations to protect themselves at all costs. This existing version builds on the success of Veeam Backup for Salesforce with its already powerful, rapid-recovery capabilities for IT departments and Salesforce administrators. It underlines why Salesforce data backup is critical to prevent data loss, ensures compliance and enables fast recovery by providing a comprehensive, purpose-built Salesforce backup solution that gives organizations the ability to recover from Salesforce data loss with speed and confidence.

New capabilities of Veeam Backup for Salesforce include:

• Salesforce business applications: Extended support of the Salesforce platform, including Salesforce Government and Education Clouds, Field Service, CPQ, Person Accounts, and managed packages, is now part of data backup offerings to ensure critical field service data meets compliance and is protected when off-site.
• Salesforce SSO and MFA: Enable role-based access for backup and restore operators via Salesforce to simplify and Strengthen the security of your systems. Audit trail will keep track of all the sensitive operations.
• Sandbox seeding and enhanced restores: Restore to your sandbox with data from production or from another sandbox. Set alternate keys and get better controls over hierarchy restores. Enhance your company’s ability to test, develop and troubleshoot with the option to restore production data to your sandbox.    

Veeam Backup for Salesforce is a separate standalone paid product that is new to Veeam Data Platform. Available today from Veeam technology partners, Veeam Backup for Salesforce is sold in one- to five-year annual subscriptions, priced per user license. Veeam is currently offering promotional packages through December 31, 2023 for current customers.

Veeam Backup for Salesforce Community Edition is currently available. Community Edition provides fully functional free backup and recovery of Salesforce data for organizations with 50 Salesforce user licenses or less.

Comments on the News

• “Reliability and consistency of protecting SaaS data is a key driver for improving data protection in 2023, according to the Veeam Data Protection Trends Report 2023. However, many organizations still don’t believe that Salesforce needs to be protected and that their data and metadata are safe in a cloud somewhere. We disagree – and so does Salesforce,” said Danny Allan, CTO at Veeam. “Veeam Backup for Salesforce bookings grew 195% quarter-over-quarter for Q3’23. With V2, we’re excited to continue to support our customers and partners in this shared responsibility to ensure that their business is kept running and critical data is both protected and quickly recoverable in case of human error, integration error or data breaches.”
• “Veeam Backup for Salesforce is a welcome addition to AppExchange, as they accelerate business transformation for customers by backing up and quickly recovering Salesforce data and metadata in the cloud and on-premises," said Alice Steinglass, Executive Vice President of and General Manager, Platform at Salesforce. "AppExchange is constantly evolving to connect customers with the right apps and experts for their business needs.”
• “Our latest study on the disconnect in SaaS data protection reveals that while most end-users recognize the importance of Salesforce environments and data, they find it challenging to safeguard these assets from the threat of data loss,” says Enterprise Strategy Group Practice Director Christophe Bertrand. “Veeam for Salesforce V2 provides essential features to mitigate this risk and enhance data and metadata protection at scale, making it an ideal solution for many organizations in need.”

-Ends-

About Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce AppExchange, the world’s leading enterprise cloud marketplace, empowers companies, developers and entrepreneurs to build, market and grow in entirely new ways. With more than 7,000 listings, 11 million customer installs and 117,000 peer reviews, AppExchange connects customers of all sizes and across industries to ready-to-install or customizable apps and Salesforce-certified consultants to solve any business challenge.

Additional Resources 

• Like Salesforce on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/salesforce  
• Follow Salesforce on Twitter: https://twitter.com/salesforce 

Salesforce, AppExchange, Government Cloud, Education Cloud, Field Service, CPQ, Person Accounts, and managed packages, and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.

About Veeam Software

Veeam®, the #1 global market leader in data protection and ransomware recovery, is on a mission to help every organization not just bounce back from a data outage or loss but bounce forward. With Veeam, organizations achieve radical resilience through data security, data recovery, and data freedom for their hybrid cloud. The Veeam Data Platform delivers a single solution for cloud, virtual, physical, SaaS, and Kubernetes environments that gives IT and security leaders peace of mind that their apps and data are protected and always available. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with offices in more than 30 countries, Veeam protects over 450,000 customers worldwide, including 73% of the Global 2000, who trust Veeam to keep their businesses running. Radical resilience starts with Veeam. Learn more at www.veeam.com or follow Veeam on LinkedIn @veeam-software and X @veeam.