May 31, 2017   SOURCE: PR NewsWire

Salesforce Introduces Sales Cloud Partner Relationship Management--The New Intelligent Sales App, Built On The #1 CRM Platform

SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce [NYSE: CRM], the global leader in CRM, today announced Sales Cloud Partner Relationship Management (PRM), a new sales app that will empower companies to turbocharge channel sales. With one-third of the average company's revenue coming from partners((1))--and more than two-thirds of revenues for companies in high-tech((2)), manufacturing((3)) and telecom--((4)) it is critical to arm every partner, distributor and reseller with the personalized tools and information they need to sell smarter and faster.

Introducing Sales Cloud PRM
The new PRM app will allow companies to easily build modern, branded partner communities with clicks, not code. In contrast to legacy partner portals that are built on inflexible, archaic systems creating disconnected silos, Sales Cloud seamlessly brings together both partner and direct sales functions.

To deliver Sales Cloud PRM, Salesforce is bringing together new and existing technologies, including:

    --  New Guided Setup Wizard will enable channel managers to easily
        configure, customize and deploy their app in days. Using the interactive
        wizard, channel managers will be able to seamlessly configure lead
        distribution, deal registration, marketing development funds and
        AppExchange Components, such as Xactly for compensation management and
        NetExam for a learning management system. Additionally, channel managers
        will be able to automatically assign partners into tiers and provide
        targeted promotions and customized content based on those tiers.
    --  Lightning CMS Connect will allow channel managers to easily create a
        customized, branded partner experience faster than ever before. Channel
        managers will be able to drag and drop existing website content,
        graphics and videos ensuring it stays as up-to-date as a company's
        website.
    --  Einstein Content Recommendations will use machine learning to surface
        files that enable channel reps to be more productive. For example, if a
        partner views a new product description document, Einstein will be able
        to recommend files, including logo graphics, product placement
        instructions and pricing documentation for that new product.
    --  Channel Marketing Automation will extend the power of Marketing Cloud to
        every partner, enabling them to build, track and analyze email campaigns
        to deliver 1:1 customer journeys on any device. Companies will be able
        to ensure partners are using the right messaging and collateral by
        empowering them to be their own marketing department.

Today's announcement extends the world's #1 SFA, Sales Cloud, even further to empower companies to accelerate their sales with smart, customizable apps for every sales function. Sales teams of every kind are improving forecasting and collecting cash faster with Salesforce Quote-to-Cash. Field sales reps are accessing their CRM with the Salesforce1 mobile app while on the go. Sales managers are exploring data quickly and getting actionable insight with Sales Wave Analytics. And digitally powered sales reps are using Einstein High Velocity Sales Cloud to quickly identify the best leads, eliminate busy work and boost pipeline to increase sales.

Salesforce Trailhead: Empowers Everyone to Skill-Up
Trailhead is Salesforce's free interactive, guided and gamified learning platform, where anyone can develop skills that empower them to land a job in the workforce of the future. Trailhead is democratizing education and providing a direct path for anyone to start learning Salesforce for free, from anywhere. Since launching in 2014, Trailblazers have earned 2.5 million badges, which directly relate to in-demand job skills. In fact, according to Indeed, two of the top 10 best jobs of the future are in the Salesforce Economy.

Comments on the News: 

    --  "Traditional partner portals tend to be pieced-together legacy systems
        that are generic and disconnected from CRM. This results in substandard
        channel performance and ultimately a poor user experience," said Mike
        Micucci, GM and SVP, Salesforce Products. "Sales Cloud PRM is the
        solution companies have been looking for--a turnkey app that enables
        them to extend the world's best CRM to their partners."
    --  "Empowering our AWS Partner Network (APN) partners is a top priority for
        us," said Terry Wise, Vice President, Amazon Web Services. "As part of
        our strategic relationship with Salesforce, we count on Sales Cloud PRM
        to provide our APN partners with the tools and content needed to scale
        their business quickly on AWS."
    --  "As channel partners increase in importance to companies, the need for
        effective partner tools, enablement and infrastructure is imperative,"
        said Denis Pombriant, Principal Analyst Beagle Research. "Sales Cloud
        PRM is an example of a solution for companies looking to accelerate
        partner sales without unnecessary cycles and cost."
    --  "We've been a Salesforce customer for 10 years, and for us, the natural
        extension was to bring Salesforce to our partners, giving them what they
        need to sell in one place," said Tony Dyck, Director of IT Technical
        Delivery at Box. "We were able to quickly deploy, and immediately saw an
        increase in partner engagement and efficiency, leading to an increase in
        sales coming from our partner channel."
    --  "It's important to fully capture our opportunity for revenue growth and
        expansion in our channel business by providing our partners with 24 hour
        access to product resources, lead management, deal registration and
        support," said Neil Burch, Enterprise Applications and Business
        Analytics, CalAmp."With Sales Cloud PRM, we will be able to quickly and
        easily increase partner collaboration and gain visibility into our
        channel so we can accurately forecast our indirect sales."

Pricing and Availability

    --  Sales Cloud PRM is generally available today with the Partner Community
        Cloud License for $25 per member per month.
    --  New Guided Setup Wizard, Einstein Content Recommendations and Channel
        Marketing Automation are expected to be generally available in the
        second half of 2017.
    --  Lightning CMS Connect will be in beta in June 2017.

Additional Information

    --  To learn more about Sales Cloud, please visit:
        https://www.salesforce.com/products/sales-cloud/overview/
    --  To learn more about Partner Communities, please visit:
        https://www.salesforce.com/products/community-cloud/features/
    --  Learn how to get started with Trailhead and Sales Cloud PRM here:
        https://trailhead.salesforce.com/modules/community_cloud_basics/units/co
        mmunities_partner_community
    --  To watch the livestream of the Boston World Tour keynote, please visit:
        https://www.salesforce.com/video/

Connect with Salesforce

    --  Like Salesforce on Facebook http://facebook.com/salesforce
    --  Follow @salesforce and @communitycloud on Twitter

About Salesforce
Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: http://www.salesforce.com.

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit http://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

Rights of ALBERT EINSTEIN are used with permission of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Represented exclusively by Greenlight.

((1)) Simple Rules for Making Alliances Work, by Johnathan Hughes and Jeff Weiss, HBR. Reprint R0711H
((2)) Accenture: Improving the ROI of Indirect Channel Incentives
((3)) Alexander Group: Manufacturing: The Rise of Complex Selling Models
((4)) CompTIA: Partnering Trends Between Telecom And IT Channels

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SOURCE Salesforce