Salesforce brought once-in-a-generation improvements to sales teams. But it didn’t solve one major problem: getting quality data into Salesforce.
Want sales forecast accuracy? Efficient team selling? You need rigorous pipeline data. (You already know it’s true, but here’s a Gartner study just in case.)
Your growth — and ability to predict that growth — hinges on getting real-time numbers via Salesforce call logging.
Let’s give you a refresher course on how to nab great data every day. New tasks, old tasks. All of it.
How to manually log calls inside Salesforce
Step #1: Create a call log for softphones
From your desktop:
- Log into Salesforce.
- Select a lead or contact.
- In the contact’s record, click on the Activity History list and select Log a Call.
- Create a subject line.
- Add relevant notes.
- Click on Save/Submit.
Step #2: End a softphone call
If you viewed a contact during your call, select them in a Related to field so you can find them later. Make notes in the Comments text box under the activity tab.
Click End Call or hang up your physical phone.
No enabled wrap-up codes
If your company hasn’t enabled wrap-up codes, you’ll return to Ready for Calls. Salesforce saves your call logs and every Salesforce task you complete.
Enabled wrap-up codes
If wrap-up codes ARE enabled, you’ll see “reason codes” when you hang up. You won’t be able to take other calls, but you can:
- Select a code about the call’s outcome.
- Make changes to your call log.
Click Done. Your log and Salesforce tasks are saved and you can take more calls.
Step #3:
You’ve got clean data in your Salesforce instance. Time to make moves.
Get insights
Answer some fundamental questions by clicking on the Reports tab. It answers questions like these, based on Salesforce tasks:
- How many calls do your reps make?
- Who’s the top performer?
- How long do calls last?
Share insights
It’s helpful to share data about:
- Team and individual results
- Related accounts, opportunities, leads, or missed contacts
Log calls in Salesforce mobile
Every version of Salesforce is mobile-compatible, whether it’s Salesforce Lightning or otherwise.
Which features are on mobile?
So you’re into widgets. No problem.
Salesforce mobile gives you the same business capabilities you have on your laptop/desktop. Access your new tasks, past activity history, and more from your mobile phone. That said, some activities are easier on a laptop or desktop, like generating reports.
Log a call on your cell
Whether you use android or iOS, Salesforce mobile lets you call a contact, account, or lead directly.
From your mobile device:
- Tap the action bar in a record. If you don’t see this option, make sure you have Edit Task user permission. (Talk to your Salesforce admin if you don’t.)
- Click on the phone number you want to call. (Salesforce will go to your native dialer if you use one.)
- When you hang up, you’ll see Log a Call. (You may have to hit the Back button first if you’re in a native dialer.)
- Enter any notes about the call and tap Save. Your call is logged!
Log a call previously made on your mobile
- In a record, tap the action bar.
- Select a phone number.
- Select Log Without Calling.
- Fill in the Log a Call form.
- Tap on Save.
How does Gong’s call logging integrate with Salesforce?
In a word, beautifully.
Salesforce records what happens on calls, but not why it happens. Gong for Salesforce fills that gap and analyzes your call results. Every completed Salesforce task gives you new insights.
How do I log calls using Gong inside Salesforce?
In one step: Connect Gong to your team’s GSuite or Office365.
As soon as your Gong admin hits the go button, the Gong platform scans calendars. Then it records, tracks, analyzes, and logs relevant calls in Salesforce. Not interested in logging all your Gong calls or new tasks in Salesforce? Set a filter in the Salesforce integration settings.
Which data fields pass from Gong to Salesforce?
- Call participants
- Topics
- Trackers
- Rep stats
- And more!
How can reps use the conversation data in Salesforce?
Create reports using Gong’s conversation data and Salesforce data. Or adjust the Gong platform’s pre-defined reports (there are nine of them!) to your needs. Here are two examples of data that keeps deals on track:
- Managers can zero in on early stage pricing discussions to use in coaching.
- The Pipeline Analysis Dashboard shows you late-stage opportunities where pricing wasn’t discussed. (It’s a red flag!)
Which Salesforce data can you import into Gong?
- Accounts
- Opportunities
- Leads
- Contacts
- Users
Can you export or import call logs?
Yes! Here’s how:
Export a call log from Salesforce into Gong:
- Install and configure the Gong integration in Salesforce.
- Create a custom object in Salesforce with fields that match the data you want to export into Gong.
- Create an Apex class in Salesforce.
- Schedule the Apex class to run at a specific time.
Export a call log from Gong into Salesforce:
- Install and configure the Gong integration in Salesforce.
- Create a custom object in Salesforce with fields that match the data you want to export from Gong.
- Create an Apex class in Salesforce.
- Use Gong’s API to access the call log data.
- Then use Salesforce’s DML operations to insert it into the custom object you created.
- Schedule the Apex class to run at a specific time.
You can do this in several formats, including CSV, JSON, or XML.
Can you add notes to these logs?
Again, it’s a yes. When you export call logs from Gong into Salesforce, include a field for notes in the custom object. Or use the Gong API to add call notes to the call log directly in Gong and then get updated call log data in the next export. (Remember to change the Apex class to include the notes functionality.)
Why is Salesforce call logging important?
Where to begin!? There’s a long list of reasons you want to track every Salesforce task. And they’re all bolstered by the Gong integration. Here are the highlights:
Get total pipeline visibility
When you log Salesforce calls in Gong, you get unmatched visibility into your pipeline. You know which deals are on track to close, in real-time.
Forecast quality
Your numbers are more polished than ever when you combine Salesforce + Gong. That means reliable forecasts for your leadership team. (Read what Gartner has to say about the connection between pipeline visibility and forecasting.)
Uncover coaching opportunities
Discussing pricing too late in the sales process? Get an alert. Combine conversation intelligence with Salesforce call logging to see where reps need coaching. (Get more on which cold call metrics matter, here.)
Check call quality
Want to track sentiment to identify patterns in your past activities and interactions? Log Salesforce calls with Gong and you’ll have the info you need to improve customer service and satisfaction. Get high-quality call results, every time. (Managers, check out the 5 ways uber-successful teams use game tape.)
Bolster your sales call strategy
Uncover rep behaviors to see how each one correlates with win rates. Then it might be time to revamp your playbook…
Gather product feedback
Capture direct customer feedback to identify where you might improve your product or create new business lines.
Shorten sales cycles
Move deals through every stage faster. With clean data, you can shorten your sales cycles and increase revenue.
Identify top-performing reps
Use Salesforce + Gong to log calls and quickly identify your top-performing sales reps. Find patterns in their behaviors and replicate them across your entire team.
Improve lead qualification
Want to identify which leads are most likely to convert to sales? Rank them using call logging with Gong.
Enhance customer segmentation
Use deep insights into customer interactions to segment customers more effectively. Then target and personalize your marketing campaigns to boost conversion rates.
Streamline compliance and legal requirements
Record calls, new tasks, and log interactions. Store your data in a centralized location that’s compliant with legal requirements.
Automate workflows
Was a competitor mentioned on the call? Add their name to a Salesforce opportunity record.
Gong for Salesforce is a must-have. Here’s why:
Too often, CRM data is incomplete. The Gong for Salesforce integration automatically captures what’s missing. No more toggling between apps!
More importantly, data is never lost in translation. Gong snags it and drops it into Salesforce without you lifting a finger — even if you’re making calls from Gong’s autodialer for mobile. You’ll thrive on making data-driven decisions in every phase of your sales cycle.
Managers will drool over this integration’s ability to optimize sales cycles and solidify revenue. And reps can use it — specifically, the call logging feature — to self-coach and track their sales performance with every new task. (Reps, get ready to self-coach on the 7 sales call steps that are proven to close more deals!)
The Gong + Salesforce integration is one of sales’s greatest pairings. Master its back-and-forth and your numbers will only go up and up.
There’s more…
Install Gong for Salesforce to get nine out-of-the-box Salesforce reports and two dashboards. They have info like this:
- Pricing alerts: See every early-stage opportunity where pricing was mentioned.
- Pipeline analysis dashboard: View the competitive opportunities closing this quarter. See which ones the app flagged for risks.
- Competitive analysis dashboard: Review your win rate per quarter for competitive opportunities. See the dollar value of your closed-won deals.
Insights are just high-class guesses if your data isn’t polished to perfection. Get Gong for Salesforce and activate the world’s best call logging today.