Salesforce

Overview

Salesforce is the world's largest CRM company and the pioneer of cloud-delivered enterprise software. Founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff on the premise that enterprise software should be delivered via the internet rather than installed on-premise, Salesforce built a platform that now underpins the sales, service, and marketing operations of the majority of the Fortune 500.

The core CRM product (Sales Cloud) manages leads, contacts, opportunities, and forecasts with a depth of customisation, reporting, and workflow automation that no other CRM can match at scale. The Salesforce Platform extends this with Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and the AppExchange — a marketplace of 5,000+ add-on applications built by Salesforce partners.

Key Features

• Opportunities and Forecasting — detailed deal tracking with AI-powered revenue forecasting via Einstein
• Custom Objects — create entirely custom data models to represent any business process
• Flow Builder — no-code automation for complex multi-step business processes
• Reports and Dashboards — highly customisable reporting with drill-through capability
• Salesforce Einstein AI — AI-powered lead scoring, opportunity insights, and forecast predictions
• AppExchange — 5,000+ pre-built integrations and vertical solutions from Salesforce partners
• Territory Management — assign accounts and opportunities to reps based on complex geographic and account rules
• CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) — automated quoting for complex product configurations
• Slack integration — Salesforce data surfaces in Slack conversations (acquired 2021)

Pricing

Salesforce Sales Cloud Starter Suite ($25/user/month billed annually) covers basic CRM features. Pro Suite ($80/user/month) adds pipeline management and customisation. Enterprise ($165/user/month) is the most commonly deployed tier for mid-market sales organisations. Unlimited ($330/user/month) includes 24/7 support and additional Einstein AI features. A 30-day free trial is available. Total contract values at enterprise scale routinely exceed $100,000/year.

Best For

Salesforce is the right CRM for large enterprise sales organisations with complex requirements: multiple sales teams, territory management, sophisticated forecasting, integration with ERP systems, and regulatory compliance needs. Organisations with dedicated Salesforce administrators and implementation partners get full value. Salesforce's vertical solutions provide pre-built data models for regulated industries.

Limitations

Salesforce is genuinely complex and expensive for mid-market organisations without dedicated admin resources. Implementation typically requires a consulting partner, adding significant cost beyond the subscription. The user interface is not intuitive — adoption among sales reps without proper training is a common failure mode. For most SMBs and growth-stage startups, HubSpot or Pipedrive provide 80% of the value at a fraction of the cost and complexity.

Verdict

The most powerful and customisable CRM available. Essential for enterprise organisations with complex sales operations, multiple teams, and deep integration requirements. Not the right choice for organisations without dedicated Salesforce administrators and implementation budget.