Salesforce-CDP learning - Salesforce Customer Data Platform (CDP) Updated: 2024

The Best Salesforce Certification Courses

Salesforce Certification Courses for Beginners

1. The Complete Salesforce Classic Administrator by Udemy

2. Prepare for Your Salesforce Administrator Credential by Trailhead 

3. Formula Fundamentals in Salesforce by PluralSight 

4. Cert Prep: Salesforce Certified Administration by LinkedIn Learning (Formerly Lynda.com)

5. Salesforce Platform App Builder Certification Course by Udemy

6. Prepare for Your Salesforce Platform App Builder Credential by Trailhead

Advanced Salesforce Certification Courses

7. Salesforce Certified Advanced Administrator- Part 1 by Udemy 

8. Salesforce Sales Cloud Consultant Certification by Udemy

9. Salesforce Service Cloud Consultant Certification Course by Udemy

What Makes a Great Salesforce Certification Course?

Taught by an Experienced Salesforce Trainer

Interactive and Includes Resources 

Self-Paced

Choose the Right Salesforce Certification Course

Frequently Asked Questions

© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

At last year's Dreamforce conference, Salesforce introduced partners to Einstein, a broad platform for infusing artificial intelligence across the cloud-computing giant's product portfolio.

Now that Einstein is a year old, partners headed to Dreamforce 2017 next week in San Francisco are eager to learn more about how Salesforce's AI capabilities have matured, and if they will soon see a broader toolset making Einstein a more agile, customizable, and powerful solution to bring to customers.

As market demand for artificial intelligence heats up, Salesforce looks like it will not disappoint. An entire day of Dreamforce, Tuesday is packed with AI and Einstein sessions, and the technology will be a centerpiece of an on-stage discussion Wednesday between Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff and IBM CEO Ginni Rometty.

[Related: Salesforce Updates Consulting Partner Program, Helping Partners Separate From The Pack Based On Industry And Product Expertise]

Solutions architects at SpringML, a Salesforce implementer with a strong focus on machine learning, will be educating peers on how customers are adopting machine learning in the Einstein Theater at Dreamforce, while also hoping to learn more themselves about the direction of Salesforce's intelligence portfolio.

"Beyond just the basic APIs, and the announcements they've made to date, we're looking forward to seeing the depth of their machine learning and AI offering," Charles Landry, CEO of the consultancy based in Pleasanton, Calif., told CRN.

Questions include how Salesforce is making it easier to embed Einstein into core applications, how Einstein solutions will appear on the recently revamped AppExchange marketplace, and how consulting partners will be enabled to leverage the platform to deliver industry-specific solutions.

Landry also wants to hear more about how IBM's Watson cognitive computing platform will integrate with Einstein, a subject that should be discussed in depth by Benioff and Rometty.

Latane Conant, chief marketing officer at Appirio, a Salesforce integrator based in Indianapolis, told CRN that with a day devoted almost exclusively to artificial intelligence, she expects to hear a lot at Dreamforce about Salesforce's evolving capabilities around the technology.

"It's a hot subject right now, and rightly so," Conant said. "AI is going to play a huge role in pushing marketing technology to the next level in creating true one-to-one customer journeys."

Artificial intelligence, of which machine learning is a central component, had a breakout year in 2016, with most major cloud providers innovating and launching products that made major strides in democratizing that long-promised technology.

However, now that Salesforce's solution has spent some time in the hands of real-world customers, partners have a better sense of how Einstein needs to evolve to continue penetrating that market.

"Einstein has come a long way since its release a year ago," said Kai Hsiung, chief growth officer at Silverline, a Salesforce partner based in New York City.

But there's still a lot that can be done to make the solution more valuable to customers, Hsiung said, and he wants to learn more at Dreamforce about coming upgrades, particularly in facilitating sales projections.

"They're going to say Einstein is going to be released with forecasting in the next year," Hsiung said.

The capability would evaluate historical data, apply it to the customer's pipeline, and "spit out a forecast," he said. "It's something I'm looking forward to since everybody struggles with forecasting. That's something that's worthy of talking to the customers about."

Customers, be they media, retail, consumer goods, energy, or tech companies, want to take the data in their CRM and external systems and leverage machine learning to predict sales, Landry, of SpringML, also told CRN.

"You can see the pace of progress really picking up, moving beyond this initial phase of hype and romance with machine learning and into the early days of practical use cases, with the right toolsets to enable it, drive business in marketing, services and sales, or operational capabilities with IoT implementations," Landry said.

Salesforce Service Cloud users are looking to Einstein to help manage and service customers better by delivering predictions on what tickets will be challenging to deal with as opposed to run-of-the-mill, and what cases need to be escalated sooner. On the marketing side, Salesforce's AI technology can be used to analyze campaigns and predict revenue outcomes, evaluate the effectiveness of messaging and integrate that with social channels, Landry said.

In exact months, SpringML has seen several customer engagements to deliver those types of capabilities, Landry said.

But to really tackle the market opportunity, especially across specific verticals, Einstein needs to extend beyond the initial capabilities launched last year with more-prevalent capabilities partners can embed into core applications, Landry said.

"We are expecting, and optimistic, to hear about Einstein capabilities that are customizable to the depths and requirements of the customer," Landry said. "What we're really excited to see are what are the customizable components, and the APIs they're going to release, that enable partners such as ourselves to build custom solutions."

SpringML does a lot of work for the medical device industry, and for those customers, "the generic just won't fit," Landry said. Generic artificial intelligence "just won't serve the customer as well as customized solutions purposed for them to adapt data from their custom objects."

Salesforce partners also tell CRN they are looking to learn more about efforts to accelerate adoption of the Lightning platform for developing next-generation user interfaces because Lightning's development impacts Einstein's market potential.

The Lightning framework was introduced two years ago to make it easier for partners to enhance and customize user interfaces without writing code.

Einstein only works inside Lighting, as Salesforce partner Bluewolf, owned by IBM, explained in a exact blog post.

Most new customers deploy Lightning. But many of the legacy ones still haven't migrated to that user interface, which undercuts their ability to leverage Einstein.

Salesforce's channel has been trying to develop programs to encourage and facilitate migrations, but legacy customers aren't moving as fast as many, including Salesforce, had hoped, mainly because doing so "is more than a weekend effort," one Salesforce partner, who asked not to be named in this article, told CRN.

The time requirements of Lightning migration projects and the inherent disruptions to business as they proceed have slowed the platform refresh.

"You have to answer the Lightning question before you can answer the Einstein question," that partner said.

This year did not start off great for Salesforce, with an unusual level of turbulence and uncertainty surrounding the company. But as the year comes to a close, Salesforce finds itself in surprisingly good shape financially: Its stock is up over 96% year-to-date. Earlier this year, such an outcome would have seemed impossible to imagine.

The bad news started rolling in even before the new year began, when co-CEO Bret Taylor, who many speculated was being groomed to be heir apparent to Marc Benioff, quite suddenly announced he was leaving the company at the end of November. A week later, Slack CEO and co-founder Stewart Butterfield announced he, too, was stepping down. Losing two key executives in less than a week would be a huge hit to any company, but it would be just the start of an onslaught of bad news for the CRM giant.

As the year began, we learned that activist investors were, well, quite active inside the company. This included Elliott Management, Starboard Value, ValueAct Capital, Inclusive Capital and Third Point. When activists show up, they usually have a strong opinion on how to “fix” a company, and this would be no different.

First, we learned that Salesforce was bringing in three new board members, which felt like a way to appease the activists — especially because one of them was Mason Morfit, CEO and chief investment officer of ValueAct, one of those very same activists.

Activists typically pressure the company to cut costs, and in corporate terms, that usually means cutting staff. Sure enough, Salesforce soon announced that it was cutting 10% of its workforce, or 7,000 people, on January 4, 2023. The excuse was that it had overhired during the pandemic and this was a correction, but it could also have been throwing the activists a cost-cutting bone.

Either way, reports suggested the company didn’t handle the layoffs well, engineers were being pressured, and Benioff began preaching about going back to the office after embracing work from home, and what Salesforce called the “Digital HQ,” during the pandemic. The company’s reputation as a progressive, employee-friendly organization took a big hit.

Dr. Karina Ochis | Gen Z Expert | Professor Of Leadership and Management | Executive Consultant | Speaker | Author.

The AI revolution in leadership is transforming industries and reshaping the way we work. As a leadership professor, I observed the profound impact of AI on leadership styles. In the rapidly evolving landscape of modern business, leaders continually seek innovative tools to stay ahead of the curve. AI acts as a trusted ally, augmenting leadership skills rather than replacing them.

How The Giants Use AI

Leading global businesses have embraced AI, recognizing its potential to drive innovation and enhance operational efficiency. One example is IBM, a pioneer in integrating AI into leadership strategies. IBM's Watson, a cognitive computing system, empowers leaders with data-driven insights, enabling them to anticipate market trends, identify opportunities and mitigate risks.

Similarly, Google employs AI algorithms to personalize leadership development programs. By identifying individual strengths and weaknesses, Google ensures tailored development initiatives that hone leaders' skills precisely to meet their challenges. Amazon, another trailblazer, leverages AI to optimize its leadership talent pool. The company utilizes machine learning algorithms to match leaders with projects that align with their expertise, fostering a dynamic and efficient organizational structure.

Salesforce employs AI-driven analytics to enhance sales leadership. Through predictive analytics, Salesforce's AI provides valuable insights into customer behavior, enabling sales leaders to refine strategies and Improve outcomes. Lastly, Siemens utilizes AI to cultivate a culture of innovation in leadership. The company employs AI-driven tools to streamline workflows, identify areas for improvement, and inspire a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation among its leadership teams.

These examples underscore how leading companies strategically integrate AI into their leadership frameworks, demonstrating the tangible benefits of this transformative technology. This personalized approach fosters professional growth and ensures leaders have the skills to navigate their specific challenges.

How Leaders Can Use AI

So what can you as a leader do to best use AI? Let's take a look.

1. Embrace Data-Driven Decision Making: 'The Decisive Code'

Leadership in the age of AI requires a shift toward data-driven decision-making. Embrace the power of algorithms to analyze data and extract meaningful insights. Use this information to make informed decisions that align with your organizational goals. Remember, the decisive code lies within the data; leaders who crack it can unlock a competitive edge.

2. Cultivate Emotional Intelligence: 'The AI Empathy Factor'

While AI excels in analytical tasks, it lacks the emotional intelligence that human leaders bring. Cultivate your emotional intelligence, recognizing the nuanced aspects of human interactions that AI may miss.

Lead with empathy—and understand the diverse perspectives within your team. The AI empathy factor complements data-driven decisions, fostering a holistic leadership approach.

3. Leverage AI For Talent Development: 'The Mentor In The Machine'

AI can serve as an influential mentor, providing personalized insights for leadership development. Utilize AI-driven tools to identify individual strengths and areas for improvement within your team.

Tailor leadership development programs to address these specific needs, creating a culture of continuous improvement. The mentor in the machine can guide leaders and teams toward excellence.

4. Foster A Culture Of Innovation: 'AI As The Catalyst'

Position AI as a catalyst for innovation within your organization. Encourage your team to explore new ways of leveraging AI to enhance processes, streamline workflows and drive creativity. Embrace a mindset of continuous learning and adaptation. Leaders who view AI as a dynamic force for innovation can inspire their teams to push boundaries and explore uncharted territories.

5. Become An AI Strategic Leader

AI can be a powerful tool for leaders but also requires a new mindset and skill set. Here are some leadership lessons that can help you use AI effectively and ethically:

• Be curious: AI is constantly evolving and improving, and so should you. Be curious about the latest developments and trends in AI and how they can benefit your organization and your team. Learn from the best practices and experiences of other leaders and organizations that use AI.

• Be collaborative: AI is not a substitute for human intelligence but a complement. Collaborate with your team members, peers and stakeholders, leveraging their diverse perspectives and expertise. Involve them in designing, implementing and evaluating AI solutions and ensuring they have the necessary skills and support to use AI.

• Be critical: AI is not infallible but prone to errors and biases. Be critical of AI's data, algorithms and outputs, and question their validity, reliability and fairness. Ensure AI is transparent, accountable and aligned with your values and goals.

• Be creative: AI is not a constraint but an opportunity. Be creative and experiment with new ways of using AI to solve problems, create value and achieve impact. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo and try new things.

Navigating The Future Of Leadership With AI

AI is not just a buzzword; it's a paradigm shift influencing leadership in unprecedented ways. In the ever-evolving leadership landscape, AI stands as a game changer, offering outstanding opportunities for growth and innovation.

As leaders, embracing this transformative force is not just a choice; it's a necessity. The collaboration between human intuition and AI analytical prowess is the key to unlocking new dimensions of success. Leaders can confidently navigate the future by learning from global businesses, incorporating data-driven decision-making, cultivating emotional intelligence, leveraging AI for talent development and fostering a culture of innovation. The journey ahead is exciting, and those who harness the power of AI could lead the way into a new era of leadership excellence.

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will be used as a force for good, but only with equitable access and generative AI will help healthcare to begin a once-in-a-lifetime transformation, say experts at Salesforce, a cloud-based US software firm.

“AI presents a massive and exciting opportunity for purpose-driven organisations to better serve their communities – but adopting this technology will require funding and expertise that many resource-constrained organisations lack.

“This will be a critical new endeavor for the philanthropic community: ensuring equitable access to AI for the nonprofits that are tackling the world’s toughest social and environmental challenges,” says Becky Ferguson, CEO, Salesforce Foundation, and SVP of Philanthropy, Salesforce.

Changing the cost trajectory

“The US alone spends $3.7 trillion on healthcare, which equates to $1 trillion in administrative waste. With this in mind, my prediction is that generative AI will transform healthcare, fundamentally changing the cost trajectory of the industry. The technology will be used to create efficiencies in claim management and summarisation, turn unstructured data into insights and spot patterns to predict at-risk patients, and create new diagnosis and prevention checkpoints,” says Amit Khanna, SVP & GM, Health & Life Sciences, Salesforce.

Besides, AI will help fight the climate crisis and help sustainability reporting standards to grow up. “2023 has been a frightening year for our planet. And yet, we have promising AI-powered solutions for both climate change mitigation and climate adaptation. WeaveGrid deploys machine learning to optimally orchestrate EV charging for utilities, automakers, and drivers, while Pano AI uses AI to detect wildfires earlier,” says Claudine Emeott, Partner, Salesforce Ventures.

“Companies will increasingly face a global web of more rigorous standards due to new climate-related reporting requirements — from the recently passed SB 253 in California to the upcoming SEC climate disclosure rule to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive. AI will be a crucial tool to help businesses meet these standards while reducing the burden of sustainability reporting,” says Suzanne DiBianca, EVP and Chief Impact Officer, Salesforce.

Copyright 2022 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).