Chatter

Benjamin Arp
Aug 31, 2018 · 2 min read

Our sales team recently implemented SalesForce. One of the most interesting features that I hadn’t used before is called Chatter.

Chatter looks something like a Twitter feed. It allows you to @ mention your teammates and write comments on leads, accounts, opportunities, cases, etc. You can also upload pictures, documents or add URLs to these comments.

These comments can significantly reduce communication outside of the CRM. Status updates, technical questions and strategy conversations can be documented in a very easy to digest.

This single feature may have a big impact on the way that we do business over time. Historically we’ve relied heavily on forwarded email threads, in person meetings and live chat to relay information between team members. SalesForce gives us a consolidated view of all of the communications with the prospect and internally about the prospect.

The challenge with most great ideas, especially software features, is that it is hard to get people to break old habits. Therefore, successful software features often require “integration” with other systems. Oftentimes this integration is very non-technical. The goal of the integration is to disrupt existing workflows as little as possible.

Part of what makes Chatter work is the way it is integrated. A new chatter comment generates an email to the record owner and anyone that was @ mentioned in the post. The receiver of the email may then reply to that email and SalesForce will log a response to the Chatter comment. Chatter can be accessed through SalesForce in the web browser, the SalesForce mobile app for iOS and Android or through email. The variety of methods make it easier to get your entire team using the tool.

Overall I would say that I’m pleasantly surprised by this feature and I’m interested to see how well it gets adopted by our team. We may have some “aha moments” in the coming months as we get comfortable in SalesForce or the feature may sit unused and filed away under the “nice to have” list.

Benjamin Arp

Written by

Ecommerce Solutions Architect for Mid-Market Retailers, Distributors and Wholesalers.