As we approach the end of 2024, it’s time to take stock of the key developments in the Salesforce ecosystem. In this article, we take a closer look at the innovations, events, and reports that stood out throughout the year. Don’t miss this summary, which covers a broad perspective from the State of Sales and State of Marketing reports to the Dreamforce 2024 event, from the rise of artificial intelligence to innovative solutions like Agentforce. Let’s remember the Salesforce agenda for 2024 together .
Sales Agenda 2024 with the State of Sales Report
This year, Salesforce took the pulse of the sales world with the State of Sales Report . Prepared with the opinions of more than 5,500 sales professionals, the report examined the challenges teams face, the impact of artificial intelligence, and the power of training programs. Here are the prominent findings.
Sales Figures on the Rise Despite Challenges
Even though they are faced with increasing customer expectations, decreasing productivity and intense competition today, four out of every five sales professionals say their sales have increased. Technological innovations, especially artificial intelligence, and training programs have a large share in this increase.
Artificial Intelligence Effect
While 81% of sales teams use artificial intelligence; they largely benefit from this technology for purposes such as increased efficiency and personalization. Artificial intelligence helps sales teams increase their revenues with the advantages it offers. For example, 83% of sales teams using artificial intelligence increased their revenues last year, while this rate was 66% for those not using artificial intelligence .
Education and Support Programs
Sales teams are using training to overcome the various challenges they face. 76% of sales reps believe that training and support programs help them meet their quotas. Increasing growth trends also prove that investments in sales support programs pay off.
Obstacles Encountered in the Journey of Artificial Intelligence
The sales world is struggling to provide the budget, human resources and training needed to effectively implement AI. 33% of sales professionals believe there is insufficient training in AI, while 31% are concerned about the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of the data used. In particular, the use of generative AI, which is based on company and customer data, poses data security and privacy risks to companies. 7 in 10 sales professionals are concerned that generative AI will create new security risks, and many say they do not know how to use the technology securely.
State of Marketing: New Horizons in Marketing
The State of Marketing report, prepared with the participation of approximately 5,000 marketers in 2024 , reveals how marketing teams are embracing artificial intelligence and the opportunities and challenges they face in this process. Let's take a look at the important details of the report that will shape the marketing world:
The Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Marketing
The rise of AI also means the beginning of a new era for marketers. They see this rise as an opportunity to better understand their customers and build stronger bonds with them. Therefore, taking advantage of AI is a top priority for marketers; however, they need to overcome some security challenges.
Artificial Intelligence Integration Provides Competitive Advantage
In 2022, 68% of marketers had a defined AI strategy, while today, 75% are experimenting with or fully implementing AI. Increasing technology adoption is positively impacting the performance of marketing teams. For example, high-performing teams are 2.5 times more likely to fully integrate AI into their operations than low-performing teams. Support is Needed to Turn Data into Action Marketers need to quickly make sense of and apply the information they collect about potential and existing customers. However, two in five marketers say they lack access to real-time data that they can use for important tasks. Even teams with real-time data can be slow to quickly implement that data. 59% of marketers have to turn to their IT teams for help when they need real-time data to run a campaign. This points to a lack of tools, training, and expertise.
Dreamforce 2024: The Pinnacle of Artificial Intelligence
Salesforce’s flagship event, Dreamforce 2024 , attracted attention this year with its AI-focused projects. Held in San Francisco on September 17-19 and attended by 45,000 participants from over 140 countries, the event featured many innovations that will shape the future of the industry.
Artificial Intelligence for Everyone
Dreamforce 2024 attracted attention with sessions and demos where Salesforce introduced its innovations in artificial intelligence solutions. The event also announced the “AI for All” project. As part of this project, Salesforce aims to offer AI courses and certificates on the Trailhead platform free of charge until the end of 2025. You can access detailed information about the project in the press release .
Dreamforce and Sustainability
At Dreamforce 2024, sustainability stood out as one of Salesforce’s core values. The team, which set out with the goal of “the most sustainable Dreamforce event to date,” organized many sessions focused on this area. Sustainability experts discussed the importance of this concept for different sectors, the necessary changes in business processes, and the advantages that can be achieved by integrating a sustainable approach into applications.
Dreamforce's Shining Star: Agentforce
Salesforce’s new product Agentforce was one of the innovations that attracted attention at Dreamforce 2024. Agentforce, which offers the ability to create and customize artificial intelligence-based virtual representatives (agents), is the world’s first platform in this field. This solution, which allows companies to create autonomous agents that can work integrated with human resources, was one of the most talked about topics of the event.
While Agentforce was the subject of one of the main sessions, demo areas were also offered for participants to experience their own virtual agents. Throughout 2024, Agentforce became the main agenda item not only for Dreamforce but also for the Salesforce ecosystem.
The Rise of Virtual Agents with Agentforce
Agentforce is not only an innovative product for Salesforce; it is also the harbinger of a new era in which artificial intelligence will be effectively applied in different areas and provide significant benefits. This approach will be encountered frequently, especially in 2025 and beyond. For example, one of the prominent trends in the 2025 version of Gartner's annual Top Strategic Technology Trends Report is defined as "Agentic AI".
Unlike traditional AI models, Agentic AI refers to a type of AI that does not require explicit inputs to achieve specific goals and does not produce predetermined outputs. These systems can generate plans by receiving instructions, use tools to complete tasks, and deliver dynamic outputs. According to Gartner, by 2028, 33% of enterprise software applications are expected to include Agentic AI, and 15% of daily business decisions are expected to be made autonomously by these systems.
Agentforce reflects this trend by offering a solution that can easily integrate into existing workflows and work seamlessly with other applications. It increases efficiency in customer service, sales, and support processes, providing functions such as effectively responding to support requests, managing complex requests with natural dialogue, and helping to schedule meetings by communicating directly with leads. It also accelerates sales processes by increasing interaction with potential customers and provides training support to new sales representatives by providing real-time tips. These features reveal the significant advantages of Agentforce in marketing and customer relations.
Salesforce 2025: What the New Year Will Bring
2024 was a year of transformation and development for Salesforce. As we leave behind a year full of artificial intelligence integration, customer trust-building efforts, and innovative products, we expect 2025 to witness even greater innovations. Salesforce's vision of combining technology with a human-centered approach will continue to shape the future of the ecosystem. Follow us and stay informed about developments!
Comments