In today’s crowded marketplace, standing out is harder than ever. But unified, actionable data and Agentforce are giving savvy sales teams a competitive edge, improving sales performance and helping sellers close more deals, faster.
With 57% of sellers saying competition has become tougher, sales teams face increasing pressure to deliver meaningful connections at lightning speed. So how do you pick up the pace and drive growth without sacrificing quality? The answer lies in data activation and the latest in AI innovation: Agentforce.
How activated data drives sales performance
When data flows smoothly across systems and is readily accessible, it becomes a powerful sales tool. Activated data empowers sales teams with Agentforce to forge meaningful customer connections, increase sales efficiency, accelerate sales cycles, and, ultimately, improve sales performance.
In fact, 96% of sales professionals say real-time, complete data is essential to meet customer expectations. Agentforce can engage and support prospects 24/7, handling inquiries, addressing objections, and scheduling meetings while passing key information to human sellers. With sales analytics and insights surfaced proactively, Agentforce helps teams better align with their goals and objectives to drive measurable improvements in key performance indicators like win rates and annual contract value.
Boost close rates with better customer engagement
Today’s average customer expects personalised, meaningful engagement at every touchpoint, requiring sellers to bring their A-game to every call and email. But when data is fragmented across platforms, it’s nearly impossible for reps to get a complete picture of each customer and access the data they need to personalise their outreach.
It’s a growing issue: 47% of sales professionals say they’re dissatisfied with how their company uses data for personalisation. Yet, 86% of business buyers say they’re more likely to buy when their goals are understood.
This is where unified data and Agentforce come into play. By connecting CRM records, web activity, and purchase history with Data Cloud, businesses can equip their sales team — including Agentforce — with a full view of the customer journey. Agentforce autonomously engages customers with personalised outreach, ensuring every interaction feels relevant and tailored.
FedEx uses Data Cloud to connect sales, marketing, and shipping data. Sales reps can identify inactive customers who started a shipping quote but didn’t complete it and re-engage them with highly personalised follow-ups. With activated data, FedEx turns interest into action in hours instead of weeks.
“Our business customers expect us to know everything about their needs and relationship with us. We work really effectively now across sales and marketing, and Data Cloud has enabled us to do that,” explains Mark Colombo, Senior Vice President, Solutions and Sales at FedEx.
The Data Activation for Sales Guide
Connect and activate data to give your sales teams the edge they need to close more deals, faster
Increase sales efficiency with AI-powered insights
Sales reps often find themselves buried under non-selling tasks, spending over 70% of their time on low-value activities like searching for customer information and updating records. This fragmented workflow impacts sales productivity metrics and, ultimately, sales performance.
With activated data and the help of Agentforce, sellers can shift their focus back to selling. By automating routine processes, Agentforce handles repetitive tasks like gathering insights, addressing customer inquiries, and setting up meetings, leaving human sellers to focus on high-value activities. Instead of toggling between systems, sales reps can rely on Data Cloud and Agentforce to proactively surface insights and take action for them.
Formula 1 experienced how connected data drives efficiency firsthand. Its commercial sales teams used to rely on outdated spreadsheets, leading to communication gaps and inefficiencies. Now, with Data Cloud, sales and service teams can collaborate seamlessly. Sales reps have a shared view of prospect and fan data, so it’s clear where each lead is in the sales lifecycle and who’s responsible at every touchpoint.
Unified data is also the key to unlocking the potential of Agentforce to support customers and sales team performance. Agentforce can engage prospects 24/7 across channels — handling inquiries, addressing objections, and scheduling meetings autonomously. Sellers can then pick up the lead with a complete brief, with Agentforce providing the details necessary for a smooth handoff.
With 81% of sales teams now investing in AI, sellers are increasingly optimistic about how agents can increase sales efficiency while enabling more strategic, high-value work and deeper customer connections.
Speed up sales cycles with unified data
Siloed data can slow sales to a crawl. Nearly half of sales professionals (47%) say long sales cycles have become a greater challenge than last year.
Grounded in unified, trusted data, Agentforce accelerates the process by engaging prospects across channels 24/7, swiftly responding to inquiries, addressing objections, and progressing deals without delays. Sellers are notified with key insights, ensuring timely follow-ups and smooth handoffs.
The numbers are compelling: 96% of sales professionals say data and analytics speed up decision-making. Agentforce streamlines the entire sales cycle:
- Identifying and prioritising qualified leads by analysing combined datasets, helping reps focus on those most likely to convert.
- Automating forecasting to optimise pipeline coverage and predict recurring revenue.
- Providing real-time alerts for at-risk deals, enabling proactive engagement to prevent potential losses.
FedEx is leading the way with data-driven sales. By combining web browsing data with shipping information via Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud, its sales reps can quickly identify and target interested customers. For example, when a potential customer engages with an email or a web banner, sellers receive immediate notifications to follow up, boosting the chances of conversion through timely outreach.
Drive revenue growth and customer lifetime value
A complete customer view doesn’t just improve efficiency — it opens the door to upselling, cross-selling, and driving revenue growth. By activating unified data, sales teams gain insights that reveal high-value opportunities and suggestions to increase the average deal size and customer lifetime value, giving them a strategic advantage in every interaction.
Agentforce helps sales teams sharpen their skills for critical moments in the sales cycle. With tailored role-plays grounded in deal data, Agentforce coaches sellers to perfect their pitches, handle objections, and close deals faster. By linking coaching to outcomes like win rates and deal size, sellers are better prepared to maximise revenue opportunities.
According to the State of Sales report, 83% of sales teams using AI saw revenue growth last year, compared to just 66% of those without it. However, incomplete or outdated data remains a challenge, with 31% of teams reporting it as a significant obstacle. Reliable, unified data is essential to activate AI effectively, empowering Agentforce to take value-adding actions such as relevant upsell recommendations.
Formula 1 struggled to connect fanbase interactions across channels, resulting in a fragmented experience. It solved this by consolidating sales, service, and marketing data into a single source with Data Cloud. Formula 1 now engages fans based on their preferences and behaviours, boosting both customer loyalty and merchandise sales by aligning recommendations with insights like a fan’s favourite driver.
FedEx also relies on Data Cloud to know its customers better, and this connected experience ultimately leads to increased revenue.
How to improve sales performance with data activation
Companies like FedEx and Formula 1 show how activated data revolutionises sales team performance and improves key metrics like win rates, retention rates, and customer lifetime value.
With a foundation of unified data that’s activated by Agentforce, you can deliver personalised experiences, unlock new revenue growth, and empower your sales team to work smarter and faster.
Ready to see how data activation can optimise your sales performance? Download our latest guide, Data Activation for Sales, and start optimising your sales strategy today.
Close Deals Faster with Unified, Actionable Data
Discover how to activate data from every source and help your sales teams close deals faster and accelerate growth.
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