5 best practices for using Slack with Salesforce

How can sales teams maximize their time to drive better results for the bottom line? It might just be a matter of making sure they have more time to actually sell their products and services. The Salesforce State of Sales report found that sales reps spend 70% of their time on nonselling tasks.

It’s no wonder many of those same respondents felt like they wouldn’t hit their sales quotas! Administrative tasks, repetitive updates, and switching between multiple platforms consume the majority of their time, slowing deal cycles and reducing revenue potential.

Salesforce’s acquisition of Slack has created a unique opportunity to reverse this trend. With Slack Sales Elevate, teams can bring CRM data directly into the workspace where work happens, drastically reducing context switching and enabling reps to focus on what matters most: closing deals. Here’s how organizations can maximize the impact of Slack in conjunction with Salesforce.

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1. Integrate Salesforce data directly into Slack

The key to effective adoption is making critical information immediately accessible. Slack Sales Elevate allows teams to set up channels dedicated to specific accounts, deals, or teams, and integrate Salesforce data feeds so everyone has visibility into progress, bottlenecks, and opportunities. By embedding CRM data into the flow of work, reps can act faster and managers can monitor performance in real time.

Related Article: 5 Sales Process Automation Best Practices

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Step 1: Prepare your Salesforce environment

Ensure you have Sales Cloud set up and users have appropriate permissions for accounts, opportunities, and reports.
Identify the objects and fields you want to surface in Slack (i.e., opportunities, accounts, deals in progress).
Confirm that your Salesforce org allows API access; this is required for bi-directional updates.

Step 2: Connect Slack to Salesforce

In Slack, go to the Slack App Directory and search for Salesforce.
Click Install or Add to Slack.
Authenticate by signing in with your Salesforce credentials. You may need admin approval for your org.
Grant permissions for Slack to read and update Salesforce data.
If your organization has Slack Enterprise Grid, make sure the integration is approved across all connected workspaces.

Step 3: Configure Slack channels for CRM data

Decide which channels will display Salesforce updates (i.e., #sales-deals, #account-updates).
Use Salesforce-triggered notifications to push updates to channels automatically. Examples could include:
- New opportunity created
- Opportunity stage changes
- Deal closed/won
Use Slack threads for conversation around specific deals to keep context organized.

Step 4: Enable bi-directional updates (Sales Elevate)

In Slack, navigate to Sales Elevate settings and select the Salesforce objects you want to update from Slack.
Test updates by editing a Salesforce record in Slack and confirming it syncs back to Sales Cloud in real time.
Set up permissions for which users can update records to prevent accidental changes.

Reps can log meetings, update opportunities, or adjust account details directly in Slack, and Salesforce is automatically updated, which eliminates duplicate work.

Step 5: Use Workflow Builder for automation

Open Workflow Builder in Slack.
Create workflows triggered by Salesforce events. Some examples include:
- Notify the account owner when a new lead is assigned
- Send a weekly summary of pipeline changes to the sales manager
- Trigger reminders for overdue opportunity updates
Test workflows in a sandbox or test channel before deploying broadly.

Step 6: Train your team and monitor adoption

Provide short training sessions or documentation on how to access Salesforce data in Slack.
Encourage reps to update opportunities and log calls in Slack to keep CRM data fresh.
Monitor Slack usage and Salesforce updates to measure adoption and improve workflows.

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2. Reduce administrative overhead with workflow automation

Slack’s Workflow Builder empowers teams to automate repetitive tasks, keeping sales activity moving without adding administrative burden. Teams can identify the most time-consuming administrative tasks and automate them with Slack-triggered workflows. For example, when a new opportunity is added in Sales Cloud, automatically notify the account owner in Slack to follow up—eliminating the need to constantly check multiple platforms.

According to Salesforce’s State of Sales research, sales reps spend ~70% of their time on non‑selling activities, with only about ~30 % of their workweek actually dedicated to selling. That non‑selling workload includes administrative tasks like CRM updates, manual data entry, internal coordination, and routine reporting. All the types of tasks automation is designed to eliminate.

The numbers highlight a structural inefficiency in how sales teams allocate effort:

Nearly 68 % of sales professionals cite note‑taking and CRM data entry as among their most time‑consuming duties — prime candidates for automation.
In broader knowledge worker research, respondents estimate that automation could save an average of 3.6 hours per week per employee (roughly a full working month of time per year) if routine tasks were automated.

These figures translate into real opportunity cost. Every hour a sales rep spends manually transcribing call notes or hunting for CRM information is an hour not spent building relationships, qualifying prospects, or moving deals forward.

When teams can leverage Slack’s no‑code Workflow Builder and CRM triggers to automate repetitive, manual processes, organizations can dramatically reduce that administrative burden right where much of the communication originates. Here’s how the efficiency thesis plays out in practice:

Automating routine tasks frees up selling time. With workflow automation handling repetitive processes, reps can redirect effort toward high‑value activities that impact revenue.
Improved CRM hygiene and real‑time updates increase data quality. Automated prompts and triggered updates mean CRM records stay current without requiring reps to stop what they’re doing and enter data manually.
Managers get visibility without chasing reps. Instead of scheduling meetings or sending follow‑ups to gather pipeline status, automated workflows surface insights directly in Slack channels, freeing up leadership to coach rather than chase.

Research from McKinsey reinforces this dynamic: automating non‑customer‑facing tasks correlates with a 15–20 % increase in selling time, directly driving greater pipeline velocity and capacity.

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3. Foster team collaboration and visibility

Slack helps break down traditional silos by centralizing communication, context, and data. Create cross-functional channels for strategic deals and encourage asynchronous updates for distributed teams. Use Slack as the hub for deal reviews, coaching moments, and pipeline visibility, ensuring that managers and reps are aligned at every stage.

Slack integrating with Salesforce fundamentally changes how teams work together:

Leadership gets visibility without chasing reps: Managers can monitor deal progression from Slack alerts instead of gathering weekly status reports.
Teams respond faster and in context: Real‑time notifications and shared channels reduce delays in decision‑making and response times.
Communication stays aligned with the CRM: When updates in Slack automatically sync back to Sales Cloud and vice‑versa, cross‑team discussion stays grounded in the single source of truth that matters most — accurate deal data.

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4. Monitor and encourage CRM adoption

Internal Salesforce research shows that when Slack Sales Elevate prompts reps to update opportunities, deals are updated twice as fast, with a 29% increase in daily CRM updates. Better data quality improves forecasting accuracy and accelerates deal cycles. Here is how you can ensure adoption across your team:

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1. Set up automated reminders and notifications

Use Slack workflows to remind reps to update opportunities, log calls, and record meeting notes.
Trigger notifications for:
- Stage changes in opportunities
- Follow-ups needed for key accounts
- Upcoming deadlines or approvals
Personalize reminders so reps receive only relevant notifications to avoid alert fatigue.

2. Track CRM activity in real time

Use Slack dashboards or channels dedicated to tracking CRM activity metrics:
- Opportunity updates per day/week
- Number of notes or calls logged
- Stage progression for high-value deals
Set up automated reports posted to Slack channels so managers can monitor adoption without sending manual follow-ups.

3. Reinforce adoption through recognition

Celebrate reps who consistently update Salesforce in Slack channels. For example:
- “Top CRM updater of the week”
- Public recognition when a key opportunity is updated or closed
Create gamification elements, like leaderboard tracking CRM activity to encourage friendly competition.

4. Provide training and onboarding support

Offer short, practical Slack-based tutorials showing how to update Salesforce records directly from Slack.
Maintain a “Sales Elevate help” channel for questions and tips.
Update onboarding documentation for new hires to emphasize Slack-Salesforce workflows.

5. Use analytics to drive behavior

Leverage Salesforce reporting to identify teams or reps lagging in updates.
Share adoption metrics in Slack to create transparency and accountability.
Use insights to tailor coaching sessions or workflow adjustments.

Leverage Slack notifications and workflow reminders to drive consistent CRM adoption. Celebrate updates and wins in Slack channels to reinforce positive behaviors and maintain engagement. Change requires consistent effort, but when done correctly, it can lead to scalable impact.

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5. Ensure mobile accessibility

Modern sales teams need to operate on the go. Encourage mobile-first usage for field sales teams and traveling account executives. Integrate Slack with mobile notifications to provide timely prompts for follow-ups and deal updates.

By connecting Slack with Salesforce on mobile devices, teams can access accounts, opportunities, and pipeline updates in real time without switching platforms. Mobile access ensures that reps can log calls, update opportunity stages, and capture notes immediately, which improves CRM data quality, accelerates deal cycles, and maintains accurate forecasting. Salesforce research shows that reps with mobile access update opportunities 29% more frequently, highlighting the direct impact on productivity and revenue.

Slack’s mobile app also facilitates real-time collaboration and team selling. Notifications, reminders, and workflow alerts push directly to mobile devices, allowing reps to respond instantly to deal changes, approvals, or follow-ups. Teams can coordinate asynchronously across locations, with all updates automatically syncing to Salesforce, keeping everyone aligned and reducing information silos. Mobile-first workflows empower reps to act decisively, stay connected with colleagues and stakeholders, and maintain momentum on opportunities, making mobile accessibility a critical driver of CRM adoption and overall sales effectiveness.

Partner with TELUS Digital to seamlessly implement Slack and Salesforce, unlocking real-time collaboration, automated workflows, and mobile-first productivity for your sales teams. Accelerate deal cycles, improve CRM adoption, and drive measurable revenue impact with expert guidance every step of the way.

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