Gartner’s latest Magic Quadrant places Salesforce at the top of the pack of SFA (sales force automation) systems. This means, of all SFA systems, Salesforce has the most complete vision and most developed ability to execute. Of course, this isn’t surprising to many (it’s Salesforce’s 13th consecutive year at the top), but let’s take a moment to look at just what it is that makes Salesforce stand out as the top leader in the market. 

Market Strategy

One of the top differentiators, according to Gartner, is Salesforce’s impressive market strategy. Salesforce’s strategy has the maturity and strength to deliver offerings for multiple customer segments, from local small businesses (check out the newly updated Salesforce Essentials) to global enterprise, as well as content specific to all decision-making roles, from sales reps to C-suite. Additionally, thanks to Salesforce’s extensive partner network (of which Simplus is a proud member!), the Salesforce platform is also available to businesses in all geographies. 

Innovation

Gartner also noted that in the past year alone, Salesforce has released a high number of product enhancements compared to other SFA systems. In the past year, Salesforce has acquired MuleSoft and Tableau for improving data integration and visualization, launched myTrailhead and a blockchain platform, and continued to foster innovation through its extensive AppExchange offering—a differentiator that, according to Gartner, ”is often a positive factor in buyers’ SFA selection processes.” But Salesforce beats the other players not only in terms of innovation but quality as well. “The quality of those enhancements also exceeded the averages of those of the other vendors,” says Gartner. 

Capabilities

Unsurprisingly, the high-performance quality of the Salesforce platform continues to win loyal customers. Gartner reported that customers especially enjoy Salesforce’s ability to back agile development and custom developments. Two new capabilities released in the past year have also secured Salesforce’s ongoing rank as a leader: predictive AI sales forecasting and high-velocity sales. These additions have continued to streamline and automate the Sales Cloud experience for customers. 

Partnering

For most SFA systems, Gartner notes, sales enablement and digital content management are a significant gap. Not so for Salesforce. Thanks to being one of only two SFA vendors that are partner-agnostic, Salesforce can allow multiple vendors to sell to its client base. That means Salesforce is continuously investing in countless partnerships to get its product out there to as many people as possible and with the highest quality engagement possible. 

Take a look at Gartner’s full SFA Magic Quadrant report here to learn more about why Salesforce is the undisputed leader. And reach out to Simplus, a Platinum Salesforce Consulting Partner, for help navigating your journey through digital transformation!