Speaker 0: We’re going to get started in about a minute. Alrighty. I was just talking to Heather backstage, so we’re going to wait for her to pop in. Hi, Brian. Oh, and hello, Erin from Rhode Island. We’re going to have to meet up. I live from Rhode Island too. I’m up in Cumberland, Rhode Island. I’m not actually originally from from Rhode Island, so I don’t have too many people I know here, but that’s funny. Oh, in a Bostonian. I love it. This is the the New England session for today. Too bad Heather is Canadian, so she’s not going to join in. Alright. Oh, yeah. Nick, I forgot you live in the Hudson Valley, which is where I’m originally from. Peter. Hello. Good to see you too. We are experiencing a couple technical difficulties with Heather getting online. I agree, Katie. Yes. Heather is definitely worth the wait, everybody. Alright. Heather is trying a couple more things, so, hopefully, she’ll be here in a second. I hope everybody’s having a a good MarDreamin’ day. Oh, and it’s cool. You can you can see Brandy right behind me in my background. She’s going to be watching with us as well. Alright. We’re going to give Heather a couple more minutes. And if she’s not able to come on, luckily, I understand Flow well as well. So, theoretically, I can try to take over for her. Oh, hello.

Speaker 1: So sorry for the delay. We were it was so funny because we were just backstage chatting, and then all of a sudden, of course, let me see what alright. Let me just share my screen. Thanks, everyone, for your patience. I have a screen a good looking good. Okay.

Speaker 0: Alright. Awesome. I’m glad you’re here, Heather. Hello. Welcome, everybody. Thanks for joining us. As you can under see, I would like to introduce Heather Rinke as our speaker for today’s session to go over Salesforce Flows 101 for Marketers.

Speaker 1: So I will pass it on to her to take it away. Thanks, Jordan. Thanks everyone for joining today, and I apologize again for the late start. I’m Heather Reinke. I’m part of the team at Sercante. I’ve been in the ecosystem for about ten years. I started in house on the digital marketing, marketing, and sales operation side before moving to consulting and working with Circante. I’m a proud Flownatic. So I’m really excited to talk to you today about Salesforce Flow and some of the things it can do. First, before we get into it, I want to give a special thanks to our sponsors. If it wasn’t for their support, we wouldn’t have the event that we have this week with all the great content and all the great speakers. They would it would not be possible without them, so special thanks there.

So, in this session, we’re going to, we’re going to this session is geared towards marketers who want to learn more about flow. So we’re going to cover off an intro of Salesforce flow and what it is, what you can do in a flow, the different pieces of that you can work within flow, where we’ll go over some examples of where flow can help with sales and marketing. And we’ll also have got some flow building basics and tips if we’ve got your interest and you want to learn more.

First, as a name, when we talk about sales and marketing teams, from a marketing perspective, working with marketing automation tools, the just given the name, there usually are lots of great automation capabilities that come in your marketing platform. Pardot is not alone. It has lots of great features like completion actions, automation rules, Engagement Studios. There’s lots you can do in your marketing automation platform. There are some things though that, that where you might need to extend some capabilities. So from a math perspective, Pardot is great at incrementing values, but not necessarily performing calculations. When we need to actions that perhaps need to happen when a value on your your prospect record changes, customizing your your tasks or your your email alerts or, injecting, using data from custom objects. We can often read custom object data with Pardot, but in order to update it or use it in some of those customized notifications, that’s where we might need a little bit more help. And this is where Salesforce Flow can come in. It’s a great way to be able to extend those automation capabilities, between sales and marketing.

So before we get started, we’ll cover off a little bit about flow in general, what it is. So bear with me for some terminology, but this is just to sort of lay the groundwork before we go into some examples. So Flow is a way to it’s really just, like a power house tool for automating your processes, behind the scenes without requiring custom development. It lets you build custom user experiences, saving time, making sure that right actions are happening at the right time, and also the right data is being captured at the right time. From a Salesforce automation perspective, you may have heard of other tools like, Workflow Rules or Process Builder processes. These are often companies have been using this. These are some of the legacy tools on the Salesforce side. But Salesforce is making a big big move to, as the go to using Flow as its go to automation tool. So this is a great time to be learning more about it.

So we’re going to look at a couple of examples coming up, but we’re going to talk about some of the pieces that go into flow for first. So, first, we have flow types. This is what determines how a flow is going to operate, how it’s what’s going to trigger it, how it, how it is going to interact with a user if it interacts with a user. So there are several options. We’re going to focus on record triggered flows and screen flows. A record trigger flow is going to, what that does is it automatically performs actions in Salesforce based on when a record is created, when it’s updated, or even when it’s deleted. It can perform actions in the background. This can be used to automate some of those repetitive processes and save time instead of having to manually rely on some of those processes. It can also reduce the risk of human error due due to, because of the fact that, the system is reporting performing tasks, the same way at the same time. And this is when I’ve mentioned Workflow Rules and Process Builder, This would be the the type of flow that would, would probably be what you’d want to use instead of those, as you start start thinking about processes going forward.

Next, we’re going to talk about screen flows. So a screen flow is sort of a it lets you set up a guided experience for the user. So it lets you lets you guide them through a series of steps, let’s say, for, entering entering information that could relate to creating records down the road or, invoking other actions. You can do this. You can use a screen flow by having a button on the record and launching it. So it actually the user will see it pop up on on screen when they’re in Salesforce, or you can have it actually appear on the record page like in the example shown here in the screenshot, having it show up at actually on the record page. This can help using a screen flow can help really customize and give improved user experience, and it ensures because you’re actually walking them through the process of what information is needed when, it’s a great way to be able to ensure you’re getting better data quality as well.

So next, we’re going to talk a little bit, on what are the pieces and what are the things that you can actually do when you’re building a flow. First, you have screen elements. So in a screen flow, this is where you can set up screens with text or fields to guide a user through that process or that data entry, and, showing or even showing them key information. So you can just display it on screen so that they have it.

Actions, this is where you can, sort of do some, have predefined actions that can occur at specific times in your flow when you want them, like sending an email alert, posting, a Slack message. There’s lots of actions that are available, both, out of the box and then you can also add actions, with install packages.

Other things you can do in a flow are logic related things. So if you’re working with, records that you want to do something with down the road, these can help you sort of, like, work through those complicated parts of the process. So in a from an assignment perspective, you can store values in it that you can use later in the flow. Like, when you’re, you’re getting ready to create a task, for example, you can use an assignment step to actually set all those variables and set the values you want to use in those tasks so that you have them when you go to create them. Decision is helps you to sort of define outcome and the logic, the logic based on, the path that you want to take, based on specific criteria. And then loops lets you also, work with multiple records at the same time. So if, an example being if you want to if you want the flow to update all the contacts on account when the account address changes, for example, you could do this with a with a loop. When the account changes, grab all the contacts and then loop through each one and update the the, address.

And finally, we’ve got data related actions. So these are things that you can do with data in the flow. So, these are like creating records, like creating a task, for example, updating records. So if you want to update a field on a lead, for example, or even getting records. So if you need to find specific records that meet certain criteria that you want to use later in the flow, you can do that.

Okay. So that’s a really quick one zero one on some of the pieces of flow. Now how can flow help marketing sales teams? So I’m going to give you a couple examples just working through a, a sales marketing hand off relationship. So the first is, let’s say, an MQL stage. We’ve got a lead that gets, where the status changes to marketing qualified or nurturing, we want a task created. And the task might be different based on those, statuses. We want MQL, we want it to happen right away. Nurturing, we want it to happen down the road a few days a number of days away.

So I’m going to flip over to my demo org here, and, I’ve got my lead here, Melissa. She’s, she’s a new lead that’s come in. I could have on the Pardot side, I could have an automation rule happening that based on a score and grade combination, it’s it’s tagging this, the lead as marketing qualified. For the purpose of this demo, I’m just going to go ahead and manually do it. So I’m going to mark that status as qualified. And when that happens, there are a few things that happen here. One is, I have the stage change obviously to marketing qualified. I have a qualification box that’s come up. We’re going to talk about that in the next next step of the process. But I also have a new task that was created, which is for the use for the owner to say, okay. We have a new MQL. Please contact. And then I’ve also captured the MQL date here as well so that we can be potentially use that later.

How I did this was, creating a flow that is is, geared to start on a lead that is, created or updated based on a stage. So this I’m using actually stage change here for this specific flow, and, then I’m actually going to, check the lead status. And so this is where I’m using my decision to check what the status is on that lead. In the case of the example, it’s marketing qualified, so I’ve gone through and I’ve, used my assignment elements to set the MQL date for the lead that I want to save on the lead record and then also set the task details for that task I want to create. So the due date, the subject, who it should be assigned to, which who it should be related to, and any other details that are necessary, what priority it is. Then at the end, I’m going to actually create that task, and I’m going to update the lead.

So we’ve got now our marketing qualified lead. It’s in the hands of sales. They’re going to, they’re going to now do their thing and, start reaching out to that person to contact them. So this is where we can guide them through a, a a series of questions or an experience in order to prioritize what their their leads and what to do next. So I’ll flip back over oops. I’ll flip back over to my example. Sorry. Technical difficulties here. There we go. And I’m going to go back to my, lead, Melissa here, and my lead qualification panel. So here I can as a salesperson, I can make my calls. I can reach out to them. I can make my follow-up call, which I’ve done here. I’m and then now I want to log what happened. Maybe I made my call and I left a voice message. Oops. If I can type. And, but maybe I just want to keep working it. So I’m going to hit next, and then it’s going to, add that task to the activity timeline. So this is a great way to be able to start tracking, consistent activity. And maybe I’ve actually contacted them or I’ve had a meeting. I’ve had my meeting and then I decide, after some conversations that maybe they’re not ready yet. They’re still a great fit, but maybe they’re not it’s not ready yet, and we need to maybe keep them top of mind until they become ready. So I’m going to send it back to marketing. So I’m going to sit say next, and it’s going to remove that panel because I don’t need to reach out to them anymore. I passed it off to marketing. The stage has changed to nurturing, which was in the first, the, step that we’ve, and then it there’s an action that from the first flow we looked at, there’s an action for me to follow-up in the future.

So let me quickly jump over to that flow. This is a screen flow, which we talked a little bit about as one of the types earlier. I have a screen here I’ve set up that allows me to capture information or from the user, through an interface. Then based on their responses, I’ve used assignments here, depending on the assignment to set up a specific task to save the task that just occurred, and that’s this is where I’ve completed it or created it. Sorry. Then in terms of defining what the next step is, based on the the response of that next step, then then I decide what I’m going to do with it. So in my case, I’ve decided ultimately to send it to marketing. Here’s where my assignment, I’ve changed changing the status to nurturing that I can send to the lead and save to the lead. Then what happens what I can do on the Pardot side is then have a dynamic list that is set up to capture my, any any leads that have a status of nurturing that I can then use in a nurture program to keep them top of mind. And when they start to engage again, send them back. Now in the purpose of my demo, I’ve done some, added some automation rules with, to reduce the score after, when it gets sent to marketing or starts to nurturing and then come back, that way that when they, score comes back up and they become interested again, then we can send them back to sales.

So there’s a few couple of examples there for you as far as, like, what we can do from a sales process. Other things you can do from a quick wins perspective is, maybe continuing that that journey of that of of Melissa, and, she comes back and she’s she’s now interested and this moves into an opportunity. When that opportunity becomes closed won, maybe we move them into an account, into an onboarding path, both on the Salesforce side with maybe creating tasks for the customer service customer service team, excuse me, and then maybe pushing them into a new onboarding program on the Pardot side. We can use flow to reassign a leader contact based on status changes. With Pardot, one one item that, where, you know, extending that capability, comes into play is if you have those existing leads and contacts and you need to be able to push them or reassign them to people when they’ve when they’ve requalified. So there’s lots of here’s just a, I mean, just a number of things that you can do. Standardizing campaign member statuses on campaign creation. There’s a lot of great sessions here on your, making the most of your your campaigns and having a campaign strategy. One of them recommendations are to have some core standardized statuses based on specific types of campaigns. You can standardize that with flow. Or if you use a marketing data sharing or with Account Engagement business units, you can use a mark you can use Flow to update a marketable field so that you control whether or not that record actually is visible and used in Pardot.

From a quick wins that’s quick wins from you can even take it further and and come up with, you know, more complex, strategic type of, processes that you can use flow for. You can, if you have a complex criteria on per defining personas based on title, you can, use flow to help with that. You can use it to track UTM touch points. Or even if you use external systems for, part of your process, even if it’s lead assignment or, for other uses, you can use flow to actually go and grab that information from that system to use, in your process. So lots of lots of options. You can also if you tune in to the session, tomorrow for my colleagues, they’re going to be talking about, how to use flow and, flow actions for Pardot to be able to do Pardot to work with Pardot data or to perform Pardot admin actions. So I definitely recommend that.

So if I’ve enticed you enough and, why and you’re interested in learning more and and, playing around with it and building flow, there’s a few slides here on, building. I also have a lot of resources at the end too that you can use. So from the flow builder perspective, I mean, I kind of skimmed on it when I was, in my demo. But, when you’re actually building your flow, you’ve got key element areas of your flow builder, which is your, your canvas, which is your main piece where you’re actually doing your building, your toolbox where you can pull you can create new resources or some of those variables that we talked about, for, for doing assignments and, and your button bar, which is basically where you do a lot of your controls. So your when you want to save something, when you want to activate, you’ll see also, debug and run. These are useful tools with this especially the debug because it’ll allow you to do some testing, while you’re actually building the flow to make sure it’s working the way you want it to.

So building best practices and some tips. I mean, this is just a little tip, couple of slides, but some good things to get started with. First, when you’re thinking about automating a process and using Flow to to build, something build up an automation, I would recommend working with your team and diagramming it outside of the tool before you start building. This is a great way to get the conversation going, make sure you’re aligned on your process and what should happen when, before you actually start building. It makes the building process so much simpler. I would also recommend building in a sandbox. So with part with, Salesforce orgs, you have your product to production environment where you have, all your day your day to day business operations happening. You can create a developer sandbox so that you can test, build and test in there without actually impacting your business. You can then use what’s called change sets in order to be able to bring those into production, and there’s lots of good information on how to do that, on Trailhead and a lot of Salesforce resources on how to do that. Other key, other, tips are just being specific about the criteria set with some of your, decisions and your conditions and your starting elements so that you’re actually working with the records you need and when. There’s also copy paste elements, capabilities within flow, which makes duplicating elements a lot easier and time saving. This is a new feature that’s just come out, in winter twenty three, I think, or the previous release, and this has been huge for people that work in flow. Also, I would say save often, and also, be sure to test. Don’t don’t build a flow and just activate it, without testing to make sure it’s it’s doing what you want it to and when it meets your expectations, and then activate. You have to hit that activate button to make sure it’s going to actually work, in live when you’re when you’re when you want it to.

So, so, there’s lots of resources here. There are many out there. This is just a, a slice of them. So on the left hand side, there’s a number of things great resources for learning, Trailheads, articles, blog posts, and, and other Salesforce resources on learning more about flow. I’ve also included some step by step guides on how to, how to build a flow for common marketing related processes. So this is a great way maybe to sort it in testings out and get familiar with flow. And then, also, we have, other great sessions that are happening that are flow related. So at the same time as this one, there is a, a session on using Pardot for, Salesforce flow for, contact roles. And then, so I would recommend catching that recording, if you didn’t get a chance to if you’re watching this session instead. And then also, tomorrow, my colleagues, Mike Mike Morris, as well as Adam Ersteld, Jacob Catalano, and Mike Cruiser are going to be covering off a couple of great sessions on, flows and how to use that, how to make the most of them for your campaign campaign and Pardot, use cases. So, and then, again, a special thanks to our sponsors for, for all their support, and be sure to check out their booth and stop by and see them, at some point during the event.

And I will guess at that point, I will say thank you and open it up for questions.

Speaker 0: Awesome. Thank you, Heather. That was a amazing presentation. I did get a few questions during it, to which I was able to answer, so I’ll skip those for now. So our other question is, can you use Salesforce flows to trigger a Pardot engagement program if your connector is in a pause state?

Speaker 1: In a pause state. So, yeah, so I would say I would say because in order you could do it if you were, I would say with the pause state, I would say no, because part of the connector, what it does is it syncs, field updates back and forth and metadata, between Salesforce and Pardot. So if you don’t have that connector active, it’s not going to push anything over. You can I thought the question was going to be, can you just use flow to, add somebody to an engagement program? And you can by updating a field or, you know, whether that be a specific checkbox or something, some field value on the on the, leader contact that you can then use as your entry criteria into the, into the engagement program. But you’d have to have that connector, active in order to be able to push any updates of flow makes, for Pardot into those records for Pardot to see them.

Speaker 0: Alright. Awesome. Thank you. And we have about a minute left. Oh, we actually got a comment from one of our colleagues that a tool called Flow Actions for Pardot could help bypass that connector if it’s in the state. Oh. So, Abigail, if you’re interested in that, you can reach out to us for more.

Speaker 1: I stand corrected. Thank you very much because that is good good news. That was one thing that I wasn’t aware of, so that’s awesome.

Speaker 0: Awesome. Well, Anne, we have one last late question. Just confirming Workflow Rules are being sunsetted. Correct?

Speaker 1: Yes. And, in fact, yes, the, Workflow Rules, you can still use and update existing ones. But as of Winter ’23, you can’t create new workflow rules. So that’s, a capability that that Salesforce has already turned off as part of that sunsetting road map.

Speaker 0: Awesome. Thank you. Well, we’re about to get kicked out in about five seconds. So thank you, everybody. Thank you, Heather.

Speaker 1: Thank you, and appreciate everyone’s time.