Even though technology has changed a lot over the last 20 years, our basic needs haven’t. The world still needs good data.
Like peeling back the layers of an onion, if CRM data is not paired with the right tool, we could end up doing one repair after the other, just so we can have an accurate database.
When it comes to sending data over to Salesforce through web forms, data integrity and security are vital. Also, it is highly important to receive the data in the right place, the correct CRM record. By using an appropriate tool for data collection, users can enjoy accurate records and avoid the pain of deficiencies in object data.
In this post, we’ll describe 5 popular data collection scenarios using surveys and web forms, that help users regain their valuable time. A form building solution can encompass complex functionality – ranging from pushing data to any Salesforce object, to pre-filling fields straight from existing Salesforce records.
Scenario 1: Inspection Checklist Form
Context
A field agent needs to report and submit status updates back to the office. In many cases, construction sites are remote and lack of network coverage can become an issue.
Needs
Taking pictures and documenting inspections is vital, so field agents would need to either select photos from their phone gallery or take one with their mobile camera.
Solution
The offline forms functionality enables the user to take and upload pictures which are stored on the user’s device. Once connected to the internet, the form submission is triggered and all images are sent and uploaded to the server. Regardless of what operating system is installed on the device, the mobile app ensures ease of use and efficiency for all.
Scenario 2: Lead Generation at an event venue
Context
John has a beautiful and popular event venue in California, that accommodates any type of event, from birthday parties to corporate events, fashion shows or concerts. Previously, the venue had to input participants information manually into Salesforce, but now John wants to simplify this tedious process.
Needs
Participants should be able to submit a booking request through an online event registration form, and for that information to arrive in Salesforce as a new Lead.
Solution
Using an event registration form, data about the registrants is collected, including contact information, the type of event, date, event theme details, the ticket price, advertising material, a Terms of Service agreement, and other important information.
All of these form fields are mapped with Salesforce Lead fields. After the event, when the end user submits the request, all of this information is automatically passed to Salesforce and a new Lead record is created.
Scenario 3: Forms that pre-fill in real-time according to their related Salesforce records
Context
A vehicle company has a list of Leads they have collected over a period of time, and they want to convert these Leads into new customers.
Needs
When existing leads complete a form, the form should pre-fill with existing data based on an unique identifier.After they submit, the data will be sent to Salesforce as an Account with two related objects: a Contact and an Opportunity.
Solution
The company prepares a form that will be sent out in an email blast. This type of form would be configured to both pre-fill form fields (before hitting send) and to create related objects into Salesforce.
For the pre-fill part, the form is set up to search inside an object based on a lookup field (in this case, the Email field). After finding a matching record, the form is able to pull information straight out of Salesforce records, such as company details, the contact person, the type and the number of cars they were interested in and more!
Next, the recipient fills out the form and submits. The integration was set up to create (or to update, if needed) an Account with two related objects: a Contact and an Opportunity.
Scenario 4: Collect training feedback using surveys
Context
A training company used to distribute evaluation surveys through the postal service. The surveys would reach the trainer and he would distribute them to the attendees in paper form. The collected feedback needed to be centralized and reported on manually.
Needs
Digitize and automate the process so that an online survey link is generated for each training event, together with a report showing opinion distribution.
Solution
At the end of the training, the trainer sends the link to the feedback survey to the attendees. The feedback survey collects the data and a report is automatically generated. The report contains different types of charts that show opinion distribution.
Through a Salesforce workflow connected to a custom email template, the trainer receives the link to the report automatically one day after the event. At this point, all collected data is pushed over to Salesforce.
Scenario 5: Pushing data to Salesforce Objects using conditional logic and data routing
Context
A retail energy provider collects Salesforce Leads through a web form. The company provides electric energy and natural gas energy.
Needs
In order to keep things well-organized, the company wants to collect two types of Leads: Electric Energy Leads and Natural Gas Leads.
Solution
A form builder tool integrated with Salesforce allows users to specify whether a new lead should be created or not conditionally. In this case, an Electric Energy Lead will be created only if electric energy has been selected on the form, and a Natural Gas Lead will be created only if natural gas has been selected.
Further on, the form collects information such as the preferred utility company, the preferred product or monthly usage from the last year. Using conditional logic, certain fields are shown or hidden based on the choice that the end user has made. All of this information will arrive in Salesforce as Leads that the company’s agents will be working on.
Summary
In summary, using form & surveys in Salesforce Orgs help keep your data complete, consistent, and in the right format.
Just as every good building needs a solid foundation, clean data is the cornerstone of each Salesforce Org, which starts by using a proper data collection tool for your CRM. Just imagine all the time-consuming activities currently caused by manual data entry, out-of-sync systems, and data duplication – to name a few.
The good news is that Salesforce gives you the ability to integrate smoothly with robust form builders that reward you with a powerful functionality and considerable ROI.
About 123FormBuilder
123FormBuilder is a registered ISV partner and has a strong integration with Salesforce through which anyone can create, update or lookup records in any standard or custom object. The integration also comes packed with functionalities like: Web-to-Anything forms, real-time prefill, document generation, conditional logic, validation rules, advanced security, HIPAA, GDPR and other type of compliance for enterprise companies.