How AI agents are transforming sales and CRM for small businesses

Back in 2019, the College of Family Physicians of Canada – the certifying body for family medicine in Canada and the membership organization for Canada’s family doctors – launched a customer relationship management (CRM) platform that didn’t go as planned.

“It couldn’t handle the volumes of our 45,000 members across the country,” recalls Mark Banbury, the college’s executive director of information and technology services. “We had issues with billing and system stability; we couldn’t even send a singular email to all our members at the same time because it couldn’t handle the volume. It was awful.”

Two years later, the organization adopted technology from cloud-based software company Salesforce, and everything changed for the better.

“All those issues have gone away, and we’re able to focus on proactive customer experiences rather than dealing with patchy software and trying to fix software flows,” explains Mr. Banbury.

Ineffective data management, lack of insights and analytics, and inefficient processes are just a few challenges that can hinder a business’s progress and growth. Salesforce serves as a strategic partner, enabling Canada’s small- and medium-sized businesses to leverage technology to scale. Its innovative software solution, Agentforce, addresses many common business challenges. Salesforce also helps clients develop their strategic vision through consulting services and supports them during implementation.

According to Mr. Banbury, the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s transition from the old CRM system to the Salesforce platform was seamless. The organization has since onboarded products to manage various tasks, including membership communication, education credits and fees.

Embracing AI: A new era for small business

Building on the success of its CRM solutions, Salesforce is now helping many small businesses across Canada embark on their AI journeys and demonstrating that while AI is essential for growth, it doesn’t need to be overwhelming.

“I see AI as a human augmentation tool, not a human replacement tool,” says Ben Richards, head of AI & industry go-to-market at Salesforce Canada. “For small businesses, AI levels the playing field by equipping owners with the tools they need to connect and build relationships with customers and set themselves apart in the market.”

To use AI effectively, Mr. Richards advises businesses to identify areas of friction in their daily operations and evaluate whether AI is the right solution. For example, if a customer contacts a small business, they could face long wait times for a response. This could influence their decision to take their business elsewhere.

With its newly introduced Agentforce, Salesforce helps businesses improve sales and customer service with always-on support from autonomous AI agents. The agents can answer product questions, schedule meetings for sales reps, and engage with customers across channels in natural language, relying on trusted data. They also know when to hand off a case to a human counterpart, ensuring that queries are efficiently and accurately resolved.

“With Agentforce, we’re closing that gap between outreach and engagement, and between getting information and sitting in somebody’s inbox, hoping you’ll get a response,” says Mr. Richards.

Brad Joudrie, chief revenue officer at Conquest Planning, a technology platform modernizing financial planning with customized and convenient advice, has partnered with Salesforce since his company’s inception nearly five years ago. With the company experiencing significant growth, particularly in the last three years, it needed a scalable technology solution.

“We knew the type of business we wanted to run, and we knew that the infrastructure and ecosystem behind us needed to be helpful in terms of managing our client relationships,” says Mr. Joudrie. “It was important for us to set up an enterprise-ready platform, so that’s why we selected Salesforce as a CRM platform from day one.”

Today, he is enthusiastic about integrating Agentforce into Conquest Planning’s practices. “We’re seeing numerous practical applications emerge and we’re excited to be at the forefront of implementing them,” he explains.

Mr. Joudrie envisions AI playing a significant role in simplifying financial advisors’ jobs, particularly regarding client communication and marketing distribution. “We are leveraging AI to make their job more efficient, so they can spend more time with their clients,” he says.

Mr. Richards recognizes that while many businesses are excited about the prospect of AI, some approach it with trepidation. However, he emphasizes the technology is designed to help, not take over.

“There’s a lot of fear that AI is going to replace employees or fundamentally change their jobs, but that’s not true,” he says. “We refer to AI as a personal chief of staff, allowing your people to do what they do best without getting interrupted by menial tasks – and that’s what makes it so valuable.”

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Salesforce. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.