Watch Benioff Throw Shade at Microsoft During Dreamforce

This week on Funnel Frontier: Funnel Frontier brings you all the juiciest highlights from Dreamforce 2024—from Benioff’s bold jabs at Microsoft to groundbreaking AI updates.

This week:

• Benioff goes after Microsoft in style at Dreamforce 2024
• Comedian John Mulaney brutally roasts techies at Dreamforce
• 6 easy steps to your best marketing plan yet
• Fresh marketing ideas to kickstart your next campaign
• Nail your next cold call with these scripts & tips

Stat of the Week

In 2024, Salesforce has the largest market share in CRM by far at 24.43%, with HubSpot and Microsoft Dynamics occupying the #2 and #3 slots at 5.25% and 4.47%, respectively. (6sense)

Benioff goes after Microsoft in style at Dreamforce 2024

Dreamforce 2024 wasn’t just an event—it was prime-time drama. Marc Benioff stormed the stage to introduce Agentforce, Salesforce’s AI agents that aren’t just chatty—they actually get stuff done. Need a sale closed? Customer service fixed? Done. 

Benioff wasn’t shy about throwing punches at Microsoft, comparing Copilot to Clippy and positioning Agentforce as the superior solution for enterprises ready to automate at scale. Ouch.

The biggest news? Agentforce isn’t just a chatbot—it’s AI that can think, act, and make decisions. Saks Fifth Avenue’s AI agent, Sophie, wowed the crowd with her ability to manage complex customer requests like exchanges and stock checks. 

The real magic? Sophie was built in just a week, proving how quickly businesses can deploy AI with Agentforce.

Beyond that, Salesforce’s Data Cloud is now the backbone of the platform, processing a staggering 767 trillion records per month, while Slack got its own AI boost with new integrations that allow human-AI collaboration in real time. 

Plus, Salesforce Ventures added another $500M to their AI investment fund, backing companies like Anthropic, Cohere, and Hugging Face.

And don’t worry about missing out—Salesforce is offering free AI training through 2025 to close the skills gap.

Dreamforce 2024 was more than just updates—it was a clear message: the future is AI, and it’s here to transform everything. Are you ready to be part of it?

The Week @ CRM.org

Salesforce CRM Review. Our edgy, updated take on the CRM giant. 

The Best Real Estate CRM. Navigating this software solo is akin to finding a decent two-bedroom in 2024. We strolled the neighborhood old-school-like and found you some leads. 

Weekly Bloom

David Lynch on Creativity, Meditation, and Inspiration. Listening to Lynch is similar to getting life advice from your uncle who was “abducted by aliens.” It might sound bizarre, but deep down, you know there's wisdom in there.

Comedian John Mulaney brutally roasts techies at Dreamforce

Dreamforce 2024 wasn’t just about AI, tech, and Marc Benioff’s jabs—comedian John Mulaney brought the laughs, taking the stage to roast the very audience in front of him. His set was filled with sharp jabs at tech workers, poking fun at corporate buzzwords and the future of AI. 

“You’re hosting a ‘future of AI’ event in a city that has failed humanity so miserably?” he quipped, setting the tone for a no-holds-barred set.

Mulaney dug into the AI hype with punchlines like, “If AI is truly smarter than us and tells us we should die, then I think we should die,” followed by jabs about how many of the attendees probably felt imminently replaceable.

In his signature sarcastic tone, Mulaney skewered the buzzwords and corporate language flying around the conference, adding, “Some of the vaguest language ever devised has been used here in the last three days.”

Mulaney wrapped up his set by thanking the tech crowd for creating a future where his son will “never talk to an actual human again,” sarcastically pointing out that a “little cartoon Einstein” would likely handle all future conversations.

After days of AI-heavy keynotes and serious talks, Mulaney’s set was the perfect way to close out Dreamforce—and the perfect reality check.

Stellar Strategies: Tips & Tricks for Sales, Marketing & Service

6 easy steps to your best marketing plan yet

Creating a marketing plan can feel like scaling a mountain. So, we bring you a six-step approach that will make it less of a climb and more of a guided tour.

1. Research, Research, Research: Dive deep into market trends, competitors, and customer behavior to guide your strategy.

2. Refine Your Audience: Hone in on your ideal customer personas and demographics.

3. Set SMART Goals: Lay out clear, measurable objectives.

4. Analyze Your Tactics: Pinpoint the best strategies and channels for your goals.

5. Set a Budget: Allocate resources wisely to support your plan.

6. Document Everything: Keep your plan organized for smooth execution.

Check out the full guide for a deeper dive into the details here.

Fresh marketing ideas to kickstart your next campaign

Feeling stuck for your next marketing campaign? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Try leveraging influencer marketing—find someone your audience already trusts to spread your message.  Or why not embrace a seasonal campaign? Tapping into the emotions of the holiday season or summer excitement can work wonders.

But if you really want to hit today’s trends, consider a user-generated content (UGC) campaign. With TikToks and Instagram Reels taking over, letting your customers create content is marketing gold.

After all, that’s what marketing is all about these days—getting your audience to engage, create, and connect with your brand in ways that feel genuine.

Need more ideas? Check out our full list of 20 different marketing campaign types here.

Nail your next cold call with these scripts & tips

Cold-calling success isn’t just about luck; it’s about strategy.

The key to success starts with deep research—know who you’re calling, their company, and their challenges. Open strong by showing you’ve done your homework, offering value, and asking insightful questions to get your prospect talking. Be ready to handle objections with confidence, and always make sure you have a clear objective in mind before wrapping up the call.

Remember, the goal is to build trust and open doors, not just make a sale. Each cold call is a chance to leave a positive impression, even if it doesn’t result in an immediate conversion. Keep your tone conversational, and don’t be afraid to show your personality. Closing strong is critical, but leaving the prospect with a positive experience is even better.

Piepdrive has 25 cold-calling scripts and tips for you, so make sure to check it out here.

Galactic Gourmet

CRM blips from around the web

HubSpot promises to make AI easy, announces Breeze. Breeze AI simplifies the user experience by automating workflows. It focuses on removing repetitive tasks in sales and marketing for smoother operations.

T-Mobile & OpenAI to build a “first-ever” AI engine for customer experience. T-Mobile’s AI engine, built with OpenAI, analyzes customer data to offer real-time, personalized recommendations. This helps improve response times and customer satisfaction.

Nimble takes its email automation to the next level. Nimble’s latest update boosts email campaign efficiency, enabling businesses to deliver more targeted messaging. It helps users better manage outreach and track results.

Astronomical Assets

Significant Moves for the Last Week 

^{DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets. Please be careful and do your own research.}

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