Salesforce Just Fired 1,000 People. Trouble in Paradise?

This week on Funnel Frontier: Salesforce just slashed 1,000 jobs right in the middle of a hiring spree. What is actually going on?

This week:

• Salesforce quietly cuts 1,000 jobs while planning to hire 2,000 news employees
• Zoho’s CEO steps back right as they drop a huge AI play

Stat of the Week

After implementing a CRM, businesses see an average 29% increase in sales revenue and a 34% boost in sales productivity. (CRM.org)

Salesforce quietly cuts 1,000 jobs while planning to hire 2,000 new employees

Salesforce just laid off 1,000+ employees—but here’s the kicker: they’re hiring 2,000 more at the same time.

According to Bloomberg, a “person familiar with the matter” confirmed that affected employees can apply for internal roles. But with no official statement from Salesforce, we’re left wondering—is this part of a bigger AI-led restructuring?

Layoffs and hiring at the same time?

Here’s everything we know so far:

• The cuts affect 1.3% of Salesforce’s workforce—small in number but big in strategy.

• The company is doubling down on Agentforce, its AI-powered automation play.

• No clarity yet on which departments got hit the hardest, but if AI hiring is booming, it’s safe to assume traditional roles are shifting.

This isn’t Salesforce’s first layoff rodeo. In 2023, the company axed 10% of its workforce—something CEO Marc Benioff later called a “complete dumpster fire.”

Back then, he over-communicated, held all-hands meetings, and fueled a PR mess. This time? Silence. No big memos. No press conferences. Just a quiet shuffle that only surfaced because insiders leaked it.

What’s really going on?

This isn’t about financial trouble. Salesforce is growing, landing thousands of Agentforce deals, and pushing harder into AI. But this isn’t just a company pivot—it’s a signal. The AI shake-up isn’t coming; it’s already here.

Here’s what we see happening:

• AI is eating up traditional roles—yes, even at the biggest CRM player in the game.

• Agentforce is the future, and Salesforce is betting everything on it.

• If you’re in CRM or automation, pay attention—this shift is just getting started.

With Meta, Microsoft, and Stripe making similar moves, this isn’t a one-off. The real question is how fast will Salesforce fill those Agentforce roles? Because where they go, the rest of the industry will follow.

The Week @ CRM.org

Small Business CRM. Only 25% of small businesses use CRM so far, so why not “get in early” and realize an advantage? Our updated Top 10 options.

CRM Best Practices. Using a CRM properly is like cooking—here’s how to avoid the mess (with famous company examples!). 

Weekly Bloom

Alex Honnold on Overcoming Fear. Visualize and rehearse. With enough preparation, you too can live in a van and climb deadly rocks.

Zoho’s CEO steps back right as they drop a huge AI play

AI agents are the new “must-have” tech, and every big player is diving in. Salesforce has Agentforce. HubSpot’s got Agent.ai. Even ServiceNow is getting in on the action.

Now? Zoho’s making its move.

At Zoho Day 2025, the company unveiled Zia AI Agents—prebuilt, task-specific AI assistants designed to automate sales, marketing, HR, inventory, and beyond. Think AI that doesn’t just answer FAQs—it books interviews, tracks warehouse stock, nurtures leads, and even handles customer service. Heard all this before, right?

But here’s what sets Zoho apart: it’s making AI affordable.

While competitors slap premium price tags on AI, Zoho’s keeping costs low by owning the whole stack—its own AI infrastructure, its own data centers, and even its own models. That’s rare in the SaaS world—and it gives Zoho control over pricing and long-term AI development.

Here’s what’s coming:

• Zia AI Agent Marketplace – A hub to browse, customize, and deploy AI agents for different tasks.

• Zia AI Studio – A no-code tool that lets businesses build AI agents from scratch.

• AI that doesn’t cost a fortune – Because when you own the tech, you set the price.

Zoho’s CEO-turned-Chief Scientist Sridhar Vembu put it bluntly: AI agents will become a commodity, and companies that overcharge will lose. He called out big players banking on high AI pricing—specifically Microsoft and Salesforce—and predicted that businesses won’t pay AI premiums for long.

The strategy behind Zoho’s CEO shuffle

Vembu stepping down as CEO raised some eyebrows, but this isn’t your typical leadership shake-up. Shailesh Kumar Davey now holds the title, while Vembu shifts to Chief Scientist—a move insiders say is about doubling down on AI R&D.

So, this isn’t your typical stepping back. Vembu is is now going to focus on what he does best: pushing Zoho’s innovation forward. Meanwhile, Tony Thomas is now leading Zoho US, and Rajesh Ganesan is taking the reins at ManageEngine, keeping the momentum going across the board.

So where does Zoho go from here? Zia AI Agents roll out this month, with new agents launching every month after. If Zoho’s low-cost AI strategy works, it could force bigger CRM players to rethink their AI pricing models—fast.

One thing is clear: Zoho isn’t just joining the AI race—it’s coming for the overpriced, overhyped AI tools and daring the big players to keep up.

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

Don’t let these key marketing moments slip away in 2025

It’s easy to overlook key opportunities with so many holidays & awareness days. Here are the dates to keep on your radar. 

A well-planned marketing calendar isn’t just about scheduling content—it’s about capitalizing on the right moments to engage your audience. With so many holidays, awareness days, and industry events, it’s easy to overlook key opportunities.

Here are some dates that might not be on your radar but can drive serious engagement:

• March 3 – World Wildlife Day (Great for eco-conscious brands and sustainability initiatives)

• March 14 – Pi Day (Math nerds, tech brands, and bakeries unite)

• April 23 – World Book Day (Perfect for bookshops, publishers, and educational brands)

• May 4 – Star Wars Day (A massive marketing moment, even if you’re not in sci-fi)

• June 8 – Best Friends Day (A natural fit for referral programs and relationship-based businesses)

• August 9 – Book Lovers Day (Ideal for any brand looking to engage avid readers)

• September 10 – World Suicide Prevention Day (A day to promote meaningful awareness, especially for mental health brands)

• October 10 – World Mental Health Day (Widely recognized but still underutilized in marketing)

• November 18 – National Entrepreneurs Day (Great for B2B and startup-focused brands)

• December 10 – Nobel Prize Day (Perfect for brands that focus on innovation, education, and thought leadership)

Want a full breakdown of 2025’s marketing calendar? Here’s every major event you should plan for.

Here’s what the right CRM can do for your business…

Did you know: The right CRM strategy can boost your sales by up to 29%.

After we’ve just warned you of the serious consequences of compromising on CRM, are you sure your sales team has the right one?

Check out what tools you might be missing out on.

Check out the full article to find the right sales CRM for your team.

Stop guessing. Start mapping your customers’ journey.

Creating a customer journey map isn’t just an exercise in documentation—it’s a strategy to increase conversions and retention. But too often, businesses create static maps that don’t reflect real customer behavior. 

The key is to go beyond listing touchpoints and focus on the actual customer experience: where they drop off, what frustrates them, and what keeps them moving forward.

Let’s cut the fluff and make your journey map work for you.

1. Start with the right data

Most businesses assume they know their customer’s journey, but gut feelings don’t cut it. The key to an effective customer journey map is real behavioral insights—not assumptions.

Identify drop-off points by analyzing where users abandon key steps. Check metrics like:

• Bounce rates on landing pages (Is your messaging unclear?)

• Trial-to-paid conversion rates (Is onboarding confusing?)

• Customer support inquiries (Are common frustrations surfacing repeatedly?)

Example: If leads sign up for a free trial but never return, your onboarding may be too complex or lack clear next steps. Try adding in-app tooltips, a welcome email sequence, or a quick-start guide.

2. Track emotions, not just stages

A smooth customer journey isn’t just about moving from Awareness to Purchase—it’s about how customers feel at every step. Frustration, confusion, or hesitation can derail the journey before conversion ever happens.

To pinpoint emotional highs and lows by gathering qualitative insights, try using:

• Heatmaps to see where users hesitate or rage-click.

• Surveys asking customers how confident they feel at each step.

• Session recordings to spot friction points.

Example: If customers drop off during Consideration, they might feel overwhelmed. Simplify choices, add guided recommendations, or introduce a comparison chart.

3. Automate what you can, humanize what you can’t

Automation is great for efficiency—but not every interaction should be handled by AI. Knowing when to automate and when to bring in a human touch is what makes a journey feel seamless instead of robotic.

Here’s how to find the right balance between efficiency and empathy:

• Self-service for simple issues: Chatbots, knowledge bases, automated updates.

• Live support for complex needs: High-stakes decisions, troubleshooting, emotional interactions.

Example: AAA Washington automated basic inquiries but kept live agents for roadside emergencies—because when someone’s stranded, they need reassurance, not a chatbot.

4. Keep your map flexible & data-driven

Customer behavior isn’t static—so why should your journey map be? The best businesses continuously update and refine their journey maps based on real-time data.

How to keep it dynamic:

• Set a quarterly review cycle to analyze shifts in behavior.

• Track repeat support issues and refine touchpoints accordingly.

• A/B test journey optimizations (like adjusting checkout flows or onboarding sequences).

Pro Tip: The best journey maps aren’t perfect—they’re adaptable. The businesses that win are the ones that update them often.

For a detailed, step-by-step roadmap, check out the full guide. 

Galactic Gourmet

CRM blips from around the web

HubSpot’s AI Agent Platform Surges Past 500K Users. Launched in September 2024, Agent.ai had 250K users by January—now it’s already past 500K. Over 5,000 users have built custom AI agents, and founder Dharmesh Shah hints at future HubSpot integration.

Google’s AI Calls Businesses So You Don’t Have To. Hate calling for prices and appointments? Google’s new AI feature ‘Ask for Me’, that’s currently in testing, does it for you. The AI dials local businesses, asks about services and pricing, and sends you the details. No more waiting on hold!

Heard About DeepSeek? Here’s What You Need to Know. DeepSeek is a brand-new AI chatbot that’s taken over app stores, shaking up the industry and parking Wall Street panic, AI price wars, and global debate. While it’s winning over developers, it’s also raising big regulatory concerns.

Astronomical Assets

Significant moves in the past 7 days

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