Our review of Starter, Salesforce’s all-in-one package for $25 a month

Salesforce has launched a $25-per-user-per-month offer for 2023, giving access to the American giant’s CRM, marketing and customer service functionalities. The code name for this formula designed for SMEs is Starter Suite.

Salesforce all-in-one at such a reasonable price. We wanted to take a closer look…

Let’s find out what Salesforce Starter really has to offer: the features included, customer reviews, the benefits of the package and, of course, the limitations (at this price, there are bound to be some).

Salesforce Starter overview and general opinion

Until 2023, Salesforce was reserved for companies with substantial financial resources. So, to very large SMEs, ETIs and large groups. But that was before. In 2023, Salesforce launched its Starter offering to target the juicy SMB market, following in the footsteps of HubSpot and its…HubSpot Starter offering (Salesforce hasn’t broken any new ground when it comes to naming!). (If you’re interested in the battle between Salesforce and HubSpot, we’ve got an article on the subject: Salesforce Vs HubSpot).

Salesforce Starter is a lightweight version of the world’s most popular and robust CRM. For $25 per month per user, you get access to essential sales, marketing and customer service management functions. In short, everything you need to manage your customer relations from A to Z without breaking the bank.

So yes, of course, there are limits. Let’s face it, at this price you won’t get all the advanced features of the Enterprise versions. But frankly, for most small boxes, it’s more than enough to get started.

The big advantage of Starter is that it opens the doors to the Salesforce ecosystem. You benefit from the power and reliability of the number 1 platform, with the option of upgrading easily to more muscular versions as your needs grow. It’s a bit like buying a Clio, but with the guarantee of being able to transform it into a Mégane or Espace when your family grows!

In short, if you’re looking for a complete, scalable and affordable CRM for your SMB, Salesforce Starter is definitely worth a look. It may not be the ultimate solution for everyone, but it’s an excellent entry point into the Salesforce world.

Key features of Salesforce Starter

Salesforce Starter isn’t just a CRM, it’s a true all-in-one suite. It gives you access to essential sales, marketing and customer service functions in a single, integrated tool. No more headaches with disparate tools, with Starter you have everything you need to effectively manage your customer relations from A to Z.

Salesforce Starter’s Sales / CRM features

On the sales side, Salesforce Starter offers the basic building blocks of a classic CRM. Don’t expect any revolutionary or ultra-pushy features, we’re sticking to the basics. The idea is to enable you to structure your sales approach without drowning in a mountain of options. It’s a good starting point for SMBs who want to get away from their Excel spreadsheets, but companies with complex sales processes may soon feel cramped.

Let’s see what Starter really brings to the table:

• Account and contact management. You can centralize all your prospect and customer information and create detailed profiles, track interaction history and customize fields to your specific needs.

• Lead and opportunity tracking. Starter gives you access to an intuitive module for managing your sales pipeline. You can track every stage of the sales cycle, from lead qualification to deal closure, with customizable views and automatic alerts.

• Email integration. Starter makes it easy to synchronize your emails with Gmail or Outlook. This integration automatically links emails to the corresponding accounts and contacts in Salesforce, providing a complete view of exchanges with each customer.
• Dashboards and reports. You have access to reporting tools with customizable dashboards. Starter lets you create customized reports.

• Mobile access. Starter provides a well-designed mobile application that enables your sales force to access your CRM data on the move. Users can update opportunities, view customer information and record new notes directly from their smartphone.
• Sales process automation. Starter includes basic automation tools to streamline your sales processes. For example, you can set up lead attribution rules, automatic notifications and automated actions for certain stages of the sales cycle.

Salesforce Starter marketing features

On the marketing side, Salesforce Starter does the job, even if it’s a long way from a high-end marketing automation tool (like Salesforce Marketing Cloud). That said, it’s a good start for SMEs looking to structure their marketing activities.

Marketing features :

• Email marketing. You can create and send email campaigns efficiently. Customization and segmentation options are available, even if they don’t rival specialized tools. Starter also provides access to a number ofEinstein AI features, including automatic, intelligent optimization of campaign timing.
• Email templates. Starter offers a selection of pre-designed models. That’s enough to quickly launch professional campaigns, with decent customization possibilities.

• List management. Contact segmentation is possible, enabling you to target your campaigns. The criteria available cover the current needs of SMEs.
• Performance monitoring. You have access to key metrics such as open and click-through rates. This data can be used to optimize your campaigns over time.
• Automation. Set up autoresponders and email sequences to keep your prospects engaged. The possibilities are interesting for a first approach to automation.

Salesforce Starter customer service features

In terms of customer service, Salesforce Starter offers a basic but functional package. Don’t expect to revolutionize your customer support overnight, but you can structure your processes and gain in efficiency.

Here’s what Starter has to offer:

• Ticket management. An intuitive system for creating, assigning and tracking customer requests. This is the basis of good support organization.
• Knowledge base. You can create and share articles to help your customers. This feature reduces your team’s workload by offering self-service solutions.
• Email-to-case. Emails are automatically converted into tickets, ensuring consistent tracking of requests. Workflow customization possibilities are present, even if they are not unlimited.
• Dashboards. Starter gives you access to reporting functions to monitor the performance of your customer service management.
• Integration with sales. You can combine sales and support data to get a 360° view.

Salesforce Starter highlights and benefits for SMEs

Despite its limitations, Salesforce Starter has a number of trump cards up its sleeve to appeal to SMEs:

1. Attractive price: At $25 per user per month, Starter makes Salesforce accessible to small and medium-sized businesses. For SMEs with limited resources, this is an interesting entry point into the Salesforce world.
2. All-in-one suite: Sales, marketing, customer service… Everything is integrated into a single tool.
3. Ease of use: The interface is fairly intuitive, and guided onboarding makes it easy to get started.
4. Scalability: You can start small with Starter and upgrade to more comprehensive versions of Salesforce as your business grows.
5. Platform reliability: Even in the Starter version, you benefit from Salesforce’s robust infrastructure. This is reassuring in terms of data security and availability.
6. Regular updates: Salesforce is constantly improving its products. Even with Starter, you’ll benefit from all the latest features (within the limits of what’s included, of course).
7. Rich ecosystem: Even if not all integrations are available with Starter, you have access to a vast ecosystem of Salesforce apps and resources.

In short, Salesforce Starter can be an interesting option for SMEs looking to structure their customer relationships without breaking the bank.

Salesforce Starter’s limitations to bear in mind

Salesforce Starter may look attractive on paper, but let’s face it: it also has its limitations. And it’s best to know what they are before jumping in headlong.

The first limitation, and not the least, is the absence of advanced functionalities. Gone are the complex workflows, advanced attribution rules and state-of-the-art artificial intelligence tools. With Starter, we stick to the basics. That’s enough for many, but power users may soon feel frustrated.

When it comes to customization, you’ll have to make do with the bare minimum. You can create a few custom fields, but don’t expect to completely overhaul the interface to suit your specific processes. If your business has very specific needs, it’s likely to get stuck.

Integration with other tools is another point to watch out for. Of course, Salesforce has a rich ecosystem, but not all integrations are available with Starter. This means you may have to juggle several tools for certain tasks.

Starter also imposes limits on the volume of data you can store. For most small boxes, this is not a problem. But if you have a large contact base or generate a lot of data, this can quickly become a problem.

Finally, it’s impossible not to mention the risk of dependency. Of course, Starter is an affordable gateway to the Salesforce world. But once you’re there, migrating to another solution can be complicated and costly. This is the famous “lock-in” effect, of which we must be aware.

In short, Salesforce Starter has its limits. Far from it. But it’s up to you to decide whether these constraints are acceptable for your business, or whether they’ll hold you back in the medium term. When in doubt, it’s best to weigh up the pros and cons before signing.

Customer reviews of Salesforce Starter

Feedback from Salesforce Starter users is generally positive, with an average rating of 4.4 / 5 on Capterra (201 reviews).

Here is a selection of the advantages and disadvantages reported by users:

• Ease of use: “Very easy to use and configure”; “The user interface is intuitive and easy to navigate”; “Salesforce Starter is an excellent platform for small businesses looking to organize their sales and customer service”.
• Value for money: “Excellent value for money for small businesses”; “This is a good option for startups that need a basic CRM at an affordable price”.
• Solid basic functionality: “It offers all the basic functionality a small business needs”; “The reporting tools are excellent and easy to use”.
• Functional limitations: “Lacks some of the advanced features available in more expensive versions of Salesforce”; “Customization options are limited compared to the full Salesforce edition”.
• Customer support: “Customer support could be improved”; “Sometimes difficult to get help quickly for specific problems”.
• Scalability: “Excellent starting point, but fast-growing companies may quickly need to upgrade to a more complete version”; “Good for starting out, but can become limiting as the company grows”.

Conclusion

Salesforce Starter is the Salesforce version of “CRM for dummies”. An offer that democratizes access to the market-leading platform, with its strengths and weaknesses. For SMBs who want to structure their customer relations without breaking the bank, this is an option to be seriously considered, but beware of limitations that could hold you back in the long term. As is often the case when it comes to technology choices, it’s all a question of balancing your needs, your ambitions and your wallet. It’s up to you!