RSMUS.comDreamforce is Salesforce’s biggest conference of the year September 12-14 in San Francisco. You can experience the magic of AI + Data + CRM and get up close with visionaries, experts, and peers. Get the most out of this conference with these five strategies. From understanding Salesforce products to networking with like-minded professionals, these steps will help you really experience the magic.
Learn the different Salesforce products before you go
As a vast platform, Salesforce offers a wide range of solutions tailored to specific business needs. To find sessions that are relevant for the products you use or are interested in, learn the language that Salesforce uses to describe it. Salesforce does not make this easy! For example, at RSM we work on Commerce Cloud B2C – the best in class direct to consumer ecommerce platform formerly known as Demandware. Which is different than Commerce Cloud D2C, an extension of their B2B commerce product built on Salesforce core.
Talk to people doing what you do
Leverage Dreamforce as an opportunity to connect with other professionals who share similar roles or work in related industries. Chances are, they’ve solved one of your problems before, and vice versa. Or maybe they are sharing the same struggles you are. This is probably the most valuable thing at the conference – but can also be the hardest for those of us who aren’t super extroverts. Try announcing to your network on social media that you are attending – maybe someone you already know is also going and can be your buddy. During focused, smaller sessions just ask the people sitting around you a question about the presentation. I have found that this is a great ice-breaker, especially when trying to understand the applicability of a new feature.
Learn from the real case studies at Dreamforce
Find and attend the sessions where real Salesforce customers are presenting how they use Salesforce products. This will help you separate some of the hype from the reality. For example, at Connections, I heard meaningful insights on how Duluth Trading deployed Composable Storefront. They spoke of the challenges, the timeline, the business constraints they faced. You won’t see any of these in a keynote or published case study.
Unwind at an offsite event
Given the overwhelming nature of Dreamforce, you need to take breaks and unwind at offsite events. The best way to do this on a tight budget is to get invited to a party for free! Reach out to some of your vendors and let them know you’re coming to Dreamforce and sit back and wait for the invitations to come rolling in. Pick the one that sounds the most fun. While these gatherings may involve product promotion, they can still be enjoyable and provide a chance to build relationships. And full disclosure – we are hosting an event on September 12th, reach out if you would like to attend.
Brush up on AI
The partial agenda so far has a lot on AI and was certainly the centerpiece at Connections in June. To get the most out of what they announce, you need to know which features are already generally available. If you’ve kept up on your roadmap webinars, you will know that in commerce, GPT-Powered features are not GA, with one coming in August, and two more piloting in October. Understanding ChatGPT style AI tools generally will help you understand how you can apply these features in your day to day work.
By following these five strategies, you can optimize your Dreamforce experience. Preparing yourself with knowledge about Salesforce products, engaging in meaningful networking, watching customer presentations, taking breaks at offsite events, and brushing up on AI concepts will ensure you make the most of this exceptional event, gaining valuable insights and connections to benefit your professional growth and business success. Subscribe to our E-Commerce blog to hear more about the conference as it gets closer.
Lawrence Walters
Lawrence Walters leads the Salesforce Commerce Cloud practice helping retailers achieve digital commerce success through faster growth, improved omnichannel experiences, international expansion and streamlined digital marketing operations on the leading cloud based ecommerce platform for medium to large retailers. RSM’s practice provides both implementations for clients new to the platform as well as consulting and managed services for those already on Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
