Publish date:

• 8th May, 2024

Salesforce updates its platform three times annually, introducing changes during the spring, summer, and winter releases. This rapid evolution extends to Account Engagement (formerly Pardot), which regularly receives new functionalities.

While these updates offer exciting opportunities, it's crucial for teams to strategically implement them due to the limited bandwidth of marketers and administrators already engaged in regular tasks. Moreover, the challenge is compounded by enthusiastic managers eager to adopt every new feature.

To manage this, it’s essential to establish a clear framework for prioritizing updates. This involves understanding the advantages of each feature, assessing its impact on current operations, and judiciously deciding which updates to implement and which to postpone.

“What” and “Why”?

When considering the implementation of a new feature in your organization, start by asking the following questions:

What: Define the new feature in a single, clear sentence. Use simple language to ensure that anyone, regardless of their familiarity with technical terms, can understand.

Why: Explain the rationale for adopting the new feature, focusing on its business benefits. Consider the reasons behind Salesforce's decision to introduce it, which often reflect their strategic vision for the product's future.

Here is the approach I use to establish a foundation for feature enablement, using the Account Engagement (Pardot) Lightning App as an illustrative case. Chances are, if you're reading this, you might already be familiar with the Pardot Lightning App. Nonetheless, it serves as a valuable example.

• What: Integrate Account Engagement (Pardot) directly within the Salesforce interface, allowing seamless switching between Salesforce and Pardot, making it feel like a single, unified tool.

• Why: The navigation within the Pardot Lightning App represents an upgrade over the Pardot Classic interface and will be intuitive for anyone accustomed to the Salesforce Lightning experience. The Pardot engineering teams are focusing their efforts on the Pardot Lightning App, indicating that future developments will increasingly require this app. The broader aim is to fully integrate Account Engagement (Pardot) into the Salesforce platform over time.

Next, let's discuss the questions that will assist you in prioritizing the features your organization truly needs.

1. Is it a “gateway” feature?

A "gateway" feature in Salesforce can be thought of as an essential prerequisite that unlocks or suggests the need for additional functionalities down the line. Consider the Pardot Lightning App, which must be in place to enable several other features. Similarly, connected campaigns serve as a foundational requirement for utilizing capabilities such as engagement history, snippets, and more. If this feature is present, you might be able to bypass further questions (and avoid lengthy discussions!).

2. Considering Prerequisites

This question inverts the perspective of the first, focusing on the necessary conditions that must be met before introducing a new feature. When suggesting a new capability, be mindful that implementing prerequisites can significantly extend project timelines. If the benefits are compelling, these preliminary steps will be willingly integrated into the project. However, it's crucial to anticipate these requirements early to avoid unexpected challenges later in the process.

3. Identifying Use Cases

Often considered the most crucial aspect, understanding how a feature will be utilized is key. While large projects typically begin with an extensive business analysis, here we're discussing the activation of a more specific, isolated feature.

It's vital to build a solid technical and business case for the feature. This dual approach not only justifies the implementation but also provides a safety net should the project encounter issues. Ask yourself: Will your team actively use this feature? Is there an immediate requirement for it, or is it more of a luxury?

To further refine your understanding, consider categorizing potential use cases as follows:

• Productivity: The feature will enable users to complete tasks more quickly.

• Campaign: It will enhance the engagement level of campaigns with prospects through better personalization and other improvements.

• Reporting: The feature will enhance the quality of insights derived from business reports.

4. What’s the setup effort?

Before initiating any new setup, it’s crucial to evaluate the anticipated workload for you and your team. Proactive planning can prevent the need to halt an implementation midway due to unforeseen capacity constraints or conflicting project timelines. Taking the time to forecast the effort required can ensure smoother transitions and more successful integrations.

5. Do user permissions need changing?

Introducing a new feature often affects user access controls. Sometimes, new features may be automatically accessible to certain user profiles. To manage access more selectively, you might need to adjust user profiles or establish custom permissions for finer control.

In the context of Account Engagement (Pardot), there are only a few default user profiles available, though you can create custom ones if your edition permits. On the Salesforce platform, the options for configuring user permissions are extensive. Getting acquainted with permission sets can be particularly beneficial to managing these settings effectively.

6. Do You Need the Salesforce Admin’s Support?

If Salesforce administration isn’t within your expertise or your role restricts such duties, collaboration with the administrator—who effectively “holds the keys” to your organization—is essential. Many features in Pardot (Account Engagement) rely on a thorough understanding of Salesforce and the specifics of how your connected Salesforce organization is set up. Before making any changes or activations in Pardot (Account Engagement), it’s crucial to involve the designated Salesforce Admin right from the start.

7. Do you need Salesforce customer support?

Over time, the necessity to contact support for enabling new features has diminished. Nonetheless, if reaching out to support is required, remember to account for the time it will take for the support case to be processed and resolved.

8. Are there any further considerations? (“Gotchas”)

Gotchas" refer to unexpected issues that can lead to user confusion, frustration, and additional workload for Admins. Expert-written articles by Pardot professionals are invaluable for identifying these pitfalls. In my guides, I make it a point to discuss the "gotchas" I've encountered in various client projects and during the deployment of features under different circumstances.

9. Are there any impacts on the user experience?

Before progressing to user training (which we'll cover next), it's beneficial to empathize with your users' experiences. Consider how their interactions with the interface might change. Will the navigation paths, or the positions of buttons and links shift? Significant alterations to workflow processes can disrupt users as they adjust to new routines. Fortunately, Salesforce offers considerable flexibility in record page layouts, allowing you to minimize disruptions where possible.

10. What’s the expected training effort?

Training is often a crucial element in rollouts that is frequently overlooked. What seems apparent to you may not be as clear to all users of the new feature—step into their shoes to gain their perspective! If the change is likely to disrupt users' daily routines, allocate additional time to address their specific needs and concerns.

11. Have you checked your campaign calendar?

It's a basic but essential tip: avoid implementing new features during peak periods on your team's marketing calendar. This strategy helps prevent additional stress and complications when everyone is already at their busiest.

Summary

With each new Salesforce release introducing numerous features, it becomes necessary to establish a priority order for their rollout.

The questions outlined in this guide are designed to help prioritize new features in Account Engagement (Pardot), assess the benefits of these functionalities, and determine if there are compelling reasons to delay or reconsider their implementation.