When Salesforce came into the picture, they completely changed the game for how sales teams operate. However, they left out a tiny detail: actually getting the data into Salesforce.

If you’re aiming for precise sales forecasting and fostering a collaborative selling environment, you need to maintain a well-managed pipeline that provides visibility into deals for both sales reps and leaders. 

A major key to growing revenue - and forecasting that revenue - is capturing accurate, real-time data through the simple act of logging a call in Salesforce.

Despite its seeming simplicity, it’s actually quite complex and often ignored by sales reps so we’re going to give you a step-by-step guide on how to log a call in Salesforce, but also show you an alternative way to ensure all of your data is getting into your CRM.

Step-by-Step Guide to Logging Calls in Salesforce

Logging a call in Salesforce occurs after you’ve had a conversation, or attempted to have a conversation, with a prospect or customer. 

For example, an Account Executive is calling down a list of prospects who have expressed interest in signing up for your service. After each call, the Account Executive should log that call so there’s an activity history on the account. 

This gives both the Account Executive, and their sales leaders, visibility into where an opportunity stands. 

“When was the last time this Account Executive reached out?” 

“What was the last interaction about?”

Having a recorded activity history is the first step in maintaining an accurate and up-to-date sales pipeline.

Here’s how it’s done…

Step 1: Access the Contact or Lead Record

• Navigate to the “Contacts” or “Leads” tab in your Salesforce dashboard and select the contact you've communicated with.

Step 2: Log a Call Activity

• Find the “Activity” section within the selected Contact or Lead record and click on the “Log a Call” button. This might be right on the page under the contact or lead’s name or it can be found under an “Add” button or “New Activity” drop-down. After clicking on the “Log a Call” button, you’ll be asked to fill out certain details.

Step 3: Fill in the Call Details

• Subject: Enter a brief title for the call. For example, “Follow-up Call” or “Negotiation.”
• Call Type: If available, select the type of call made (Inbound or Outbound).
• Call Result: Document the outcome of the call, such as “Left Voicemail,” “Scheduled Meeting,” etc.
• Comments/Description: Summarize the call with any key points discussed, customer questions, or any commitments or follow-up actions agreed upon.

Step 4: Save the Call Log

• Once you've filled out the call details, click “Save” so the call appears in the activity timeline.

Tips for Effective Call Logging

• Be Consistent: Use a standardized format for subjects and descriptions to make it easier to search and report on call activities.
• Be Timely: Log calls immediately after they happen to ensure details are fresh and accurate.
• Leverage Integrations: If your team uses an integration with Salesforce, some of this information may be captured more efficiently or automatically, streamlining the logging process. 

While these steps should help you log calls in Salesforce, it’s still not the most efficient way to do things.

Let’s show you a better way to do this:

A Better Way to Log Calls in Salesforce in 2024

If you're a sales rep making several calls every hour, you are probably hoping for an easier way to quickly log that activity into Salesforce and move on to the next task. With a simple Salesforce add-on and AI powered workspace for sales teams known as Scratchpad, you can log calls a couple of different ways and it’s shockingly simple and fast.

Logging Calls via Command

1. Enable Scratchpad Command in your settings
2. While on the webpage of your choice (i.e. LinkedIn, Google, etc), press 'CMD + J' on your keyboard ('CTRL + J' if you're using a PC)
3. Select the "Create new activity" option from the dropdown menu
4. Use the "Log a call" tile to enter the necessary information pertaining to your callsome text
   • If you need additional fields, pull them in through the gear icon in the top right-hand corner.

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Logging Calls in Expanded View

1. While in the Expanded View of the desired record, click on the "Log a Call" tile.some text
   • To pin this tile at the top of your view, Click ALL, toggle open NEW ACTIVITY at the bottom, and click on the pin next to LOG A CALL.
2. Fill out the necessary tiles with the most important information.some text
   • If you need additional fields, pull them in through the gear icon in the top right-hand corner.
3. Hit "Create Activity" and you're done!

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Luckily for you, this is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Scratchpad.

More Reasons Why Scratchpad Is Critical For Sales Teams

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Scratchpad isn’t just a tool to log calls in Salesforce. It can revolutionize the way your entire sales team gets work done. Here are a few other reasons why it’s such a critical part of so many sales organizations today:

• AI Sales Assistant: The Scratchpad Sales AI Assistant actively monitors your virtual sales call, autonomously updates Salesforce with crucial details (such as MEDDIC, next steps, and more), generates easily shareable sales call summaries, and transforms these conversations into valuable insights. This streamlines the sales AI prospecting process — making it more efficient by reducing manual data entry and providing clear, actionable intelligence to prioritize efforts effectively.
• Unified Sales Workspace: Scratchpad combines sales notes, tasks, Kanban boards, and more in one place — offering a sales rep or sales manager a centralized hub for managing all prospecting activities. This consolidation leads to more organized and focused prospecting efforts.
• Data Accuracy and Insight: Accurate and up-to-date sales data is crucial for effective sales AI prospecting. Scratchpad helps a sales leader or sales rep maintain high-quality data in Salesforce, which in turn enables better analysis, segmentation, and targeting of prospects based on reliable information.
• Zero Boards: Scratchpad provides daily to-do lists so that a sales rep never forgets to follow up on leads and/or opportunities in the pipeline and leaders get better visibility and context into deals at risk.

Scratchpad seamlessly integrates with your AI-driven sales prospecting efforts, providing an intuitive platform for managing sales data, notes, tasks, pipelines, and more.

So, try Scratchpad for free today to witness the transformative effects it can have on your prospecting activities.

Now that we’ve covered how to efficiently log calls in Salesforce, you may be wondering, is it even worth it?

Why Logging Calls is So Important

Logging calls in Salesforce is important for several reasons, but mainly because keeping an accurate activity history is essential to improving the customer journey, giving sales leaders more informed coaching opportunities, and ensuring data-driven forecasting and decision-making. 

It’s not just logging calls in Salesforce that are critical, but it’s a major piece to the puzzle that is maintaining the overall health of your pipeline. Without a healthy sales pipeline, sales organizations risk falling apart at the seams.

That being said, here are some key reasons why call logging in Salesforce is so important:

1. Comprehensive Customer View

Call logs contribute to a 360-degree view of customer interactions. By documenting every call, sales and service teams can access a complete history of conversations, decisions, and feedback. This comprehensive view enables personalized communication and informed follow-ups, tailored to the customer's history, preferences, and issues.

2. Improved Collaboration and Handoffs

In environments where multiple team members may interact with the same customer or lead, call logs ensure continuity. They provide a chronological narrative of interactions, making it easier for any team member to pick up where another left off, minimizing repeat work and customer frustration over having to reiterate previous conversations.

3. Enhanced Accountability and Performance Analysis

Logging calls allows managers to review and assess the frequency and quality of team interactions with prospects and customers. This visibility can be instrumental in performance evaluations, identifying training needs, and setting benchmarks for best practices in customer engagement.

4. Data-Driven Insights and Reporting

Aggregated call data can reveal trends and patterns that inform strategic decisions. Salesforce reports generated from call logs can highlight areas of opportunity, such as products that generate the most inquiries or time frames when customer engagement peaks. These insights guide resource allocation, sales strategies, and marketing campaigns.

5. Efficient Follow-Up and Task Management

Call logs often include action items or follow-up tasks. By directly scheduling these in Salesforce during the call logging process, teams can ensure no commitment falls through the cracks. This systematic approach to task management streamlines workflows and enhances productivity.

6. Legal Compliance and Dispute Resolution

In industries where compliance to regulations is critical, call logs serve as a record of customer interactions, which can be vital for legal compliance, auditing purposes, or resolving disputes. They provide a verifiable trail of communications that can protect the company in case of legal challenges.

7. Customer Satisfaction and Retention

Ultimately, the insights and efficiency gained from logging calls can significantly enhance customer satisfaction. Being well-informed about past interactions allows teams to address customers' needs more effectively, building trust and loyalty. Happy customers are more likely to return and recommend your services, driving growth and profitability.

Logging calls in Salesforce is a cornerstone of effective customer relationship management, leading to better customer experiences, improved operational efficiency, and strategic business growth.

However, actually getting it done in Salesforce has proven to be a consistent challenge for sales reps and leaders as well. 

In order to ensure your team is properly managing the pipeline and making Salesforce the one source of truth for your company, you should consider a tool like Scratchpad to simplify and speed up your call logging process. 

Try it for free or book a time to learn more today.