Salesforce.com, Inc. is a cloud-based software company generating a revenue of US$21.25 billion as of 2021. The company was founded by Marc Benioff, along with Dave Moellenhoff, Frank Dominguez, and Parker Harris on the 3rd of February 1999. This company primarily provides customer relationship management or CRM services. Salesforce is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and was ranked on Fortune magazine’s list of ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ in 2021.
The success of Salesforce even after more than two decades have passed its founding is owed to the company’s foresight when it comes to technology. If Salesforce had not harnessed the power of developing technology, the business of this company would not have been what it is now. Along with its main CRM service, the company also offers complementary enterprise applications that range from application development and analytics to customer service and marketing automation.
The company’s success also needs to be owed to its commitment and dedication to its mission and vision statements. Any company formulates a mission statement to clearly delineate its goals and to propel the company’s daily operations and functions in the direction where those goals are fulfilled. A mission statement encourages efficiency targeted towards success.
The vision statement of an organization is also important to look at to understand where the company aims to be in the future. A vision statement puts forth the long-term ideal that a company aims to achieve through constant endeavor and continued success. A mission statement can therefore be said to support and describe how the ideal in the vision statement is to be achieved.
For Salesforce, the corporate mission statement focuses on the empowerment of companies without removing the focus from their customers. Their corporate vision statement, on the other hand, places the goal to be sustainable while operating which is essential considering all corporations contribute to the deterioration of the environment. Therefore, while the mission statement describes just how the business would be successful, the vision statement adds that sustainability would not be compromised for profit.
The core values need to be analyzed as well. After understanding what the mission and vision statements stand for, getting to know the core values of a corporation and just how they are honored and inculcated in the work culture is of utmost importance. The core values outline the basis of the daily operations in the company and play a vital role in making sure that the mission statement is being taken seriously.
Salesforce Mission Statement
The mission statement of Salesforce is “to empower companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way.”
A cursory reading would give the reader a general idea that the corporation focuses on giving different companies as well as their customers priority while also taking into account connectivity and innovation. The mission statement can thus be divided into the following core elements:
- Empowering different business
- Connecting businesses with customers
- Adopting a new approach
Mission Statement Analysis
Based on the core elements mentioned above, it can be said that Salesforce is well aware of the areas which demand work and attention without fail. The company is well aware of the demands and needs of its client base and understands that while catering to them, the best approaches need to be adopted. Salesforce thus develops methods that are data-driven and beneficial for the customers and companies alike.
Salesforce takes its mission statement seriously and the companies related to Salesforce are provided with numerous services, business solutions and support that work well to boost business. This is empowerment in the best form and Salesforce knows it. This keeps Salesforce relevant and the companies it’s associated with keep making a profit, bringing in more business for Salesforce.
Empowering different businesses is the first step but if these services are not able to connect the companies to their customer base, they can never truly be empowered and successful. For companies to build a loyal customer base, the services offered need to be presented in such a way that a customer is unable to find anything like it anywhere on the market. Connecting the customer with the company has a lot to do with how the customer feels when they interact with the company. If the services offered to leave the customers satisfied, there is nothing like it.
The company claims to be the world’s leading provider of customer relationship management services and calls itself a Customer Success Platform. Salesforce was founded on three ideas that included:
- Bringing out a new technological model for cloud-computing
- A business model which offers a pay-as-you-go service
- An integrated corporate philanthropy model
The connection of businesses and customers is based on the service quality but more importantly, on the various different approaches through which these services are introduced. Since the very first idea mentioned above included building up a new technological model for its cloud-computing services, it is natural that the services provided would always be fine-tuned so that they stay relevant with the changing times. And that was why it was named as the ‘World’s Most Innovative Company’ for eight consecutive years by Forbes.
Salesforce Vision Statement
The vision statement of Salesforce is “We’re committed to a sustainable future for all.”
Much like the mission statement, the vision statement also needs to be analyzed by breaking it into different core components. The vision statement is primarily focussing upon sustainability but apart from that, what needs to be seen is how the statement is phrased and other aspects of the statement need to be put into focus. The following are the core elements of the Salesforce vision statement:
- Accepting commitment
- Sustainability
- Future concerning everyone
Vision Statement Analysis
The very first core component of the vision statement focuses on the company’s commitment to sustainability. The company accepts that it will take nothing short of a commitment, a continual resolve for an endeavor that will enable them to keep their services and efforts sustainable. Acknowledging the fact that it will be a daunting task and will require continual effort on the company’s part creates a culture of accountability that will guide the company as a whole towards achieving its vision.
The second core component concerns sustainability. The company has made dedicated efforts towards a future that is low-carbon. Salesforce aims to reduce its carbon footprint by aiming for hundred percent renewable energy resources as they expand their services on a global scale. Sustainability is not a future dream as Salesforce is expanding its efforts towards sustainability and currently provides its customers with a carbon-neutral cloud. Salesforce also aims to keep operating as a company that has net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Sustainability is a commitment that requires resources and efforts. For the same, the company aims to provide human resources and technological resources, and other means through which sustainability can be achieved. With the company’s commitment to innovation, it is not difficult to imagine Salesforce coming up with creative solutions to help with the global crisis of climate change.
They aim to improve but also inspire others to be environmentally conscious while they operate as well. The very fact that the company is committed to sustainability means they care about providing a greener future for their customers and the coming generations. This future will be a better one not only for their customers but also for everyone who lives on earth where corporations work towards reducing their carbon footprints.
The vision of Salesforce can therefore be said to be focused on change and innovation. This commitment to change is shown in the company’s approach to always provide its customers with innovative and dynamic solutions, specific to their needs. Innovation is at the center of the Salesforce service but at the same time, the company provides its service to customers who have varied needs and thus prove to be a great fit for all of their potential customers.
Salesforce Core Values
The core values of Salesforce comprise trust, equality, customer success and innovation. These values drive the daily operation of the company and also dictate its work culture. Salesforce has successfully cultivated its image, and with good reason as it is considered to be a company that delivers on its promises to its customers. Following are the core value of the company as the official website describes them:
- Trust: Salesforce calls itself a trusted advisor and also delivers to its clients the most trusted infrastructure in the market. Trust and integrity run deep in the company and it is cultivated by performance and compliance. Salesforce also inculcates transparency, values the privacy and security of its customers and thus builds trust in clients, employees and families.
- Customer Success: The formula is simple, the provider shall automatically succeed when the services it provides leads to the success of its client. These core values focus on the empowerment of customers, much like the mission statement and Salesforce employs innovation to achieve customer success. The company is committed to keep providing newer ways for the stakeholders to succeed by staying connected to Salesforce.
- Innovation: Innovation is an aspect that cannot occur in a vacuum. Many people and businesses collaborate to bring something new to the customers. Based on the customer input and suggestions, Salesforce bulbs something new that specifically caters to a certain business needs. The customers of the company thus stand a chance of becoming leaders in the market with new technological releases and unique initiatives in their arsenal.
- Equality: This is a core value that outlines just how Salesforce approaches its clients and provides services. Equality here means that every idea and perspective should be taken into account and paid attention to. It allows for a free channel of communication and develops a culture of openness that can be cashed as everyone would be motivated to speak as their opinions are considered valuable. This propels innovation, creativity and eventually, success.
Salesforce stresses that its work culture is based on Ohana, a Hawaiian word that means family. This culture simply means that the employees and employers alike are members of a big family. This stresses the importance of a harmonious workplace that values its employees and its customers much in the same way. Working together and achieving success brings the concept of ‘Ohana’ and the core values together and outlines that anything can be achieved if the team sets their minds to it.
It is through this approach that Salesforce is able to stay true to its mission statement and move towards its vision statement.
The Takeaway
Simply speaking, Salesforce knows what it is doing. The mission statement and vision statement, although deceptively simple, serve their purpose excellently. While the mission statement describes every operation and the approach towards business that ensures success to the company, the vision statements complement it perfectly.
The corporate vision statement of Salesforce explains the company’s commitment to providing exceptional services to its customers without compromising sustainability. Through its everyday operations and the culture it has cultivated, Salesforce ensures that the companies they serve are succeeding and building a loyal customer base of their own. Being environmentally conscious adds another dimension of trust to their corporation and builds their reputation.
With constant innovation and its creative approaches concerning technology, Salesforce has managed to stay relevant ever since its founding in 1999. It would not have been possible if the company had not been religiously following its core values. Keeping in mind that their employees are as much a part of their progress as the leaders are, the company has strived towards success by involving everyone in their operations and daily functions.
Through the core values of trust, customers success, equality and innovation, Salesforce guarantees that its customers and its employees are a top priority for the company. By valuing every opinion and hearing out every perspective, they have cultivated a culture where open communication fosters trust and integrity. Through its commitment to innovation, they have ensured that they succeed by adapting to new trends while staying committed towards sustainability. And since customer success spells success for the customer relationship management service provider, Salesforce keeps itself on top of its game through its core values.
