Cirrus Insight Gives Salesforce Users DIY Flexibility

When Cirruspath wanted to update its Cirrus Insight Gmail extension for Salesforce.com, it asked clients to draw it a picture. The result is what it calls a complete redesign that integrates lead tracking through Salesforce.com seamlessly into Gmail.

First and foremost among the features in the new Cirrus Insight upgrade, which was launched on Wednesday, is the ability for users to customize the extension based on the needs of their industry vertical or individual business. For example, if a cell is required in the form to assign customer numbers, it can be built in.

The new version of Cirrus Insight then becomes part of Gmail. As a user conducts an email exchange with a customer, that information is added to the customer account as the exchange happens. With the click of a button, a user can add a new customer and start a new record.

A Browser Extension

Cirrus Insight is a browser extension that can be installed in either Chrome or Firefox. Once that’s done, it can instantly display contextual customer information alongside emails in Gmail.

Users of the extension can create and manage leads, contacts, tasks, events, cases and opportunities right from Gmail as well as saving emails and attachments to their CRM system with a single click.

CRM records can be created and edited on the fly with Cirrus Insight, which also offers syncing with Google Calendar. Users can also choose which standard and custom fields and objects from the CRM to bring into Gmail.Out-of-the-box integration with leading platforms is available as well, including Marketo, Eloqua, Pardot ExactTarget, FinancialForce, JobScience and Desk.com.

The new software is now availableon the Salesforce.com AppExchange.

‘Build Your Own CRM’

Customizability was a key goal driving development of the new version of Cirrus Insight.

“The idea behind it is you can basically design and build your own CRM in your inbox,” Jason Hubbard, the company’s vice president of marketing, told CRM Buyer. “It’s not just limited to the standard records and accounts. You can build it and customize it to do and be just about anything.”

For users who would rather not make their own changes to the extension, Cirruspath also works with a number of developers who can help set up custom features.

Either way, the result is a solution that can help take the proverbial “edge” off of Salesforce.com.

“Salesforce.com tends to be a fairly confusing program for most salespeople,” Richard Bohn, president and executive editor at Sell More Now, told CRM Buyer. “I run into very few people who enjoy using it. Any application that makes the thing easier to use, that’s a big help.”