Some common Salesforce Jargon Buster

Frequently, Salesforce end users encounter terms that sound very confusing to them, leaving them uncertain of their meanings. This communication gap not only impedes understanding between end users and Salesforce professionals but also adds an extra obstacle to effective collaboration from both ends, whether it is working on an issue or designing new functionality.

This article covers 10 frequently used terms in the world of Salesforce (though they're not exclusive to Salesforce) that are often assumed to be understood by everyone. Of course, these terms can be easily figured out depending on the context they are in.

1 - Environment

In Salesforce, we often use the term "environment" to describe the setting where actions take place. There are two main types: Production and Sandbox. The Production environment is where everything is live and operational, where end users carry out their tasks. On the other hand, the Sandbox environment is like a workspace where the Salesforce team develops new tools or conducts testing before implementing them in the live environment.

2 - Deployment

Deployment refers to the process of migrating something from a sandbox environment to a production environment. "Deployment" is just one of the synonyms that can be used, but words like "launch," "release," and "roll out" all refer to the same thing.

3 - Lookup fields

A lookup field is a special type of field used in Salesforce. While traditional Salesforce fields can store things like currency, text, or numbers, a lookup field is different. It allows users to search for and connect to other related records. For example, on the contact record in Salesforce, it is possible to see a lookup field that looks up to the account table.

4 - Merge field

A merge field is like a placeholder for specific information. It's commonly used when creating personalised (dynamic) content for customers, such as email templates or homepage customisations. Essentially, it helps to pull in the right data automatically, so each customer sees relevant information tailored just for them.

5 - Related list

As its name suggests, "related lists" refers to a list of records related to the one being viewed. For instance, when opening an account record, you can see the related tab, which lists all contacts, opportunities, and cases related to it.

6 - Report type

If you are not building reports in Salesforce, it is very likely you have not come across this term. Record type refers to the data source point that the report will pull data from. If you chose 'Account' as the report type, you will be only be able to add fields from the account object (table) in salesforce.

7 - Parent/Child relationship

Understanding parent-child relationships in data can be tricky, but it's useful to know they exist. These relationships show how different pieces of data are connected, which affects how reports are created. For instance, think of 'Account' and 'Contacts' as a parent-child relationship. An account can have many contacts, but each contact is linked to only one account. Knowing this connection helps you realise that you can create reports using both tables. For example, you can run a report showing accounts and the contacts associated with them.

8 - Trigger

The context can sometimes explain the meaning of the word 'trigger,' but not always. A trigger is essentially when a process starts or gets fired. For example, an automation can get triggered when a deal is closed won.

9 - Console

End users can navigate through various Salesforce applications by clicking on the nine-dotted launch icon on the upper left-hand side of their screen. These applications may have their user interface presented in a traditional Salesforce format or as console apps. In this context, a console refers to the Salesforce application UI that provides a tab-based workspace tailored for fast-paced work environments. Users can manage multiple records on a single screen, reducing the time spent clicking and scrolling to quickly find, update, and create records.

10 - Component

A component refers to the user interface blocks that you see within the Salesforce UI. These components can either be standard, meaning they come pre-built with Salesforce, or custom, which are specifically designed and developed for a particular organisation needs.

11 - List View (bonus)

List views in Salesforce are the dropdown menus visible when navigating to the "home page" of an object. These views serve as a means for easily segmenting data based on the available information stored in a record. Salesforce facilitates the ability to filter, share, and execute mass actions through list views. It's important to note that any filters applied to a public list view will affect everyone within the organization who utilizes that particular view.

Whether you're an end user or an IT professional, clear communication is key. Instead of assuming, it's important to ensure mutual understanding. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification if terms are unclear.

Now, as an end user, are there common terms you often hear but don't fully know what they mean? Or, as a Salesforce professional (IT professional), which terms do you believe would benefit end users to understand? leave them in the comments below.

Some useful resources that will make empower end users:

• Salesforce Basics
• List View: Quick Check
• Salesforce CRM
• Accounts and Contacts
• Leads and Opportunities
• 270+ Salesforce Acronyms Explained
• Salesforce glossary