On the second day of Agentforce, Salesforce gave to me...two data sources and a chatbot in a web tree!
Sarah, a financial advisor at a boutique wealth management firm, starts her Monday morning with 47 unread emails. Three are urgent client questions about portfolio performance during last week's market volatility. She needs to check Salesforce for account details, consult with her operations team via Slack about transactions in progress, review portfolio positions in her financial planning software, and craft personalized responses—all while preparing for a 9:00 AM client meeting.
The Power of Connected Data for AI Agents
An AI agent without data is like a gift without wrapping. Your Agentforce agent's effectiveness depends entirely on accessible, high-quality information.
Industry Insight: Organizations with unified customer data achieve 2.3x higher customer satisfaction scores in service interactions.
Source: Forrester Research
Your Salesforce CRM: Data Already Under the Tree
Native Salesforce CRM data provides immediate, zero-latency access to:
- Accounts
- Contacts
- Leads
- Cases
- Opportunities
- Custom Objects
- Relationship history
Salesforce Data Cloud: The Complete 360-Degree Customer View
Salesforce Data Cloud unifies customer data from multiple sources into a single, actionable profile:
| Data Source | Information Unified |
|---|---|
| Multiple Salesforce Orgs | Cross-org customer records |
| Marketing Cloud | Email engagement, campaign responses |
| E-commerce Systems | Purchase history, browsing behavior |
| Third-Party Apps | Loyalty programs, support tickets |
| Web/Mobile Apps | Session data, preferences |
Salesforce Connect: Real-Time External Data Access
Salesforce Connect creates "External Objects" linked to external data sources for real-time queries without data replication.
| Adapter Type | Best For | Example Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| OData 2.0/4.0 | ERP, fulfillment systems | Real-time inventory checks |
| Cross-Org | Multi-org Salesforce | Federated customer data |
| Custom (Apex) | Proprietary APIs | Legacy system integration |
| Snowflake/BigQuery | Data warehouses | Analytics-driven responses |
The Power Duo: Data Cloud + Salesforce Connect
Example Scenario: Customer asks "Is my favorite jacket still available?"
- Agent uses Data Cloud for purchase history, size preferences
- Agent uses Salesforce Connect for real-time inventory
- Response: "That jacket's available in medium at your local store. Based on your history, want me to check the large as well?"
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between Data Cloud and Salesforce Connect?
A: Data Cloud unifies and harmonizes data from multiple sources into Salesforce. Salesforce Connect queries external systems in real-time without storing data locally. Use both together for optimal results.
Q: Does Salesforce Connect count against data storage limits?
A: No—External Objects don't consume Salesforce data storage because data remains in source systems.
Best Practices for Agentforce Data Strategy
- Start with high-value data directly relevant to initial use cases
- Match freshness to need: Data Cloud for harmonized profiles, Connect for real-time
- Ensure data quality: Implement governance before exposing data to AI
- Respect privacy: Leverage Salesforce's security model
Key Takeaways: Day 2
✅ Agentforce agents need access to quality, connected data
✅ Salesforce CRM provides immediate access to core customer data
✅ Data Cloud creates unified 360-degree customer profiles
✅ Salesforce Connect enables real-time external data access
✅ Combining Data Cloud and Connect delivers the most powerful agent experiences
Series Navigation: Day 2 of 12 | ⬅️ Day 1: Agent Basics | ➡️ Day 3: Coming Tomorrow
Tomorrow: Three action types that transform conversation into results!
About the Author
David Cockrum founded Vantage Point after serving as Chief Operating Officer in the financial services industry. His unique blend of operational leadership and technology expertise has enabled Vantage Point's distinctive business-process-first implementation methodology, delivering successful transformations for 150+ financial services firms across 400+ engagements with a 4.71/5.0 client satisfaction rating and 95%+ client retention rate.
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- Email: david@vantagepoint.io
- Phone: (469) 652-7923
- Website: vantagepoint.io
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