Ever feel like your team’s CRM updates are stuck in the Stone Age? You’re not alone. If you’re looking to hook up Gong with Salesforce so calls, notes, and deal info flow right into your CRM—without nagging reps or endless data entry—this guide is for you.
I’ll walk you through making the connection, steering clear of common pitfalls, and deciding what’s actually worth syncing. Whether you’re in sales ops, an admin, or just the poor soul who gets the “Why isn’t this syncing?” Slack ping—let’s make this as painless as possible.
Why Connect Gong to Salesforce? (And When You Shouldn't)
Let’s get this out of the way: syncing Gong and Salesforce isn’t magic. But when it’s set up right, you get:
- Sales calls and recordings attached to the right records—so you can stop chasing down context.
- Automatic updates to fields (like Next Steps, Deal Stage, etc.)—if you want them.
- Less manual note-taking—assuming your team actually uses Gong for calls.
But here’s the thing: If your reps never use Gong, or if your org is super-protective about CRM fields, connecting these tools won’t suddenly fix broken processes. Don’t expect it to “transform your pipeline” just by switching it on.
Step 1: Check Your Permissions and Requirements
Before you even touch a settings page, make sure you have:
- Gong admin access (not just a regular user)
- Salesforce admin access (ideally, or at least someone on your side who does)
- API access enabled in Salesforce (this isn’t a given on all editions)
- A Salesforce account that isn’t going anywhere (don’t use a personal or soon-to-be-deactivated user as the integration account)
Pro tip: If you’re in a big org, double-check with IT or your Salesforce admin team before you start. Some companies lock down these permissions hard.
Step 2: Decide What Data You Actually Need to Sync
You don’t have to sync everything. In fact, you probably shouldn’t.
- Call recordings: Attach these to Opportunities, Contacts, or Accounts? (Usually Opportunities, but depends on your workflow.)
- Transcripts/Notes: Do you want Gong’s AI-generated “notes” to show up in Salesforce?
- Field updates: Gong can push info (like Next Steps, Deal Stage) into Salesforce fields, but only if you map them. Do you trust the automation, or do you want reps to review first?
- Custom fields: If you’ve added custom fields in Salesforce, make a list. You’ll need these later.
Honest take: Don’t turn on every possible sync. More isn’t always better. Start small—you can always expand later.
Step 3: Connect Gong to Salesforce
Here’s the actual hookup. The steps are pretty similar whether you use Salesforce Classic or Lightning.
- Log into Gong as an admin.
- Go to Company Settings → CRM → Salesforce.
- Click “Connect Salesforce.”
- You’ll be prompted to log into Salesforce. Use the integration/admin account (see Step 1).
- Approve the requested permissions. Gong needs pretty broad access to work properly. If you get cold feet, check with your Salesforce admin about what each permission means.
- Choose your Salesforce environment:
- Sandbox first, if you’re testing.
- Production, if you’re ready to go live.
Watch out for: Gong’s integration can break if the connected Salesforce user loses access or their password changes. Use a dedicated “integration user” if you can.
Step 4: Map Data Between Gong and Salesforce
This is where things get real. Gong won’t magically know where to put stuff in Salesforce—you have to tell it.
4.1. Map Standard Fields
- Opportunities, Accounts, Contacts: Decide which Salesforce objects Gong should sync to.
- Email and call associations: Gong matches by email address and phone number. If your CRM data’s messy, expect hiccups.
4.2. Map Custom Fields (if needed)
- If you have custom fields (like “Next Steps” or “Deal Risk”), you’ll need to map them manually.
- In Gong, under the Salesforce integration settings, click “Field Mapping.”
- Pick the Gong field and the corresponding Salesforce field.
What to watch for: If your Salesforce fields have strict validation rules or are required, syncing can fail. Test with dummy data first.
Step 5: Configure What Gong Writes Back (and What It Doesn’t)
Gong can do more than just log calls; it can also write back notes, action items, and more. But…just because it can, doesn’t mean it should.
- Automatic updates: Useful for things like call logs or “Next Steps,” but can get messy if reps don’t review.
- Manual push: Some teams prefer letting reps decide when to write info back to Salesforce. This takes discipline, but avoids accidental overwrites.
- Disable entirely: If your team’s nervous about automation, start with read-only syncing.
My take: Start with logging calls and links to recordings. Wait on auto-updating Opportunity fields until you’ve tested for a few weeks.
Step 6: Test Everything (Don’t Skip This)
Integrations always sound great in the docs. In reality, stuff breaks.
- Do a test call in Gong. See if it shows up on the right Opportunity/Contact in Salesforce.
- Check for duplicate records. Sometimes Gong can create new Contacts if it can’t find a match—this is a headache to clean up.
- Verify field updates. Did your “Next Steps” or “Call Summary” map correctly? Or did you just overwrite a bunch of important notes?
- Ask a real user to try it. Admins miss things. Get feedback early.
Pro tip: Test in a sandbox first if your org uses one. It’s slower, but way safer.
Step 7: Roll Out and Train Your Team (Briefly)
No integration works if your team ignores it. You don’t need a two-hour training, but do tell your users:
- Where to find Gong call info in Salesforce (and what it looks like)
- What’s being updated automatically, and what’s not
- How to flag issues (e.g., bad matches, missing data)
Skip the hype: Just show them where stuff lives and what’s new. Most people only care if it saves them time.
Step 8: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Be Afraid to Turn Stuff Off
Even after launch, keep an eye on:
- Integration errors: Gong and Salesforce both have dashboards/logs. Check them weekly for the first month.
- User feedback: Are reps seeing weird data? Is anything missing?
- Sync volume: Too much noise (e.g., every single call logged everywhere) can make Salesforce harder to use, not easier.
It’s fine to turn off or tweak syncing. If something’s not working, simplify. The goal is less busywork, not more.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
- Works well: Logging call recordings, attaching transcripts, basic field syncing.
- Can get messy: Auto-updating deal stages or sensitive fields. If your pipeline process is complex, double-check before automating.
- Ignore for now: Advanced AI features like “deal warnings” unless you have the basics running cleanly. Fancy dashboards mean nothing if the data’s wrong.
Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Don’t sweat getting it “perfect” day one. Start with the basics—call logging, simple field mapping—and build from there. If syncing everything sounds tempting, remember: fixing a mess in Salesforce is way harder than adding a new field mapping next month.
Your real goal? Keep your CRM useful, not just stuffed with more data. Start small, test with real users, and turn off anything that gets in the way.