If you’re the person who actually has to make Buyerassist and Salesforce talk to each other, you’ve probably noticed the official guides are either too basic or way too optimistic. This guide is for admins, ops folks, and anyone who’s tired of “seamless integration” promises that end in chaos. I’ll walk you through the real steps, flag the gotchas, and help you get real, reliable syncing between your sales data with as little pain as possible.
Why Connect Buyerassist and Salesforce?
Let’s be honest: Sales tools rarely play nicely out of the box. Buyerassist is great for managing buyer journeys, but left on its own, it becomes yet another info silo. Salesforce is your source of truth, but it’s only as accurate as what flows into it. Getting these two systems to sync means:
- No more copy-paste between platforms.
- Less “which version is right?” confusion.
- Actual visibility for sales, CS, and leadership.
- Fewer headaches when reporting time hits.
But if you’ve tried connecting tools before, you know it’s not always plug-and-play. So let’s break it down, step by step.
Step 1: Map Out What Needs Syncing (Before You Touch Anything)
Don’t skip this. You’ll save hours later if you get clear on what data actually needs to move between Buyerassist and Salesforce.
- What’s critical to sync?
- Accounts, contacts, opportunities, activities? Or just some?
- Which direction?
- Is Buyerassist pushing updates to Salesforce, pulling from Salesforce, or both?
- How often does data need to refresh?
- Real-time, hourly, daily?
- Are there any fields that should not sync?
- Sensitive notes, internal-only fields, etc.
Pro tip: Make a table of fields and directions. It’s much easier to spot problems before you automate anything.
Step 2: Check Your Salesforce Setup
Before you integrate, Salesforce needs to be ready:
- API Access: You’ll need API access. (If you’re on Salesforce Essentials, you’re out of luck.)
- Profiles & Permissions: Make sure the integration user has the right permissions—read/write on any objects you plan to sync.
- Custom Fields: If Buyerassist tracks info Salesforce doesn’t, create custom fields now. Don’t try to wedge square pegs into round holes.
- Clean Data: Garbage in, garbage out. If your Salesforce data is a mess, you’ll just be syncing more messes.
Heads up: If you’re not a Salesforce admin, loop them in now. Trying to go around permissions will only slow things down.
Step 3: Get Buyerassist Ready
Buyerassist’s Salesforce integration is pretty solid, but not magic:
- Find the Integration Module: Typically under “Settings” > “Integrations.” If you don’t see Salesforce, your Buyerassist plan may not include it.
- Integration User: Use a dedicated Salesforce account for syncing. Don’t use your personal admin account—trust me, you’ll regret it when someone leaves or permissions change.
- Review Buyerassist Docs: Their guides are decent, but don’t follow them blindly—double-check every mapping.
Don’t ignore: Buyerassist sometimes updates its integration options without clear announcements, so check your version notes.
Step 4: Connect the Platforms
Now you’re ready to actually link things up.
- Start in Buyerassist: In the Salesforce integration section, click “Connect” or “Add Salesforce.”
- Authenticate: You’ll be redirected to Salesforce to log in with your integration user.
- Approve Permissions: Buyerassist will ask for a laundry list of permissions. Review them—don’t just click “Allow All” unless you’re sure.
- Choose Objects and Fields: Map Buyerassist data to Salesforce objects. This is where your prep from Step 1 pays off.
- Set Sync Rules: Decide what triggers a sync (create, update, delete), and if it’s one-way or two-way.
Possible headaches to watch for:
- Field Mismatches: If a field in Buyerassist doesn’t exist in Salesforce, you’ll get errors—or worse, silent failures.
- Picklists and Dropdowns: Values must match exactly. “In Progress” ≠ “In progress.”
- Data Types: Date/time fields especially—format mismatches cause sync failures.
Step 5: Test With a Sandbox (Really, Don’t Skip This)
You don’t want to find out you’re overwriting critical Salesforce data in production. Most headaches come from skipping this step.
- Use a Salesforce Sandbox: Set up your integration in a sandbox org first.
- Run Test Syncs: Create test accounts, contacts, and opportunities in both systems and watch what happens.
- Check for Duplicates & Data Loss: Make sure nothing disappears or multiplies unexpectedly.
- Review Logs: Buyerassist and Salesforce both generate logs. Look for errors, mismatches, or skipped records.
Gotchas to watch for:
- Recursive Updates: If you set up two-way sync without care, you might create endless update loops.
- Permissions Errors: If your integration user is missing permissions, you’ll get cryptic errors. Don’t ignore these—fix them now.
Step 6: Go Live (Cautiously)
Once you’re happy with the sandbox results, it’s time to flip the switch in production.
- Schedule the Launch: Do it when you can monitor for a few hours—not at 5pm on a Friday.
- Communicate: Let your team know what’s happening. Warn them about possible oddities in the first day or two.
- Monitor: Watch for error emails, weird data, or sync delays. Be ready to pause the integration if something looks wrong.
- Document Everything: Keep a record of your mappings and settings. Future you (or your replacement) will thank you.
Step 7: Maintain and Improve
Integration isn’t a “set it and forget it” deal.
- Monitor Sync Health: Check logs weekly, at least for the first month.
- Adjust Mappings: As your team’s process changes, revisit your field mappings.
- Handle Errors Promptly: Don’t let small sync errors pile up—they tend to snowball.
- Train Your Team: Make sure users know what data flows where, and who to ask when things look off.
Ignore the hype: There’s no such thing as “seamless” syncing forever. Expect occasional hiccups, and set up processes to handle them.
What to Watch Out For
Here’s where most people trip up:
- Overcomplicating the sync. Start simple—sync just what you need, not every possible field.
- Assuming two-way sync is always best. Sometimes one-way is safer, especially at first.
- Ignoring data quality. If your source data is messy, syncing just spreads the mess.
- Trying to “do it all” at launch. Start with a core set of fields and expand once it works.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Syncing Buyerassist and Salesforce isn’t rocket science, but it’s not magic either. Start small, keep it simple, and test everything. Don’t chase “perfect”—just aim for reliable. Fix issues as they crop up, and don’t be afraid to scale back if things get hairy.
Above all, remember: good integrations are built on trust—between your systems, your users, and your sanity. Keep it simple. Iterate. And don’t let the buzzwords fool you.