So, your team just bought Extrovert and you want your GTM (go-to-market) data flowing cleanly into Salesforce. Maybe you’re tired of patchy integrations, or maybe you’ve inherited a messy setup. Either way, you want a straight answer: how do you actually get this working, and what should you watch out for? This guide is for sales ops folks, admins, and anyone who’s been told “just connect it!” with zero follow-up.
What You’ll Need (and What to Skip)
Before you start, let’s be honest: integrations are rarely plug-and-play. Here’s what you actually need on hand:
- Extrovert account: If you don’t have one, you’ll need to get set up first.
- Salesforce admin rights: You need to create connected apps and manage permissions.
- Access to your GTM data: This is usually in Extrovert, but double-check what’s available.
- Patience: Seriously, block off at least an hour—more if you’ve got custom fields or a nonstandard Salesforce setup.
Skip: Fancy middleware unless you have a really weird use case. Extrovert has a native Salesforce integration. Zapier and the like add more moving parts and more things to break.
Step 1: Prep Your Salesforce Environment
This is where most headaches start. Don’t gloss over it.
- Back up Salesforce data. If you’re testing or mapping fields, mistakes can get messy.
- List your fields. Write down which GTM data points (leads, activities, accounts, etc.) you actually want inside Salesforce. Don’t just “sync everything”—that’s how you end up with junk data.
- Check for custom objects or fields. Extrovert’s integration works best with standard Salesforce objects. If your team has built custom stuff, flag it now—mapping can get tedious.
Pro tip: If your Salesforce org is full of “test” fields or old junk, clean that up first. Integrations don’t fix underlying data messes.
Step 2: Connect Extrovert to Salesforce
Now for the actual connection. Here’s how it usually goes:
- Log into Extrovert.
- Find the Salesforce integration settings. Usually under “Integrations” or “Connections.”
- Click “Connect to Salesforce.” You’ll be prompted to sign in as a Salesforce admin.
- Pick the right Salesforce instance. If you have sandboxes, make sure you’re connecting to the correct org.
- Approve permissions. Extrovert will ask for access to read/write various objects. Yes, it looks scary, but it needs these to sync data. Read the list—don’t just blindly click “Allow.”
What can go wrong: - Permission errors: If you see errors, check that your Salesforce user is actually an admin. Some orgs strip down admin rights. - Sandbox mix-ups: Don’t connect to a sandbox unless you’re testing. Production data goes to production Salesforce, period.
Step 3: Map Your Data (Don’t Auto-Map!)
This is the step people rush, then regret.
- Manually map fields. Extrovert will offer to “auto-map” fields. Ignore it unless your Salesforce setup is 100% vanilla (it never is).
- Decide what direction data should flow. One-way from Extrovert to Salesforce? Or both? Two-way sync sounds nice, but unless you need it, stick to one-way to avoid overwriting good data with bad.
- Map only what you need. Less is more. If you’re not using a field in Salesforce, don’t sync it.
Pitfalls: - Custom fields: If GTM data lives in custom fields, you’ll need to create these in Salesforce before mapping. - Field types: Make sure text fields map to text, picklists to picklists, etc. Otherwise, you’ll get sync errors.
Pro tip: Map a few fields first and test. Don’t try to move 50 fields at once or you’ll have no idea where the problem is if something breaks.
Step 4: Set Up Sync Rules and Schedules
You probably don’t want every single update pushed instantly.
- Choose your sync frequency. Real-time is overkill for most teams. Hourly or daily keeps things updated without crushing your API limits.
- Set up filters. Want only new leads or accounts from GTM? Set rules so you’re not flooding Salesforce with every piece of data.
- Test incremental updates. Make a small change in Extrovert and watch it land in Salesforce. Then do the reverse if you’ve got two-way sync.
What to ignore: Don’t bother syncing fields nobody uses. If your VP insists on syncing “favorite color” just because it’s there, push back.
Step 5: Test, Test, and Test Again
This is where you spot the stuff that’ll trip up your team in production.
- Create a few test records in Extrovert. Make sure they appear in Salesforce, with all mapped fields intact.
- Try updates and deletes. See how changes in Extrovert affect Salesforce, and vice versa (if you enabled two-way sync).
- Check permissions. Make sure regular users—not just admins—can see and use the synced data.
Common gotchas: - API limits: Salesforce has daily limits. If you try to sync everything at once, you might hit a wall. - Duplicate records: If matching rules aren’t set up, you’ll get duplicates. Use email or another unique field as your match key.
Step 6: Roll Out to Your Team
Almost there! Time to go live, but don’t just flip the switch and walk away.
- Communicate the changes. Let users know what’s about to show up in Salesforce.
- Train people on new fields or objects. If you’ve added custom fields, show folks where to find them and what they mean.
- Set up monitoring. Most integrations have a dashboard or log. Check it daily, at least for the first week.
Pro tip: Assign someone on the team to own the integration. Otherwise, you’ll end up as the default support person forever.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Hype
Let’s be real: most of these integrations work, but not magically. Here’s my honest take:
- What works: Native Extrovert-to-Salesforce sync is pretty solid if you keep it simple and don’t try to sync every possible field.
- What doesn’t: Auto-mapping and “set it and forget it” approaches. They create messy data, and fixing it later is painful.
- What’s hype: Real-time sync for every field, AI-driven mapping, or claims that it “just works” out of the box. Be skeptical. Simple, manual setup is almost always better.
Quick FAQs
Q: Do I need a developer?
A: No, unless you’re mapping to custom objects or want to automate weird business logic.
Q: Will this break my Salesforce setup?
A: If you follow the steps and test on sandbox first, you’ll be fine. If you skip testing, all bets are off.
Q: What about data privacy?
A: Make sure your Salesforce and Extrovert permissions follow your company’s policies. The integration can’t fix sloppy access control.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t overthink it. Start with the fields and data you actually need. Test your setup with a handful of records. Roll it out, then tweak as you go. Integrations are never truly “done”—but you can get 80% of the value with 20% of the effort if you keep things focused.
If you get stuck, step back and ask: “Do we really need this field synced?” Nine times out of ten, the answer is no. Good luck, and don’t be afraid to push back on over-complication. Your future self will thank you.