If you want your sales team’s activity data to show up instantly in Salesforce and drive real-time motivation, setting up Leveleleven and Salesforce to sync smoothly is the way to go. But if you’ve ever tried to integrate a SaaS tool with Salesforce, you know it’s rarely just plug-and-play. This guide is for admins, ops folks, or anyone tasked with getting these two talking—without losing your weekend to cryptic error messages or marketing fluff.
Leveleleven (leveleleven.html) is a sales performance platform built around Salesforce. It’s designed to track activity, gamify sales, and give managers live dashboards. The real value only shows up when data flows seamlessly between the two—so let’s get that sorted out.
1. Check the Prerequisites (Don’t Skip This)
Before you dive in, make sure you actually have what you need. Here’s what’s required (and what trips people up):
- Salesforce Edition: You need at least Salesforce Enterprise, Unlimited, or Professional with API access. The integration doesn’t work on the barebones editions.
- Leveleleven License: You need an active Leveleleven subscription. If you’re trialing, check if it includes integration features. Not all trials do.
- Admin Access: You’ll need admin rights in both Salesforce and Leveleleven. Don’t waste time starting with a limited account.
- Browser: Use Chrome or Firefox. Internet Explorer will make you miserable.
Pro Tip: Check your Salesforce API limit usage before you start. Leveleleven sync can chew up daily API calls, especially if your org is already busy.
2. Install Leveleleven in Salesforce
Leveleleven is a Salesforce-native app, so you’ll install it from the AppExchange. This is usually straightforward, but here’s what to watch out for:
- Go to Salesforce AppExchange and search for Leveleleven.
- Click “Get It Now,” pick your Salesforce Org (production or sandbox).
- Follow the installer prompts. Standard stuff: accept permissions, choose “Install for All Users” (if you’re piloting, “Install for Admins Only” is fine at first).
Watch out for: - Permission Sets: The installer sometimes skips assigning permission sets to users. Make sure you grant the right Leveleleven permission set to yourself and test users. - Remote Site Settings: If you see errors about remote sites or callouts, double-check that Leveleleven’s endpoints are allowed in Salesforce’s Remote Site Settings.
3. Connect Leveleleven to Salesforce
The connection happens inside Leveleleven’s setup. Here’s how to wire them together:
- Log in to Leveleleven (use the same browser session as your Salesforce admin if possible).
- Navigate to Setup or Admin Settings. Look for “Salesforce Integration” or similar wording.
- Click “Connect to Salesforce.” You’ll be redirected to a Salesforce login screen.
- Authorize the connection. Make sure you’re logged in as an admin, not a standard user.
- Grant permissions when prompted. If you see a scary list of permissions, don’t panic—they’re needed for data sync.
What can go wrong: - If you get stuck in a redirect loop or see “Insufficient Privileges,” double-check that your Salesforce user is a System Administrator. - Sometimes, browser ad-blockers or privacy plugins can break the auth popup. Disable them if you hit a wall.
4. Set Up Data Sync (Real Time Matters Here)
By default, Leveleleven pulls data from Salesforce on a schedule. For real-time updates, you need to enable Salesforce’s Streaming API or Platform Events. Here’s the honest truth: “real time” in Salesforce isn’t always millisecond-fast, but you can get pretty close.
Option A: Use Salesforce Streaming API (Most Common)
- In Salesforce, make sure Streaming API is enabled (it usually is by default for Enterprise and above).
- In Leveleleven, go to Integration Settings and look for a toggle or option for “Real Time Updates” or “Push Topics.”
- Enable the feature. Leveleleven should prompt you to select which Salesforce objects (Leads, Opportunities, Activities, etc.) you want to sync in real time.
- Save your settings. Test by creating a test record in Salesforce—see if it pops up in Leveleleven instantly or within a minute or two.
Heads-up: - If your Salesforce org has lots of custom objects or fields, Leveleleven may not support real-time updates for all of them. Stick to standard Sales objects for best results. - Streaming API uses CometD protocol, which can be blocked by strict company firewalls. If data never arrives, check with IT about firewall rules.
Option B: Use Platform Events (Advanced, Less Common)
If you’ve got a developer handy and need more granular control, you can use Platform Events. This usually requires custom work, so only bother if the out-of-the-box sync can’t handle your use case.
- Set up Platform Events in Salesforce.
- Work with Leveleleven support to map the events to your sales processes.
- Test thoroughly. Platform Events can eat API limits fast. Monitor your usage.
Skip this unless you know why you need it.
5. Map Salesforce Fields to Leveleleven Metrics
Leveleleven lets you gamify sales activities (calls, emails, closed deals) by tracking them as “metrics.” By default, it maps to Salesforce standard fields, but you’ll want to check or customize this:
- In Leveleleven, go to Metric Setup or Configuration.
- Review which Salesforce fields are mapped to each metric.
- Example: “Completed Calls” might map to the Activity object’s “Type = Call.”
- “Opportunities Won” might map to Opportunity “Stage = Closed Won.”
- Edit or add new metrics as needed. You can usually select custom fields or picklists.
- Save and test each mapping. Enter test data in Salesforce and watch for it to appear in Leveleleven dashboards.
What to ignore: Don’t try to map every field or create a metric for every possible action. It’ll just clutter your dashboards and slow things down.
6. Test the Integration (Break It on Purpose)
Don’t just assume it’s working—test it like a skeptic:
- Create a test record (e.g., a new Opportunity or Task) in Salesforce. Did it show up in Leveleleven?
- Change the record’s status (like moving an Opportunity to “Closed Won”). Does the metric update?
- Delete or edit a record. Does the change sync back, or does Leveleleven get confused?
- Try with a non-admin user. Sometimes permission issues only show up here.
If something’s broken: - Check API limits and permissions first. - Look at Salesforce debug logs for errors. - Contact Leveleleven support—they’re generally responsive, but have your test steps and error messages ready.
7. Set Up User Access and Training
Once real-time sync is humming, make sure it’s actually useful for your team:
- Assign Leveleleven permission sets to all relevant Salesforce users.
- Double-check that dashboards and widgets are visible to everyone who needs them (and hidden from those who don’t).
- Run a quick training session. Show reps how real-time feedback works. Focus on what updates instantly—and what doesn’t.
Pro Tip: Don’t oversell “real time.” There will always be a slight lag, especially when Salesforce is under heavy load.
8. Monitor, Maintain, and Avoid Surprises
A good integration is boring. Here’s how to keep it that way:
- Monitor Salesforce API usage. Real-time sync can spike usage if your sales team is busy.
- Watch for Leveleleven update notifications. Sometimes, app updates require you to reauthorize or tweak settings.
- Keep an eye on user feedback. If reps say dashboards are stale, check the sync status before blaming the tool.
What not to worry about: Constantly tweaking metrics or dashboards. Get the basics working, then iterate slowly.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate as Needed
Integrating Leveleleven with Salesforce for real-time updates isn’t rocket science, but it’s not a “set it and forget it” job either. Start small, test with a few metrics, and make sure your data’s actually moving before you roll it out to the whole team. Skip the temptation to automate everything on day one—real value comes from what your team actually uses, not how many bells and whistles you turn on.
If you run into walls, don’t be afraid to reach out to Leveleleven support or the Salesforce community. Most of the headaches are permissions or API-related, not unique to your org.
Stick with what works, and remember: the simplest solution that keeps your team motivated and your data flowing is usually the best one.