If you’re running sales, partnerships, or revops, you’ve probably heard about account mapping tools and integrations that promise to make your go-to-market (GTM) life easier. Some are worth the hype, some aren’t. If you’ve landed here, you’re probably wondering if tying Reveal to your Salesforce setup is worth it—and, more importantly, how to actually do it without wasting hours or opening a can of tech debt.
This guide is for you if: - You use Salesforce as your CRM. - You’re considering (or already using) Reveal for account mapping or partner workflows. - You want the integration to work and not just check a box for your sales stack.
Here’s a step-by-step, real-world walkthrough—no fluff, just what you need to know.
Why bother integrating Reveal with Salesforce?
Let’s get this out of the way: the only real reason to connect these two is to make your team’s life easier. If you don’t have clear partner workflows, or if you aren’t actually using account mapping to drive revenue, this integration won’t magically fix that.
When it works, integrating Reveal with Salesforce can: - Save time by keeping partner/account data in sync. - Surface warm intros and partner signals directly in Salesforce (where reps already live). - Reduce spreadsheet hell and manual exports.
But, there are things it won’t do: - It won’t “create” partner revenue out of thin air. - It won’t fix broken processes or poor data hygiene. - It won’t make your reps or partners care if they aren’t bought in.
So, if you’ve got the basics covered and you want to automate the grunt work, keep reading.
Step 1: Get your house in order
Before you even touch the integration settings, do some housekeeping. This is boring but crucial.
Checklist: - Salesforce admin access: You’ll need this for setup and ongoing tweaks. - Clean data: If your Accounts, Contacts, or Opportunities are a mess, Reveal will just mirror that mess. - Defined partner workflow: Know why you’re integrating (e.g., to surface overlaps, to automate partner-influenced pipeline, etc.). - Buy-in: Make sure at least one person on each team (Sales, Partnerships, RevOps) knows what’s coming. Surprises aren’t fun in CRMs.
Pro tip: If you can’t answer “What does success look like in 30 days?” for this integration, pause and get specific first.
Step 2: Set up your Reveal account
If you haven’t already, sign up for Reveal and set up your company profile. The process is pretty straightforward, but a few honest pointers:
- Use your work email. Personal accounts just confuse things.
- Only invite the people who actually need access—too many cooks spoil the broth (and trigger security headaches).
- Decide if you want to share your full account lists, or start with a pilot segment. You can always open it up later.
Step 3: Connect Salesforce to Reveal
This is where the magic (or headaches) happen. Reveal connects to Salesforce via OAuth, so you’ll need admin rights.
How to connect: 1. In Reveal, go to your profile or company settings and look for the “Integrations” section. 2. Choose Salesforce. Click “Connect.” 3. Log in with your Salesforce admin credentials. You’ll see a permissions screen—review it carefully. 4. Approve the connection. If your Salesforce org uses two-factor authentication, have your phone handy.
What could go wrong (and how to avoid it): - Sandbox vs. Production: Make sure you’re connecting to the right Salesforce environment. Test in Sandbox first if you’re nervous. - API limits: If you’ve got a busy Salesforce org, watch your API call usage. Reveal is pretty lightweight, but nothing’s free. - User permissions: If Reveal isn’t seeing all the records you expect, check user permissions and sharing settings in Salesforce.
Step 4: Map your Salesforce fields to Reveal
Reveal needs to know which fields in Salesforce correspond to its own data model. Don’t glaze over here; this is where integrations often go sideways.
Typical mappings: - Accounts: Make sure you’re mapping the right object (some orgs use custom Account objects—don’t assume). - Opportunities: Choose the correct pipeline/stage fields. - Contacts: Optional, but useful if you want deeper insights.
Advice: - Stick to core fields at first. You can always add custom fields later. - Document what you connect—future you (and your admin) will thank you.
Pro tip: If you have weird field names or multiple Account record types, test with a small subset before rolling out org-wide.
Step 5: Decide on data sharing settings
Reveal’s whole pitch is around “secure account mapping.” You control what data you share and with whom.
Options: - Full sharing: All mapped accounts get shared with your partners. - Selective sharing: Only share accounts or opportunities that meet certain criteria (e.g., specific regions, deal stages, etc.). - Private mode: Only see overlaps, but don’t share underlying data.
What works: - Start conservative. It’s easy to loosen up later, but you can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. - If legal or security gets twitchy, show them Reveal’s audit and privacy settings. Don’t ignore their concerns, but don’t let “what if” scenarios block real work.
Step 6: Sync and sanity-check your data
Once you’ve connected and mapped things, Reveal will start syncing data. Depending on the size of your Salesforce org, this could take a few minutes or a couple of hours.
What to check: - Do the account numbers in Reveal match what you expect from Salesforce? - Are account names, owners, and stages accurate? - Are overlaps with partners showing up as expected? - Is any sensitive data showing that shouldn’t be?
If you spot errors: - Double-check field mapping. - Look at Salesforce sharing rules and visibility. - Contact Reveal support—sometimes sync jobs fail, and it’s not always obvious.
Step 7: Train your team and roll out
Don’t just dump this on your reps and hope for the best. A quick walkthrough (15–20 minutes) goes a long way.
What to cover: - Where to see Reveal insights inside Salesforce (usually via widgets or Lightning components). - How to request partner intros or see account overlaps. - Who to ping if something looks off.
What to skip: - Don’t overwhelm them with every feature on day one. - Avoid deep-dive trainings unless your team asks for it.
Step 8: Monitor, tweak, and expand (or pull the plug)
Integrations aren’t “set it and forget it.” Watch how the integration actually impacts your workflow.
How to keep it useful: - Check in after 2–4 weeks. Are reps actually using the Reveal data? If not, ask why. - Look for duplicate or missing accounts—this usually means a mapping or permissions issue. - Don’t be afraid to scale back or turn off the integration if it’s not adding value.
Reality check: Not every team gets value from account mapping right away. If it’s not moving the needle, adjust or try something else.
What’s worth your time (and what’s not)
Worth it: - Automating partner overlap detection and warm intro workflows. - Bringing actionable data into Salesforce, where reps already work.
Not worth it: - Over-engineering field mappings or custom automations before you’ve proven the basics. - Sharing every account or opportunity out of fear of missing out—you’ll just create noise.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, iterate fast
Connecting Reveal with Salesforce can streamline partner workflows and save time—if you keep it simple and focused on real problems. Don’t try to boil the ocean on day one. Start with a clear goal, test with a pilot group, and build from there.
If it works, you’ll know because your team will actually use it. If not, don’t be afraid to pull the plug or try a different approach. Tech is here to help, not add headaches—use it accordingly.