How to integrate Salesforce with Ambition for real time sales performance insights

If you’re in sales ops or a sales leader tired of pulling numbers from a dozen places, this guide is for you. You want to see real-time sales performance, not last week’s data cobbled together in a spreadsheet. Integrating Salesforce with Ambition can do that—but only if you set it up the right way. Here’s how to make the two tools actually talk to each other, so you get insights you can use (not just more dashboards collecting dust).

Why Bother Integrating Salesforce and Ambition?

Let’s be clear—Ambition isn’t magic. It’s a performance management tool that pulls sales activity data from your CRM and turns it into scorecards, contests, and dashboards. The value comes from how fresh and accurate the data is. Salesforce is usually your source of truth. When the two are connected, you get:

  • Live stats on calls, deals, and pipeline (not data from last Tuesday)
  • Automated recognition (like triggering a gong when someone closes a deal)
  • A single spot to see team and individual performance

But if the integration’s messy or half-baked, you’ll end up with out-of-sync numbers, endless troubleshooting, and frustrated reps.

Before You Start: What You Need

Don’t skip this bit. It’ll save you pain later.

  • Salesforce admin access (not just a regular user)
  • Ambition admin access
  • A clear idea of which Salesforce objects and fields you want tracked (e.g., Opportunities, Tasks, custom fields)
  • A test user or sandbox (optional, but smart if this is your first rodeo)

Pro tip: Don’t try to sync every field “just in case.” Less is more. Only connect what you’ll actually use for scorecards, goals, and leaderboards.

Step 1: Map Out What You Want to Track

Before clicking any buttons, decide:

  • What “performance” actually means for your team. Is it calls made? Deals closed? Meetings booked?
  • Which Salesforce fields or objects show those actions. For example:
    • Calls/meetings: Task or Event objects, filtered by type
    • Deals: Opportunity object, using Stage and Close Date
    • Custom actions: Maybe you use a custom object like Demo__c

Write this out. Seriously—Ambition can only track what you tell it.

Step 2: Set Up the Salesforce Connection in Ambition

Now, the hands-on part. Ambition connects to Salesforce using OAuth (basically, a secure handshake).

  1. In Ambition, go to Admin > Data Integrations > Salesforce.
  2. Click “Connect Salesforce.”
  3. You’ll be redirected to Salesforce. Log in as your admin user.
  4. Approve the permissions Ambition asks for. It needs access to read (and sometimes write) to your Salesforce data.
  5. You’ll land back in Ambition. If the connection was successful, you’ll see a green indicator.

Gotcha: If you use Salesforce sandboxes, make sure you’re connecting the right environment. Production and sandbox are separate.

Step 3: Configure Data Syncing

This is where most people mess up—by syncing too much (or too little).

  • Pick which Salesforce objects to sync: Common ones are User, Task, Opportunity, Lead, and custom objects.
  • Filter the data: Only pull in what matters. For example, only “Closed Won” opportunities, or only calls tagged as “Outbound.”
    • Use Salesforce filters or Ambition’s mapping UI.
    • Example filter: Task where Type = 'Call' and Status = 'Completed'
  • Map fields: Tell Ambition which Salesforce fields match its own. E.g., Salesforce “OwnerId” maps to Ambition “User,” “Amount” maps to “Revenue.”

Don’t skip this: Double-check your field mapping. If you map the wrong field, your dashboards will be nonsense.

Step 4: Set Up Scheduled Syncs (or Go Real-Time)

You’ve got two main options:

  • Scheduled Sync: Ambition checks Salesforce every 15 minutes (or hourly, depending on your plan).
  • Push-Based (Streaming) Sync: For near-instant updates, use Salesforce’s Streaming API (requires more setup and sometimes extra Salesforce licenses).

Honest take: Scheduled sync is fine for most teams. Real-time streaming is nice but can be overkill unless you have a fast-paced sales floor where seconds count.

To set up real-time:

  1. In Ambition, look for “Enable Streaming” or “Push Notifications” in the Salesforce integration settings.
  2. Follow the prompts to install the Ambition-managed package in Salesforce (this gives Ambition the hooks it needs).
  3. Grant permission to the Ambition integration user.
  4. Test by making a change in Salesforce and seeing if it shows up in Ambition within seconds.

Warning: Real-time sync is only as reliable as your Salesforce API limits and network. If you hit API limits, syncing will throttle or fail.

Step 5: Build Scorecards and Dashboards in Ambition

Now that data’s flowing, set up your metrics.

  • Scorecards: Decide what counts for “activity” (calls, emails, meetings, etc.) and “outcomes” (deals closed, pipeline created).
    • Use the Salesforce fields you mapped earlier.
  • Dashboards: Build team or individual dashboards to visualize progress.
    • Don’t clutter with vanity metrics. Stick to what actually drives results.
  • Contests & Triggers: Set up automations for recognition (like Slack or TV alerts when a goal is hit).

Pro tip: Start simple. You can always add more metrics or flashier dashboards later.

Step 6: Test (Don’t Skip This)

Before rolling out to the whole team:

  • Log a test activity in Salesforce (e.g., mark a Task as completed).
  • Wait for the sync (or check if it appears instantly if you set up streaming).
  • Make sure it shows up in Ambition as expected.
  • Double-check that users are mapped correctly—no one wants to see “Unknown User” winning a contest.

If something’s off:

  • Check your field mappings in Ambition.
  • Look for typos or filters that are too strict.
  • Make sure the Salesforce user hasn’t lost permissions.

Step 7: Roll Out to Your Team—But Keep an Eye on It

When you’re confident the basics work:

  • Announce the integration to your sales team.
  • Give a quick walkthrough: “Here’s what counts, here’s where to see your numbers.”
  • Set expectations: It’s not Big Brother, it’s about visibility and recognition.
  • Be ready for questions—there’s always a few edge cases or users whose data doesn’t sync right away.

Check in after a week:

  • Are the numbers matching what’s in Salesforce?
  • Is anything not showing up you expected?
  • Are reps seeing value, or just another dashboard?

What Works, What to Watch Out For

Works well:

  • Automated recognition and scorecards keep reps engaged (as long as the data’s right).
  • Team transparency—no more “I didn’t know I was behind on calls.”
  • Quick setup if you keep things simple.

Doesn’t work so well:

  • Overcomplicated metrics. If you track 20 things, no one pays attention to any of them.
  • Real-time streaming if your Salesforce API limits are low or your org is complex.
  • Trying to make Ambition fix bad Salesforce data. Garbage in, garbage out.

Ignore:

  • Overly flashy dashboards. Focus on the basics first.
  • Vendor promises about “AI-powered insights” unless you see them work for your team.

Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often

Don’t aim for perfection right away. Start with the handful of metrics that matter, make sure data is syncing cleanly, and get feedback from the team. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can always layer on more contests, dashboards, or automations.

If something’s not working, strip it back. The whole point is to make your sales performance more visible and actionable—not to spend your week troubleshooting integrations. Keep it simple, iterate, and only add complexity when there’s a reason.