If you’re juggling leads across systems, you know the pain: calls in one app, notes in another, nothing ever syncs right. This guide’s for sales ops folks, admins, and anyone who wants to tie Aloware and Salesforce together without pulling their hair out. You’ll get clear steps, real-world advice, and a few warnings about what not to bother with.
Why bother integrating Aloware and Salesforce?
Short answer: less busywork, fewer dropped leads, and a single source of truth for sales calls and contact history. Aloware is a cloud contact center that handles calls, SMS, and automations; Salesforce is your CRM. When they’re talking to each other, your sales team spends less time copying notes and more time actually selling.
But it’s not always plug-and-play. The integration is pretty solid, but you’ve got to know what you’re doing—or you’ll end up with duplicate records, missed activities, and cranky reps.
Step 1: Get your ducks in a row
Before you click anything, make sure you have:
- An active Aloware account (with admin rights)
- Salesforce admin access (not just a regular user)
- A list of what you actually want to sync (Calls? Texts? Contacts? All of it?)
- A sandbox environment in Salesforce (optional, but if you’re at all risk-averse, use it)
Pro tip: Decide beforehand what counts as a lead or contact in both systems. A little planning saves a ton of cleanup later.
Step 2: Install the Aloware package in Salesforce
Aloware provides a managed Salesforce package. This does most of the heavy lifting, but you need to install it the right way.
- Get the package link from Aloware’s support or docs. (Don’t trust random links—get it from your Aloware dashboard or their official docs.)
- Log in to Salesforce as an admin. Use your sandbox if you have one.
- Paste the package URL into your browser. Follow the prompts.
- Choose “Install for All Users,” unless you’re just testing.
- Wait for the install to finish. Sometimes it looks like it’s stuck. Be patient, but if it’s more than 10 minutes, reload and check the status in Setup → Installed Packages.
What works: The managed package adds Aloware widgets right to your Salesforce pages and handles most of the API setup for you.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time customizing the package during install. Get it running first, then tweak layouts and permissions.
Step 3: Connect Aloware to Salesforce
Now it’s time to link the two systems so they can talk to each other.
- Go to your Aloware admin dashboard.
- Navigate to Integrations → Salesforce.
- Click “Connect” and log in with your Salesforce admin credentials.
- Grant the requested permissions. Yes, it asks for a lot—this is normal for a deep integration. If you’re squeamish, review the exact scopes, but you pretty much have to accept if you want everything to sync.
- Test the connection. There should be a status indicator or a test button—use it.
Pro tip: If you’re using Salesforce sandbox, make sure you’re connecting to the sandbox, not production. Otherwise, you’ll end up with test calls in your real CRM.
Step 4: Set up field mapping (don’t skip this)
This is where most integrations go sideways. Aloware and Salesforce don’t always use the same field names, and the defaults might not fit your setup.
- In Aloware, open the Salesforce integration settings.
- Review the field mapping. Make sure phone numbers, lead sources, notes, and call logs map to the right Salesforce fields.
- Customize as needed. For example, if your Salesforce uses custom fields for “Lead Owner” or “Call Outcome,” map those now.
- Decide what you want to sync: Just new leads? Updates too? Calls only? Be specific.
- Save changes and run a test sync with a dummy lead.
What works: Manual field mapping is tedious, but it’s better than letting two systems create duplicate or mismatched records.
What doesn’t: Don’t trust the default mapping unless your Salesforce is 100% vanilla. If you’ve customized layouts or fields, check everything.
Step 5: Set up Aloware widgets and automations in Salesforce
This is where things get useful for your reps. The Aloware widget lets them call or text straight from Salesforce, and automatically logs calls.
- Edit your Salesforce page layouts (Leads, Contacts, Accounts) to add the Aloware widget component.
- Drag the widget to a prominent spot—don’t bury it at the bottom of the page.
- Test the widget: Try making a call or sending a text. It should log the activity on the Salesforce record automatically.
- Check permissions: Make sure your reps have access to use the widget and see synced activities.
Pro tip: If you’re using Lightning, the widget experience is much better. Classic works, but it’s clunkier.
Step 6: Test the whole workflow
Don’t skip this. Before you roll it out, run through a typical lead process:
- Create a new lead in Salesforce. Does it show up in Aloware?
- Make a call from Aloware. Does it log in Salesforce?
- Send a text from the Aloware widget. Does it appear in the Salesforce record?
- Update a contact in Salesforce. Does the change sync to Aloware?
- Try a delete. Does the record disappear everywhere?
Write down any weirdness or mismatches. Fixing them now is way easier than untangling a mess after launch.
Step 7: Train your team (and set expectations)
Even the best integration won’t magically fix bad data or sloppy habits. Do a quick walkthrough with your sales team:
- Show how to use the Aloware widget inside Salesforce.
- Explain what gets synced (and what doesn’t).
- Warn that not everything is instant—sometimes there’s a few minutes’ delay.
- Tell them who to contact if something’s broken (ideally, not you every time).
What to ignore: Fancy automations right out of the gate. Get the basics working before you try to build elaborate triggers or auto-routing.
Step 8: Monitor, tweak, and keep it simple
For the first week or two, keep an eye on:
- Duplicate records (usually from bad mapping or reps not searching before adding)
- Missed call logs or activities
- Sync delays (some lag is normal, but hours is not)
- Permission issues, especially if you have custom Salesforce roles
Tweak your mapping or user permissions as needed. Don’t be afraid to turn off features you’re not using—less is often more.
Honest takes and common pitfalls
- The integration is robust, but not magic. It’s only as clean as your underlying Salesforce setup.
- Custom fields = more setup. If you’ve heavily customized Salesforce, budget extra time for mapping.
- The Aloware widget is good, but not perfect. Sometimes browser extensions or pop-up blockers cause problems.
- Reporting takes work. If you want to track call outcomes or response times, you’ll need to build custom Salesforce reports.
And yes, sometimes sync just stops working after a Salesforce update. Bookmark Aloware’s status page and keep your support contacts handy.
Keep it simple, iterate, and don’t overthink it
You don’t need every bell and whistle on day one. Get the basic sync working, train your team, and add complexity later if you really need it. Most sales teams only use 10% of what these integrations can do—so focus on what actually helps close deals.
If something’s not working, don’t be afraid to ask support (from either Aloware or Salesforce). And remember: a simple, reliable workflow beats a fancy but fragile setup every time. Good luck—and keep it real.