Want your sales reps sending real-world gifts, swag, or mailers without a mess of spreadsheets or manual updates? If you’re using Salesforce and want to plug in Postal to automate those physical touches, this guide’s for you. We’ll cut the fluff and walk through the whole process—setup, gotchas, and what you can safely skip.
This isn’t one of those guides that leaves you with more questions than answers. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to sync Postal with Salesforce, what it can (and can’t) do, and how to avoid the headaches I’ve seen teams run into.
Why Bother Integrating Postal and Salesforce?
Let’s be honest: manual gifting or direct mail is a hassle. You want to trigger sends based on real lead activity, and you want your reps to see what’s happening—right inside Salesforce.
Integrating Postal and Salesforce means:
- Sales and marketing can trigger sends without switching tools.
- You get a single source of truth—no more “Did that go out?” confusion.
- You can tie real-world outreach to pipeline and revenue, not gut feelings.
But, and this is important, no integration is magic. Automation will save time, but you’ll still need to keep your data clean and your teams trained.
What You’ll Need Upfront
Before you dive in, make sure you have:
- Salesforce admin access (not just a regular user account)
- Postal admin access
- The right Salesforce edition (API access is needed—Enterprise, Unlimited, or Professional with API add-on)
- A clear idea of which leads/contacts you want to target
Pro tip: If your Salesforce is a mess, integrating Postal won't fix bad data. Clean up duplicates and get fields standardized first.
Step 1: Prep Salesforce for the Integration
1.1 Create a Dedicated Salesforce User (Recommended)
Don’t use your personal account for integrations. Set up a “postal_integration” user in Salesforce:
- Why? Keeps things tidy, logs changes under one account, and avoids issues if someone leaves.
Set this user with the right permissions: - “API Enabled” - Read/write access to Leads, Contacts, Opportunities (as needed) - Any custom fields Postal needs to update
1.2 Tidy Up Lead and Contact Fields
Decide where you want Postal activity to show up. Do you want a custom field for “Last Postal Send”? Or will you use Salesforce Tasks? Make sure those fields exist and are ready.
- Skip creating fields for ‘nice-to-haves’ you’ll never use. Start small; you can always add later.
Step 2: Set Up Postal for Salesforce
2.1 Get Your Postal API Key
Inside Postal:
- Go to Admin > Integrations > Salesforce.
- Click “Connect” or “Generate API Key.”
- Copy the API key—you’ll need it soon.
Caution: Treat this key like a password. Anyone with it can mess with your Postal data.
2.2 Map Your Salesforce Fields in Postal
Postal will ask what Salesforce objects/fields to sync. Be picky:
- Essentials: Name, email, company, address.
- Nice-to-haves: Lead status, owner, custom fields (but only if you’ll use them).
If you’re just getting started, don’t overcomplicate this. You can always add more fields later.
Step 3: Connect Postal to Salesforce
3.1 Start the OAuth or API Connection
- In Postal, hit the “Connect to Salesforce” button.
- Log in with your dedicated integration user (from Step 1.1).
- Approve the requested permissions. Postal needs to read/write leads, contacts, and tasks to do its thing.
If you’re using an API key instead of OAuth, paste it into Postal when prompted.
3.2 Test the Connection
Postal should show “Connected” once it’s talking to Salesforce. If not:
- Double-check credentials: Typos happen.
- API permissions: Make sure the integration user has API access.
- Field access: Postal can’t update what it can’t see.
Step 4: Set Up Triggers and Workflows
This is where the magic happens—or fizzles, if you overcomplicate things.
4.1 Decide How You’ll Trigger Sends
- Manual: Reps click a “Send Postal” button in Salesforce.
- Automated: Postal sends something when a lead hits a certain stage or field (e.g., “Demo Scheduled”).
If you’re new to Postal, start manual. Automation is powerful, but it’s easy to send gifts to the wrong people if your workflow isn’t dialed in.
4.2 Add Postal Buttons or Lightning Components
- Follow Postal’s instructions to add a button or widget to your Salesforce Lead and Contact layouts.
- Test it on a sandbox first. (You don’t want to send 50 mugs by accident.)
4.3 Set Up Automation (Optional, but Powerful)
If you want Postal to auto-send:
- Create a Salesforce Process Builder flow or Flow Automation that triggers when your chosen field/stage changes.
- The flow should call the Postal API (instructions are in Postal’s docs, and they update frequently—follow their latest guide).
- Test with a dummy lead.
Don’t skip testing. Automation mistakes can get expensive fast.
Step 5: Sync Activity Back to Salesforce
You want to see what’s been sent and when, ideally on the lead/contact record.
- Postal can log “Postal Send” as a Salesforce Task or custom object.
- Decide if you want full details (what was sent, tracking, etc.) or just a basic log.
Heads up: Most teams start with simple logs, then get fancy later.
Step 6: Train Your Team (Don’t Skip This)
If reps don’t know how or when to use Postal, nothing else matters.
- Show them where the button/widget lives in Salesforce.
- Explain who gets what, and when. (Don’t send $50 swag to cold leads.)
- Set rules for budgets and approvals.
Pro tip: Start with a pilot group. Work out the kinks before rolling out to everyone.
Step 7: Monitor, Adjust, and Don’t Overthink It
Check in after a week:
- Are sends showing up in Salesforce?
- Any weird errors or duplicates?
- Is anyone abusing the send button?
Keep it simple at first. Add more automation or fields as you see what actually gets used.
What Works, What Doesn’t, and What to Ignore
What works:
- Triggering sends from real sales activity (not just spraying gifts everywhere)
- Keeping reps in one tool (Salesforce)
- Logging sends for visibility and reporting
What doesn’t:
- Automating everything right away—mistakes happen, and it’s hard to undo a bad workflow
- Trying to track every detail. Start basic.
What to ignore:
- Fancy dashboards and reports until you’ve seen real results
- Over-customizing fields you don’t actually need
Real Talk: Common Pitfalls
- Bad data: Garbage in, garbage out. Clean your Salesforce first.
- Too much automation: Start manual, automate after you see what works.
- No team training: If reps don’t understand when or why to use Postal, you’ll waste money.
Wrapping Up
There’s no award for “most complex integration.” Get the basics working—Postal connected, sends logged, team trained. Iterate from there. It’s better to have a simple, reliable setup than a fancy one nobody trusts or uses. Keep it straightforward, keep an eye on what’s actually driving results, and add complexity only when you need it.