If you use Salesforce but your reps still spend half their time wrestling with data entry and chasing down updates, you’re not alone. There are a dozen tools out there promising automation and “visibility.” Most are either overhyped or just plain confusing. But if you’re looking at connecting Salesforce with Nektar to actually make your workflows cleaner—not just add more dashboards—read on.
This guide is for admins, ops folks, or anyone technical enough to poke around in Salesforce settings but tired of reading vendor “best practices.” I’ll walk you through the real steps, flag the gotchas, and help you decide where to stop before things get messy.
Why bother integrating Nektar and Salesforce?
Before you start, be clear on the “why.” Here’s what this integration is actually good at:
- Automate data capture: Nektar pulls contacts and activity from your team’s email/calendar into Salesforce, so reps don’t have to.
- Spot pipeline gaps: It can surface missing contacts, unlogged meetings, and other stuff that gets lost in manual entry.
- Reduce nagging: Managers get cleaner data without chasing reps.
But here’s what it won’t do: - It’s not a magic button for “clean data forever.” It helps, but you’ll need to keep tuning things. - It won’t fix Salesforce if your fields and processes are already a mess. Garbage in, garbage out.
Prerequisites: What you need before you start
Get these ducks in a row first. Don’t skip this—half of “integration pain” is just missing a permission or overlooking a setting.
- Salesforce admin access: You need full admin rights, not just “edit” on objects.
- Nektar admin access: Whoever runs your Nektar account should be ready to log in and set up connectors.
- List of users to sync: Decide if you’re rolling this out to the whole team or piloting with a few reps first.
- A backup plan: Always good to do a data export before turning on integrations, just in case.
Pro tip: If your Salesforce sandbox isn’t a mess, try the integration there first. Saves headaches.
Step 1: Map out what you actually want to sync
Don’t just click “connect” and hope for the best. Spend 10 minutes mapping what you want:
- Which objects? (Leads, Contacts, Opportunities, Activities?)
- Which fields? Only sync what you’ll actually use. More fields = more noise.
- Direction of sync: Will data flow just from Nektar to Salesforce, or both ways?
If you’re not sure, start small. You can always expand later.
Step 2: Connect Nektar to Salesforce
Here’s the meat of it. The exact UI may change, but these steps haven’t changed much in years.
- Log in to Nektar as an admin.
- Go to the “Integrations” or “Connections” section.
- Choose Salesforce from the list.
- Click “Connect” or “Authorize.” You’ll be redirected to a Salesforce login page.
- Log in with your Salesforce admin account.
- Authorize the requested permissions. Nektar needs access to read/write certain objects—don’t skimp unless you know what you’re doing.
Watch out for: - If you use Salesforce’s two-factor authentication, have your phone handy. - Make sure you’re connecting to the right Salesforce instance (Production vs Sandbox). - Some orgs have IP restrictions—check with IT if you hit a wall.
Step 3: Set up user sync and permissions
Nektar needs to know whose data to pull in. Here’s how to keep things tidy:
- Choose user groups: Most teams start with Sales, but you can add others later.
- OAuth vs password-based: Stick with OAuth. It’s more secure and easier to manage.
- Check consent: Depending on privacy rules, you may need user consent before Nektar can access mailboxes and calendars.
Honest take: Over-syncing users “just in case” will create clutter. Start with your core team. Expand only if you need to.
Step 4: Configure what data gets synced
This is where most integrations go off the rails. Take your time here.
- Select objects and fields: Only sync what actually matters. Contacts, Activities, maybe Opportunities. Leave custom fields out unless you’re sure.
- Set sync frequency: Real-time is nice, but daily is usually sufficient and less likely to cause API limit issues.
- Conflict handling: Decide if Nektar or Salesforce “wins” if data conflicts. Default to Salesforce unless you trust Nektar’s enrichment.
Ignore: - Any “out of the box” mappings that don’t match your process. Customize them or you’ll end up with junk data.
Step 5: Test with real data (but not all of it)
Don’t wait for a full rollout to spot issues.
- Run a sync for just a few users.
- Check Salesforce to see what came over—look for duplicate contacts, odd characters, or missing data.
- Ask your pilot users: Is anything showing up that shouldn’t? Are emails/meetings mapped right?
Pro tip: If you see hundreds of new contacts flood in, check your mapping filters. Often, someone left “sync all historical data” toggled on.
Step 6: Monitor, tweak, and train
The first week is when you’ll catch 90% of the issues.
- Watch for duplicates: The biggest pain with any sync tool. Adjust your matching rules if needed.
- Adjust mappings: If fields aren’t lining up, fix them now.
- Show reps what’s changed: A quick Loom video or walk-through goes a long way.
What to ignore: Don’t waste time on the “insights” dashboards until you’re sure the raw data is coming in clean.
Step 7: Roll out to the rest of the team (or don’t)
Now’s the time to decide: Was the pilot clean enough to expand? If yes, add more users in batches. If not, go back to Step 4 and tune your settings.
- Communicate clearly: Let people know what’s happening and why.
- Track support tickets: Have a plan for the inevitable “where did my data go?” questions.
- Iterate: This process is never done. Tweak things as your sales process changes.
What works, what doesn’t, and what to skip
- Works: Automating contact and activity capture, reducing manual entry, and cleaning up pipeline data.
- Doesn’t: Instantly fixing a bad Salesforce setup or magically knowing who every contact belongs to.
- Skip: Over-customizing from day one. Integrate, see what breaks, then layer on extras.
If you’re getting pressure to “just turn it all on,” push back. Clean, focused integrations beat sprawling ones every time.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, keep it moving
Salesforce and Nektar can play well together, but only if you’re ruthless about what you sync and why. Start with just what you need, test it with real users, and don’t be afraid to say “no” to new fields or features until the basics are humming.
Integrations aren’t set-and-forget. Check in regularly, keep things clean, and iterate as you go. The less you automate for automation’s sake, the more value you’ll get.
Any questions or headaches? That’s normal. Keep it simple, and you’ll save yourself a pile of pain down the road.