If you're in sales ops, revenue ops, or just the unlucky soul in charge of getting commission data to flow between systems, this one's for you. Connecting Everstage to Salesforce sounds simple—until you hit the wall of mismatched fields, sync errors, and vague documentation. This guide gives you the real steps, skips the fluff, and calls out what to watch for. Let's get your data moving without losing your mind.
1. Know What You Actually Need to Sync
Before you dive into setup hell, step back. What’s the real goal here? Don’t just turn on every sync option “because you can.” Decide:
- What data should flow from Salesforce to Everstage? (Deals, accounts, users, custom fields?)
- What needs to come back the other way? (Payout statuses, commission details?)
- How often does data need to sync? (Real-time is tempting, but hourly or daily is usually fine—and safer.)
- Who needs access to which data? (Avoid giving everyone admin rights. You’ll regret it.)
Pro tip: Write this on a whiteboard or doc before you touch any settings. It’ll save you a ton of rework later.
2. Prep Your Salesforce Org (Don’t Skip This)
Everstage relies on clean, predictable Salesforce data. If your Salesforce instance is a mess, the integration will only amplify the pain.
Checklist:
- Lock down field names: Custom fields with cryptic names or weird data types will break things. Standardize them.
- Clean up your user list: Deactivated or duplicate users cause mapping headaches.
- Check data hygiene: Old, incomplete, or inconsistent records will cause sync errors.
- Get admin access (or a buddy who has it): You’ll need permission to create connected apps and manage API access.
What doesn’t matter as much: Don’t bother prettifying page layouts or dashboards for this step. The API doesn’t care what things look like.
3. Set Up the Connection: OAuth and API Access
Here’s where most people get tripped up, because Salesforce doesn’t make things easy. You need to create a connected app in Salesforce so Everstage can talk to it.
Step-by-step:
- In Salesforce, go to Setup > App Manager > New Connected App.
- Give it a name (e.g., “Everstage Integration”), set your email.
- Under API (Enable OAuth Settings), check the box.
- For the callback URL, use the one Everstage gives you in its integration setup screen.
- Set OAuth Scopes:
Access and manage your data (api)Perform requests on your behalf at any time (refresh_token, offline_access)View your basic information (id, profile, email, address, phone)- Save. Salesforce will make you wait up to 10 minutes before the app becomes usable (yes, really).
- Grab the client ID and client secret.
Now, over in Everstage, paste these credentials into the Salesforce integration setup. Hit “Connect.” If you get an error, double-check scopes and callback URLs—typos are the #1 culprit.
Heads up: Don’t use a personal Salesforce user account for this. Create a dedicated integration user. If someone leaves the company and their account is disabled, your sync will silently break.
4. Map Your Fields—But Don’t Go Overboard
This is where you decide which Salesforce fields map to which Everstage fields. Be deliberate. More isn’t always better.
- Start with the essentials: Deal amount, close date, owner, and whatever fields drive your commissions logic.
- Skip vanity fields: “Notes,” “Description,” and other junk fields just slow down sync and clutter reports.
- Watch out for picklists and custom types: If a Salesforce field is a picklist, make sure Everstage can handle the values—or set up translations.
Pro tip: Test with just one or two records before unleashing a full sync. You’ll catch mapping issues early.
5. Run a Test Sync (and Actually Check the Results)
Nobody does this enough. Don’t trust the “Success!” message. Go into Everstage and Salesforce and make sure the right data actually showed up, in the right format.
- Check a sample of records: Are all the fields coming through? Any weird formatting?
- Try edge cases: Wonky characters, missing fields, really big numbers. If something will break, it’s usually the weird stuff.
- Look for silent failures: Sometimes a sync “succeeds” but skips records with issues. Look for error logs or warning messages in Everstage.
What to ignore: Don’t expect every single record to sync perfectly on the first try. Focus on patterns—if lots of records fail for the same reason, fix the root cause.
6. Set Your Sync Schedule—Don’t Default to “Real-Time”
Real-time sync sounds great, but introduces headaches:
- More API calls = higher risk of hitting Salesforce limits
- Mistakes propagate instantly
- Debugging is harder
Unless you have a real business need for immediate updates, set sync frequency to hourly or daily. You’ll save on API calls and have a buffer if something goes sideways.
7. Handle Errors and Automate Monitoring
Integrations break. That’s just life. What matters is how quickly you spot and fix problems.
- Turn on email notifications for failed syncs. (Both in Everstage and Salesforce, if possible.)
- Regularly review sync logs: Even if things look “fine,” check logs for skipped records or recurring errors.
- Set up a basic dashboard or report: Track sync success rates and error trends over time.
Pro tip: Assign someone to check sync health weekly. Otherwise, you’ll only notice a problem when a rep complains about a missing payout.
8. Document Your Setup (Trust Me, Future You Will Thank You)
It’s boring, but write down:
- Which fields you’re syncing and what they mean
- Who owns the integration user accounts
- Where to find logs and error alerts
- Any weird workarounds you had to use
When something breaks (and it will), you won’t have to reverse-engineer your setup from scratch.
What Actually Works (and What to Ignore)
Works:
- Dedicated integration users: Keeps things stable.
- Tight field mapping: Less is more.
- Regular error monitoring: Catch problems before they snowball.
Doesn’t Really Matter:
- Fancy Salesforce page layouts
- Overly complex data transformations (start simple, build up)
- Real-time sync (for most teams)
Ignore the Hype:
- “One-click integration” is a myth—there are always steps to tune.
- Don’t blindly sync every field “just in case.”
Keep It Simple—Then Iterate
Get the basics flowing, then build up. Over-complicating from the start just means more things to break. Start with the minimum viable sync, confirm it works, and add more fields or logic as you need it. Regular check-ins beat heroic troubleshooting after a disaster.
If you hit a snag, step back and simplify. Integrations aren’t magic—they’re just another set of pipes that need regular unclogging. Good luck, and don’t be afraid to say “no” to extra features you don’t need (yet).