Consultants

Use professional collaboration tools to interact with your colleagues, customers, and partners. There are enterprise collaboration tools for internal communication. Use instant messaging tools when you need an answer quickly or use the traditional email channel. Professional collaboration tools help you keep the work-related conversations in one place and easy to trace in the future.

Here is the menu of best and most popular collaboration tools that you can choose from. We have categorized them as per the following:

(Tools, that I personally use or have used and recommended are marked with a heart)

Enterprise Collaboration Tools

1. Salesforce Chatter (♥ of course)

• Enterprise Social Network from Salesforce
• Connect, collaborate, share files, data, and expertise, all in real-time
• Help drive productivity, increase efficiency, and innovation across departments
• 5000 Chatter Free licenses available in every org
• Paid licenses such as Chatter External and Chatter Only (Chatter Plus) available. Contact your Salesforce Account executive for pricing

2. Workplace by Facebook

• Enterprise connectivity platform developed by Facebook
• Features tools like groups, instant messaging, video calls, live video broadcasting, and News Feed
• Manage employee access through G Suite and Azure, Get email less workers on board with Access Codes
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plans start from US$ 4/person/month (Free 30 days trial) 

Email & Calendar

1. GSuite (♥)

• Includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Meet, Chat and other tools from Google
• Get a professional email address with your own domain (e.g. ashish@asagarwal.com)
• Access Gmail on the web and using third-party programs that synchronize email content through POP or IMAP protocols
• Starts from US$ 6/user/month
• Included as a part of GSuite

2. Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365)

• Connect and stay organized with your email, calendar, and contacts
• Get a professional email address with your own domain (e.g. ashish@asagarwal.com)
• Includes Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint and other productivity apps
• Keep all in one place
• Share files, form groups, share questions and answers, do polls and more
• Paid plan starts from US$ 6.99/user/month

Instant Messaging

1. Google Hangouts (♥)

• Communication software developed by Google
• Keep in touch with one person or a group
• Available on mobile or on desktop
• Free

2. Google Chat (♥)

• An intelligent and secure communications tool by Google
• Send direct messages to individuals or to a team in chat rooms
• Chat Rooms are used for ongoing, long-term chats
• Group conversations around a topic using rooms
• Included as a part of GSuite

3. Slack 

• Business communication platform developed by Slack Technologies
• Brings the team together regardless of location
• Have all communication and tools in one place to stay productive
• Conversations in Slack happen in dedicated spaces called channels
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plan starts from US$ 2.67/active user/month (Trial available on request)

4. Microsoft Teams

• Chat, Meet, Call, Collaborate from anywhere
• Microsoft Teams replaces Skype for Business Online
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plan starts from US$ 5/user/month 

Don’t see the tool of your choice listed here? Please feel free to mention it in the comments below for other readers’ benefit.

Want to see a list of more of such useful resources & tools under different categories? Please do take a look at the resources page.

Use Screen Capture and Recording Tools when you have a requirement to take screenshots, perform basic image editing, screen recording. You can make use of these tools when preparing user manuals, sales & marketing presentations, training videos, tutorials, or when logging a case with Salesforce support.

(Tools, that I personally use or have used and recommended are marked with a heart)

1. SnagIt (♥)

• Screenshot program that captures video display and audio output
• Available for both, Windows and Mac
• Create form templates, video from images, all-in-one capture, scrolling screen capture, extract text from the screen
• Paid plans start from US$ 49.95/license one time fee install on 2 machines (Free 15 days trial) 

2. TechSmith Capture (Formerly Jing)

• Create basic screenshots and screen recordings
• Available for both, Windows and Mac
• Free

3. Camtasia (♥)

• All-in-one screen recorder and video editor
• Record your screen, add video effects, transitions and more
• Has video templates, record screen, and webcam, effects, music, and audio, etc.
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plans start from US$ 249/license one time fee install on 2 machines (Free 30 days trial) 

4. OBS Studio

• Open-source cross-platform streaming and recording program
• Allows plug-ins and scripts for customization
• High-performance video and audio capture and mixing
• Free

5. Apowersoft

• Online screen recorder
• Capture any screen activity with audio in one click, insert webcam while recording, edit screencast in real-time, make annotation while recording
• Offers multiple video output formats 
• Save and share your recording to the web immediately
• Free

6. Screencast-o-Matic

• Record screen, edit, and share videos
• Has separate Screen recording and Video Editor products
• Screen Recorder is free and easy to use
• Video Editor paid plans start from US$ 1.65/license/month

Don’t see the tool of your choice listed here? Please feel free to mention it in the comments below for other readers’ benefit.

Want to see a list of more of such useful resources & tools under different categories? Please do take a look at the resources page.

Use a screen mockup/wireframe tools when you are designing the app, record, mobile pages, page layouts in Salesforce. Build your ideas to life without actually developing it. Build rich prototypes with these tools so that you can present it to stakeholders for approval before development. 

Web-based Mockup / Wireframe Tools

1. Avonni

• THE mockup tool to design interactive Salesforce Lightning applications.
• Built-in Salesforce Lightning Design System
• Has a builder for building Lightning Web Components Visually
• Paid plan starts from US$ 60/user/month (Free 7 days trial)

2. Balsamic

• Rapid, effective and fun wireframing software
• Industry-standard low-fidelity wireframing tool
• Also has a desktop version
• Paid plans start from US$ 9/month for 2 projects (Free 30 day trial)

3. InVision

• Digital product design platform
• Get clarity, collaboration, and control of everything you need to power your design process
• Create interactive mockups for your wireframes and designs efficiently
• Has a free plan with limited features 
• Paid plan starts from US$ 15/month for up to 3 prototypes

4. UXPin

• Code-based UI design and prototyping tool
• Offers interactive stateful elements, code components, conditional interactions, variables, and expressions
• Has built-in libraries, interactive form elements, vector drawing tools
• Paid plan starts from US$ 19/editor/month (Free 7 days trial)

5. Fluid UI

• Wireframing and prototyping tool developed by Fluid Software
• Create web and mobile prototypes in minutes
• Faster prototyping, epic collaboration, interactive previews, high and low fidelity wireframes 
• Paid plan starts from US$ 8.25/user/month (Free 30 days trial)

PC-based Mockup / Wireframe Tools

1. Axure

• Wireframing, rapid prototyping, documentation and specification software tool
• Aimed at web, mobile and desktop applications
• Offers drag and drop placement, resizing, and formatting of widgets.
• Paid plans start from US$ 29/user/month (Free 30 days trial) 

2. JustInMind

• Prototyping and authoring tool for web and mobile app prototypes and high-fidelity website wireframes
• Offers capabilities such as re-sizing, formatting and export/import of widgets
•  Comes with Salesforce Lightning Design System UI library
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plans start from US$ 19/user/month

3. MockPlus

• All-in-one product design platform for prototyping, collaboration, and creating design systems
• Helps you create better design experience faster
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plans start from US$ 59/person/year

4. Sketch

• Create, prototype, collaborate and bring your ideas to life
• Salesforce provides Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS) Sketch UI Kit
• 30 days free trial
• Paid plan starts with US$ 99 one-time payment for individuals

Don’t see the tool of your choice listed here? Please feel free to mention it in the comments below for other readers’ benefit.

Want to see a list of more of such useful resources & tools under different categories? Please do take a look at the resources page.

Salesforce implementation projects have various stages starting from pre-sales, sales, delivery, and support. At each of these stages, you may need a tool to host online meetings to connect with your team, customers, and partners. A web conferencing tool has become indispensable for businesses in today’s world.

Here are a few best and most popular web conferencing tools that you can choose from.

(Tools, that I personally use or have used and recommend are marked with a heart)

1. Google Meet (♥)

• Real-time video conferencing for business
• Share your video, desktop, and presentations with teammates and customers
• Provides secure, easy-to-join online meetings
• Included as a part of GSuite

2. Cisco Webex (♥)

• Web conferencing and videoconferencing application by Cisco
• Conduct online meetings and presentations, webinars, town halls, online courses and training, and online presentations
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plan starts from US$ 13.50/user/month (Free 30 days trial)

2. GoToMeeting

• Web-hosted service by LogMeIn
• Online meeting, desktop sharing, and video conferencing software
• Paid plan starts from US $12/user/month (Free 14 days trial)

3. Skype

• Telecommunications application by Microsoft
• Specializes in providing video chat and voice calls between computers, tablets, mobile devices
• Also provides instant messaging services
• Free 

5. Zoom

• Videotelephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform
• Use for teleconferencing, telecommuting and distance education
• Share files, form groups, share questions and answers, do polls and more
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plan starts from US$ 14.99/user/month

6. Microsoft Teams

• Unified communication and collaboration platform
• Combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration
• Share files, form groups, share questions and answers, do polls and more
• Has a free plan with limited features
• Paid plan included in Microsoft 365 Business Basic starts from US$ 5/user/month

Don’t see the tool of your choice listed here? Please feel free to mention it in the comments below for other readers’ benefit.

Want to see a list of more of such useful resources & tools under different categories? Please do take a look at the resources page.