Salesforce Starter Suite free trial (Salesforce) — a Free-trial funnel teardown

ProductSaaS
TypeFree-trial
CategoryCRM software
Salesforce — “Let this be your sign to ditch the spreadsheets…”

Salesforce’s free trial for small businesses, the Starter Suite: 30 days, up to 10 users, no credit card. On Instagram it’s advertised from Female Founder Collective’s account as a partnership (“Let this be your sign to ditch the spreadsheets…”), with a keyword to comment for the trial as well as the usual link. Google Search sends people to the same page.

The page is a stripped campaign page with no site navigation, and a three-step form with a counter: name and job title, then company, size and country, then email and phone on “Just one more thing.” The small print sets the trial’s limits (2,000 contacts, 10 emails a day) and says the team will be in touch.

Walked to step 3 and stopped there: the form needs a real phone number. Still to be seen: the DM the keyword sends, the trial account and onboarding, and the follow-up.

Funnel canvas — drag to pan, scroll or use the buttons to zoom. Each node links to that step's page.

Attract

123“Let this be your sign to ditch the spreadsheets…”Salesforce — “Let this be your sign to ditch the spreadsheets…”

Somebody else’s voice

Salesforce’s small-business ad runs from Female Founder Collective’s account, as a partnership, in a founder-to-founder register (“Let this be your sign…”). Every other ad on its page is posted as Salesforce.

Comment for the link

“Comment STARTER to get a 30-day free trial” turns the comments into the sign-up path, next to the ordinary link.

3Google Display: “Not a big team? Not a big deal.”Salesforce — Google Display: “Not a big team? Not a big deal.”

A different pitch on every channel

Instagram gets a founder community and a keyword to comment. Google Search gets “100% free”, Display gets “Not a big team? Not a big deal.”, and LinkedIn gets a note from the small-business team, which in Southeast Asia names the reader’s country and offers 40% off for switching instead of a trial.

Capture

4“Get Salesforce free for 30 days.”Salesforce — “Get Salesforce free for 30 days.”

A landing page with no exits

The trial page drops the site nav entirely, unlike Salesforce’s gated report pages, which keep it.

56Three steps, contact details lastSalesforce — Three steps, contact details last

Email and phone last

Name and job, then company and location, then the contact details on “Just one more thing.” By the time it asks for a phone number, seven answers are already in.

Nurture

Sell

Retain

6TODO: the trial org and onboardingSalesforce — TODO: the trial org and onboarding

A free trial is also a sales lead

“Complete the form to start your free trial. Our team will be in touch to help you make the most of your trial.” The trial asks for the same phone number as the gated reports, and says up front that someone will use it.

Made for a big screen

See all 7 steps as one map

On a computer this funnel opens as a canvas: every page at full length, side by side, with the arrows between them and the moves that make it work. A phone screen can't hold it, so here it's a list.

  1. Salesforce — “Let this be your sign to ditch the spreadsheets…”Ad“Let this be your sign to ditch the spreadsheets…”

    Somebody else’s voice

    Salesforce’s small-business ad runs from Female Founder Collective’s account, as a partnership, in a founder-to-founder register (“Let this be your sign…”). Every other ad on its page is posted as Salesforce.

    Comment for the link

    “Comment STARTER to get a 30-day free trial” turns the comments into the sign-up path, next to the ordinary link.

  2. Salesforce — Google Search: “100% free”AdGoogle Search: “100% free”
  3. Salesforce — Google Display: “Not a big team? Not a big deal.”AdGoogle Display: “Not a big team? Not a big deal.”
  4. Salesforce — LinkedIn: InMails from “Salesforce for Small Business”AdLinkedIn: InMails from “Salesforce for Small Business”

    A different pitch on every channel

    Instagram gets a founder community and a keyword to comment. Google Search gets “100% free”, Display gets “Not a big team? Not a big deal.”, and LinkedIn gets a note from the small-business team, which in Southeast Asia names the reader’s country and offers 40% off for switching instead of a trial.

  5. Salesforce — “Get Salesforce free for 30 days.”Landing page“Get Salesforce free for 30 days.”

    A landing page with no exits

    The trial page drops the site nav entirely, unlike Salesforce’s gated report pages, which keep it.

  6. Salesforce — Three steps, contact details lastOpt-in/lead formThree steps, contact details last

    Email and phone last

    Name and job, then company and location, then the contact details on “Just one more thing.” By the time it asks for a phone number, seven answers are already in.

  7. Salesforce — TODO: the trial org and onboardingOnboardingTODO: the trial org and onboarding

    A free trial is also a sales lead

    “Complete the form to start your free trial. Our team will be in touch to help you make the most of your trial.” The trial asks for the same phone number as the gated reports, and says up front that someone will use it.

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