You’ve probably heard already – Salesforce Einstein delivers more than one billion AI-powered predictions per day. And if you are a Salesforce junkie, you probably already know that earlier this year, Salesforce expanded its Einstein capabilities by introducing Conversational Queries. Now, this blog is for the uninitiated (we mean, the Salesforce non-junkies), who are still interested in the beneficial possibilities of analytics.
So, what is conversational queries? It is a new feature in the Einstein Analytics platform that simplifies how business users interact with their data. All users have to do is type in phrases related to the data they are looking for, and Conversational Queries instantly lists down answers in the form of configured dynamic charts. You could type in something as straightforward as “rank accounts by annual revenue” or “show me top ten deals by region.” And voila, it automatically generates answers based on the data available in your CRM system – in the form of a chart/map/bar graph – as you like it.
Overcoming the burden of asking the “right” questions as well as chart-building
Traditionally, making a chart of the data available takes an average of 12 clicks; not to forget the need for understanding the process of chart-building, what measures to put on each axis, what filters to create, and so on. Conversational Queries takes the complex science of chart-building out of your hands and gets the system to work for you, based on your questions.
Every salesperson has multiple questions regarding the business that he/she needs answers for on a daily basis. While analytics provides answers to a million questions, conversational queries helps frame those questions, giving you multiple optional questions to ask your CRM system and reap actionable insights easily. You get to explore your data, reduce click time, as well as the time spent in drilling this data into readable charts. According to Amruta Moktali, vice president of product management for Einstein Analytics, users “don’t need to know the clicks, they don’t need to know how to build a query, they don’t need to know what kind of chart is needed.” In addition, these charts are easily shareable, which ensures that everyone on the business team is aware of user insights and can act on the findings.
The interesting thing about conversational queries is that it’s not like your regular “search on the browser”. It’s a more intelligence-based search that delves into your data and gives it a graphical representation, which could have otherwise taken some serious time off your clock.
You could ether type in a question, or even simply type in a common word connected to what you are looking for, and the platform will list down a series of potential questions you can ask to give shape to your data. Conversational queries can understand the best suited question in relation to the data you have, and display results in chart form – be it a bar graph, a map or a pie chart.
That said, drilling into data sets can sometimes go off the track, leading the user from one set of questions to another – sometimes up to 20 questions! In no time, the user may lose track of what he or she was looking for. Conversational queries solves this problem by showing a visual history of all the questions asked, allowing users to return to the one they felt was most relevant, or start again from that point and branch off into another direction. Having the whole narrative journey at hand helps keep the data exploration in check and allows getting to the “right answers” an easier, quicker and more beneficial task. The visual history also keeps a tab on all charts created, which the user can go back to anytime.
Is it for everyone?
The answer is a resounding yes! If you are using Einstein, conversational queries is for you. Currently in beta, the feature will be available in its full version before the end of the year, at no extra cost.
Having conversational queries at hand means not having to depend on data scientists to build charts for the business user. Chart-building is a time-consuming process, and relying on an IT personnel means waiting it out and finally working with outdated data insights. Conversational queries gives the business user the power to build his/her own charts with the latest updates, which eventually has an impact on the ROI, especially in the case of organizations that are led by analytics and data-driven decisions.
If you have any questions regarding Salesforce CRM or Salesforce Einstein, get in touch with our experts.
