Salesforce SMS integration: How to set up

Why waste time logging text messages in your Salesforce account when you can automate it? Setting up a Salesforce SMS integration helps you automatically pull text and calling data from your VoIP system and log that data to the relevant Salesforce contact.

Modern teams automate data logging by integrating the Salesforce platform with a VoIP system like OpenPhone. In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up OpenPhone’s Salesforce SMS integration so you can save time and focus on more strategic tasks. First, let’s look at the native SMS service Salesforce offers so you can compare OpenPhone with it side by side.

How to set up SMS in Salesforce

Salesforce offers a native SMS service, which also helps log data automatically. SMS is available on Salesforce’s Lightning Experience with the Digital Engagement add-on SKU and Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions with Service Cloud or Sales Cloud.

If you’re on one of these, here’s how you can set up Salesforce texting:

1. Enter “messaging” in the Quick Find box from Setup in Lightning Experience and select “Messaging Settings.”
2. Select “New Channel” from the Channels section.
3. Click “Start” > “SMS.”
4. At this point, you’ll need to download and fill out a Letter of Authorization (LOA) form if you want to use an existing US or Canadian landline number. Alternatively, you can skip the form and get a new number.
5. Click “Finish” when you’re done.
6. Now, you’ll need to reach out to support and request them to create a new SMS channel.
7. Provide relevant details and click “Create Case.”

Then you’ll have to wait for the Salesforce team to process your request. If you’ve registered a new number, approval can take up to eight weeks.

Need to start texting a lot faster? Use our integration to connect Salesforce with any OpenPhone number.

How to enable the Salesforce SMS integration

The Salesforce SMS integration is configured at the workspace level in OpenPhone and can be done in just five steps. Keep in mind you’ll need to be either an owner or admin in your OpenPhone workspace and a Salesforce admin to enable the integration. The Salesforce integration is available to workspaces on our Premium plan; users must also be on one of the following Salesforce plans: Salesforce Enterprise, Unlimited, Performance, or Developer editions of Salesforce. Salesforce professional plan subscribers can also purchase the API access add-on to connect OpenPhone to Salesforce.

To set up:

1. If you haven’t already, log into your Salesforce admin account. 
2. Launch the OpenPhone web or desktop app.
3. Select “Integrations” under the Workspace settings.
4. Select “Salesforce” and click “Connect to Salesforce.”

5. You’ll be asked to confirm you wish to allow OpenPhone access to Salesforce data 

Once done, it will take you back to OpenPhone. The integration setup is now complete.

The “Log calls” and “Log texts” options for all phone numbers are enabled by default, but you can choose to disable these options. You can configure the integration to log phone calls or texts based on all phone numbers or specific ones in your workspace.

Once you’ve set up the integration, all OpenPhone calls (including call recordings) and messages are logged to the relevant lead or contact on Salesforce. You’ll see the logs grouped by the hour in your Salesforce account.

When a Salesforce contact calls you in Salesforce you can see who it is without needing to import them from your CRM. All Salesforce contacts automatically sync to your OpenPhone account.

How to streamline your texting further with OpenPhone

OpenPhone offers features that can save your team precious time each week. Try out these SMS tools to make texting your clients easier:

SMS templates

SMS templates (or snippets) help you automate responses for the most commonly received texts. All teams, including sales, marketing, and customer service teams, can use snippets to optimize texting workflows and free up time to focus on other tasks.

For example, if you’re on the customer support team, you can follow up with someone who requested pricing details with the following SMS text template:

“Hi, you can find a complete overview of our pricing here: [pricing page link].”

Scheduled text messages

Maybe you need to text a client in a different timezone, but it’s too late for them. Or you’re working outside of business hours and don’t want to message a client until the following day. Instead of deferring the task to later, you can schedule the text with OpenPhone based on your contact’s time zone.

Scheduling a text helps eliminate the chances of forgetting to respond to a client, which isn’t a great customer experience.

But what if you schedule a message to initiate a conversation, and the client texts you before they receive your scheduled message?

With OpenPhone, you don’t need to worry about that awkward conversation because you can add a schedule condition. You can instruct OpenPhone to cancel the scheduled message automatically if the client texts first.

Auto-replies

Clients expect a quick response, but you shouldn’t have to check messages outside of working hours. Even during working hours, you might miss a call or text from a client if you’re in a meeting.

Auto-replies can help acknowledge a client’s inbound message without manually typing a response. You can use a different message for calls, voicemails, and text messages missed during and after business hours, so your responses are always accurate.

For example, you can message a client letting them know you’ll call back as soon as you can if you miss their call during business hours.

When a client tries to call or message you outside of business hours, you can text the client your business hours and let them know you’ll call back on the following working day.

But what if you and a client end up playing phone tag? OpenPhone keeps track of your calling and message history to ensure it never sends an automated reply if you miss a call or text minutes after you tried reaching out to someone.

OpenPhone also never sends multiple automated texts if a client contacts you multiple times. By default, OpenPhone will send SMS messages as auto-replies only once every three hours to the same number. This ensures your clients are never bothered with repetitive text messages.

Zapier integration

The OpenPhone Zapier integration can also connect your business phone system with thousands of apps, allowing you to set appointment reminders and save CRM contacts automatically. The integration offers countless use cases, such as:

• Reach out to new inquiries: You can automate sending a text notification to new leads whenever they fill out a Typeform.

• Automatically send a reminder via text to someone who schedules a meeting with Calendly: You can set up a Zap to send an automated text via OpenPhone to someone who schedules a meeting through Calendly. You can schedule the reminder text to send at a preferred time — for example, a day before the meeting.

Use OpenPhone to streamline business communications

OpenPhone is a small business phone system that helps you scale business communication as your team grows. In addition to texting automation features like auto-replies, OpenPhone offers everything a modern business needs to provide clients with a frictionless customer experience when communicating.

Along with a calling and SMS integration for Salesforce, you also get access to features like auto-attendant (IVR), shared phone numbers, and other integrations like Slack and webhooks with OpenPhone. 

Sign up for a free, seven-day trial of OpenPhone and get set up in minutes.

Arjun Ruparelia

Arjun is a freelance writer specializing in marketing and technology. When he’s not in front of the screen, he likes to cook and play with his Labrador.