1 AI Means Business Now Companies are realizing growth with AI for CRM as Salesforce Einstein presents unprecedented opportunities for customers. The anticipation for how AI can transform business processes is driving investment for early adopters and experimentation. 77% of Salesforce customers who already use AI expect to increase their investment in AI or platforms that have embedded AI capabilities within the next 12 months. 2 CX Goes Mainstream A strategic focus on customer experience (CX) is now table stakes. In the digital business era, IT and business stakeholders are equally responsible for delivering valuable customer experiences. With IT becoming customer obsessed alongside business stakeholders, the best companies are optimizing their CX strategy with IT as a strategic partner to not only manage customer-facing tech, but to transform it. 88% of IT professionals say the top two reasons their organization uses Salesforce is for customer acquisition and retention, above all other business goals. 3 Analytics for Everyone, If You Have the Data A data-first culture is driving superior employee experiences. Analysis of dark data, like customer sentiment or email correspondence, has become too important to ignore. Analytics is transforming how employees use technology, enhancing their capabilities, and boosting their performance by favoring insights over intuition. 71% of Salesforce customers are increasing their investment in actionable analytics. The State of Salesforce Top Trends 7