With more than 150,000 companies using its software, it’s clear why Salesforce is the #1 CRM platform in the world. Salesforce’s popularity stems from its accessibility—it accommodates businesses of all sizes and from all industries with a variety of integrative solutions for sales, marketing, customer service, and more. But why do companies flock to Salesforce when there are so many other CRM solutions out there? These are the six reasons why Salesforce stands out from the competition.

Scalability and Flexibility

Today’s companies need software to keep pace with growth while remaining affordable and innovative. Salesforce software is built to grow alongside businesses. In addition to the number of full-fledged solutions produced by Salesforce, hundreds of third-party add-ons are available on the platform’s AppExchange marketplace. These extensions let companies flesh out their Salesforce software and create a centralized hub for finance, human resources, marketing, or customer service teams.

Developer Community

If a feature doesn’t exist in Salesforce’s base software or as an AppExchange add-on, Salesforce invites developers to create new customizations. Salesforce’s APIs are open and accessible, making it easy to bridge Salesforce software with third-party and custom-built applications. The Developer Community offers direction for companies that seek specialized features and puts a network of experienced developers at their fingertips.

Cloud Architecture

Some popular business solutions are legacy products adapted to keep up with modern technology. While many of these solutions boast cloud capabilities, some were initially built for on-premise deployment, so the functionality isn’t seamless. Salesforce software is made for the cloud. Users benefit from traditional cloud features while enjoying access to the latest and greatest online capabilities as they release without any legacy solution hiccups.

User Community

In the world of Salesforce, Trailblazers are employees, developers, and end-users who regularly innovate and display a passion for learning and growing. The Trailblazer Community allows Salesforce users to network, learn, and collaborate across industries and international borders. While many other software providers host web forums for their users, Salesforce goes a step beyond and encourages every user to communicate, learn, and grow in a casual environment.

Training Resources

Salesforce enables its users to be lifelong learners. Trailhead is the platform’s gamified hub to build skills, earn credentials, and network with experts from around the world. Users can take online courses in hard and soft skills. Whether you’re a marketer, sales consultant, developer, or just someone who’s naturally curious, Trailhead is a tremendous resource.

Salesforce Values

The Salesforce platform is the world’s top CRM, and the company behind the software lives up to that legacy. On the corporate side, Salesforce is consistently ranked one of the best places to work. Salesforce employees are heralded as Trailblazers when they help the team achieve success, and the company is committed to philanthropy and social causes. The company’s community-focused values are showcased at Dreamforce, an annual event focused on Trailblazers and innovation.

The Salesforce Consulting Partner Program

If you plan on investing in Salesforce solutions like Salesforce Sales Cloud, you’ll probably work with a consulting partner to implement and troubleshoot the software. Many large-scale software providers use partner programs to ensure new software users get the care and attention they need.