This case examines Salesforce.com, which specializes in software that helps organizations manage customer relationships, contacts, and customer service. On any given day, $150,000$ customers use Salesforce.com's software daily to handle customer relationship management efforts. Salesforce.com holds a yearly conference called Dreamforce to train business and nonprofit customers on Salesforce.com's software products. The conference also includes keynote speakers, access to technical experts, and fun networking events. The conference is costly to plan and implement, but it generates worldwide publicity and value for Salesforce.com's customers.

How does Dreamforce help Salesforce.com market to business buyers in multiple stages of the business buying decision process?

Why would Dreamforce include a unique series of sessions for the CEOs of customer companies? Explain your answer regarding the organizational influences on the buying decision process.

Is Salesforce.com's involvement with philanthropy and volunteerism an excellent way to show that the company understands the primary concerns of business customers? Explain your answer.

From the additional research you conducted about Salesforce, you may have seen they laid off part of their workforce at the start of the year. How does this affect the way they communicate with their customers? Provide a list of positive and negative repercussions of this change.