Frequently asked
questions

General Questions

  • When do I need DESelect Segment?

    We have customers saying that “anyone using Salesforce Marketing Cloud should have DESelect too”. With some exceptions, they are probably right. One of the powerful features of Marketing Cloud is its flexibility to let you define a data model and integrate various data sources. But as a result: You need to do lots of data management, which usually means writing SQL queries or even doing various operations in Excel. The same happens when you need to create extracts to report on your campaigns. All of that is incredibly time consuming and renders the Marketing team dependent on technical experts to support them. Due to its sometimes technical nature, user adoption may also be below expectations. If any of that sounds familiar, then DESelect is for you!

  • What benefits can I expect from DESelect Segment?

    Some of the main benefits of DESelect include: You don’t need to use SQL anymore. Based on our customer success stories, we know that on average you can reduce the time you spend on data in Marketing Cloud (such as writing queries, creating data extensions, briefing an expert on your data requirements,…) by a whopping 52%. You can deliver more targeted and personalized campaigns (asides segmentation, we also offer many ways to personalize your segments). You will be much less dependent on technical experts. You can accelerate your Marketing Cloud implementation, since a large part of an implementation is typically spent on creating the right data sets for campaigns. This can be done much faster with DESelect. These are some of the key benefits you can expect the moment you start with DESelect.

  • What Return on Investment (ROI) can I expect from DESelect?

    Once you have reached out to us, we will work with you to assess how much time you are currently spending on data in Marketing Cloud and what campaigns you want to deliver. Based on this, we will build a business case together. You can download a free business case template here to help you evaluate the added value DESelect can bring to your business. Comparing the cost of DESelect to the added value we can bring, customers typically are able to report 3-5X return on their investment.

  • When should I get started with DESelect Segment?

    We recommend you get started with DESelect the moment you begin to implement Marketing Cloud. A large part of a Marketing Cloud implementation is about defining the right data sets for campaigns and DESelect can seriously accelerate your implementation. Starting early will also prevent you from heavily investing in SQL or some other alternative as an intermediary solution. Such investments tend to become sunk costs when you later switch to DESelect, so it is better to avoid these. However, if you are already about to go live with Marketing Cloud, or even have been using Marketing Cloud for a while, DESelect will still be able to offer you great relief. Most our customers have tried and tested various other solutions (many of which described further on this page), found out they did not work for them, and ultimately found their way to DESelect.

  • What if I don't have time to implement an additional solution?

    You’re in luck – DESelect Search, Segment, and Engage are fully plug-and-play with minimal setup required. DESelect then reviews to guarantee a seamless launch.

  • Why doesn't Salesforce Marketing Cloud offer this?

    While Salesforce offers a vast amount of solutions and features, a key part of its strategy is to rely on its open ecosystem and let independent software vendors build on its platform. The Salesforce AppExchange is by far the largest B2B app store in the world and is even responsible for the majority of Salesforce’s revenue. So essentially, Salesforce is counting on companies like DESelect to fill in the niches in its offerings.

DESelect Segment as a Solution

  • What features do you offer?

    We offer a variety of solution to marketers in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Visit our Products DESelect Segment, Search and Connect to learn about each. We are more than happy to show you any of our features during a live and personalized demo (based on your business challenges and needs). Book your demo with any of our consultants.

  • Why can't I use filters to segment?

    Filters are an out-of-the-box feature of Marketing Cloud and offer a basic way of segmenting. However, they offer very limited functionality and a suboptimal user experience. For most customers, filters simply don’t meet their requirements. If you currently use filters, you will find DESelect offers you easier and much more functionality.

  • Why can't I use Salesforce CRM reports to segment?

    ‘Salesforce reports’ is a feature of Salesforce CRM (like Service Cloud), which some companies use to create lists in the CRM and then push this to Marketing Cloud. However: You will need Salesforce CRM and connect this to Marketing Cloud. You will only be able to use the data in the CRM, which typically excludes behavioral data (clicks, opens,…) stored in Marketing Cloud in data views. You will be paying additional license costs for your marketers who need access to Salesforce CRM to segment and you will need to train them. This feature is – as the name suggests – actually meant for reporting and has limited segmentation capabilities. You will also miss out on efficiency, as you have to switch back and forth between the CRM and Marketing Cloud. If you currently use Salesforce reports, you will find DESelect offers you much more possibilities and saves you time.

  • Why can't I use SQL queries to segment?

    Admitted, SQL queries do offer extensive segmentation capabilities. But: You need to know SQL or find someone who does. Even if you know SQL, it is extremely time consuming and a lot of time goes into bug-fixing. If you don’t understand SQL, you will be dependent on experts to write and maintain queries, slowing down the time it takes you to bring campaigns live. You may experience lower user adoption. If you currently use SQL queries, you will find DESelect supports your segmentation needs but is not dependent on experts, and saves you a significant amount of time.

  • Why can't I use an audience management solution?

    There are various audience management solutions out there that allow you to segment across millions of records in a performant way. However: You will need to integrate such a solution, which will be very costly and time consuming (also for your own team since they need to voice specific requirements). You will depend on experts to set it up. After the setup, as soon as you want to make some changes (new fields, new data,…) you will actually need to call the experts again to make modifications. These are hidden costs most don’t realize when they start out on this path. You will be copying your data to the audience management solution, and data there will typically be updated with a daily batch, meaning data will be slightly out of date. You may still not be able to perform all of your segmentation use cases. If you’re currently using an audience management solution, you will find that DESelect instead offers plug-and-play integration, has no hidden costs, and can support your segmentation use cases.

  • When do you release updates?

    We release significant features on a bimonthly basis. Smaller patches may be released daily, while bug fixes are released immediately. DESelect users are notified through a newsletter.

  • What is DESelect Search in SFMC?

    DESelect Search is a free Chrome Extension and a free AppExchange app. We created these apps so that you can easily search in your Marketing Cloud to find various objects (data extensions, content, and more) with a click of a button. Based on customer reviews, DESelect Search is a real time saver.

DESelect Engage as a Solution

  • What is saturation control? How does it affect my marketing team?

    Consumers are often overwhelmed receiving hundreds of marketing messages per day, as marketers create multichannel campaigns across competing teams and priorities – often targeted to the same segments of people. When this feeling becomes so strong that messages no longer resonate, the consumer experiences what is called “marketing fatigue.”

    Saturation control is a method used to avoid marketing fatigue, where organizations set limits on the number of communications sent to a certain person in a specific period of time.

    Having saturation control processes in place reduces the chances of unsubscribes or of emails being marked as spam. The specific limit for the number of emails and the time period can vary depending on the goals of the email campaign and the preferences of the recipient.

    DESelect Engage acts as mission control for campaigns across all channels, providing a saturation control solution that gives insights into exactly how saturated each contact is.

  • What are the financial benefits of Engage?

    Engage has a cascading impact on marketing revenues and expenses. Among the more important ones:

    • Marketing Cloud charges based on the quantity of Super Messages sent. By optimizing campaign frequency, this quantity is reduced
    • Fewer unsubscribes and spam designations improve your organization’s email deliverability, ensuring more contacts see your messages
    • By limiting the number of emails sent to a specific recipient, marketers find the sweet spot that leads to increased engagement, conversion rates, and ROI
    • Increase marketing-generated revenue by identifying undersaturated subscribers and optimizing engagement
    • Compliance with GDPR and CAN-SPAM laws prevents costly fines
  • How long will this take to install?

    Engage is a plug-and-play solution, so it takes only minutes to set up.

  • How can I prioritize campaigns?

    At a broad level, Engage lets you prioritize based on two factors: customizable rules (such as different frequencies for recent customers vs general subscribers) and how you designate importance of different campaign types (e.g., promotions vs newsletters).

    Combining these factors, Engage will filter out oversaturated subscribers from the lesser-prioritized campaigns to ensure the messages they do receive are the most important. In Journey Builder, Engage also gives the option to simply delay the communications an oversaturated subscriber is scheduled to receive until a more optimal time.

  • How do DESelect Engage and Segment combine?

    Both DESelect Engage and Segment together team up to create ultra-targeted campaigns that drive maximum engagement and conversions. It’s literally sending the right message to the right audience the right number of times.

Services

  • Which regions do you serve?

    We serve companies globally.

  • What training do you provide?

    At DESelect, we offer extensive training possibilities to make sure you are successful with our solution. For all new customers, we offer a complimentary live and personalized onboarding training via webinar. During the training, there will be interactive exercises covering all DESelect features. We make training data (our “demo data package”) available in your Marketing Cloud so you can use this instead of your real data to practice. Asides exercises, we can also make time to co-create your first selections to be used for actual campaigns, so you immediately get added value out of your training. After the training, all training materials and a recording of it will be shared, so you can re-use it later or use it to train others. In addition, we also provide training materials online. For instance, using the demo data package, it is possible to get hands on with several segmentation scenarios described on our support portal. You can also watch video tutorials about these on our YouTube channel. We also share Marketing Cloud best practices and DESelect updates through our newsletter. Last, we collaborate with partners worldwide who are skilled in DESelect. If you are already working with a consulting firm or agency on Marketing Cloud, it often makes sense to involve them or even let them deliver the training. Since they are probably familiar with your data model, they are, after all in a unique position to deliver the most adapted training. For more information or questions about training, contact your DESelect representative.

  • What support do you provide?

    At DESelect, we offer various ways of support to make sure you are successful with our solution. A dedicated Customer Success Manager will guide you through onboarding and is available for any questions related to your subscription. Support tickets can be submitted through our support portal or simply via email. Response time is less than 1 working day. Hypercare support during the first 1 month during which your Customer Success Manager will be available via webinar on an ad-hoc basis to guide you with the creation of selections given your data model and business needs. Extensive documentation and training material on our support portal, as well as video training material available on our YouTube channel. Quarterly Check-ins by your Customer Success Manager to identify needs and troubleshoot. For more information or questions about support, contact your DESelect representative.

  • Is the a limit to the amount of selections I can make in DESelect?

    No. You can make as many selections as you want.

  • How long will my subscription last?

    A DESelect subscription typically lasts for one year, with customers often signing up for multiple years.

  • Does your contract automatically renew?

    Yes, contracts typically renew automatically at the end of their term for another year. However, either party can cancel 60 days before the end of the term.

  • What if I want to cancel my subscription?

    You can cancel your contract up to 60 days before the end of its term, in which case it will not renew.

Company

  • Where are you located?

    Our head office is located in Antwerp, Belgium. If you are around, come say hi and we will buy you a coffee! Asides our HQ, about 50% of our workforce works remotely and we are proud to host a company culture that is both diverse and international.

  • What is your relationship to Salesforce?

    Salesforce is a trusted partner with whom we actively collaborate in several ways. For instance, DESelect is published on the Salesforce AppExchange for Marketing Cloud, and we commonly work together on opportunities together. Asides our business relationship, we look at Salesforce and its leadership as a source of inspiration. For example, the book ‘Trailblazer’ by Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff was a source of inspiration when we defined our own principles.

  • Who do you partner with?

    We are proud to host several partnerships with system integrators who offer deep Marketing Cloud expertise. Refer to our homepage for an overview of partnerships.

Security

  • Is it secure to use DESelect?

    Yes. At DESelect, we take security very seriously. Asides having passed Salesforce’s own security review, we are also ISO-27001 compliant. To learn more about security, visit our data and security page. In terms of securing our integration with Salesforce Marketing Cloud and performing authentication, we follow the Salesforce API integration security guidelines. In terms of data processing, we only store metadata (data extension names, user name,…) but not actual data (the records within a data extension). That means we are rather “lightweight” from a data processing point of view, as we do not store your actual customer data. For more information check out our security documentation.

  • Do you store my data?

    No, DESelect Segment does not store your customer data. We only store certain pieces of “metadata”, such as the name of a data extension. To learn more about how we handle data, visit our data and security page.

  • Are you compliant with data privacy compliance regulations such as GDPR and CCPA?

    Yes. To learn more about DESelect and data privacy, visit our privacy and cookie policy page.

Pricing

  • How much does DESelect cost?

    Our pricing is designed to scale with the added value we can bring to your company. We based it on three factors: The DESelect edition you require. Number of business units to which DESelect needs to be connected. Number of users. We also offer a discount for nonprofits. To receive a quote, contact us to book a demo with one of our consultants.

  • What is DESelect's pricing model?

    Our pricing is based on 3 factors: – DESelect edition – Number of business units in Salesforce Marketing Cloud – Number of users in Salesforce Marketing Cloud Non-profits can enjoy a discount. Is there a price to pay per user? No, DESelect can be used by as many users as you like. Admins can decide who gains access.

  • Are there any hidden costs?

    No. When you sign up you will know exactly what unit prices and services your DESelect subscription consists of.

  • When do I pay?

    You pay for your subscription in annual installments. The first installment is due 30 days after your subscription starts.

Support

  • At which stage during deployment of Salesforce Marketing Cloud would it be best to implement DESelect Segment?

    We typically recommend getting started with DESelect towards the end of your implementation project, but before doing your first campaign. Preparing data extensions is an integral part of doing campaigns in Salesforce Marketing Cloud. Not having DESelect means you’re going to have to learn about filters, SQL queries, or other workarounds to manage this. Having DESelect from the start will prevent you from having to invest in workarounds that can challenge to scale and may be abandoned later, anyway.

  • Do you offer training material?

    Yes, we offer training for our customers in several ways: Customers typically receive a 90 minute personalized onboarding webinar training. During this session, we provide slides covering DESelect features and can review your specific segmentation scenarios and how to use DESelect to get the results you want. The training deck used during onboarding sessions is also publicly available. We have a publicly available support portal. Customers and partners with demo accounts can also be provided with a demo data package that can be used to train. Our support portal contains several scenarios based on this package to get acquainted with different features. We continue to share best practices and thought leadership on our blog.

  • Do you offer customer support?

    Yes, customers get access to email support. Our response times are less than 24 hours for any case opened. During the first 1-2 months after onboarding, customers can also expect hypercare. This means that, when you have a specific question about how to do a certain selection given your data model, they can contact customer support as well to ask for advice and guidance.

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