Salesforce is making bold changes that every customer needs to pay attention to. In this episode of Insights for IT Negotiations, UpperEdge’s Adam Mansfield joins Kylie Chisholm to unpack the upcoming 6% price increase, the evolving AgentForce pricing models, and Slack’s shift toward higher-cost enterprise editions.

They explore what’s really driving these updates, how they impact your current agreements, and what actions you should take now to maintain leverage, especially with Dreamforce around the corner.

Key Topics:

• Why Salesforce is raising prices and how customers are reacting
• What to know about AgentForce pricing models and AI consumption risks
• Slack’s price increase and its role in Salesforce’s bundling strategy
• Practical steps to prepare for renewal negotiations

Resources

PODCAST – Salesforce Announces August Price Hikes & New AgentForce & Slack Plans: Here’s What You Must Do Now

BLOG - Salesforce Increasing Pricing and Adding Agentforce Options: What Customers Need to Know Now

If you’re a Salesforce customer, these changes are coming. This episode will help you get ahead of them. Learn more about how UpperEdge can help here.

Episode Chapters

Overview of Salesforce Pricing Changes (00:02:47) Recent Salesforce pricing changes, the 6% price increase, and its impact on customers.

Customer Reactions to Price Increases (00:05:50) Explores customer response to the price hikes and the lack of perceived added value.

Advice for Customers Facing Price Changes (00:07:09) Guidance on how customers should respond, including requesting detailed usage and value justification from Salesforce.

AgentForce: Introduction and Evolution (00:10:11) Introduction to AgentForce, its pricing models, and changes made in response to customer feedback.

AgentForce Pricing Models and Bundling (00:11:16) Learn more about the shift from per-conversation to per-action pricing, add-on models, and the new AgentForce One edition.

Risks and Challenges with AgentForce Bundles (00:13:35) Discussion of potential pitfalls with bundled offerings, definitions, and renewal challenges.

Risks of Consumption-Based Pricing (00:14:38) Deep dive into the risks of consumption-based pricing models, especially as they relate to AI and Salesforce.

Negotiating Consumption Terms (00:16:38) Emphasizes the need for clear definitions, protections, and negotiation in consumption-based agreements.

Real-World Examples (00:19:01) Advice on preparing for change management and references to large customers like Pepsi adopting AgentForce.

Slack Pricing Changes and Bundling (00:20:05) Discussion of Slack’s price increase, new enterprise edition, and its integration into Salesforce bundles.

How to Evaluate Salesforce’s Bundled Offers (00:22:16) Advice on how customers should analyze bundled offers, demand value breakdowns, and negotiate opt-outs.

Preparing for Dreamforce and Your Broader Salesforce Strategy (00:24:11) Prepare for Dreamforce, consider all Salesforce products, and fight back against Salesforce’s agenda.