How Salesforce Can Accelerate Growth in 2026: Start by Easing Up and Listening

Salesforce is heading into 2026 under familiar pressure: growth has slowed to the single digits, investors want acceleration, and customers are entering renewal season with tighter budgets and higher expectations. The question many are asking is simple: how does Salesforce grow faster from here?

The answer, though, may require Salesforce to do something counterintuitive. It may require Salesforce to listen to their customers needs.

Step One: Stop Trying to Force Growth Through Price Pressure

One of the biggest mistakes Salesforce could make right now is leaning too hard on aggressive tactics, especially large, programmatic price increases. That approach might lift short-term revenue, but it risks eroding trust, especially when customers don’t feel they’re getting full value from what they already own.

Many customers aren’t asking for more products. They’re saying:

• “We’re not using everything we have.”
• “We’re not seeing value from premium add-ons.”
• “Some platforms are getting too expensive for the ROI.”

Whether it’s Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Tableau, MuleSoft, Shield, or Signature Success, the theme is consistent: customers want to reduce what they aren’t using and pay less, not be penalized for it.

Step Two: Return to Value-Based Selling

Instead of making reductions painful, Salesforce has an opportunity to return to what originally made it successful: customer-first selling based on real outcomes.

That means shifting the conversation from “How do we sell more?” to:

• “How do we help customers get more value from what they already bought?”
• “How do we make it easier to right-size their portfolio without retaliation pricing?”
• “How do we rebuild long-term confidence?”

When customers feel heard and supported, they remember it, especially at renewal time.

Step Three: Earn the Right to Talk About What’s Next

Salesforce’s future growth likely depends on newer offerings like Agentforce and Data 360. But customers won’t embrace “the next big thing” if they’re still frustrated with the basics.

The better approach is to show up prepared:

• Bring clear use cases and definitions
• Explain how consumption and credits actually work
• Offer transparent commitments and discount structures
• Lead with investment, not pressure

In other words: don’t “flower around.” Be direct, practical, and customer-specific.

The Bottom Line

If Salesforce truly wants to accelerate growth in 2026, it may need to step back before stepping forward.

Listening more, easing up on aggressive renewal tactics, and helping customers unlock value in their existing stack won’t just protect renewals. It could create the trust and momentum Salesforce needs to sell the next generation of products.

Because when customers feel like you did right by them, they’re far more likely to lean in later.

Salesforce’s growth strategy may be changing—but your renewal strategy shouldn’t be left to chance. UpperEdge helps customers uncover hidden leverage, validate ROI, and drive better commercial outcomes. See how our Salesforce Advisory Practices can support your next renewal.