How Learnlight helped Salesforce boost global collaboration and achieve stronger business performance through strategic communication skills development
Background
Salesforce is the world’s leading customer relationship management (CRM) platform, pioneering cloud-based technology since 1999 and now reimagining how businesses operate in the age of AI. With autonomous AI agents, unified data systems and industry-defining CRM applications for sales, service, marketing, commerce and IT, Salesforce helps organisations transform the way they connect with their customers.
Behind this innovation sits some of the world’s brightest engineering and technical talent. From the engineers building next-generation AI agents to the product teams designing solutions for global enterprises, Salesforce’s technical excellence drives its market leadership.
Yet, technical brilliance alone isn’t enough in a global organisation. As Salesforce’s technology and product teams collaborate across continents—from India to the Americas, Europe to Australasia—the ability to articulate complex ideas, present with confidence, and navigate cultural nuances becomes just as critical as coding expertise.
The Business Challenge
As the TPIL-APAC (Technology, Product, Innovation & Learning) organisation expanded within Salesforce, leaders saw a skills gap emerging:
- Complex technical insights weren’t always landing with clarity
- Cross-regional collaboration slowed when communication broke down
- Strong future leaders were hesitant to present to senior audiences
- Client-facing discussions sometimes lacked accuracy or confidence
Leaders began to notice that communication skills were becoming a deciding factor in how effectively technical experts could influence and progress within the business.
To address this at scale, Salesforce needed a partner capable of delivering a personalised yet globally consistent learning experience. Following a robust selection process, Learnlight was chosen to design and deliver a communication development programme for employees across multiple regions and functions.
Learnlight and Salesforce set out to achieve four goals:
- Strengthen English-language proficiency to enable shared understanding globally
- Accelerate readiness for leadership roles in product and engineering
- Improve executive-level influence in high-stakes situations
- Demonstrate measurable impact and clear ROI
128 participants were selected for the first cohort, spanning India, LATAM, North America, Europe, and Australasia.
The Learnlight Solution
Learnlight deployed a fully blended learning program that combined personalised trainer-led sessions, advanced digital tools and targeted capability development across four pathways:
Language Skills Development
Participants strengthening fluency and accuracy in business English worked with expert trainers on the everyday communication essentials that build confidence—from expressing technical ideas more clearly to handling spontaneous conversations in meetings. Training blended virtual instructor-led sessions with targeted self-study, ensuring learners could immediately apply new skills in their day-to-day responsibilities.
Leadership-Ready Communication
1-to-1 VIP training paired advanced learners with specialist trainers experienced in supporting leaders and high-potential talent. Sessions focused on the communication demands most critical to career progression, such as influencing decisions, shaping technical narratives for non-technical audiences, and maintaining confidence under pressure. Flexible scheduling and confidentiality meant training aligned seamlessly with real business situations.
Intercultural Collaboration
Participants completed Learnlight’s Intercultural Assessment and Working Effectively Across Cultures programme to develop stronger global awareness and intercultural understanding. They gained personalised insight into their own cultural communication style, while learning practical techniques to reduce misalignment, build trust more quickly and navigate cross-border collaboration with ease.
Interpersonal Communication For Visibility
Through presentation, storytelling and presence-building training, learners elevated how they show up in high-visibility moments—from demos to leadership updates. The focus was on structuring messages for impact, engaging audiences effectively, and delivering with authority, giving future leaders the confidence to step forward and be heard. This modular structure ensured each employee received the right support based on their goals while maintaining global consistency and measurable outcomes.
The Results
The programme exceeded expectations, driving outcomes that go far beyond improved proficiency.
Engagement & satisfaction
- 87% overall attendance
- 4.8/5 trainer-led session satisfaction
- 4.6/5 digital learning rating
- 8,100+ digital activities completed
Capability uplift
- Progress test scores reached 95% over three assessments
- 94.7% average activity score, confirming high comprehension and application
- 100% completion of intercultural and interpersonal programmes
Business impact
- Improved Efficiency: Smoother global collaboration and reduced miscommunication
- Increased Confidence: Greater authority in client-facing and leadership settings
- Agility: Faster decision-making across distributed teams
- Executive Presence: A stronger bench of future leaders ready to lead with influence
“The program not only enhanced grammar and fluency but also improved presentation confidence, structured communication, and effective stakeholder engagement. The program shifted from being a communication training initiative to becoming a strategic enabler of business performance, supporting smoother global operations and leadership readiness.” — Lata Valluri, Director Program Project Management, Salesforce
Sustaining Momentum And Business Impact
Salesforce continues to invest in the future of its technical talent by ensuring high-potential employees don’t just build great technology, but communicate with impact on a global level.
By partnering with Learnlight, the company has equipped its product and engineering teams with the communication capabilities required to accelerate innovation, strengthen global collaboration and drive business outcomes at scale.
