Prior to using Slack, sales teams utilised a wide variety of disconnected sales tools, email, and other communication tools. The interviewees relied on inperson meetings for cross-functional work and isolated groups within organisations would install unsanctioned applications, compromising enterprise security.
The surveyed users sought a solution that would improve communication, employee engagement, productivity, cost efficiency, and culture. However, the legacy tools did not provide a universal, asynchronous platform that could connect sales teams to cross-functional teams or customers, did not adequately integrate other applications, and were not suited to serve as a repository of knowledge and information for the organisation.