Sam Donaghey
Welcome to the Fast Slow Motion Podcast, where we teach you how to build a business you love while enjoying your life. I’m your host, Sam Donaghey. And today I’m joined by Fast Slow Motion’s Director of Alliances and Partnerships, Todd Coder. Todd is here to interview our guest, Adam Alfano.

Adam is the Executive Vice President of Global SMB and Emerging Products at Salesforce. He has spent his career helping small and mid-sized businesses adopt technology that actually creates momentum. Today, we’re diving into the trends he’s seeing across the SMB landscape, why AI matters right now, and the advice he gives growing companies that want to scale the right way.

Todd, Adam, welcome to the show.

Adam
Sam, great tee-up. Way to get us off and running. What a radio voice too, Todd.

Todd Coder
It’s perfect, right? Tough act to follow. Adam, thank you so much for being here.

Adam
That’s a harsh transition, going from that to the Canadian accent. That’s tough on the listener.

Todd Coder
And then the boy from Southeast Alabama too. Great to see you, buddy. Thanks again for being here. Let’s dive right in.

AI is obviously not just a buzzword. It’s what we’re working in right now. It’s the future and the present. When you look across SMB specifically, how has AI become such a critical unlock? And what are some best practices, maybe from a technical standpoint, as businesses start to adopt it?

Adam
It’s interesting. The pace things are moving right now is incredible. I’ve been in technology 18 years. I’ve seen cloud, mobile, social. Trends that felt bleeding edge two months ago are now fully realized.

At the beginning of the year, we were trying to build momentum around AI for SMBs. Now it’s part of every conversation. Customers are asking about ways Agentforce can help their business.

The promise of AI for small businesses is huge. SMBs are always trying to do more with less. AI gives them an “infinite workforce” with deep data understanding. It helps overtaxed teams do more.

We’re also seeing a shift from ideation to execution. And there’s a better understanding that great AI requires great data and processes. So companies are recommitting to strong foundations, building solid processes in Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud, and using Data Cloud to unify their data.

Todd Coder
It seems like Data Cloud and Agentforce go hand in hand. You need clean data first. What’s the biggest objection you’re hearing?

Adam
A few things. Setup has become much easier and more accessible, especially for SMBs. Pricing is also less complex now.

The bigger hurdle is the leap of faith. Companies feel like they’re “unleashing” something new.

But AI isn’t magic. It’s powerful, but you have to train it. You’re essentially onboarding a digital employee. You need to define processes, tune performance, and refine over time.

Todd Coder
I love that—“magical but not magic.” Looking ahead, what excites you most?

Adam
Companies will scale to incredible sizes with fewer people doing more impactful work.

Employees will be happier because repetitive tasks are reduced. Customers will be happier with faster responses. And SMBs could reach massive revenue levels with smaller teams supported by AI.

We’ll also see more businesses created because AI lowers barriers to scale. Tools are becoming more accessible and easier to use.

Todd Coder
Let’s shift to SMBs in the global economy. How essential are they?

Adam
They’re the foundation of the economy and a major driver of innovation.

SMBs are less constrained by legacy systems and can move faster. They’ll likely lead in redefining how businesses operate with AI.

Todd Coder
When you look at companies thriving right now, what are they doing differently?

Adam
They have an AI-first mindset.

They’re rethinking every process and asking, “Is there a better way?” They’re using AI to remove manual work and free up teams to focus on customers.

Also, they’re using these tools personally and professionally. That builds fluency and unlocks creativity.

Todd Coder
That fluency matters both personally and professionally.

Adam
Exactly. The more you use these tools, the more you understand their potential.

Todd Coder
Salesforce seems to be investing heavily in SMB. Can you talk about that?

Adam
We see huge opportunity. We’re investing in faster onboarding, better support, and hands-on activation help.

Salesforce used to be seen as enterprise-focused, but now it’s becoming the operating system for AI-driven front office work—even for SMBs.

Todd Coder
What advice would you give SMB leaders building for the next decade?

Adam
Beyond AI-first thinking, culture matters.

You need a team that embraces innovation and change. And you need an action bias. Don’t wait. Start now.

Companies that adopt AI will outperform those that don’t.

Todd Coder
What can Salesforce and partners do to drive adoption?

Adam
Adoption used to be about getting salespeople to log data. Now the system does it for them.

AI adds value automatically. It surfaces insights, suggests actions, and reduces admin work. Adoption becomes part of the workflow.

Todd Coder
Last question. What else should we look forward to from Salesforce?

Adam
We’re excited about our acquisition of Qualified and continued innovation with Slack and Agentforce.

Everything is getting smarter and easier to use. That’s the big unlock for SMBs.

Todd Coder
Exciting times.

Adam
Absolutely. It’s the most impactful shift I’ve seen in my career.

Sam Donaghey
Adam, before we close, we always ask for a quote or piece of advice.

Adam
I’ll quote our CEO, Mark Benioff: “Business is the greatest platform for change.”

With AI moving so fast, we can’t lose sight of our responsibility to make a positive impact. If we get this right, AI can help us leave the world better than we found it.

Sam Donaghey
Fantastic. That’s a wrap on today’s episode of the Fast Slow Motion Podcast. Thanks to Adam Alfano for joining us.

You can catch past episodes at fastslowmotion.com/podcast or subscribe on your favorite platform. If you have questions or topics, visit fastslowmotion.com/podcastfeedback.

We’ll see you next time.

Todd Coder
Thanks so much.

Adam
My pleasure.