Salesforce can be incredibly powerful tool for your business. You can configure it to do so many things, but without user adoption it’s like leaving the Lamborghini in the garage to collect dust. In this blog, I will outline 5 tips for driving user adoption so you are always making the most of your investment.
1. ROI starts at the beginning
From the very beginning of your implementation or project, return on investment should be top of mind. The two questions you should ask yourself along the entire project are: is the solution easy to use and is it solving real problems? When you are evaluating options, keep your goals in mind to make sure you are choosing solutions that fully address your needs.
Additionally, a little communication goes a long way. Provide regular updates during the project so they understand what to expect and when they can dive in with both feet. If your end users know that something new is coming that will help them be ready to hit the ground running.
2. The tools and process must work together
This sounds like a no brainer, but it’s amazing how often I have seen organizations with newly implemented Salesforce still running their sales meetings out of spreadsheets. Once your org is ready for primetime, use it! Rules such as, “If it’s not in Salesforce it doesn’t exist” may seem harsh but they show your team that its important.
On the other side, the system must work for your users. Having 30 required fields on a lead doesn’t help Sales Reps enter leads quickly. To achieve success, make the system easy to use. Automate where you can and empower your users to use Salesforce for iOS and Android and their complete suite of mobile tools. With Salesforce, you have the power of the platform in your pocket or on your smart watch. Use it!
3. Find your champions
Your champions will create excitement and find tricks and tools that really drive adoption. There are two kinds of champions that are important: the technology champion and the cultural champion. The technology champion is that person that dives into new technology with both feet. They can’t help but share their favorite tech with their team. Every team also has the cultural leader. This person may or may not be in a leadership role, but there is something about them that makes people want to follow their lead.
These two (or more) people are critical to user adoption. Bring these people in early and often to explore what you are creating and to provide feedback. With them on board and modeling how to make the most of Salesforce, the rest of the team is sure to follow. Having champions in your corner support builds trust within each team and helps them see how Salesforce can improve their day to day. Close collaboration with your champions also inspires new ideas, additional solutions, and can uncover previously unknown challenges. Addressing these items quickly will improve ROI by rapidly improving adoption and building even more trust in the system and your team.
4. Make it fun
Go-live can be a stressful time for any project, but it should feel like driving that new car off the lot. Everyone should be excited for the new tools. To keep it fun:
Have your champions share their enthusiasm in demos and training
Create incentives! Little things like snacks during training or raffles and prizes for those who adopt the new tools fastest are a great way to build excitement
Give your team time to share their new favorite reports and other things they have learned on their own
Make space for feedback. Having a process for handling issues and taking feedback will help reduce headaches.
Use Trailhead! Salesforce has created an amazing, fun resource for all kinds of users to learn how to make the most of Salesforce.
5. Metrics Matter
Return on Investment is clearly an important metric, but what are the smaller metrics that help you understand this big one? While you are creating your solution, determine the numbers that will show you improvement. Then make sure you have the information captured in the system. It can be easy to forget to include status or date fields that are critical to building powerful reports.
Before you go-live build the reports you want to watch and then get in the habit of checking them. Better yet, build a dashboard that follows your key 4 or 5 metrics and share it with your team regularly. If they see the improvement you are seeing, they will want to jump in too. One of these metrics should be about the improvements you have found or the support cases you have closed, its good for the team to see that issues are being tackled.
In conclusion, implementing Salesforce or a new solution should be an exciting time for you and your team. By centering on ROI from the beginning, keeping the tools and processes in lock step, empowering your champions, keeping it fun, and watching your metrics you will make sure the engine driving your business is worth every penny.
