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Encourage User Adoption of a New Salesforce Implementation

Encouraging users to realize the full potential of a Salesforce implementation is time-consuming and complicated. Despite the difficulty, user adoption is vital for a successful Salesforce implementation.

In this article, we'll discuss:

The importance of Salesforce user adoption
Risks of low Salesforce user adoption
Ways to encourage high Salesforce user adoption
User Adoption

Although Salesforce adoption involves time-consuming and complex procedures, it is fundamental for organizations planning on optimizing in-house customer relationship management. User adoption is necessary (but not sufficient) for a successful Salesforce implementation, allowing businesses to reap rewards like effective sales and marketing operations and data management. 

Why User Adoption is Important

User adoption is crucial to organizations intending to implement Salesforce as their new customer relationship management system. It helps users acclimate to the platform, facilitating proper use, which improves CRM and organizational efficiency. Apart from promoting proper use, user adoption for Salesforce is essential for the following reasons.

Increasing Productivity

Salesforce introduces more efficient processes that may create resistance if users experience difficulties and fail to adopt the new system. Unfortunately, failure to address resistance lowers user adoption’s efficiency, resulting in a sub-optimal implementation. Organizations can bridge opposition by adopting a change management program that helps users effectively transition to the Salesforce system. 

A change management program must include:

  • Learning and training tools
  • Communication plans
  • Change readiness assessment tools
  • Impact analysis tools

These tools communicate the benefits of change and help build user enthusiasm for the system, promoting user adoption. 

Reducing Disparate Data

One of the causes of CRM failure is poor data management, resulting in problems such as disparate data. Disparate data may develop because users aren’t entering information into the central system. Unfortunately, this is distinct, low-quality, ineffective data that can’t be integrated into other systems. 

Disparate data causes CRM failure because it generates problems such as:

  • Data inconsistencies
  • Numerous points of failure
  • Data control problems
  • Security risks

Organizations can reduce disparate data by adopting automated CRM systems such as Salesforce. 

Salesforce sets up a user-friendly central system that facilitates organized entry, storage, visualization, integration, and retrieval of organizational data. Implementing user adoption for Salesforce facilitates effective data management, encouraging users to accurately key-in information into central systems, reducing disparate data.

Accelerating ROI

A low user adoption rate of new systems results in low ROI since users aren’t getting the most out of user license costs.

The ideal approach to promoting user adoption is implementing a user adoption strategy before launching the system. Organizations should encourage employees to use Salesforce to its maximum potential to generate impressive sales, revenue, and ROI outputs.

Ways to Encourage User Adoption

Effective Salesforce implementation depends on user adoption. Therefore, organizations need to encourage user adoption by implementing the following strategies. 

Create a Positive Vision for Change

Organizations can reduce user resistance by communicating a positive vision that explains the need for Salesforce. They can use change management programs that inform users of the benefits of Salesforce, such as data management and productivity. When users realize the benefits of Salesforce, they will become more receptive to implementing the system, promoting user adoption. 

Ensure Staff Buy-In

If staff fails to adopt and support the change, there will be low user adoption for the Salesforce system. Organizations can promote staff buy-in through participative decision-making to promote interest and enthusiasm. 

They can create a user committee that conducts face-to-face meetings and discussions of the Salesforce adoption strategy. Surveys, where users respond to what feature should be implemented in the new system, can also promote user adoption. 

Ensure Leadership Buy-Ins

If executives and leaders fail to support the system, Salesforce will have lower user adoption. Executives and leaders are essential in motivating employee buy-in and user adoption. Strategies such as sharing reports and Salesforce analytics can initiate leadership buy-in and promote user adoption. 

Simple Implementation Structure

Organizations can encourage user adoption by making a simple implementation structure that’s accessible and easy to use. Salesforce customization using a simple platform design, few required fields, and personalized layouts for job roles will encourage user adoption.

Vision and Rollout Plan 

Organizations must communicate the vision and rollout plan for implementing the Salesforce system before its launch. 

The vision and rollout plan should map out the following: 

  • Salesforce adoption strategy goals and objectives
  • Training programs
  • Brainstorming tools
  • Adoption timetable and milestones

 The presentation of a well-structured plan gives users the roadmap on how to implement the system, promoting user adoption. 

Monitor User Activity

Organizations need to monitor user activity because it measures the effectiveness of the Salesforce adoption strategy. By acting on the data, tweaks can be made to improve user-adoption in real-time. 

Monitoring metrics include:

  • Login rates
  • Activity/task completion
  • Time-in system
  • Opportunity creation
  • Lead volume

It’s important to analyze these metrics weekly or monthly and present reports on the findings. User activity reports will help organizations identify difficult areas and offer user assistance and training, which facilitates user adoption. 

Monitor Legacy System

Although attachments to legacy systems are normal, they may indicate resistance if the logins are high after the phase-out. Unfortunately, it may be an indicator of low user adoption. Therefore, organizations may need to communicate with users and ensure they are fully receptive to transitioning to encourage user adoption. 

Establish a Salesforce “Center of Excellence.” 

Organizations can establish a Salesforce center of excellence by creating a central location that brings together employees from different departments. The center of excellence will provide shared resources and encourage collaboration, promoting user adoption.

Training Programs and Salesforce Trailhead

Salesforce adoption training programs educate users on the proper use and implementation of the system, promoting user adoption. The training should include step-by-step videos, flow charts, interactive guidelines, task lists, and innovative tips that users can easily understand. Organizations can use Salesforce Trailhead to facilitate on-demand learning at user convenience, which improves their skills and user adoption. 

Incorporate Salesforce into the Performance Review

Organizations should add Salesforce as an accountability within employee performance reviews. In-depth tracking of user activity and action help employees maximize Salesforce’s potential to increase ROI outputs. It also helps organizations identify patterns and problem areas to offer helpful assistance, facilitating effective user adoption. 

Gamify the Salesforce Experience

One of the strategies organizations can use to motivate and increase users’ interest in Salesforce is gamification. Organizations can incorporate games with weekly or monthly goals where users are rewarded for performance to promote user adoption. 

Utilizing a Partner to Help with Adoption

System integrators like Penrod help organizations customize Salesforce implementation based on their needs, capabilities, and resources. These systems help organizations manage their Salesforce product ecosystem to accelerate ROI outputs. They also provide organizations with Salesforce products for learning, training, and demonstration, promoting user adoption.

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