Pro Tips to Streamline User Adoption For Your CRM Project

Are you in the process of implementing a new CRM solution? Or do you plan to do so in the future? There’s no doubt that upgrading to a modern business management system is essential to support remote workers and to compete in a global, connected economy.

But that doesn’t mean user adoption will be without its challenges. A variety of factors can contribute to employees resisting the switch and dragging their feet during implementation.

By using these pro tips, you will be able to help your employees embrace change as you take your organization to the next level.

Download: 19 Brilliant Ways to Promote ERP & CRM User Adoption

Plan Thoroughly

Before you begin implementation, plan ahead to get all employees on board with the change. Notice a few ways you can support user adoption before the project even begins:

• To help each department feel that their perspective is represented, include a variety of staff members on the CRM selection team.
• Don’t simply replace a paper task with a digital one. Show that you have your employees’ interests in mind by designing a system that helps them accomplish more in a day with fewer headaches.
• Give extra attention to long-time employees that may be particularly resistant to change.
• Users need to know that they will have support to help them transition to the new system. Let them know right from the start what the ongoing support and training program will be.

Lead Proactively

Before they give their full support to the project, employees need to know that management is backing the decision 100%. Show leadership support from the beginning by doing the following:

• Ensure all employees in leadership roles understand the reason and goals for the project and are able to explain them clearly.
• Be on the lookout for “super users” – employees that are passionate about learning and are embracing the change. Develop a plan to share their enthusiasm and knowledge to help others throughout the onboarding process.
• To drive user adoption at the individual level, set goals for everyone involved, not just the company.
• When unexpected challenges come up, leaders should show their concern and proactive interest in finding a solution.

Manage Expectations

When employees meet with inevitable challenges throughout the project, they need to feel that they are understood and their needs are being given priority. Help them along the way through:

• Maintaining clear communication. Project updates should be honest and informative to help users feel included in the entire process.
• Employees should not be expected to maintain their full-time job responsibilities in addition to planning, testing, and training. Put plans in place to offset workloads and give employees the time they need to fully focus on their implementation assignments.
• A CRM implementation project can be stressful for many of the individuals involved. Patience and tolerance for missed deadlines or mistakes will go a long way in supporting user adoption.

Train Effectively

Your new system will be of no benefit if your employees can’t use it properly. Take these steps to ensure proper training:

• Provide an overview walkthrough before training to help users understand the big picture so they can understand how their role contributes to the process.
• Demonstrate how the new system will benefit them specifically and how their effective use of the application will make their work more productive and fulfilling.
• Make training sessions specific to your organization. For example, use industry-specific terminology instead of generic examples that are included in vendor training data.
• Support learners of all kinds by providing a variety of training options, from one-on-one, group, or video training sessions.

Every CRM project will have its challenges. But by taking the appropriate steps, you can ensure the success of user adoption throughout your company- making the project smoother, quicker, and ultimately a success.

To hear from experts in the field and learn more steps you can take to make a success of user adoption in your company, download the full white paper “19 Brilliant Ways to Promote ERP & CRM User Adoption” at www.crmsoftwareblog.com/19brilliant.

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By CRM Software Blog writer