User adoption is critical for getting the most out of your CRM system. And having the right training experience for your staff is essential to growing their comfort and confidence in the power of the CRM.
Rick McCutcheon, a Microsoft Dynamics MVP provided a list of things to think about when setting up training, as part of anMSDynamicsWorld.com webinar, a three-part Planning for CRM Success webinar series.
Here are some things to think about when setting up a CRM training session:
1.) Different needs – Remember, different staff have different needs within the CRM system, so don’t train generically. IT needs technical training. An administrator needs end user training. Management members need more emphasis on reporting and keeping the system progressing with business needs.
2.) Group size – Don’t go beyond about 15 people in a training module if you can avoid it. It keeps the setting intimate and it allows supporting IT staff to wander and recognize if any individual is having trouble working the system.
3.) Experience matters – Find a trainer with end user experience. Simply having a technician explain it won’t help when you talk about rational for the practical application. But by all means have the technical support present for training. The IT support is invaluable as a resource to walk around the training room and identify when someone is in need working the system.
4.) Build a buddy system – Understand who are your more savvy staff being trained and set up a buddy system where someone with some affinity and skill can work with someone who will have a few more challenges. No one is in this alone and by pairing folks, there’s always support at hand.
5.) Make training an event – Have fun with training. Set milestones and celebrate even in a short training session. Build short and long-term reward-laden goals based on CRM use. Who had the first totally correct customer information entered? Who input valuable notes about their client that other might benefit from hearing? Pull your group together with lots of motivation built on successes relatable to your CRM.
6.) Better, stronger – A great training experience will also help pinpoint slight alterations needed to the system. Sometimes the training experience shows a set up that provides an improved workflow or best practices of the workplace.
7.) Always offer other resources – In any learning group, there are individuals who thrive and thirst for more. Make sure resources are available in off-training hours for staff to improve their performance and get to know the system even better.
Rick McCutcheon is a Dynamics CRM MVP with expertise in sales process design, social selling and CRM strategies. Rick has been involved in the CRM industry since 1990 as a company founder, senior executive, reseller, industry association board member, educator consultant and professional speaker. He is the creator of the Full Contact Selling (FCS) methodology for Dynamics CRM. He can be reached at rickm@fullcontactselling.com .