When you introduce something new within your company , you’ll inevitably have people who are skeptical of the change. They’ve experienced some measure of success within the system, and they’re hesitant to believe something new will enhance their job. These are the naysayers and — when implementing Salesforce in Dallas or any Texas based company — winning them over is critical to achieving your desired ROI.
However difficult it may seem to convince them of Salesforce’s benefits, it is possible. And once you do so, they often become the most enthusiastic internal advocates for Salesforce — leading to increased Salesforce user adoption and higher ROI.
Here are some tips to help you more effectively win over the naysayers in your organization.
Involve them from the Beginning
You can probably anticipate who the skeptics will be before you even begin the implementation process. The best way to avoid any major issues is to involve them from the beginning of the process.
If you want a successful Salesforce implementation at your company in Dallas, TX, you need to know what your end-users want and need — what their challenges and goals are. Don’t wait until after most of the product is delivered to involve users — show them what you’re investing in, why you think it will be beneficial, and ask for their input.
You’ll not only earn their buy-in, but you’ll be better equipped to implement a system that works efficiently and is widely adopted.
Understand Their Current Process
Everybody in the organization wants the same thing — success. Challenges occur when people disagree on the path to get there.
When someone’s unwilling to adopt Salesforce, it’s likely because they believe it will hinder their ability to succeed. If you want to convince them that having a Salesforce user profile will enhance their job and make them more successful, you first need to understand their current process and why they like it.
Once you know their current workflow, you can identify things like where they’re spending time on tasks that can be automated or how having access to certain information will help them make better decisions.
Putting in the effort to understand their current process will help you implement a better product and earn the trust of your skeptical end-users. They’ll see that you care about implementing something that actually helps them be more successful.
Don’t Expect Immediate Change — Plan for the Long-Term
When it comes to winning over naysayers, understand it’s going to take time. It can be a long process until everyone gets their Salesforce user profile. It requires building trust, providing proper training, and eventually showing the kind of value that can be expected.
Develop a long-term change management plan that can help you track and measure Salesforce user adoption, set benchmarks and milestones, and give you and your team space to try new things and work out the kinks.
For the people in your organization resistant to adopting Salesforce, show them that you’re going to stick with them through the process instead of leaving them out to dry. This can help encourage them to take that first step towards buying in.
Empathically Phase Out the Legacy System to facilitate gradual Salesforce User Adoption
You’ll eventually need to phase out whatever system was in place before you implemented Salesforce. Whatever that system was, you need to phase it out as painlessly as possible. That requires a dose of empathy and thoughtful communication.
Match your training milestones with the dates you’ll shut down certain aspects of the legacy system. Over communicate when it’s happening and make sure you have adequate resources available to your end-users.
If you fail to communicate change to your team, you can erode trust between you and your users, making the entire adoption process much more difficult.
Our Final Words
Implementing Salesforce is a process that has several important steps, and winning over the naysayers is one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Each of these tips — involving end-users from the beginning, understanding their current process, planning for the long-term, and empathically phasing out the legacy system — will help you win over the skeptical people in your organization and eventually get them their unique Salesforce user profile.
At every step of the way, communicate openly with your end-users and open up opportunities for them to communicate with you. Don’t expect immediate adoption — establish a long-term plan that allows for change to occur at a pace that people and the organization are comfortable with.
There will always be people resistant to change. By being intentional about winning them over from the beginning and with right consultation you can increase Salesforce user adoption and achieve the ROI you expect from Salesforce.
Cost Effective Salesforce Implementation Services in Dallas Tx
Ventas, a Texas based consulting company offers tailored advice to solve your unique Salesforce adoption challenges. We help companies in major cities like Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio to jump start their Salesforce adoption process. Contact Us.