Switching to a new CRM system is a great step forward, but many companies overlook the value of a CRM training program. Training your staff is well worth the time investment.
Here are some of the areas to consider when you begin to formulate your training plans.
CRM Training Program Recommendations
Hire an Educational Company
CRM vendors, consultants and educational companies variously offer onsite training programs, offsite classroom training, virtual classroom training, one-on-one training sessions, or self-paced online courses. Choose the training methods that you think are optimal for the departmental members of your company who need training. Try to use real world use cases in training so that employees can truly understand the new CRM system’s value.
Produce User Documentation
Many CRM systems come with user guides, but you may want to write an additional guide that is specific to your company’s practices and roles. The employees in particular who will need training are administrators of the new software and possibly your IT staff.
Sell the Benefits
Be sure to inform your employees of the benefits of your new CRM system, so that they understand how their usage of the software plays into company goals and the bigger picture. To ensure that your staff really understands the new CRM system, you may want to conduct a CRM exam at the end of your training.
Don’t Rely on Organic Adoption
Although some CRM systems may describe their software as being simple and easy to use, you should not use their confidence as an excuse to bypass training. If you do, your staff is likely to develop unanswered questions, become frustrated and inefficient, and lose out on CRM features that can really optimize your business. Isn’t this the reason you purchased the software in the first place?
Reinforce Training
CRM training should not be a “one and done” event. Ongoing training should be available for existing users and there should be a CRM training program in place for new hires.
Switching to a new CRM system can vastly improve your business’s marketing, sales, and customer service processes and efficiency. You can create and nurture long-lasting relationships with customers, study purchasing patterns, and stay ahead of your competition with well-directed training program.
