Choosing and implementing new technology is challenging, but not near as challenges as getting employees – especially sales teams – to use it.
People are naturally resistant to change. We’re creatures of habit and can easily be overwhelmed at the prospect of learning new technology. Sales teams present a unique challenge in technology adoption. Every minute they spend trying to learn new technology is a minute they’re not out selling. Sales teams can be reluctant to adopt new technology simply because it distracts them from their goal of closing more deals.
The irony is that if you’ve picked the right technology, it should make their jobs easier and help them increase sales. So how can you go about overcome your sales team’s hesitation and reap the benefits of your new technology? Follow these seven tips to improve product adoption for sales teams:
- Pick the right technology for your team
- Provide ample training
- Show the benefits
- Incentivize users
- Celebrate success
- Use a Digital Adoption Solution
- Make it indispensable
Tip 1: Pick the right technology for your team.
For successful adoption, you need to select the best technology for your team. Consider if the technology is best suited for the size of your team and business. Sales enablement technology seems like a good choice. So, what is sales enablement? The short answer would be providing salespeople with the right resources, processes, and technology needed to sell effectively and increase revenue. Another way to improve your adoption is to involve your end-users in the selection process. If you’re selecting a new CRM, have different sales team members try or demo different CRMs. People will be more open to using new technology if they feel like they had a say in the selection. Your sales team will be more likely to dig their heels in if they think you’re dictating the technology choice.
Tip 2: Provide ample training.
You can’t expect people to use new technology if they don’t know how to use it. You’ll need to provide extensive training to onboard users to your new technology. You’ll also want to use a fix of different training methods. Classroom training is often not effective for learning new technology. Users do better when they can learn at their own pace using digital training tools.
Tip 3: Show the benefits.
Technology should offer benefits to your users. Make sure you frequently communicate with your sales team to highlight how new technology can make their jobs easier and help them with their ultimate goal of growing your business. You’ll need to do more than tell people the technology will help them. Be sure to give tangible examples specific to the sales team.
Tip 4: Incentivize users.
From bonuses to commissions, sales teams are motivated by incentives. Consider what sort of incentives you can offer for adopting the new technology. Common incentives include:
- Extra time off
- Bonuses
- Giftcards
- Award certificates
Tip 5: Celebrate success
Celebrate the success in your adoption. Set specific milestones for your sales team and host a celebration when the team meets the goal. Maybe it’s an office breakfast or lunch or perhaps a happy hour. Food and social time can be huge motivators. Celebrations also keep the technology top of mind with your team.
Tip 6: Use a Digital Adoption Solution
One of the best ways to get salespeople to use new technology is to make it as easy as possible. Digital Adoption Solutions work with any web-based application to provide on-screen guidance and help. These tools walk users through how to navigate and complete their work in new programs. A recent Gartner report highlighted digital adoption tools as an essential purchase for sales teams. The Gartner report claims organizations that implement digital adoption solutions can:
- Boost productivity
- Improve adoption
- Provide continuous development for tenured sellers.
Tip 7: Make it indispensable
Using new technology shouldn’t be optional, but not because someone’s boss said so. Make it to where your sales team can’t do their job without using the technology. People don’t respond well to being told they have to do something a particular way, but will be less likely to complain if it seems like that way is the only way to do it. For example, if you’re adopting a new CRM, stop exporting data into spreadsheets and presentations. If you’re in a sales team meeting, pull up the dashboard in your CRM. Move as much communication out of people’s inboxes and into the CRM. Make the technology the one-stop-shop for information, and people will adopt it because they can’t find that information elsewhere.
Getting a sales team to adopt new technology is challenging, but not impossible. Make the tool an essential part of your work and communication flow, clearly communicate the benefits, and try to avoid making your adoption sound like an edict. With the right mix of training, support, and incentives, you can turn even the most reluctant salesperson into a technological evangelist.
Author: Revanth Periyasamy
Revanth is a marketing champ at Apty. An ardent tech geek who loves to write on trending topics and is a big fan of all things relating to marketing. To know more about me, connect me on
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/revanth-periyasamy/
