ACHIEVING USER ADOPTION

SUCCESS WITH SALESFORCE

S A L E S M A R K E T I N G C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E A N D C R M C O N S U L T I N G

A Guide for Salesforce AdminsOn 4 Common Hurdles + Solutions

Why are You Struggling with

Salesforce User Adoption?

There are likely many reasons your organization is struggling to succeed with

Salesforce User Adoption, but some of the most common reasons for lack of

Salesforce User Adoption usually stem from the four problems addressed in

this eBook.

CRM is a discipline, not just a tool. Once you implement Salesforce, Salesforce

is forever. Getting users on board and keeping them there is difficult – we get

it. You’re not the first organization to struggle and you won’t be the last. This

guide will walk you through the specifics of getting your Salesforce Users on

board, keeping them there and using proper techniques as an Admin to keep

them engaged as you evolve with Salesforce.

With all four hurdles, we provide expert solutions to set you on the right path

to achieving User Adoption success with Salesforce.

1. System Designed by

IT for Sellers

2. Lack of a Process

Definition

3. Lack of Executive

Sponsorship

4. Lack of Ongoing Communication and

Training

1. Own the

Functionality, Share the

Design

2. Live by the Saying:

“If it’s not in Salesforce,

it Doesn’t Exist.”

3. Encourage

Continuous Learning

and Improvement

4. Don’t Overwhelm –

Listen!

HURDLES

SOLUTIONS

What You’ll

Learn …

HURDLE #1:

System Designed by IT for Sellers

In no way is this hurdle a knock on IT professionals or Salesforce Admins. This hurdle is meant to

point out why these roles need to work together from the start to achieve Salesforce User

Adoption Success. All team members should be on the same page from the get-go, starting with

the system design.

Admins need involvement from all Users from the start, whether they’re a part of your Sales,

Marketing, or Customer Service departments, for example. When you, as an organization, tackle

a system like Salesforce, elements of design naturally become problematic. Compatibility,

communication, and connections become ongoing issues among team members and with

technology during this phase of Salesforce implementation.

If requirements change, your UX needs to change with it. Those designing Salesforce may fail to

include others in the conversation, designing it how they think is best without getting input from

Users. IT or Admins need to find a middle ground with Users to design a system that will work

best for all departments. Discovering that middle ground may not be the fastest route, but it will

be the most effective, and it is necessary.

“Your first

measurement of

adoption – and a

basic indicator of

success is login

rates.”

- Salesforce Trailblazer

Community

SOLUTION #1: Own the Functionality, Share the DesignWhen it comes down to it, CRM has to work, no matter how cool or thoughtful the design. Admins must

own the functionalities in Salesforce and how those functionalities affect Users among various

departments. You don’t want to lose confidence in the system too quickly (or at all), and you certainly

don’t want your Users lacking enthusiasm or confidence in the system.

Once you get the input you need from Users, you will resolve and prevent biased functionalities of the

system. You will eliminate the need for quick changes and design alteration requests. That’s why

having those conversations and connections from the get-go is so crucial. You’re a team – act like it

from the beginning! Everyone is responsible at some level with Salesforce, therefore everyone needs

to have a voice when it comes to the system’s initial implementation, within reason.

If you have email integration with your Gmail or Outlook, and that data, for example, is not being

used with Salesforce, you will lose Users quickly. The data will not be going where you want it to, and

they will have no purpose in using it. Remember to consider what integrations you desire from the

start, as well, which may include Marketing Automation, Back Office/ERP, Third Party Apps, etc.

Consider what answers you need from Users as Admins or IT, and you will know what questions to ask.

If there are still problems or missing data, addressing those problems right away is key. Don’t wait to

make a change. Salesforce is always evolving – you need to keep up, leave a good impression, and

create a design that works for end-users. All users should be able to clearly see the benefits of the

Salesforce design and functionalities without question or further explanation. Everyone should be

involved from the get-go, starting with design. You set yourself up for success practicing this

methodology.

QUICK TIP:Make

Salesforce

User Adoption

FUN!

You don’t want to tell your

Users what is important

with Salesforce. You

always want to empower

them to decide that for

themselves.

HURDLE #2:

Lack of a Process Definition

With any CRM Solution, lack of a process

definition is a huge problem that leads to poor

data quality. With Salesforce, we find that when

there is a lack of a process definition in place for

Salesforce Users, there is a lack of excitement and

purpose.

PROCESS TOOL vs. DATA WAREHOUSEBefore organizations consider how they will be

using Salesforce, they tend to consider the data

they’ll be storing in it, which is problematic.

Without answering the question of how they will

be using Salesforce, there is little that can actually

be done with your data. Don’t fail to prepare.

You risk preparing to fail when you do …

TOO MUCH DATA, TOO MANY REQUESTSSalesforce Users often find they have too much

data to store, and become easily overwhelmed.

Then, requests to make changes to the design pile

in, because having a process definition was never

addressed. There are no people or places to find

answers when this happens, and very little

enthusiasm. Don’t skip defining your process!

NOBODY ASKS “WHY?” and THEY JUST

MOVE ON … Many organizations do not want to take the time

to talk about Workflows as much as they want to

talk about their projected end results. When

problems arise with the process, they are often not

addressed, and, as a result, continue to grow or

cause problems later. Don’t let your problems

escalate.

“A defined process

has consistent steps

that align with the

way your buyers

buy.”

- Greg Dove, Ledgeview Partners Director of

Business Consulting

SOLUTION #2:

Live by the saying: “If it’s Not in

Salesforce, it Never Happened.”Whether you are a part of the Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, or IT team, all of your Salesforce

Users should be living by the rule that if it’s not in Salesforce, it doesn’t exist or never happened. If

something isn’t in Salesforce, you need to call it out and ask why. When you fail to acknowledge, you

fail to open yourselves up to improvement and growth.

Get everyone on the same team by encouraging a shared Salesforce philosophy.

YOUR SOLUTION #2 QUICK WINS ARE:

1. Leveraging Data in Salesforce to Promote Employee Success: Focus on the strengths of your

employees by training them accordingly, and letting them use their strengths to meet personal

and team goals. Though every User has a different work style, they are all contributing to the

same team. Make sure they know what the team objective is at all times. Don’t assume they know

it without telling them.

2. Adding Leadership and Team Members to Closed or Won Notifications: Celebrate your team’s

successes when they meet their goals! Make every step encouraging. Evolve with the program.

Embrace the functionality and how it complements your business procedure. Celebrate making a

sale or closing a deal when you turn on these notifications. Celebrating your employees’

successes will help to enhance employee job satisfaction and fulfillment in the workplace. This

also encourages others to strive to be the center of these celebrations – Win, win!

HURDLE #3:

Lack of Executive Sponsorship

Your Salesforce CRM System will fail without Executive Sponsorship – PERIOD. There are no

exceptions to this CRM Rule of Management. One of the most common problems we see with Lack

of Executive Sponsorship is the excitement fadeout after the initial implementation.

CRM is a living, breathing system – it must evolve with your business. If you do not pay attention to

it or how your Salesforce Users are responding to it, you cannot expect it to grow with your

business. Salesforce is a discipline. It requires the care and attention you show your business and

should always be an integral part of your work day once implemented.

The hands-off approach from executive leadership won’t work. It never will. Everyone needs to

be held accountable …

QUICK TIP:Having an Executive

Sponsor for your

CRM Project is one

of the keys to long-

term success!

SOLUTION #3:

Encourage Continuous Learning

and ImprovementAs a Salesforce Admin, Sponsor, or User, you can never know enough about Salesforce. Imagine what

is possible with your Users as they learn more, improve, and achieve higher certifications! Salesforce

User Adoption is never a “one and done” process.

To keep up with your Salesforce “studies”, it’s important you encourage your organization to keep

updated with new releases (such as moving from Classic to Lightning), attending webinars, going to

Salesforce community events, subscribing to relevant blogs, engaging in the Salesforce Trailhead

Community, and setting aside time in your calendar to engage in regular training sessions. Everyone

needs to be involved and held accountable for continuous adoption, improvement, and education.

Marketing, Customer Service, Sales, and all other departments using Salesforce play important parts.

Log in and embrace the Salesforce Trailhead Community. For Admins and Power Users, this is essential

to achieving success in your roles, but we encourage everyone to use the community as a valuable tool

and resource for improvement and education. As an Admin or Power User, you can keep Users

updated about Salesforce by sending them weekly tips directly from the Salesforce Trailhead

Community to keep them engaged. Plus, you’ll look super smart and Salesforce savvy – BONUS!

As an Executive Sponsor of Salesforce, it’s important you set the right example for every department,

whether you tailor encouragement according to department or by individual! Through engaging in

these activities, you are more likely to keep your users inspired.

What really changes a Salesforce Organization significantly over time is diving deep into the project.

Though you may always be quick to reply to your customers, you may not be spending the time

breaking the surface of Salesforce, and you need to be.

“Salesforce has an

outstanding

Trailblazer community,

taking new Admin

questions, and

providing answers

within a day.”

- Rob Petrie, Ledgeview

Partners Account Executive

Create Discussions with Marketing,

Customer Service, and Sales.

Communicate with all Users. Never

stop Learning and Improving, no

matter your role or level of

involvement in Salesforce.

HURDLE #4:

Lack of Ongoing Communication

And Training This hurdle is critical to keep top of mind during your Salesforce Rollout Day. Salesforce User

Adoption isn’t as simple as telling users you have it, then expecting them to adopt it on their own

time. Salesforce User Adoption is a team effort that requires continuous training and communication

to be successful. There are no workarounds. You must work through!

Lack of onboarding for new employees will lead to diminishing Salesforce User Adoption over time.

Without proper training, the Salesforce User curve is too steep for new Users. Salesforce becomes a

bottleneck to get things done instead of being a tool as it is intended when this happens.

Consistent communication is pertinent for Salesforce User Adoption Success. Even the most

experienced Users require ongoing training. Don’t allow anyone to become complacent. There

is always room for growth and improvement with Salesforce.

If your budget allows, try hosting Lunch ‘n Learns on a regular schedule to keep Users excited about

growing with Salesforce and communicating with other Users, Admins, or Sponsors to become more

educated and advanced. Incentives boost morale, which affects higher user adoption rates over

time. Plus, Users love free food!

QUICK TIP:Customize Your

Salesforce CRM

Training to Meet the

Needs of your Users –

Schedule Ongoing

Sessions!

SOLUTION #4:

Don’t Overwhelm – Listen

CREATE TASKS WITH END USERS IN MINDWhen you’re feeling overwhelmed by your new Salesforce CRM Solution, you must

remember that “Less is More.” Don’t overwhelm your Users (or yourself) with too much

information at once. Whether you’re an experienced Admin of many years, or have recently

entered the game, it’s important to tailor your training and communications to meet your

employees’ needs. Whatever you do, keep up the enthusiasm and encouragement alive.

Standardize reports across departments and post an accessible list of “Required Information” to

keep everyone on track. Once you’ve come up with your Salesforce Process, you should be

establishing responsibilities and holding Users accountable for their responsibilities in Salesforce.

SIT DOWN WITH END USERSThough some things in Salesforce may seem obvious to you as the Salesforce Admin, Power

User, or Sponsor, you can’t assume Users will know what you do right away. Sometimes,

they just need to be told!

This methodology can apply to many aspects of training within your business. Keep your

customers happy by keeping your employees happy. Fuel them with the knowledge they need to

succeed with Salesforce. Make your Salesforce User Adoption path an enlightened one.

Salesforce User Adoption is “Carrot and Stick”

CARROT: Make is SIMPLE“Don't overcomplicate your page layouts or your processes - make it so easy to enter and look up data in the system that a child could figure it out on their own. If it's easy to find information and update it, users will be more likely to use it as their source of truth.”

STICK: Get Buy-in from the Top! “If your executives start saying, "If it's not in Salesforce, it didn't happen," users will quickly realize that Salesforce is where they need to live and breathe.”

– Ben Dolar, Ledgeview Partners Salesforce Consultant

S A L E S M A R K E T I N G C U S T O M E R S E R V I C E A N D C R M C O N S U L T I N G

How Ledgeview Can Help With Your

Salesforce User Adoption Hurdles

Ledgeview Partners is a business and technology consulting company who partners

with organizations to transform sales, marketing and customer service operations

and processes that are supported by core technologies including Customer

Relationship Management (CRM) and Marketing Automation.

Ledgeview Partners’ consultants combine savvy business intellect with strong

technological aptitude to provide solutions that extend well beyond software

implementations. It’s about building relationships, transforming business, and

delivering phenomenal customer experience.

Ledgeview Partners is a Salesforce Silver Consulting Partner.

Ready to Move to

Salesforce Lightning?It can be reset and used to increase

Salesforce User Adoption. Whether

you want to stay with Classic or move

to Lightning, Ledgeview can help with

project support, training, support, or

whatever else your needs may be.

With multiple Salesforce certifications,

ample project experience, passion,

and dedication, Salesforce Consultants

at Ledgeview will deliver the results

you’re looking for.

CONTACT LEDGEVIEW:

PHONE: 920.560.5571

EMAIL: contactus@ledgeviewpartners.com

Ledgeviewpartners.com

@LedgeviewCRM