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5 Useful Tips to Train End Users and Increase User Adoption
Your everyday end users have the biggest impact on data integrity. How do you ensure they’re doing their best work and leveraging the tools of the system? If possible, involve end users early in the decision-making process when upgrading or converting to a new system of record. This is a great way to ensure they feel their voices are heard. Once the system is implemented, it’s critical to engage end users during the training period to increase user adoption. Read on for some quick tips and best practices!
Understand an End User’s day to day process
Tip #1: Understand an End User’s current day to day process without this software solution, especially the pain points. This will serve as a great base for training questions, engagement, and their affinity to use the new solution. Surveys help to capture this data prior to the training sessions, especially if you have a large end user group or you want objective feedback.
Ask questions!
Tip #2: During the training, engage by asking questions to show your end users you not only relate, but understand how this system impacts their job function. As the trainer, you should already know the answers to these questions so that you can make your demonstration relevant to their experience.
Offer hands-on training
Tip #3: Whenever possible, the best way to train is with an in-person training. Ensure end users have hands-on experience in the training/Sandbox environment. Simulate “day in the life” scenarios, ask them to find things in the system, add new data, and repeat steps. As you train end users, reinforce the ways it improves certain processes. Do they like what they see so far? User adoption is successful when end users see the system’s direct impact and how it will improve their day to day. Asking questions shows an end user you value their opinion, even if they did not have input early on.
Acknowledge concerns of learning something new
Tip #4: How do you deal with a negative end user or an Eeyore in class? If they find issues or declare something won’t work for them, then keep your response concise, understanding, and move on. Acknowledge this person’s concern, thank the person for their feedback, and bring it back to your team later. If you have an answer or an alternative way of doing something, then include that in your response. You can say, “Great point, have you tried this? I’ve found that this is an alternate way to get the same information.” Keep it light and positive.
Stay positive!
Tip #5: When an end user responds to a question incorrectly, boost their confidence with positive reinforcement and feedback. This shows the rest of the end users in class it’s productive to participate.
Contact Us!
Beringer Technology Group is always here to provide expert knowledge in topics like these. We hope you found these use adoption tips helpful and can use some of these approaches in your next training session with end users. We’d love to hear from you if you have any other helpful tips you’ve learned along the way! Contact us today to learn more about training best practices.
Beringer Technology Group, a leading Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and CRM for Distribution. We also provide expert Managed IT Services, Backup and Disaster Recovery, Cloud Based Computing and Unified Communication Solutions.