So, you’ve implemented a new CRM or marketing automation system, and you’re excited to reap the benefits for your business. But you are also concerned with overcoming your employees’ resistance to change. While you are thinking about how this new technology will transform your business, your staff is thinking about how time consuming or difficult it can be to master a new platform. It can be frustrating — and expensive — to invest in a new platform. And, if only a small percentage of your organization adopt it, it could spell disaster for your return on investment. In order to truly transform your organization, you need your employees to share your enthusiasm. Here are six steps to get your team well-versed on the new platform:

1. Make training mandatory.
   A feature that may seem intuitive to those selecting a new technology may feel counter-intuitive to the people actually using it. If you don’t invest in training for your team, it is very likely that they'll struggle to make use of the new tool. Training employees after implementing a new platform is necessary and can be the determining factor on ROI. Furthermore, 66% of trained employees will recognize a training as a catalyst for their productivity. Make training an indispensable part of a technology implementation; your employees will be more engaged and more empowered in their jobs.
2. Align technology training to professional growth.
   Several recent studies have shown that a top reason employees leave their companies is lack of learning or coaching. Indeed, employees take their own professional education seriously — thriving organisations invest in high caliber training opportunities to satisfy demand for professional growth. To successfully train your employees on new technologies, make sure to align the training to their professional growth. so make sure to engage your team in a development program instead of hiring. A prolific learning culture is a prerequisite to retain talent.
3. Timing is everything.
   For a successful implementation, a joint effort between the project manager and the trainer is essential to transfer knowledge. You will have to work with the training team prior the final implementation to identify when the training can be done. Indeed, your employees are busy and you can not expect them to abandon their tasks and jump into a training because you did not adequately plan the training into the roadmap. Planning ahead and understanding the training requirements from the beginning will impact positively the learning experience and ease adoption. Be certain as well that the platform will be ready after the training. If your employees are trained too early, they may forget vital aspects when the time finally comes to use the new tool.
4. Train leaders first.
   If you are ready to launch a new platform that will affect your team, or even the entire company, consider two main options. The first option is the “train the trainer” approach. Educate the trainers and once they've mastered the platform, they can in turn train their respective team. The second option involves training a select group of employees first, generally team leaders, then the end users in a separate session. Training the leaders first is an efficient technique for passing on information and a great way to boost adoption. Make sure to include a leader in each training session to give the company context for the new technology.
5. Choose the right training method.
   Nobody feels engaged to sit in a room and listen to someone read slide after slide. When the lights come up, little knowledge is gained. Ineffective training is as bad as no training at all. Choose instead a method that incorporates interactive elements such as exercises, team conversations, or even creating custom scenarios to ease the transition from the old platform to the new one. Also, hands on practice drives competence. Moreover, do not neglect the facility; it is as important as the training itself. Make sure that your room is setup correctly to encourage group exchange and hands-on training — for instance, adjusting the table in a U-shape. Finally, don’t force your team to go through a learning marathon, instead give them frequent breaks to ensure that the content sinks in. 
6. Create a sandbox environment for your team to practice.
   After a training session, most of the attendees will be eager to play with the new tool. Having an enthusiastic team is good, having a safe place for them to practice is better. They will make mistakes, as it is a normal step on the learning path, so you need to make sure their environment is isolated and will not impact sensitive data. In most platforms, you can create a sandbox environment that looks like the real one with all the features but without the risks.

Don’t underestimate the value of meaningful training. If your team is not properly equipped to engage the new platform you are giving them, the risk of a misstep with a client increases exponentially. You always have time for employee enablement — take the initiative to make it a priority.

Ready to get started? Connect with our experts to make training an integral part of your organization.