Driving User Adoption

As a Showpad Admin, you've spent time and energy making sure your courses are fully built out and that your users and groups are structured properly. You've sought the expertise of your colleagues for content contributions and asked your VP of Sales to record an example Pitch IQ.  But no matter how much time or energy you put in, you're just getting to the challenging part: motivating your users to adopt a new technology.

When rolling out any new tool, there can be resistance at first. Not only are reps being asked to consume content, but they're also being asked to record themselves and receive coaching from their manager. Recording oneself can be a little uncomfortable at first - even if it’s just for practice! The key to solving this problem is to understand why they're resistant and what you can do to encourage them.

Before you can get started, though, keep in mind that your company culture may influence what tips work and what tips don't. For example, some customers find that their reps aren't incentivized by gift cards or company-wide praise. It's all about finding what drives them to learn, practice and improve.

Understanding how to drive user adoption requires an understanding of your company culture, combined with a few helpful tips that we, at Showpad, have seen other customers use successfully. These include:

• Make it fun: Start with a light and easy course to get learners used to the technology in a low stakes environment. If you want something corporate, do an elevator pitch or mission and values. More low-stakes? Try a question like, “If you had to change your name, what would your new name be, and why would you choose that name?”
• Build a thoughtful communication plan prior to launch: Work backward from your initial roll-out date. Make sure to decide on your first initiative, who you need to involve, and how you’re going to convey that initiative to the team.
• Get senior leadership involved: Begin your first course with a quick intro recorded by your VP of Sales or the CEO. They can help explain why this initiative is important and why reps should care.
• Tie to rep performance: If a rep didn't complete 90% of their assigned courses in Showpad Coach, consider tying that performance to something of value to them, such as their bonus on a quarterly or semi-annual basis. Alternatively, during the initial rollout of Coach you could consider rewarding the reps who are first to complete courses.

For any initiative to be successful, it requires commitment and communication. If you decide to give any of these a shot be sure to communicate it to your team and stick with it! While it's okay to pivot to another idea, communication is key when you decide to do so.