Whether you are a Salesforce Admin, Developer, or Consultant getting users trained in Salesforce is key to driving adoption and data quality. An untrained user will not only be frustrated, but can have a negative affect on other users causing them to create data errors. Training users isn’t a one-time event it’s an ongoing process that can be approached in a variety of methods.
Types of Training
New User Onboard Training
When a new employee starts with the company prior to issuing them a Salesforce license, you need to set up a training class for them that is relevant to their position. These training classes are often an internal class that can be taught by a Salesforce Administrator or SME in charge of training. At Red Argyle we have seen our clients tackle new user onboard training with a series of classes and workshops, or with a set of internal videos that an employee can watch. Initial training of new user will be critical for your company to get buy in and decrease frustration- remember the employee is not only learning Salesforce but often your internal processes as well.
New Feature Training
We know that Salesforce has 3 releases a year, so that means at minimum Salesforce Admins, Developers, and Consultants should be doing three training sessions a year on new releases. These training sessions can be in person, recorded, or virtual. To train your users be sure you have take the time to learn the functionality and impact on your company. As much as possible you should try to have user questions anticipated and answered or provide them a forum to post those questions for additional follow up.
Refresher Training
Training users when they start, and training them only on the new features isn’t enough. Processes can change and users can forget about functionality that is outside of their everyday. Schedule training once a year to do a full refresh on functionality and process so that every user stays up to date.
Ways to Conduct Training
Classroom
In person classroom style training is the best. It provides an environment away from the user’s office which can let them focus on learning. For classroom training you have three options.
1. Perform & create the material in-house: This will require you or an SME having a complete working knowledge of processes, features, and applications within Salesforce. As well as the creation of training materials- slides, workbooks, and a Sandbox or development environment.
2. Send the user to a Salesforce training class: This option provides a great experience for the user to learn about the Salesforce application but doesn’t provide them with training specific to your instance of Salesforce.
3. Partner Training: Companies like Red Argyle can offer custom built training that is tailored to your needs. We have experts that can evaluate your instance, and work with Stakeholders to understand the processes. Then use our industry knowledge to come up to speed faster and develop training on-site.
Virtual
Sometimes due to geography or cost it’s just not practical to get everyone in the same room. Virtual trainings are a viable alternative, however unlike classroom training they should be sectioned up so that the user has frequent breaks and more activities. Virtual trainings don’t give users the chance to be in the same room and chat like classroom training and it doesn’t give users the ability to see if others are struggling or not.
Here are some tips for virtual training:
- Plan each session for 1-2 hours. Longer than that and attention spans start wavering.
- Have more hands on tutorials- this gives users a chance to “Do” more than “listen”
- Have a feedback or hand raise mechanism: the worst thing for a user is to be stuck with no way of getting help.
- Have a solid internet connection: conducting training from the corner coffee shop isn’t best for bandwidth.
- Limit class size: Just because the online meeting tool can hold 50 doesn’t mean you can. 5-10 is best depending on your skill level.
Training users in Salesforce should be a fun and exciting experience. At Red Argyle we get to train users all the time and really enjoy bringing our passion to the client’s users.
