Elevation Solution’s CEO, Sarah Ross, has some pointers for those who are excited to share the Salesforce platform with their team, but could use some more insight on how to get (and keep) acceptance and participation.
Understand the Pain Points
The path to getting your team on board starts with knowing what you’re solving for. What are the issues your team faces day to day? Potential stakeholders will be more supportive if they hear their feedback in proposals to implement a new technology vs. being told what obstacles they’re experiencing without being asked.
Involve the Right People
Top down decisions about technology can present a challenge because oftentimes the end user and/or the solution’s advocate aren’t represented. However, that doesn’t mean that everyone involved needs to be 100% bought-in from day one. Team members who present questions and raise concerns help you address gaps in information or capabilities early on as well as surface lessons learned.
When determining who should be included in conversations about Salesforce, try and gather a team that will stay involved throughout the engagement (from pre-project through support) and can be relied on to fulfill their role. Key roles like Project Sponsors and Project Managers should have an expectation to be present and involved from day one through go-live. Key members set the tone and example.
Consider Priorities
When we partner with teams to prioritize and scope their implementation, we ask what functionality will create the biggest wins early on. Experiencing successes early in the project creates future evangelism among the group. Work with the team to uncover the biggest pain points so you can provide visibility into what will be solved now vs. what will be addressed later.
With that in mind, balance is important.Consider the long-term priorities as well. If you’re limiting your implementation early in the initiative by only focusing on a short timeframe or lowest investment, you’re reducing your Implementation Partner’s ability to create a solid infrastructure that allows the solution to scale. Salesforce is not a point solution. This platform is designed to grow and change with your organization based on needs and goals.
Be Transparent
Being upfront about things like buy-in concerns, budget restrictions, previous project hurdles, or team limitations gives stakeholders time to absorb, process and respond with constructive input. If your team goes into this initiative with all the facts on the table, you’re laying a good foundation for long-term advocacy and accountability.
Focus on Adoption Even After Kick-off
Continue to relay messaging throughout your Salesforce engagement. It’s easy to lose buy-in once a project starts because updates aren’t shared, feedback isn’t solicited, requests aren’t heard, etc. Avoid going through the process of getting Salesforce added to your technology portfolio only to silo yourself and your teams by limiting information. If you expect cross-functional participation, set the environment and expectation. Consider sharing the project’s overall communication cadence at the start of the initiative. If your team knows that their input will be requested and heard weekly, they’re more likely to get invested early on.
Don’t forget your Salesforce Account Executive or Implementation Partner are here to support you! We can provide the resources and metrics that supplement your proposal and showcase why Salesforce can be a win for your team. Let us know how we can help!
