“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” – Confucius
Salesforce training should be understood as a process, not as an isolated incident during the initial onboarding stage. Just because an employee has finished initial training doesn’t mean they have a perfect understanding of a software platform. Someone might know how to ride a bike but not be marathon ready. For long term success and productivity, your company should invest in continual and effective employee training. Here are six continuous training practices that will help you elevate your Salesforce training program.
Even with great training, you can make Salesforce MUCH easier to use.
1. Collect Employee Feedback
Even with the most effective training programs, some people may still have questions. Managers should collect feedback after Salesforce training by conducting surveys or handing out questionnaires. This allows employees to express their opinion while also giving managers insight into ways to improve training. Requesting feedback also makes employees feel valued. It creates the impression that the company is democratic—it’s not arbitrary rulings coming down from on high but, rather, the kindly hand of the managerial class looking out for everyone’s interests.
2. E-learning Software and Video Tutorials
Encourage employees to get involved with e-learning software and video tutorials. These tools improved training by providing a dynamic medium that goes beyond lecturing. In addition, videos ease some of the burden so that managers don’t have to conduct the entire training program. And of course, videos can be accessible outside the office, which gives employees unique opportunities to take their work home with them.
3. Team-Oriented Training
Team-oriented environments allow employees to learn in an interactive and collaborative way. If they start in isolation, it will take more time for them to connect with other employees. Memory can be tricky. Turning Salesforce training into a social exercise makes it easier to remember just what happened in this training session weeks ago—maybe an employee remembers a question someone else asked, or how someone reacted to something. It gives the training a context.
4. Skill Development Monitoring
Learning new skills can take time. Make sure to keep track of how employees develop their skills so that learning doesn’t plateau. After initial training, Salesforce productivity may wane quickly. Ideally, productivity should increase over time. Monitoring skill development shows managers any improvements and teaches how to provide better training in the long run.
5. Lead by Example
Managers should have a strong grasp of how to use Salesforce themselves. A manager should not only be a good resource to employees with questions, but also an inspiration to keep learning. Managers may want to organize informal mentoring or workshops to continue the learning cycle. This lets employees learn from the manager’s on-the-job experience and strengthens the team dynamic. That being said, there’s a difference between being a leader and a schoolmarm. They shouldn’t become overbearing supervisors, but rather familiar faces that employees can turn to with questions.
6. Microlearning
There’s only so much information that one can absorb at any given time. You can use microlearning to spread out employee training into more easily digestible bite-sized blocks. Instead of an hour long training session, you can give your employees six 10 minute tutorials over the course of the week. They are more likely to retain this material than something from a long training session where fatigue and ennui kicked in. Microlearning accommodates the natural rhythm of the human brain.
Continuous learning promotes a successful Salesforce adoption and implementation process. Implementing these strategies doesn’t have to cost extra money. While it may take some adjustments over time, in the end companies will see noticeable improvements in employee skills and productivity. The same field can yield a few crops or hundreds of bushels, depending on how it is farmed. Why toil away with a hoe and a sickle when you can get more results for less effort with better methods? You can work hard or work smart, but it’s better to work smart and work hard.
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