When you’re planning CRM training,
it’s essential to consider who your audience is. You’ll probably be training various
types of users, and each user type will have unique training requirements. By
adapting your training plans to your audiences, you can deliver focused options
that keep users engaged and prioritize the right content for their needs. In
this post, we’ll highlight the types of CRM training and explain the correct
audience for each.
End User Training
One of your largest training audiences
are end users. Most of your employees will fall into this category.
These are the people who will use CRM day-to-day as they complete their job
functions. Managers, sales reps, marketing teams, customer service reps, and field
service technicians are all examples of end users.
Depending on the scope of your CRM implementation,
you may want to further narrow this audience by functional areas such as sales
versus service, or even outside sales versus inside sales.
It’s important that your training for
this audience focuses only on the functions they’ll need for their roles and
covers company policies around how they’re expected to use the CRM according to
data standards and security requirements.
Power
User Training
Some businesses also identify power
users. These are end users who are more highly engaged with the CRM system,
either because of their job function or because of their interest or
background.
Power users often become ‘go to’
resources for other users, answering questions about system functions and
helping build reports or dashboards for them. They can also help with testing
upgrades and new features before they’re rolled out to all users.
In smaller businesses, the CRM system
administrator may also fill this role. Power users typically need deeper
training on base system functions, especially around reporting and
dashboards.
System
Administrator Training
Your CRM system administrators must
be trained on how to manage users and how to use all of the system
configuration tools.
They should also understand how your
CRM system has already been customized so they are comfortable building on top
of previous configurations. Finally, they need to understand your change
management procedures and how changes should be rolled out in your production
CRM environment.
Developer
Training
Some companies employ developers
to write custom code for their CRM. This isn’t necessary for most businesses,
but if you have a highly customized CRM system, it may be worthwhile to have an
in-house developer manage updates and build new functions. In this scenario,
your developer(s) need to fully understand the core capabilities of the CRM
platform and how to customize it in the safest ways.
In-house developers may also be
responsible for configuring integrations with the CRM, so it’s crucial they understand
the technical capabilities of the system in all its forms.
Effective CRM training is segmented by
the audience. Your CRM consultant will help you organize your training schedule
to prioritize which teams are trained first and how courses are spaced out.
It’s a good idea to maintain some
momentum with your training by scheduling a particular audience’s classes over
consecutive days and weeks. This keeps the material fresh in their minds and
helps them quickly build upon what they’re learning. If you’d like help
planning your CRM training, check out our Training Services page
for details on how we can assist.