Background:
The sales field at a large manufacturing company had recently implemented Salesforce as the enterprise standard for its CRM. While Salesforce brought possibilities, it required significant effort to get the sales field accustomed to using it. Previously, each office had its own solution for customer relations management and handling bookings. Something was needed to get the field up to speed with Salesforce.
What was Implemented:
I was tasked with advancing a project that aimed to create centralized training. The current state of the project had not progressed much beyond the initial idea. I was assigned to bring this idea to fruition and recommend a course of action.
I began by learning the Salesforce platform myself, putting myself in the shoes of the sales field. Having not previously used Salesforce, this was an excellent opportunity to see it from a fresh perspective. After some time, I understood the platform but recognized how overwhelming it could be. I noticed that the field still preferred their old methods for CRM.
Building upon this, I spoke to key leaders within the sales organization to hear their perspectives. Many advocated for Salesforce but acknowledged the pain felt during the transition process. Additionally, I visited a sales office to observe how they used Salesforce daily. I was beginning to form an idea of what was needed.
The training process I developed focused on starting with the basics and gradually building upon them. It was a multi-part training course consisting of modules, similar to a roadmap. The beginning would ease users into the platform, progressing toward more intermediate information. The key was to teach critical content first, as we expected some participants to drop off before completing the entire roadmap. Modules would include auditory and visual elements, with skill tests and interactions. These would connect back to existing standard work documentation.
The Outcome:
I completed the framework for the roadmap and recommended a plan of action. In this framework, I built the content in a text-based form, including necessary quizzes and skill tests. This was presented to the core Salesforce team responsible for the platform. I assisted in laying this out to the vendor used for related training, enabling them to build upon it for the complete roadmap. Ultimately, this resulted in a comprehensive training program for the field.