The importance of adoption

In this section, we explore what we mean by adoption and why it is important for the success of your Sales Cloud implementation. First, let’s explore what we mean by adoption.

What is adoption?

In the context of a business application, adoption is a measure of whether Users are logging in and using a system, such as Sales Cloud. There are a number of metrics to measure this, the simplest being the percentage of people who have access and are logging in on a regular basis, (i.e., daily, weekly, or monthly). Another approach is to measure activities in the system, for example, record creation or processes completed. In a sales context, this might be the number of companies and people entered (Accounts and Contacts) or calls, meetings, and emails logged (Events and Tasks). These can be tracked as the overall totals to show the overall usage of the system; however, these can also be used as a measure of individual adoption and performance. It can be common to measure the number of meetings booked as a measure of individual performance and future sales performance. The trade on this type of metric can be used to determine how well the system is being adopted, how easy it is for people to perform the tasks asked, and if the implementation of the system is realizing the benefits promised.

It is at the organization’s discretion which measures it uses. The measures and the focus that is put on these will determine Users’ behaviors. A mix of these measures can be used to determine if the system is a living breathing asset to the organization that people want to use or if it is simply ornamental.

In addition to usage, you can also consider adoption as the proportion of the capability you are using. Sales Cloud has a lot of functionalities, which increase with every release. Increasing the functionalities used is another way to derive additional value.

To get the maximum value, consider Salesforce as an additional member of the team. As you would with any team member, regularly review its performance to see if it can take on additional responsibilities and deliver more value. A natural interval to review performance would be helpful but around the time of the new functionality releases. This is a really good time to review what is being released to see if there is a new update that addresses requested system improvements or allows a new process and Users to be brought onto the platform. Salesforce provides a lot of content about its releases in multiple formats. This included Release Notes, Release Readiness webinars, and a Release Readiness Collaboration Group on Trailhead. You can find links to these resources in the Further reading section.

Salesforce releases

Salesforce releases functionalities three times per year. They are the winter, spring, and summer releases, and they happen in September, February, and June, respectively. There is no Fall release. Releases are rolled out over a weekend by Salesforce, so you do not need to be involved or schedule the release. It is worth noting that this happens in the maintenance window that Salesforce specifies. You can’t influence or delay these. Where changes are carried out that might have an impact on your setup, Salesforce will communicate these in advance. You can review changes of this type in Setup > Release Updates. For updates that might have an impact, it is typical for Salesforce to make these available for you to turn on when you choose before mandating the update. The month before each release, Salesforce upgrades sandboxes to allow you to test that you will not see any impact and also test any new functionalities so you can use them in your Production Org as soon as they become available. It is important to know when the release window is and factor that into when you release your functionality so one doesn’t impact the other. We explore planning your deployment in Chapter 10, Deployment Planning.

Now that we understand what adoption is, we will learn why it is important.

Why is adoption important for Sales Cloud success?

Adoption is important because it takes every member of the sales team to deliver sales objectives and targets. The benefits that systems such as Sales Cloud offer can only be realized if they are used consistently by all those who deliver the processes they are designed to enable.

If a small group, or even just one person, doesn’t see the value in using it, doesn’t know how to use it, or just doesn’t want to use it, it means that for some, the data or activities are not complete. Worse, they might revert to a spreadsheet or other system to perform their tasks, sometimes referred to as a shadow system. This means a system such as Sales Cloud isn’t truly the source of truth for a type of data. Users might start to question the information the system holds and decide they would prefer to work in an alternative way of their choosing too.

To get the full benefits from a centralized system, such as a complete and accurate view of customers, an improved customer experience, greater efficiency, and greater collaboration, the data needs to be complete and accurate, and everyone has to be engaged and play their part.

As we learned in the section Alignment with company strategy and values, the success of your implementation and Sales Cloud overall depends on how well what you deliver aligns with what and how a company plans to achieve its goals.

In the next section, we learn what gets in the way of adoption and what you can do to prevent these things from happening.

Barriers to adoption

We have established that adoption is an essential component in achieving return on investment (ROI). However, in real-world implementation, there are a number of situations that can arise that create barriers to adoption. The following are some scenarios to watch out for and suggestions on how to mitigate them:

• Not engaging with users during the design and build: This means that Users’ voices and needs are not heard during the time they can influence the build. This introduces the risk that the system may not deliver what Users need. It also means that Users feel no attachment or ownership of the system and may decide it is not for them. To avoid this, have User representation present in requirement-gathering sessions and sessions for going over what has been built so feedback can be incorporated.
• Not enough supporting and training users: This means Users are not provided with enough of the training they need to understand what is expected of them and how to do it. To avoid this, engage with your training team if you have one and develop a plan for training that is appropriate for your users. We explore the role and options for training in Chapters 2 and 8.
• Leadership not engaged with the system: This means that Users are not seeing their leaders also adopt the system, and they may possibly request that information be provided outside of Sales Cloud. To avoid this, ensure that senior leaders lead by example. Examples include running regular sales and pipeline meetings with Sales Cloud on the screen, asking deal owners to talk about the next steps and check that information is up to date, and adopting the philosophy “If it isn’t in Salesforce it doesn’t exist”.
• Not measuring Adoption: This means that the level of adoption is not known, so high adoption is not being celebrated and low adoption is not being addressed. To avoid this, track some adoption metrics such as those that we stated in What is adoption. If lower levels of adoption are observed, then the root causes can be identified by talking to users and understanding their issues or barriers; and then creating a plan to address them. That might include additional training or system changes.
• Not having an ongoing maintenance and improvement plan: This means that there is no one to listen to Users’ issues or change the system as processes evolve and new ways of working come about. It also means new functionality is not being used to ensure RIO year on year. To avoid this, someone should be identified to own and administer Sales Cloud. As a minimum, they or your IT teams should support Users with their day-to-day issues, including troubleshooting login problems and reporting issues. They should capture User requests, review the new functionalities in each release, and make recommendations to leaders when updates would be beneficial.

These barriers usually arise because the value of the activities and the impact of not doing them are not appreciated. The scenarios explored here are not an exhaustive list, but they do occur relatively frequently. We don’t cover day-to-day administration and maintenance in this book, but it is important to understand that the implementation is the start of the journey.

In the next section, we consider how your individual approach to an implementation can have a positive impact on the outcome.

What is your approach?

As the leader or a member of the implementation team, you can influence how successful it is; no matter what your role, you can make a real impact. It is important to remember that all Sales Cloud implementations are about providing a system that helps people serve the needs of other people. How you approach your role in the implementation will influence the outcome. The following are some suggestions on approaches you can adopt that will have a positive impact.

• Collaboration: Embrace and encourage collaboration with all stakeholders, as encouraging diverse points of view results in a solution that serves a wider audience. It is important to bring Users on the journey, and the later important information is discovered, the more complicated and expensive it is to incorporate.
• Empathy: Put yourself in the position of the stakeholders you are serving. Most people come to work to do a good job, so when they share their challenges, it is important to listen and try to find solutions, as this is more likely to result in a solution that internal stakeholders will use. It also builds cooperation and trust.
• Build trust: Build trust with your internal stakeholders by being sure to do what you say you are going to do, listen and understand their requirements, and then play back the functionalities that deliver them. Building trust from the start provides a strong foundation, which is beneficial if more difficult conversations or decisions are necessary later in the implementation.
• Become an internal salesperson: Part of your role will be to persuade, and effectively sell, the functionality you are building to business stakeholders. You can learn from the information that sales stakeholders are providing about selling and apply it when selling the Sales Cloud implementation to them. For example, this could be the format they use to communicate, the language they use, and how they handle objections.

In Chapter 2 – Defining the Approach, we will learn how you define the approach to your implementation, which includes aspects such as selecting a development methodology and exploring Change Management and training. Many of the topics in that chapter expand on what we have learned in this one.

In this final section, we will explore another essential component: scope.