Getting Your Team to Use New Software Does Not Have to be a Struggle
Get to the Point:
- Discomfort With a Technology Switch Should Be Expected — However, getting your team to comply does not have to be a struggle.
- Listen to Concerns and Then Explain Your Decision — Discuss how the reasons behind the decision contribute to your vision for the company.
- Give Your Team Time to Get Acclimated — Pick a goal date to have everyone onboard but be realistic.
OK, so you’ve chosen your field service management software, and you feel good about your selection. All your questions have been answered and you have the features you wanted.
But then you tell your techs and office staff that they will need to learn and use something new … and the mood turns sour. What then? After all, employee buy-in is essential. Your new software won’t help your business if your team is not going to use it properly.
This type of reaction is par for the course. In fact, discomfort with a technology switch should be expected. It’s understandable for a switch to cause some irritation.
However, getting your team on board does not have to be a struggle. Here are some simple tips for encouraging compliance with your new software.
Listen to their concerns.
Encouraging team compliance with new processes was the theme of a recent webinar by Pointman VP of Human Resources Deb Spearing. She explained that you should never avoid listening to the opinions of your employees. Plus, “providing multiple outlets for feedback will make people feel heard.” Have some all-staff meetings. Follow up with one-on-ones. Above all, demonstrate that you are there to talk about their concerns at any time.
Make clear why you made your decision.
Listening is one thing. Being able to explain why you made your software decision is another. Discuss with your team how the reasons behind the decision contribute to your vision. Show confidence in the move you made, and be ready to explain why it’s going to work.
Lead by example.
As Deb explained in the webinar mentioned above, you will have an impossible time implementing new processes if you do not believe in them yourself. Take an active role in learning the software alongside your team, and show that you’re all in this together.
Emphasize the importance of training.
In a recent blog, we outlined the questions to ask when making your software choice, and one of these involved training. Let’s assume the company you went with has satisfactorily gone over what the training process will be, now and in the future. Let your techs know what to expect and watch some of their skepticism fade away.
Provide praise, support and encouragement.
OK, it’s no surprise that people like to receive praise. What could be surprising, though, is the positive impact it will have when it comes to team compliance. Complimenting your techs as they learn the new software will increase their confidence and engage the entire team.
If some techs are on board quickly, have them help with the learning effort.
It’s very possible that some of your techs will be excited to use your new software right away — and it’s likely these are your younger techs. Pointman’s Andy Bagner discussed how millennial employees can help train their more seasoned counterparts in another recent blog: “Give them the chance to take an active role in sharing their technological expertise. Even if they lack the job experience, they’ve got knowledge in other areas, and they are ready to teach.”
Give your team time to get acclimated.
While you want your new software to be used as quickly as possible, it might not happen as fast as you’d like. Remember, though, you know your business. Pick a goal date to have everyone onboard but be realistic. Give your team the time it needs.
Team compliance takes time, focus and dedication from the top down. But if you’ve made the right software choice, and you approach the situation the right way, any short-term struggles will fade away in time.
As explained above, training from the software company you’ve chosen is essential. At Pointman, we work closely with our PACT members to ensure that they are trained properly and have all the support they need. Ready to see PACT in action? Get a free demo today.
4. Add-On or Upsell Count and Amount
Here, we’re looking at repairs sold beyond the original reason for the call. Every time you enter a customer’s home your techs have the chance to sell value added work, beyond the repair itself. If you’re training your techs to sell add-on products, don’t you want to know who's doing it well, and who may need a training refresher?
5. Agreement Opportunities/Sales
Maintenance agreements are the key to a consistent client base and essential for keeping your team busy during the shoulder seasons. Every time your technician is in the home of a non-member there is an opportunity to sell. Are they delivering? You need to know.
6. Future Opportunities
Are your technicians talking to customers with forced air heat about the improved comfort that comes with a humidifier? How about the benefits of water softeners or whole-house surge protection? If the customer is interested, but not now, you need to be able to follow up on those opportunities.
How much money do you think gets left on the table just by failing to make a follow-up call to reintroduce an offered product or service? Tracking these opportunities can be the secret to putting more of that money in your pocket. These opportunities are the gold dust that’s hiding in your business. With a little work, there’s a lot of money just waiting to be panned for and earned.
7. Replacement Opportunities/Sales
Repairing a capacitor on a 17-year-old condenser, or the pilot on a 12-year old hot water tank? These are opportunities for replacement, and your techs should be offering that as an option along with the repair itself. You can determine what you consider a replacement opportunity in your business. But regardless of the conditions you establish, you want to know which of your techs is making the most of them.
And if they didn’t sell? See the previous item. You should be setting this as an opportunity for a follow up.
Have any recommendations for additional information you’ve found to be essential? How do you make sure your team shares these details after each visit? We’d love to know — drop us a line here.
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