With the great resignation in full force, employee churn has never been higher. Companies must innovate with new digital tools in order to stay competitive, but the stress of balancing change has intensified. Failing to implement new technology properly will heighten dissatisfaction among your teams. However, when rolled-out successfully, a new tool is seen as an indispensable asset - increasing employee production and satisfaction.
Learn best practices around how to increase early and rapid usage of emerging digital tools. These steps could be used to implement any new technology systems, but since we develop AR video tools, we'll use that as an example.
Demonstrate the benefits for internal users.
Technology implementation will be most successful with clear communication about the strategic benefits. When introducing a new tool or process to your team, start simple and break down the benefits into digestible “What’s in it for me?” pieces.
For example, while Streem allows your team to provide a better customer experience, reducing miscommunication and overspend to resolve issues, that benefit is more useful for high-level decision makers.
A more effective approach would be to showcase that Streem can help agents communicate with customers easier, meet their quotas faster, and do their jobs more efficiently.
Don’t dilute your message with overwhelming details. Communicating the benefits of a new tool by highlighting agent-centered features is a far more compelling hook to get your team interested early.
Make new technology fun for everyone.
Positive reinforcement and rewarding the behavior you want to see is incredibly effective.
Know which team members are adopting the technology and what kind of rewards mean the most to them. Consider gamification to keep it fun, play on friendly competition, and reward super adopters.
Choosing a tool that is built to optimize the agent experience in addition to the customer experience can make all the difference. When agents are empowered to simply fulfill their customers' needs, everyone wins.
Adjust company goals and key performance indicators (KPIs).
Emerging digital tools differ from traditional business tools in that it can take some time to properly introduce the new digital tool and prioritize the customer experience. Taking an agile approach to introducing digital strategy helps establish the correct KPI.
Traditionally, CX leaders have emphasized total number of calls as a leading KPI for success. Because of this, some shy away from emerging tools with fear it will bloat their volumes and increase costs.
Implementing new technology systems that work with your existing channels at the right time can reduce call back and increase first time resolution- ultimately reducing the number of calls but crushing other KPIs that can be tied to saving overall time and money and increasing customer satisfaction.
KPIs can vary depending on your goals. Below are KPIs and behaviors worth incentivizing for a quick adoption process.
- First call resolution
- Reduced warranty cycles and spend
- Increased tool usage week over week
- Decreased wait time for customers
- Customer satisfaction and CSAT scores
Customize your training.
Your teams are diverse and their familiarity and comfort level with emerging technology varies widely. Reflecting those differences in your training efforts will go a long way in introducing new technology into the workplace. Some team members may prefer a demo and team training while others do better with one-on-one personal coaching.
Ask your team members what kind of training they are most comfortable with and then give them the autonomy and resources to explore and support their discovery journey.
Lead by example. Investing your time in learning and teaching a new tool demonstrates how important it is for the entire team to learn and implement.
Identify the internal champions.
A network of internal champions who can coach others on how to use a new tool to their benefit will speed up the adoption process. People support and protect the work that they help to build so involve your champions early - learn how in our blog: Secure a Sponsor & Budget for Customer Experience Innovation.
Focus on team members who have not only easily implemented digital tools in the past, but those who are also naturally helping others and communicating across the organization. These influencers are a great way to help your team understand all the internal and personal benefits of your new tool.
Conversely, make sure detractors feel heard and their concerns are addressed. It is human nature to be wary about change, and it’s possible that you’ll face a bit of dissent. Don’t abandon your plans, but do use any concerns as an opportunity to highlight the need for the solution that the new tool provides.
Make using new technology part of the routine.
Show your team members that you are including the new digital tool into existing processes.
Organizations that make new tools and processes a part of their everyday work habits see faster and better results as opposed to making the tool optional. Demonstrate the ease and quick improvements adapting to these new tools and workflows has made to both individuals and the organization.
Quickly highlight and celebrate early wins.
Once team members begin to use a new tool more and more, draw attention to the positive impact it’s having on your organization. Publicizing both company and individual quick wins helps build a case for change and encourages further adoption.
Don’t just share results, share specific examples. Early wins are exciting but without connecting the dots between initial effort and final reward, it can be difficult for team members to see how a new tool can benefit them personally.
It's crucial to emphasize relevant examples of the problems a tool solves, instead of just simply listing the positive data.
You can do this!
Get creative and have fun with your team. Convincing a team to adopt a new tool can be tricky but the process doesn’t have to be stressful. With a plan in place, you can greatly reduce the challenges that you’ll face and help ensure an effective rollout.
See how Streem can help your team improve the KPIs that matter most for a successful team. Get a free trial of the tool that will change the way you work, for the better.
