The Head of IT Change signed the cheque, but the end user will be the one signing off on the go-live.
This is the reality of B2B SaaS implementations – you are selling twice. And this second, continuous sale of value to the users is the one that makes it stick.
End users have a day job, they are usually not rewarded for implementing change, and they are not getting bonuses for reducing costs.
They are, though, benefitting from an improved workflow, more control, automation, data, or whatever value the solution brings. And we want them fantasising about the day after go live when they sit in status meetings, or in the coffee corner, and definitely in the pub after work.
Let’s create a collaborative environment to help us win together:
- Find a superuser, or a few, bring them on the journey with you. Get them excited so they can excite other users.
- Get everyone to understand the value.
- Learn their processes so you can explain why your system is a better long-term solution than John’s spreadsheet.
- Show & tell early on, and again and again and again. Get an early signoff on the user experience.
We need to be better at reading the room – are they quiet because they are content or because they are tired?
We also need to build the relationship – stakeholder management is great, we need them for future deals and for escalations, but we cannot deliver the system if the users are not on board.
Finished reading? Message a user and book time with them for a coffee.