22 Steps to deliver 'killer' CRM training, Part 1: Preparation and Delivery

Chances are that you are reading this because you will be delivering a CRM training session sometime soon.

I've been delivering customer training on CRM systems since 1999 and wanted to share some of my experiences as a trainer. In the first part of my two-part article I will look at steps you can take to prepare and deliver an effective CRM training session. In the second part we will continue to look at best practises. We will also investigate how to follow up after the training, how to gain feedback and how to put that feedback to good use so that you can do an even better job next time.

Whether this is your first time delivering a training session or you are an experienced professional trainer we hope you will find some value in the steps listed below.

Preparing for and delivering a training session

CRM success depends upon the user community becoming engaged, and it's our job as administrators and trainers to help our users to get engaged by designing and developing effective training programmes.

And I often say, a good trainer will have done 50% of the job before even setting foot in the classroom.

1. Set goals

Identify the ideal end result for each training session. The goals might be part of a longer-term programme but they need to be measurable on their own. E.g., "At the end of this session you will be able to process a customer return in CRM. Or you might decide to list smaller sub-tasks such as