Effective Salesforce training teaches users how Salesforce helps them do their job better, not the latest and greatest features. Our goal is to empower users with a tool that helps them achieve their goals.
User-centered Salesforce training means that the system should be built with their needs in view, training should apply to roles, daily tasks, and business goals, and training should be interactive and ongoing.
Build Well, Train Well
Training finds its roots long before the demo session. It all starts with how well we understand what the users need to do and why they need to do it.
One of our pillars at Level 12 that informs how we work and what we build is vision transfer. Vision transfer refers to how well we transform a client’s business needs into actionable tasks and preserve accuracy and context.
In other words, vision transfer means that everyone on the project should understand:
- why the business needs what we’re building on a micro and macro level
- what we’re building is a gainful investment for the client
This informs everything at Level 12 - why we work in sprints, how we get clients involved with their projects, our goals when meeting with them, and how we run our teams. It’s what separates us as a company from other development firms.
This understanding shouldn’t stop when we’re done building. It should permeate demos, training, and requirements gathering and building.
Our goal isn’t to showcase but to demonstrate how what we built meets their needs and brings them more value than what they had before.
Empower Roles
If vision transfer is done well, we should deeply understand who is using the platform and why. Our guidance then, should address those goals and demonstrate the platform’s usefulness in achieving those goals.
Each feature should correlate to the person’s responsibilities and goals. If you can’t answer how something will make them more productive and meet their goals, users won’t see its value.
Even our language can go a long way in showing users. Abandon technical, feature-oriented language in favor of value-based language. Instead of logging opportunities, show your reps how to track deals.
Creating role-based training paths prevents the overwhelming sense of something new, especially if users aren’t familiar with the platform or have never used it.
Software is only as good as its usefulness. No one gets any value from solutions that aren’t helping people do their jobs or businesses run.
Role-based training is also a strategic context to demonstrate the value that Salesforce can bring to specific jobs.
What an administrative assistant needs to do in Salesforce is quite different than the sales rep, which is quite different from what a sales VP wants.
Just as we wouldn’t gauge these jobs by the same benchmarks, we can’t lump them together in terms of what they should know.
Contextual and Consistent
Inevitably, users will feel like they’re drinking from a firehose. Salesforce can be a lot, and it can be overwhelming when trying to do a job and adapting to something new.
First, step out of your shoes. Separate from the work so that you can see it from an outside perspective. Even physically and mentally take a break from it if possible.
Then, design initial and ongoing support and resources. Resources should give users the information they need, when they need it, and where they need it. Strategically serve them rather than inundate them with information.
We’ve found that users learn best by doing, especially those new to Salesforce. Depending on the group and context, a variety of formats can help users get hands-on for the first time:
- Demonstrating their workflow and specific features, then letting users pilot before finalizing the work
- Hands-on, real-time training and guiding users through the platform instead of showing them
- Using real examples and data instead of placeholders to help users envision what their data will look like
- Recordings and videos to refer to later if needed
- For larger group settings, working in groups or going through mock situations
Thoughtful, consistent training will depend largely on the audience:
- Use in-app guidance
- Keep office hours for accessible drop-in discussions or questions
- Keep documentation, guides, or videos
- You can even make it fun - use games or competitions
Training That Works
Effective Salesforce training is more than just teaching features—it’s about helping users see how the system supports their daily work and business goals.
By building with users in mind, aligning with roles and responsibilities, and making learning interactive and ongoing, we create a foundation for success.
At Level 12, vision transfer is at the core of our approach, ensuring that every solution we build is not only technically sound but also valuable and intuitive for those using it.
Training is an extension of that process. It’s not about showcasing functionality but demonstrating real-world impact.
By empowering users with role-specific, contextual, and consistent training, we turn Salesforce from just another tool into an integral part of their workflow.
Thoughtful training doesn’t just improve adoption; it makes Salesforce a platform that genuinely helps businesses and individuals thrive.