Okay, so let’s just be real. Rolling out Salesforce globally sounds great, right? Everyone’s excited. A single system, shared data, teams talking to each other. Sounds perfect. But it rarely works that way. At least not at first.
I’ve seen it happen so many times. The system goes live, people log in once or twice, then boom, old habits come back. Excel sheets, email notes, the works.
It’s not because Salesforce is bad. It’s because nobody really taught people how to use it in a way that makes sense for them.
People, Not Tech, Are The Real Problem
Here’s the truth. Technology alone doesn’t fix problems. You can buy all the licenses you want, get all the dashboards, automate everything. But if people don’t get it, it’s useless.
Salesforce rollout enablement isn’t just training. It’s like, helping people actually get why they should even care. And most companies forget that.
Enablement is about helping teams feel comfortable, confident, and capable using the system every single day.
When that part is missing, adoption falls flat.
Global Rollouts Are Tricky
One office? Hard enough. Multiple countries? Forget it.
Different time zones, languages, cultures. What works in London might confuse people in Dallas. And sometimes, it’s just the way people are used to working. Old habits die hard.
I remember one client. Everything was perfect technically. Integrations, dashboards, automation, the works. But six months later, barely anyone was using it. Less than 40 percent.
Why?
- Training was boring and one-size-fits-all.
- Sessions were scheduled at weird times.
- No one explained why the new system mattered to everyday work.
It wasn’t Salesforce that failed. It was enablement.User Onboarding Optimization prevents these early drop-offs.
How Bad Enablement Shows Up
You can spot poor enablement easily. It looks something like this:
- One training session before launch, then nada.
- Slides that don’t make sense to people doing real work.
- Users too scared to click around or break something.
- Support tickets climbing like out of control.
Then people just stop using Salesforce. They fall back to what they know, keep old spreadsheets, and the system slowly loses its purpose.
It’s kinda like buying a Ferrari and never learning to drive it properly.
The Cost of Not Using It
This stuff isn’t just annoying. It’s expensive.
Low adoption leads to:
- Wasted license costs
- Bad data and unreliable reports
- Extra time wasted on manual tasks
- Frustrated IT and training teams
Some studies say 70% of CRM projects fail because adoption fails. The software isn’t the problem. It’s the training.
What Good Enablement Looks Like
Good enablement is simple. People understand it. They feel confident. They actually use Salesforce.
It’s usually things like:
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Role-based training. Sales reps aren’t managers aren’t analysts. Different people, different needs.
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Local content. UK people, US people, other countries. Everyone’s different.
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In-App Guidance. With the right Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) Benefits, you can deliver help right inside Salesforce, not some big boring manual.
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Measuring stuff. Who’s logging in, who’s confused, who’s ignoring it.
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Leaders showing it matters. If your boss doesn’t care, why would you?
It’s not about making training longer. It’s about making it useful.
Managed Enablement Makes Life Easier
Trying to handle global enablement on your own? It gets messy fast. Different regions, updates, content versions—disaster waiting to happen.
Managed Learning Services help. They handle everything.
You don’t have to juggle it all:
- Consistency across all regions
- Centralized updates and governance
- Scalable delivery (virtual or in-person)
- Data tracking on adoption and performance
It’s cleaner, faster, and ultimately more cost-effective.
Real Story: From 40% to 78%
One client’s rollout was failing. The system worked beautifully, but people weren’t using it.
We stepped in. Here’s what we did:
- Built different learning paths for different roles.
- Delivered short sessions, specific to each region.
- Embedded guides directly into Salesforce.
- Watched metrics weekly and adjusted content.
Three months later, user adoption went from 40% to 78%. Helpdesk tickets went down.
The system hadn’t changed. Just the enablement. Check out our client success story.
Mistakes People Still Make
Even big companies trip over the same stuff:
- One-time enablement. Check the box and move on.
- Assuming people will “figure it out” eventually.
- Forgetting culture and language differences.
- Not tracking adoption.
- Thinking training doesn’t need updates.
All fixable, but many ignore it.
How to Measure Adoption
You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Watch:
- Logins
- Features used
- Completeness of data
- Support tickets
- Software Training completion
Tracking these numbers is part of a strong Software User Adoption Strategy.
People First, Always
Tech doesn’t change behavior. People do. Enablement helps people feel confident and supported.
Then adoption happens naturally.
Make Enablement a Habit
The best companies never stop. Salesforce changes, people change, work changes. Keep content updated, do refreshers, celebrate people who help others adopt it.
Enablement isn’t a project. It’s a culture.
Bottom Line
If your rollout isn’t working, it’s probably not Salesforce. It’s enablement. Do it right and you’ll see adoption go up, ROI go up, and people actually enjoy using the platform.
Ready to Fix It?
Don’t let your Salesforce investment underperform. Take the next step toward smoother rollouts and happier teams.
