Mastering Behavioral Change Techniques for CRM Success

There was a time—not that long ago—when you could hand someone access to a CRM like Salesforce or HubSpot and they’d just figure it out. No training, no onboarding, just “Here you go!”

Yeah… those days are gone.

Let’s Talk About Training

Today’s CRMs—especially platforms like Salesforce—are powerful, but also more complex. And while companies are quick to invest in the technology, training often gets pushed to the back burner. If budgets are tight, it’s usually the first thing to get cut. The irony? Training is probably the single biggest factor in whether your Salesforce rollout actually succeeds.

Coming from a background in emergency medicine and the military, I’ve seen how intentional, structured training can shape behavior—even in high-stress situations. Teaching someone how to use Salesforce isn’t life or death, sure—but when it comes to building new habits? You still need a solid strategy. 

Repetition Works: The Rule of Three

One training session isn’t going to magically change behavior. Back in the Navy, we had a simple but powerful approach to make things stick:

Tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them again, and then tell them what you told them.

This “Rule of Three” works just as well in Salesforce training. Rolling out Salesforce? Here’s what to keep in mind:

• Don’t rely on one session. Spread training out over time, with hands-on practice in between.
• Keep communication open. Let your team ask questions and get support as they learn.
• Use a sandbox environment. It gives users the freedom to explore without fear of breaking anything.
• Record sessions. Bonus points for creating short, on-demand “How-To” videos.

Consistency: Habits Matter More Than Skills

Getting people to learn Salesforce is one thing. Getting them to use it consistently? That’s where the real work begins. 

Let’s face it—logging into Salesforce every day might not feel natural at first. But like any habit, it becomes second nature with time and repetition. Salesforce even offers adoption dashboards and usage metrics, so you can actually see how often your team is logging in, updating records, and engaging with the system. 

If usage is low, it may be a sign that people haven’t integrated it into their daily routines. Here's how to help that shift happen:

• Make it fun. Gamify usage, create login streak challenges, or reward small milestones.
• Be clear about expectations. Logging in daily, updating leads, checking dashboards—it should be standard practice.
• Lead by example. If leadership isn’t using Salesforce consistently, why would the rest of the team?

Simplicity: Start Small, Win Big

Behavioral change doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. In fact, the smaller you start, the better. 

Here’s how to ease your team into Salesforce:

• Start with simple tasks, like entering a lead or updating a contact in the sandbox.
• Break training into bite-sized, focused sessions instead of one big info dump.
• Let people master one thing at a time before layering on more.
  
  

Yes, you might see a small dip in productivity at first—but that’s normal. And once people start to get the hang of it, you’ll likely see performance improve across the board.

When Salesforce feels easy and helpful, people want to use it.

Set the Stage for Success

Here’s the real takeaway: technology is only half the battle. The other half? Getting people to actually use it.

So if you want to make the most of your Salesforce investment, don’t just train your team—empower them. Give them the tools, time, and space to build good habits. 

• Repetition builds confidence
• Consistency creates habits
• Simplicity drives adoption

Salesforce success isn’t about fancy features—it’s about how your team uses those features day in and day out.

Need help building a training plan? Want to chat about Salesforce adoption strategies? We’re here for it. Let’s make sure your Salesforce implementation doesn’t just launch—it sticks.