An organisation can invest significant time and money in Salesforce, complete the implementation and still find that employees are reluctant to use it.
Sales teams may continue managing opportunities in spreadsheets. Fundraising teams might maintain separate supporter records. Managers may question the accuracy of dashboards, while employees complain that Salesforce takes longer than their previous way of working.
It is tempting to describe this as resistance to change.
But low Salesforce adoption is often a sign that the system does not reflect how people actually work, that its purpose has not been communicated clearly or that employees have not received the support they need.
At Sweet Potato Tec, we believe the success of a Salesforce implementation should be measured by what happens after go-live. Are people using the system? Do they trust the information? Is it making their work easier?
Improving Salesforce user adoption starts by answering those questions rather than simply asking employees to log in more frequently.
How can organisations improve Salesforce user adoption?
Organisations can improve Salesforce user adoption by involving employees in system design, simplifying workflows, providing role-specific training and explaining how Salesforce supports their work. Clear ownership, internal champions, phased implementation and regular feedback also help. Adoption should be measured through meaningful system usage and operational outcomes, with ongoing improvements addressing the problems that prevent employees from using Salesforce confidently.
Why do employees avoid using Salesforce?
Employees often avoid Salesforce because the system creates additional work, does not reflect their responsibilities or fails to provide information they can trust.
There are several reasons this can happen.
Salesforce does not match existing workflows
A system may have been configured around what the technology can do rather than what employees actually need.
For example, a sales team might be required to complete numerous fields before progressing an opportunity, even though some information is not available until later.
A charity’s fundraising team may have to move between several screens to complete a task that previously took only a few minutes.
If Salesforce introduces unnecessary steps, people will naturally look for a more efficient alternative.
The system is unnecessarily complicated
Too many fields, confusing page layouts, excessive automation and complicated approval processes can make everyday tasks difficult.
Complexity can also develop gradually.
New functionality is introduced, but older processes are never reviewed. Over time, users are left navigating a system that contains more than they need.
Employees do not trust the information
Duplicate records, incomplete data and inconsistent reporting can undermine confidence in Salesforce.
If employees believe that the information is unreliable, they may continue maintaining their own spreadsheets.
That creates a cycle in which Salesforce becomes even less complete because important information is recorded elsewhere.
Training has not reflected real responsibilities
Generic demonstrations may explain what Salesforce can do without showing employees how to complete their own tasks.
Someone responsible for fundraising needs different training from a finance manager or sales representative.
The reason for the change is unclear
If employees are simply told that Salesforce is being introduced, they may see it as another administrative requirement.
They need to understand what is changing, why the change is necessary and how it will benefit their work.
At Sweet Potato Tec, our Salesforce implementation services address these issues through discovery, process design and user involvement.
We regularly work with organisations that already have Salesforce but are not receiving the value they expected.
Sometimes the solution involves training. In other cases, the underlying configuration or processes need to change.
The important point is to understand the cause before deciding how to improve adoption.
How can involving employees in Salesforce design improve adoption?
Involving employees early helps ensure Salesforce reflects the tasks they actually perform rather than assumptions about how their departments operate.
Senior leaders can explain what the organisation wants to achieve.
But employees who use the system every day can often identify practical requirements that are not immediately obvious during strategic planning.
They understand where information is entered, which processes take too long and what happens when something does not work as expected.
That knowledge should influence the design.
Start by understanding the work people perform
Before configuring Salesforce, ask employees to explain their existing processes.
What are their main responsibilities?
Which tasks take the most time?
What information do they need?
Which systems do they currently use?
Where do they encounter delays or duplicated work?
What would make their jobs easier?
These conversations can reveal whether the organisation needs a new Salesforce feature or simply a better way of completing an existing process.
For example, a team might request more automation because it spends hours updating records.
Further investigation could reveal that the same information is being entered into several disconnected systems.
The underlying problem may be integration rather than a lack of automation.
Keep the system appropriate to each role
Employees should see the information and functionality relevant to their responsibilities.
A fundraising manager may need donation histories, campaign information and supporter reports.
A finance user may need transaction and reconciliation information.
A sales representative may need a clear opportunity pipeline and straightforward next actions.
Not every user requires the same page layout, fields or reports.
Designing around roles can reduce unnecessary complexity and make Salesforce easier to understand.
At Sweet Potato Tec, our Salesforce consulting services focus on aligning CRM processes, data and reporting with how organisations operate.
This is particularly important when improving an existing implementation.
Employees may have spent years working around unsuitable processes. Listening to their experience can reveal which changes would make the greatest difference.
How can organisations use internal Salesforce champions?
Internal champions can help connect the implementation team with the people who will use Salesforce.
A champion might be an experienced employee who understands their department’s processes and is willing to support colleagues during the transition.
Their role is not to replace formal training or technical support.
Instead, they can help explain changes, gather feedback and identify recurring problems.
Champions can also provide a useful perspective when testing new functionality.
If a proposed workflow appears straightforward to the implementation team but creates difficulties for employees, that should be identified before the change is introduced across the organisation.
However, champions need time and support to perform this role.
Simply assigning someone responsibility for Salesforce adoption without considering their existing workload is unlikely to produce the desired result.
How can organisations simplify Salesforce and improve user training?
Salesforce becomes easier to adopt when employees can complete their responsibilities through clear, proportionate workflows and receive training relevant to those tasks.
Simplification should come before asking people to change their behaviour.
If a process is unnecessarily difficult, additional training may only teach employees how to navigate an avoidable problem.
Remove unnecessary complexity
Review the steps required to complete common tasks.
Does every field need to be mandatory?
Are approval processes proportionate?
Do page layouts contain information that users rarely need?
Are employees entering the same information more than once?
Could an integration remove manual data entry?
Are existing automations still appropriate?
These questions help identify whether Salesforce can be made easier to use without sacrificing important controls or reporting requirements.
At Sweet Potato Tec, we prioritise improvements that make a meaningful difference rather than introducing functionality simply because it is available.
Our Salesforce implementation approach specifically focuses on avoiding unnecessary complexity and delivering value through practical improvements.
Provide training based on real tasks
Training should demonstrate how employees use Salesforce to complete their work.
A sales team might practise creating opportunities, updating pipeline information and preparing forecasts.
A charity’s fundraising team may need to understand supporter records, donation information and campaign reporting.
Managers may need guidance on interpreting dashboards and identifying incomplete information.
Practical exercises are often more useful than a presentation covering every Salesforce feature.
Employees should also have access to clear guidance after training.
This might include process documentation, short reference materials and an agreed route for asking questions.
Continue training after launch
Training should not end when Salesforce goes live.
New employees join.
Existing users change roles.
Processes evolve.
New functionality is introduced.
Organisations should therefore consider how training and user support will continue.
At Sweet Potato Tec, our Managed Services offering includes user support, enhancements and helping people work more confidently with Salesforce.
This matters because adoption is not a one-time implementation milestone.
It needs to be maintained as the organisation changes.
What role does change management play in Salesforce adoption?
Change management helps organisations prepare people for new ways of working, communicate expectations and support employees throughout the transition.
A Salesforce implementation often affects more than technology.
It may change who owns particular processes, how information is shared, what managers expect to see and how teams work together.
These changes can create uncertainty.
Employees may be concerned about losing familiar processes or having to learn a new system while continuing to meet their existing responsibilities.
A structured approach to change management helps address those concerns before they become obstacles.
Communicate before, during and after implementation
Employees should understand what is changing and why.
Before implementation, communication should explain the objectives and invite relevant input.
During implementation, employees should receive appropriate updates about decisions, testing and preparation.
After launch, the organisation should explain where users can get support and how feedback will influence future improvements.
Communication should also be honest.
If a process will change significantly, employees should understand what that means for their responsibilities.
Presenting every change as an immediate improvement can undermine trust when people encounter genuine difficulties.
Establish clear leadership and ownership
Salesforce adoption needs visible support from leadership.
That does not mean executives should simply insist that employees use the platform.
Leaders need to demonstrate why the change matters and ensure teams have the resources required to make it successful.
The organisation should also establish clear ownership.
Who is responsible for Salesforce?
Who approves process changes?
Who monitors adoption?
Who resolves disagreements between departments?
Who decides which improvements should be prioritised?
Without these responsibilities, problems can remain unresolved after go-live.
How does Sweet Potato Tec approach change management?
Sweet Potato Tec’s approach to transformation considers people, processes, systems and data together.
Our Transformation Consulting work begins by understanding how an organisation operates and identifying changes that will deliver practical improvements.
We also recognise the importance of specialist change-management expertise.
Supa-C, featured within Sweet Potato Tec’s wider partner ecosystem, focuses on the business side of transformation, including operating models, organisational change and helping technology deliver measurable value.
This reflects an important principle.
Salesforce specialists can design and implement the platform, but successful adoption also depends on preparing the organisation to work differently.
Should organisations introduce Salesforce in phases?
A phased implementation can improve adoption by allowing employees to become familiar with essential functionality before additional processes are introduced.
Attempting to transform every department and workflow simultaneously can create unnecessary complexity.
Employees may be expected to learn several new processes while also managing their usual responsibilities.
This can make it difficult to distinguish between technical problems, training needs and broader organisational issues.
A phased approach creates opportunities to learn and improve.
Start with a clear operational priority
The first phase should address a problem that matters to the organisation.
For a sales team, that might involve opportunity management and pipeline visibility.
For a charity, it could involve supporter records and fundraising reporting.
The objective should be clear enough that employees understand what the change is intended to achieve.
Test processes with real users
Before introducing functionality more widely, ask representative users to complete realistic tasks.
Observe where they encounter difficulties.
Are instructions unclear?
Do they need information that is not available?
Are there unnecessary steps?
Does the process reflect what happens in practice?
Use that feedback to improve the design.
Expand when the initial process is working
Once the first phase is stable, additional functionality can be introduced.
This does not mean every organisation should implement Salesforce slowly.
The appropriate pace depends on its requirements, dependencies and operational constraints.
The benefit of phasing is that it creates opportunities to validate the solution and support employees before expanding the change.
What does successful adoption look like in practice?
Sweet Potato Tec’s work with CyberRisk Alliance provides a relevant example.
CyberRisk Alliance is a commercial media and events organisation, not a charity.
Before the project, its previous CRM was used by approximately 20 sales employees, and the organisation faced difficulties with disconnected information, inconsistent reporting and limited visibility across departments.
Sweet Potato Tec worked with stakeholders from sales, finance, events, customer success and marketing to understand their requirements.
The project involved process redesign, Salesforce implementation, integrations and training.
Rather than introducing Salesforce as a standalone replacement for the previous CRM, the organisation developed a connected environment supporting several departments.
The published case study reports that adoption increased from approximately 20 reluctant CRM users to Salesforce being used by almost the entire company.
This is not evidence that every organisation will achieve the same result.
It does demonstrate how involving stakeholders, redesigning processes and supporting users can contribute to adoption across departments.
The lesson is that adoption improves when Salesforce becomes useful to the people expected to use it.
How can organisations measure Salesforce user adoption?
Organisations should measure adoption through a combination of system activity, data quality, process completion and operational outcomes rather than relying on login figures alone.
An employee may log into Salesforce every day without using it effectively.
Another may complete all their relevant work in the system but need to access it less frequently.
Login activity can therefore provide some context, but it does not tell the whole story.
Measure whether important processes are happening in Salesforce
Start with the processes the organisation expects employees to complete.
For example:
- Are sales opportunities being created and updated?
- Are fundraising interactions being recorded?
- Are required activities completed?
- Are records maintained accurately?
- Are managers using Salesforce reports?
- Are employees still maintaining separate spreadsheets?
The right measures depend on the organisation and the role.
Monitor data quality
Incomplete or inconsistent records can indicate that employees are struggling with a process.
However, poor data quality should not automatically be interpreted as unwillingness to use Salesforce.
It may reflect unclear requirements, unsuitable validation rules or difficulties with integrations.
Data-quality measures should therefore be considered alongside user feedback.
Ask employees about their experience
Usage data can show what is happening.
Conversations can help explain why.
If a team rarely uses a particular feature, the organisation should investigate whether the feature is useful, whether employees understand it and whether it works as intended.
Feedback should be collected regularly and acted upon.
Otherwise, employees may stop raising concerns because they do not expect anything to change.
Measure business outcomes
Ultimately, Salesforce adoption should support improvements in how the organisation operates.
Relevant outcomes might include reduced manual administration, more reliable reporting, improved visibility between teams or shorter process times.
These are more meaningful than achieving an arbitrary login target.
At Sweet Potato Tec, our Salesforce Health Check guidance considers user activity alongside data quality, workflows, reporting and system performance.
That broader view helps organisations understand whether low adoption is a training issue, a technical problem or a sign that the implementation needs to change.
How can organisations maintain Salesforce adoption after go-live?
Organisations can maintain adoption by providing ongoing support, responding to feedback and regularly reviewing whether Salesforce continues to reflect how people work.
Go-live is the beginning of everyday use.
That is when employees start encountering situations that may not have appeared during testing.
New requirements emerge.
Departments change.
Processes evolve.
An implementation that worked well at launch can become less useful if the organisation does not maintain it.
Establish a clear support process
Employees should know where to report problems and request assistance.
Issues should be reviewed and prioritised according to their operational impact.
A confusing page layout may be straightforward to improve.
A more significant process issue may require additional discovery.
Both deserve an appropriate response.
Review and prioritise improvements
Not every request requires immediate development.
Some may be resolved through training.
Others may involve configuration changes, improved reporting or automation.
The organisation should maintain a clear improvement plan and explain how priorities are decided.
Keep Salesforce aligned with changing processes
Salesforce should evolve as the organisation develops.
A new department may need access.
A fundraising programme may introduce different reporting requirements.
A sales process may change.
An integration may need updating.
These developments should trigger appropriate reviews rather than allowing employees to create workarounds outside the CRM.
Sweet Potato Tec’s Managed Services are designed around this principle.
Our offering includes ongoing Salesforce enhancements, user support, reporting improvements, workflow automation, data-quality reviews, integration support and regular platform reviews.
The objective is to help organisations continue receiving value from Salesforce rather than simply keeping the system operational.
What if Salesforce adoption is already poor?
If Salesforce has been live for some time but employees are still avoiding it, the organisation should investigate the underlying causes before introducing more functionality.
A structured review can identify whether the main problems involve:
- Confusing processes
- Poor data quality
- Unnecessary fields or automation
- Limited training
- Unreliable reporting
- Disconnected systems
- Unclear ownership
- Changes in organisational requirements
At Sweet Potato Tec, we regularly work with organisations that need to improve an existing Salesforce environment rather than start again.
Our Salesforce consulting services include health checks, process redesign, reporting improvements and optimisation.
Sometimes targeted changes are sufficient.
In other cases, more substantial work may be needed.
The important point is that low adoption does not automatically mean Salesforce is the wrong platform.
It may mean the organisation needs to improve how the platform has been designed, introduced or supported.
FAQs
How long does it take to improve Salesforce user adoption?
The timescale depends on the causes of low adoption. A small training or usability problem may be resolved relatively quickly, while a wider issue involving process redesign, poor data or several departments may require a phased improvement programme. Organisations should assess the underlying problems before setting a timetable.
Should employees be required to use Salesforce?
Organisations can establish clear expectations about which processes and records should be managed in Salesforce. However, mandatory usage alone will not solve problems caused by confusing workflows, unreliable information or inadequate training. Employees need a system that supports their responsibilities and clear guidance on how it should be used.
What is the difference between Salesforce training and change management?
Training helps employees learn how to complete tasks in Salesforce. Change management addresses the wider organisational transition, including communication, responsibilities, leadership, expectations and support. Both contribute to adoption, but training alone cannot resolve every problem associated with changing how an organisation works.
Can Salesforce adoption be improved without rebuilding the system?
Yes. Many adoption problems can be addressed through targeted changes to page layouts, workflows, data quality, reporting, training or support. A health check can help determine whether the existing configuration can be improved or whether more significant redesign is necessary.
What is a good Salesforce adoption rate?
There is no single adoption rate that is appropriate for every organisation. Different roles use Salesforce in different ways, so measuring the percentage of employees who log in can be misleading. A more useful approach is to assess whether the people who need Salesforce are completing the relevant processes accurately and consistently.
Can managed services help improve Salesforce adoption?
Yes. Managed services can provide ongoing user support, configuration improvements, training assistance, reporting changes and process optimisation. They can be particularly useful when an organisation lacks the internal capacity to maintain and improve Salesforce after implementation.
Improve the experience, not just the login figures
Salesforce user adoption improves when employees understand why the system matters and find it useful in their everyday work.
That requires more than a successful technical implementation.
Organisations need to involve users in design, simplify unnecessary processes, provide relevant training and communicate changes clearly.
They also need to measure whether Salesforce is supporting the outcomes it was introduced to achieve.
At Sweet Potato Tec, we approach Salesforce adoption as part of a wider transformation involving people, processes, data and technology.
Our work with CyberRisk Alliance demonstrates how stakeholder engagement, process redesign, connected systems and user enablement can support adoption across an organisation.
And through our Salesforce Managed Services, we continue helping organisations improve their environments after launch.
If your employees are avoiding Salesforce, maintaining separate spreadsheets or struggling to trust the information it contains, the starting point is to understand why.
Our Salesforce consultants can review your existing environment, identify the obstacles affecting adoption and help prioritise the improvements that will make the greatest difference.
The aim is not simply to persuade more people to use Salesforce.
It is to make Salesforce a system they can rely on to do their jobs effectively.