How to Increase Product Adoption on Your Team
I love new tools. Discovering just the right one is like finding a unicorn. But that feeling can be short-lived when you realize the tool isn’t just for you.
The product has to work for your entire team, and maybe the team you sit next to, and the team you pass in the hallway, and…
You get the picture. It’s hard to imagine everyone will be as happy as you were at the start.
Either way, when you invest in a new tool, you want your team to like it. The good news is: If you play your cards right, they will successfully adopt it.
What is product adoption?
Product adoption is the process in which users become aware of a tool, determine its value, and ultimately incorporate it into their daily workflow. It’s typically broken down into 4 stages:
- Awareness
- Interest
- Evaluation
- Conversion
We often think about product adoption from the perspective of creating and selling tools. In this article, we’ll look at it from the other side—evaluating product options and working with your team to implement and embrace the right one.
Why is product adoption important?
From the product development side, it’s clear why user adoption is critical: high retention = revenue. From the user side, it’s not quite a straight line.
Of course, the bottom line is important. Switching to a new tool should boost productivity, resulting in higher output and lower churn.
But personally, I believe success can be measured by team happiness alone. If the product adds to a team member's satisfaction—or removes frustration from their role or tasks—you win..
5 steps to increase product adoption success
Want to make the switch to a new tool a lot less painful for everyone? Follow these 5 steps to ease product adoption and set your team up for success.
- Put inclusion at the center of your product adoption plan
- Figure out your strategy before diving into research
- Use market research and testing to select a product
- Establish a plan for onboarding your team
- Measure your success (and failures)
Template & Examples
Getting a new project off the ground involves a lot of documentation—from project requirements and scope documents to risk assessments and project plans.