If you are about to launch a new software version with new and robust features, you need to consider a few critical factors. First, if your customers won’t know how to use the new features, they are unlikely to appreciate them and they are liable to be a source of confusion and frustration. Furthermore, if the confusion persists, some might consider their continued investment in your software. Finally, if customers do want to invest the necessary time and effort needed learn how to use the new features, your customer support team is likely to receive an overwhelming influx of calls for support.
If you handle the process properly, however, new software features will not only please your existing customers, but also potentially bring new customers. On the other hand, if you fail to manage the process properly, it may lead to a nightmare for your customers and subsequently your staff.
Therefore, one of the most challenging tasks of any product manager is planning the best approach to introducing unfamiliar software features to both existing and new customers. First, you need to focus on your existing customers and help ensure them an easy transition to the new features. Often, people don’t like changes, even in the case of upgrades to features. Unfamiliarity is often undesirable. However, in a world of rapid technological advances, particularly in the internet / business software industry, changes are inevitable and even healthy. If your business does not evolve or adapt, it is likely to lag far behind its competitors.
In planning your software presentation, It is important to keep things basic and simple. You need to explain all the features in a way that everyone understands. Most importantly, you need to make sure that the new software is user-friendly. Although transitioning to a new software is difficult and complex, there are still many ways for product managers to ease the frustration.
First of all, you need to make sure that every person migrates over previous accounts, and does not create any new accounts. Due to this, everyone will be able to stick with basics, while slowly trying some new options. With the right technology and approach, your customers will be able to understand new features in a simple manner. It is very important for your customers to explore these features. Thus, they should experience it firsthand.
One technology that does exactly that is WalkMe . To understand WalkMe think of the GPS metaphor. Like GPS it guides you step by step using tip balloons overlaid on the screen, as you are using the new features. It serves to be a great way to train your staff members and subsequently your customers about the new features of your software.
WalkMe is extremely beneficial for customers. While using this software, your customer service representatives are able to indulge your customers in a smooth and natural conversation. Customers will never know that your team members are being guided by a software. Thus, all kinds of customer issues will be resolved in a timely manner. Alternatively the customer support representatives can send a link to the customer that will launch WalkMe and automatically guide the customer to using the new features.
One of the most important things is to make sure that everyone is happy and satisfied with the new software. Your customers as well as your colleagues in the Sales, Marketing and Customer Support departments will be able to understand the value of the new features. This way, you will not only keep your existing customers happy, but also bring in many new customers and easily onboard them.
