A lot of businesses have turned to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as their primary communication tool. And for good reason – it’s more affordable with business-grade features with the flexibility to work from anywhere.
But here’s the thing. If your team isn’t trained properly on how to use it, your business won’t reap the benefit of even the most advanced VoIP system.
It can be small things like forgetting to set up call recording or transferring a call incorrectly. Yet doing these things will lead to missing out on the very efficiency that VoIP promises.
10 Ways To Train Employees On Using VoIP Effectively
It all comes down to effective training. Whether your business has just made the move to VoIP or you’re simply upgrading to a more advanced system, here are 10 ways to train your team.
1. Always Start With A Clear Introduction
People are less likely to use something or show interest in it if they don’t fully understand what it is and what it’s capable of. But if they understand what VoIP is and why it’s being implemented, they are more receptive to how it works.
At this step, it’s important to actually do a hands-on demonstration, even letting employees test out features themselves. This will avoid confusion from the start and build confidence instead.
2. Design A Training Manual
Of course, not everyone learns at the same pace. Some pick up concepts very quickly, others need a guide as a reference. And that’s fine, as long as you cater to everyone.
It’s recommended to create a step-by-step training manual which will cover the basics of setting up their VoIP account, how to use the basic features and then the more advanced ones.
If you can, use visuals to make it easier to follow. These can also be given to new hires even after the initial team has been trained on the system.
3. Offer Video Tutorials
Video training is still one of the most effective ways to learn a new system. These can be split up into short tutorials to explain different concepts and show the VoIP functions in action.
This type of learning is great because your employees can watch it as often as they need to and at their own pace. In fact, some VoIP service providers have tutorial videos on offer so you can share those with your team.
4. Offer Role-Based Training
Not all employees will use the VoIP system in the same way. For example, a receptionist and a customer service agent will use entirely different functions. Role-based training is a great way to cater to individual needs and the team knows how to use the functions most suited to them.
It also prevents overloading other employees with information they don’t necessarily need to know.
5. Create Real-World Scenarios
The best way to learn is to actually put the theory your team has learned into practice. This can be done through simulation, walking employees through real-life situations that they are actually likely to encounter.
It’s a practical way to let employees apply what they know in context and any confusion can be cleared up before real customers are involved.
6. Make VoIP Training Part Of Onboarding
VoIP training won’t stop with your current team. You should ideally keep the momentum going for when new employees join the company. The best way to do this is to integrate VoIP training with your existing onboarding process.
From day one, all new hires will learn how to use the system.
7. Encourage Peer Learning
If some team members are particularly tech-savvy or learn quickly, you could offer them more in-depth training. They can then offer support “on-the-ground” after training has been completed.
Employees may feel more comfortable approaching a colleague as opposed to the IT department if they have a VoIP-related question.
8. Create A Quick-Help Support System
Even though training is being done, your employees may have some questions. To answer these, you can create a FAQ document that covers all the basic common questions or create a VoIP support channel on a cloud-based app of your choice, like Slack or Google Teams.
If it takes too long to get answers, it will only cause frustration among employees.
9. Present Refresher Sessions
Your VoIP system will evolve as time goes on with new features or updates. If there is no ongoing training, employees probably won’t be aware of these.
Every few months, there should be a refresher session to cover anything new. They don’t need to be long and time-consuming but just to keep everyone informed.
10. Make Ongoing Improvements
After training, it’s helpful to ask your team if they have any feedback. Some concepts and features may require deeper explanations or some employees may want additional support resources.
This feedback can improve your future training sessions and over time, you’ll be able to refine the process.
