Office Hours Recap | Driving Showpad User Adoption

Missed the session? No worries. You can find an overview of the session with Tristam Jones and Katrin Kirchmann here, as well as [the full recording] and some useful follow-up resources at the bottom of the article.

Adoption isn't a one-time project — it's an ongoing effort. Here's a recap of what we covered in our September Office Hour.

Build a solid foundation first

Before any adoption push, make sure your instance is ready:

• Clean up your content — stale assets undermine trust and usage
• Integrate your CRM — this unlocks the ability to connect Showpad usage to sales performance
• Make Showpad the single source of truth — if sellers can get what they need elsewhere, they will
• Request an instance audit from your CSM or account manager for a clear health check and recommendations
• Listen to your users — NPS data is available from your account team; pair it with a short survey or 30-minute conversations with your biggest detractors. Turning a detractor into a champion sends a powerful message.

Train smarter, not longer

Up to 60% of new knowledge disappears within 24 hours — so one-and-done sessions don't cut it:

• Lead with the why, not the how — tell the story of how Showpad makes sellers more effective
• Break it into a journey — Tristam showed a mapper experience in the demo instance, a visual onboarding program sellers can move through at their own pace (core functionality, available to all content-side customers)
• Segment your audience — reps and managers need different things; focus sellers on what's in it for them
• Use spaced repetition — give people a place to go when they need a refresher

Gamification: more than just a leaderboard

Two types to consider:

• Passive — leaderboards, recognizing behavior sellers already do (shares, logins, collections)
• Active — treasure hunts, pitch challenges — something that requires a little extra effort

Tips to make it land:

• Match the game to your users' current skill level
• Tie it to a clear goal, ideally right after a training session on that feature
• Prizes don't need to be big — swag, a t-shirt, or a leadership shoutout go a long way
• Get manager buy-in so they amplify it in team meetings
• Communicate it regularly and make it feel like a real event

Build an ambassador program

Your most enthusiastic users are one of your most underused resources:

• Why it works — a peer saying "I used Shared Spaces last week and it worked" is far more convincing than a top-down message
• How to find them — check your analytics, watch your leaderboards, notice who asks the best questions in training sessions
• Recruit wisely — three genuinely enthusiastic ambassadors beat ten who were voluntold
• How to use them — training sessions, gamification hype, cascading communications, feedback on platform changes
• Make it a win for them too — be clear on time commitment, give them a voice, and act on their feedback

Create an engagement schedule

Structure your efforts across four types of engagement throughout the year:

• Inform — regular updates on new content and features (a monthly newsletter is a great baseline)
• Involve — surveys, feedback sessions, ambassador check-ins
• Educate — training, office hours, feature spotlight videos, peer testimonials
• Excite — gamification, fun launch moments, creative leadership videos

The goal: a predictable rhythm — not an overload one month and silence the next.

Bonus: automate your content update emails

A feature many customers don't know exists — automated email digests when content is uploaded or updated:

1. Go to Admin Settings → Automations → Rules
2. Set the trigger to a weekly scheduler (e.g., Fridays)
3. Add conditions for content uploaded or updated in the past 7 days (joined with OR)
4. Set the action to Send an email — customize the subject, body, and recipient group

Sellers get a digest with direct links to what's new. No manual announcements needed.

Office Hours Recording

 Check out the full recording below.

Watch the Recording!

Follow Up Resources

We have prepared some resources for you. Do note that you find some best practices in our community area reserved for customers. So, if you do not have an account just yet, it takes 30 seconds and gives you access to even more resources.