Have you ever had the experience of finding out you’ve been using something wrong all along? It can be quite frustrating to find out you’ve wasted so much time and energy. This usually happens when we don’t read the instructions, receive training or ask for advice when using something new. For many agencies, this is the case with their agency management system.
Although your agency received set-up training, you may have overlooked some of the ways your agency’s management system can work for you. And if you have a good provider, chances are they’ve updated your system, adding on capabilities and tools that can improve the way your agency works. If you haven’t kept up to date on recent upgrades, you may be behind on your management system’s capabilities. There are hosts of ways to continue your education on what your agency management system can do, and you should continue to take advantage of these opportunities.
Where To Learn
As we mentioned in the last post , you should be sure to pick a provider that updates your system and provides you with these educational resources. Along with continual system updates, your provider should give you different ways to stay up to date on these changes. Some of these resources should include:
- User groups and conferences that provide networking opportunities with other users. Attending these conferences will let you see your agency management system in a new light through the experiences of other users. Many provide interactive training sessions on system updates, allowing you to test out new capabilities first hand.
- Training workshops, which function like mini-conferences, and tend to focus on specific system capabilities like accounting, prospect research, or e-mail integration. These workshops offer a great opportunity to learn more about features you may not use often, and provide perspective on connections between the different capabilities of your agency management system. Some providers, like SIS, also offer individualized training workshops tailored to your agency.
- Webinars to fit training in to your busy schedule, and to provide consistent education on your system’s capabilities. Since many webinars are recorded, you can sign up and watch them later if something comes up. When participating in webinars, pay attention to the Q & A sessions as you may find some questions provide insight into new ways your management system can help you. Good providers offer webinars at least quarterly, and whenever new features are added.
- Online and onsite training to give your employees hands-on training. These sessions should be offered when you first launch your agency management system and as it is upgraded or your agency gains employees. Online training is convenient as it can be recorded and viewed later as needed. Many providers have client specific portals, like SIS’s PartnerNet, which provide access to a host of training and support resources.
Although we can’t speak for other providers, SIS offers multiple training options, including monthly webinars, regional user conferences, online training, and personalized customer support as needed. Check out our other training options or contact us today to keep learning what management system can do for your agency.
