Skills · 15 June 2026 · 3 min read

How to Train a Customer's Users So They Can Do It Themselves.

A tool nobody knows how to use gets dropped. Here is how to train a customer's users, so the whole team feels sure and the product actually sticks.
Will Koning
Will Koning
Founder, meritt
meritt illustration: onboarding & adoption

Picture this. You close the deal, set the customer up, and walk away proud. Months later, only one person there knows how to use the product. Everyone else gave up. When renewal comes, the answer is no. The fix is simple, and it is a real skill. You train the customer's users so they can do it on their own. When the whole team feels sure, the product sticks.

The mistake most people make

Most people hand over a login and hope. They show one person around, send a link, and leave the rest of the team to figure it out alone. So they don't. People are busy. A tool they don't understand is a tool they avoid. A few weeks later, use is near zero. The customer thinks the product is hard, when really nobody was ever taught. That quiet gap is where good deals go to die.

What good training looks like

Good salespeople make sure the real users feel sure. They don't just train one person. They run a session built for each new group, so it fits what that group actually does. They leave behind a short guide people can follow on their own later. Nobody is stuck guessing. Use spreads across the team, not just one desk. That is what keeps a customer for years.

How to do it

Run a session built for each group of users

One size does not fit all. The admins need different things than the daily users. Build a short session for each group, around the tasks they will really do.

"For the meritt admins, let's walk through setting up roles. For the daily users, we'll just cover running an assessment."

Leave a short guide they can follow alone

People forget most of a live session within a week. Give them a simple, one-page guide they can open when they get stuck, so they never have to wait on you.

"Here's a one-pager with the three steps to run an assessment in meritt. Pin it somewhere your team can find it."

See the difference

Weak

"You're all set up. I showed Sam how it works, so reach out if anyone has questions." Then nothing. Sam is busy, the rest of the team never asks, and the product gathers dust. By renewal, almost no one has logged in.

Strong

"Let's get your team confident. I'll run a 30-minute session for your daily users next week, focused on the one task they'll do most. Then I'll leave a short guide they can follow on their own. Sound good?"

Same product. Same customer. One team is left to guess, the other is trained to stand on its own. The strong version trains the right people and leaves something behind. That is why the second team is still using meritt a year later.

How you'll know it's working

You've got this when the main users are trained and feel sure on their own. Look at your accounts. Can each one name the people who were actually trained? Do they have a guide to fall back on? If the answer is yes, you're there. A trained team uses the product, asks fewer panicked questions, and renews. An untrained team quietly fades. Training is the skill that turns a signup into a habit.

Questions people ask

How do you train a customer's users on a new product?

Run a short session built for each group of users, focused on the tasks they will actually do, then leave a simple guide they can follow on their own. Train the admins on setup and the daily users on their core task. The big mistake is showing just one person and hoping the rest of the team picks it up, because most of them never will.

Why do customers stop using a product after onboarding?

Usually because most of the team was never properly trained. One person learns it, the rest are left to guess, and a tool they don't understand is a tool they avoid. Use drops, and by renewal the product feels like a waste. The fix is to train each group of users and leave a short guide, so the whole team can use it without help.

What makes a good user training session?

A good session is short, built for one group of users, and focused on the tasks they will really do. It is hands-on, not a lecture. People follow along on their own screens and try the steps themselves. You then leave a simple one-page guide so they can repeat it later. The aim is for the team to feel sure doing it without you in the room.

Should I train every user or just the main contact?

Train every group that will use the product, not just your main contact. If only one person knows how it works, the product depends on that one person, and use stays low. Split your training by what each group does, like admins on setup and daily users on their core task. The more people who feel sure, the more the product gets used and the safer the renewal.

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