Technology is an essential part of every company and employees’ workflow, and given the events of the last 18 months, it has become more important than ever. Technology is only as good as its adoption, however. You can provide people with amazing tools, but if they are unused or underutilized at their minimum capacity, the technology will never reach its full potential.

A favorable first experience with technology can go a long way to creating the mindshare needed to take people from reluctant adopters to enthusiastic power users. However, in my experience over the last 20 years in tech, there is rarely an emphasis on making sure “First Use” is a positive experience. Instead, first use becomes a stressful experience used as a beta test, and then we wonder why people are gun shy to adopt it into their workflows.

I contend that first use needs to be three things in order to assure a positive experience that creates a platform for widespread adoption: low pressure, interactive and fun.

Low Pressure

How many of us have taken a job with a client, given an expedited timeline and then been asked to have the system ready just in time for the big meeting coming up? This scenario happens frequently and only sets everyone up for a high-pressure first use with extremely low odds of being remembered favorably.

First use should be done in a low-pressure environment; the learning curve, mistakes and glitches shouldn’t become emergency fire drills executed under a spotlight in front of a live audience. Integrators asked to deliver first use for a large meeting should coach their clients that it would be better to choose a smaller internal meeting for first use before the high stakes event.

Interactive

Ideally, first use should take place in an interactive fashion with support from the team that built, designed and programmed the system.

Even in low-pressure situations, feeling lost can be frustrating. Creating an interactive event where new users can access others who already know the system can help make a positive first use experience. No one likes to feel dumb or ineffective, and if they leave the first use experience feeling that way, odds are they won’t proactively look for a second opportunity to use the tech.

This is where I think flipping training could really benefit every company. In this fashion, first use would be done during group training instead of during a one-way broadcast from a trainer to an audience who are expected to remember the training days later.

Fun

I can hear it now … fun? Really? Yes. Make it fun, and it will be remembered favorably. Let first use be a work party or an event where attendees can share vacation or family stories. Make it about the people using the system — not all about the tech itself.

If you’re trying to get feedback, gamify the session. Have a debugging party, hand everyone a plastic flyswatter, and encourage them to slap the table whenever they see something that doesn’t make sense or needs more clarification. Think outside the box and make first use something lighthearted and (gasp) … fun!

At the end of the day, people like new tech toys. Think of how excited you were when you got your new phone, bought a new TV or installed a surround sound system. You probably installed new apps, watched a football game or loaded your favorite movie to test and celebrate the new technology. Find ways to replicate that experience with your business tech. You’ll create better adoption, increasing ROI and decreasing resistance and frustration, all because you focused on a positive “First Use.”