Hello - I'm looking for info from people who have worked with SaaS companies.

6 Comments

1. AnonymousJanuary 20,2026 at 3:47PM UTC

   I manage a team of onboarding specialists and this is not totally uncommon, especially if you are dealing with 1 person at the company juggling many hats. We always strive to work within their timeline and their request to start training. We also supplement with lots of resources, both e-learning, videos, and articles.

   We consider a client "at risk" if they have not implemented their purchased software within the first 90 days of signing their contract. I would ask about what other resources they provide clients to ensure they don't churn and use the product/services they purchased. But it does unfortunately happen - some companies purchase the software as a "check the box" to ensure they're covered, but don't always use it. It doesn't make any sense to pay for something that they won't use, but it's their money.

2. SPQJanuary 20,2026 at 4:13PM UTC

   I think you can open this question up more generically to any type of organization-wide digital adoption. Employees hate doing technology training and management hate having to spend time putting them through it. The reason they even purchased technology in the first place is so they can work faster and more accurately, now the technology provider is asking them make a pit stop before starting on the track with their brand new car.

   Sure. On-demand training videos can help them learn at their own pace. (Note: Not all companies have the money to spend on creating videos. The first option is usually to have user guides and great user-centered design that speaks for itself). You can also run a train-the-trainer program, so certain employees receive training instead of the entire workforce.

   Moreover, if your onboarding program is a month, you need to ask the hard questions to your Product & Design people what they've done to make it more user friendly, and what's on their roadmap for improving usability and the adoption curve. No amount of training will help if your software isn't intuitive.

   Training isn't the entire solution. It's also about internal change management and how you, as a SaaS vendor, can influence and negotiate. You'll have to find a way to let the business owner that if adoption fails, they would've burned more money as opposed to doing it right the first time.

3. Robbin PayapillyJanuary 20,2026 at 4:47PM UTC

   I have worked as a Head HR for a Fintech in India. From my experience, the best possible solution to onboarding customers would be to give webinar of 2-3 hours initially and then supplementing with a videos that will cover all processes. The video content must not exclude 2 hours and should be consumed by the customer before earning free chat support for 90 days. In this scenario we are covering all the essentials through webinar and video content before opening the live chat support.

   I think the webinar and the video content must be consumed in not more than the first 7 days of buying the SaaS product.

   Thanks

4. Erica LanyonJanuary 21,2026 at 2:54PM UTC

   I've been in SaaS for 20+ years, it really depends on the product and how customers use it. Is it core, daily-use, or technical software, or more occasional use? If onboarding takes a month, it’s likely complex.

   I’ve seen a few different models:
   * Intensive kickoff (2–3 full days of setup + training, scheduled with the customer)

   * Ongoing enablement (a standing weekly session supported by docs, videos, checklists, etc.)

   *Partner-led onboarding (services firms handling implementation and support)

   *Or companies underinvest in onboarding. Then usage tends to drop and churn often follows.

   If you want to compare notes, feel free to message me.

   Questions worth asking them:
   *How many customers do you have, and what’s the average users per customer?

   *What are current churn and product usage/adoption rates?

   *Can they track usage at the account and user level (and tie it back to the CRM)?

   *What KPIs will define successful onboarding and adoption?

   These might help figure out if you're set up for success, or if you'll have to come build the onboarding org from the ground up.

5. GirlBossanova934974January 21,2026 at 4:26PM UTC

   It all depends upon the complexity of the software and the experience level of the personnel being trained. If for example I have been a steady user of Hubspot for several years and someone comes in with Salesforce, I am going to have to relearn a few things but I have the basics. IF I have no CRM experience at all and someone walks in with a mass implementation of Salesforce, then I better have video AND in person training. Those companies setting complex software loose on untrained employees with no in person training, might as well be throwing their money into a burning dumpster. The same thing applies for complex email or marketing automation solutions. VIDEOS are not going to cut it when there is a steep learning curve.

6. Monica RodriguezJanuary 22,2026 at 2:20PM UTC

   I have implemented many SaaS programs. Something I learned along the way is to ask far and up front " Who will be your identified Super Users? (who are your admins?")

   What you’re describing is something I’ve seen a lot, and in my experience the root issue usually isn’t that “buyers won’t attend” it’s that the training is aimed at the wrong people in the wrong way. The purchaser quickly checks out once the conversation shifts from outcomes and ROI into workflows and button‑clicking, and then it looks like “engagement is low” when in reality the audience is misaligned.

   Offer to remove the responsibility of training to an admin group who can be identified as "product champions". I have had a lot of success offering the concept of Championship to users and its just the standard training directed at the right people.

   You can ask your potential employer when is training being brought into the conversation? Honestly its often too late in the process when people are thinking about project close out and want to be done. Start asking your buyer to collect their champion rooster earlier on and engage those people in communications and up to date implementation news so they are bought in early. When training occurs they will be more likely to accept and adopt and you will have less change resistors. A root cause of "not attending" is often Change resistance. It can really make all the difference by reframing and directing to the right audience.