How to Get Full Team Buy-In When Implementing New Software

Adopting a new business management software solution is never easy. For owners of integration companies, getting the entire team to buy in can feel like herding cats through a data migration.

But according to two industry veterans, taking a hard-line, all-in approach is the most reliable way to ensure a smooth, successful implementation.

At the recent CEDIA Expo, a panel featuring Randy Stearns, CEO of D-Tools, and Chris Smith, principal of TheCoTeam, tackled one of the biggest challenges for integrators: getting full team buy-in when rolling out new software. Their insights cut to the heart of what separates successful implementations from expensive frustrations.

“If you run a business, it needs to be all in and all in that direction… and it’s not optional,” said Smith. He compared software adoption to hiring decisions. “If you interview a technician who says, ‘I’m not going to use that software,’ would you hire them? Of course not. So why tolerate that behavior from existing employees?”

Still, Smith wasn’t simply advocating for a “my-way-or-the-highway” approach. He emphasized that leadership must communicate the why behind the change. “You have to get everyone together, describe the problem, describe the use case, and bring people along for the ride,” he explained. That means showing employees how the new software will make their jobs easier, not harder.

Stearns agreed, noting that even minor resistance can infect the culture. “Once a decision is made, it’s imperative for the leader to have a hard line and say, ‘This is going to be implemented, and everybody’s going to buy into it.’” He warned that “a little bit of resistance rubs off on somebody else, and suddenly you’ve got a toxic environment that’s just not going to work.”

5 Ways to Get Full Team Buy-In

1. Involve the Team Early. Both Stearns and Smith stressed using your team to evaluate and select the software. When people help choose the tool, they’re more likely to feel ownership and less likely to resist.
2. Communicate the Why​. Don’t just announce the new system; explain the reasons behind it. How will it solve real problems? How will it improve workflows? “We need to actually explain to them the why,” said Smith. Transparency earns trust.
3. Designate Internal Champions​. Smith recommended having a point person responsible for ensuring teammates are on board. That champion can translate management’s goals into day-to-day action and address concerns early.
4. Establish Clear Timelines. ​“We would outline the plan: when we’ll deploy it, when we’ll train, when we’ll hard cut over, and when the old tool gets shut off,” Smith said. The old software would literally be “shut off” on the transition date. At his former integration companies, he would tell the employees who offered resistance to the change, “Go ahead and try to run the old software… good luck. Your job is going to be real hard because literally the old solution won’t work.” His favorite example: when his company adopted Slack, the leadership told the staff, “After this date, if you email me, you won’t get a response.” Removing the old option forced real adoption.
5. Hold People Accountable​. Finally, Smith noted that buy-in doesn’t mean endless patience. “If somebody absolutely drags their feet, they get three chances; after that, they’re out. The machine won’t move forward if that individual doesn’t play their part.” 

In the end, Stearns summed it up best: “Full buy-in and full steam ahead is the best way to do it.” 

When leadership commits, communicates, and cuts over decisively, software adoption stops being a battle and starts becoming a business advantage.