Identify your user pilot group
All champions should be included in the pilot group – that way, they can support other end users as they’re added.

Plan your pilot group communications
Communicate what’s changing to your pilot group, as well as why they’ve been selected, the benefits of participating, and what they’ll be expected to do.

Host user experience or shadowing sessions
When it comes to technology, what people say they do often differs from what they actually do. So run user experience or shadowing sessions as early in the project as possible. This will help you better understand any pain points and correct course in good time.

Train your pilot users
Your pilot user training should:

• Include hands-on practice
• Be tailored to each audience
• Have clear success criteria
• Regularly reiterate the reasons for and benefits of change

Gather feedback from your pilot users
As you gather feedback form your pilot group, work to ensure an ongoing dialogue – reminding participants how their feedback will help create a better user experience. You’ll want to:

• Gather real-time feedback via email, website, Slack etc.
• Schedule formal feedback meetings

Act on feedback from your pilot users
When you make changes based on your pilot group’s feedback, let them know. It’ll help encourage them to keep sharing their thoughts and experiences. And remember – you may need to update your communications or training materials to reflect the changes you’ve made.