Why You Don’t Have to be Tech-Savvy to Use Software

When working with clients new to Zen Planner, I sometimes hear “I’m not very tech-savvy,” followed by a doubt in their ability to effectively use the software. Many people tend to put themselves into this box of not being “tech-savvy,” but the great thing is that you don’t have to be a software developer, have a degree in computer science or even have a ton of experience with technology to make software work for you!

Learning a new piece of technology is a process for anyone, regardless of whether you are an Innovator and Early-Adopter or a Laggard on the Technology-Adoption Lifecycle. However, there are a few things that can make it much easier to learn technology and turn it into the asset it is meant to be. When the technology itself is user-friendly—meaning, every time you, the user, build something out or use the functions of the software, it is following a similar and mimicked workflow—it can be very quick to learn.

As humans, we are biologically designed to quickly learn processes that follow a similar pattern. Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is the brain’s ability to change throughout life. It can reorganize itself by forming new connections. This is how we are able to learn new things throughout our lives. For example, if you were to practice the same simple song on the piano a few times in a row, your brain would remember and more easily be able to press the keys in the same order. It’s much the same with software, building the muscle and brain memory to remember the processes. Like using your muscles, the more you use the software, the stronger, more proficient and natural it becomes. Zen Planner’s Technology and Product teams put a lot of resources toward ensuring the software is user-friendly. Part of this process even includes taking requests and ideas from clients on how they use the software and what they would like to add.

When you have someone to teach you the processes in an interactive way, it forms those connections even more quickly. Our commitment is to make our customers wildly successful, and using Zen Planner effectively, as an asset, can help you grow your business and be wildly successful. As part of this commitment, Zen Planner’s Onboarding Coaches will guide you through the transition. They will actually walk you through using the software, through a screen share or in person (if you’re lucky enough to live in the Denver-area) and help you build everything out in the best way possible. They can even advise you as to what leaders in your industry are doing so that you can compare.

Regardless of whether you are tech-savvy or not, couldn’t you just manually perform all the same functions as the software? Is it really that much easier than tracking everything yourself?

Sure, some (but not all) functionality of software can be done manually, but this comes down to priorities. If you love crunching numbers and pulling data yourself, manual might be the option for you. But if you prefer to spend more time helping transform the minds and bodies of your clients, software will give you that time. Software can help you streamline your business. The more streamlined, automated, and simple your software is the more time you can spend doing what you love—being with your clients. Have you ever spent hours at your desk collecting data and running reports on your finances? Software can do this for you in a matter of seconds. Do you have to constantly follow-up with clients who are past due on a bill—emailing, phoning and tracking them down in the gym? Software can automatically let a client know if they have an unpaid bill, and the client can even go online to pay the bill himself or herself.

Once you decide to go forward with a new technology, you still may feel like you are getting pushback from your coaches and staff who unwilling to adopt the technology. How do you combat this and get everyone on board? First, choose your technology wisely—ensure that it is functional, user-friendly, has a support system and is well known within your industry. Then, your biggest asset is believing in the new product, something you know to work and you’ve seen it in action. You have done the research, and you have learned the software, now you can passionately talk about it to get everyone just as excited as you are. It can also help to get your staff in on training sessions for the software, so they can learn how to use it just as well as you do. The best way to master something is to teach it to others, so you could even host a training session for your staff yourself.

Learning a new technology can be a daunting task for anyone, but with the right resources and the right attitude the process will be painless and you might even find yourself having fun. Just the thought of all the time you’ll save after the software is set up and optimized for you is worth it!

Are you currently searching for software to automate manual processes like billing and email communication at your gym? Download our helpful checklist, 9 Things Your Gym Management Software Must Have to help guide your research.