Just Purchased Boat Lift, Advice?

After years of launching at our lakehouse with no issues, I decided to upgrade to a larger boat. I sold my Centuruion Elite V and bought a new 2012 MB B52 23V last year. The new boat is too large for my launch (it is a dirt/gravel launch that I share with my neighbor). I spent last summer driving 2 miles to the public launch every day last summer and that got old real quick. I decided to buy a lift and bought a Lakeside 5500 Vertical Lift. This will be my first time using a lift and am looking for advice from some of the more seasoned lift owners out there. What techniques do you use for lanuching and docking? Inboards are such pigs at slow speeds that I am a little nervous about running into the lift when attempting to return to the lift. Any good techniques out there?