Mel's Blog

My experience with sales incentive programs is that the award value of tangible, non-cash awards is the most effective way to drive performance. 

These awards cover a variety of options and travel experiences, from a gift voucher to a iPhone, Jewellery, Plasma TV or a week’s stay in a five-star resort.  It’s all about the experience, employees are motivated by experiences. Employees talk about the award, but also the experience of using it, wearing it or watching it. Travel is primarily, an overall experience. 

What do all of these have in common?  Well, they stand out prominently in the memory of an employee in an incentive program, both while they are working to achieve the incentive program's goals and long after they win. The more people think about the award, the better they work and it promotes behavioural change in the workplace.

The key to the importance of the award value is when you see it, it reminds you both of the performance that led to it and connects you to the company. Award value is synonymous with residual value.  You have a watch that you look at for the next 15 years, a plasma TV that you watch for the next 5 years and you tell the story the company wants you to tell - I got this for hitting my targets.

If employees are not getting excited about your rewards, save your money as they are not going to be engaged or meet their sales targets.  Offer them a choice of quarterly awards, so there’s something to appeal to everyone, but it must be meaningful to the employee.

An annual award of group travel is a great way to get employees excited and motivated to succeed.  A really high-end, amazing experience in an exotic destination like Cannes, Mexico, Dubai, Hawaii or Tahiti, will blow the lid off their expectations. The post-trip value is the memories, those memories and the bragging rights the trip provides is the 'award’.

Motivate, inspire and celebrate your employees to generate positive financials