Companies use incentive campaigns to inspire sales reps when its time to launch a new product, gain market share or meet quarterly goals. The internal campaign is usually based on the carrot — produce more, get more. And naturally, it’s easy to be tempted by the sheer simplicity of “do-this, get-that.”
Fortunately, technology is making it easier for businesses to achieve measurable results through engagement while creating a performance culture.
Here are key steps to transforming a traditional incentive program into an engagement campaign with measurable results.
- Set attainable objectives
Only the most motivated engage when you set impossible goals. Ask if that goal has ever before been accomplished, and why this time would be different.
- Develop a clear strategy
Treat this like you would any advertising campaign by collaborating to identify the best ways to achieve the goals and identify potential training, communication or cultural obstacles within or outside the organization.
- Establish clear performance measures and data capture
Try to have two or three measures — one based on results and the others based on actions that can lead to those results. Look to structure your program so that the broadest number of people in your organization feel they have a chance to succeed.
- Identify capability gaps
Make sure sales has the clear information, training and tools they need — and that they know how to use those tools.
- Address the emotional state
Remember that selling is hard work and that people enjoy fun. Look for ways to make your campaign fun through contests or prizes or other non-monetary rewards that generate smiles and buzz.
- Set a communication plan
You may need simple or elaborate multimedia communications to capture their attention and keep them focused. Every organization should have a Web portal for its sales team centralizing communications, learning, and rewards and recognition.
- Rewards and recognition
Research consistently supports the need for intrinsic satisfaction that comes from feeling genuinely recognized, in non-monetary ways, for accomplishments. There are multiple solutions for managing non-monetary rewards.
- Assessment
At the end of the campaign, you should be able to track your results against the initial objectives in your measurement system. By correlating results data and with the process measures, you can correlate behaviors with outcomes.
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