Sales people are always motivated to do their jobs because, more often than not, their earnings depend on the amount of sales made. However, there are times when motivation and inspiration may be needed to get them really rolling along with their work. A motivated sales force is often one of the most important elements in a business, and it is why sales teams are so frequently the recipients of lots and lots of attention and support.
What can a company or business do when they need to really incentivize their sales teams? Experts would say that there are ways of communicating that might help, such as asking the sales teams what they need to feel more motivated, loyal, or productive, and then meeting those needs. Some companies insist that giving sales teams a measure of independence is crucial, as well.
Some will say that cash bonuses are what are the strongest motivators and incentives, and while that is likely quite true, there are also studies and documented cases of intangibles such as “recognition,” and “satisfaction,” are quite motivational.
Cash and praise, though, are usually short-term motivators and many have now recognized that it is through incentive programs that so many sales teams feel authentic motivation. As one expert has written, “Any customized item for a sales incentive may seem like a small thing, but many studies have shown that employees are much happier when they get recognition (no matter how small) than they are with getting monetary bonuses. This is because employees may not always be happy with the amount of money they make, but they will always be proud of an achievement they have earned.”
Incentivizing Brand Exposure
When someone is given a prize or gift for reaching a specific goal or performance point, they value the feelings that come along with it. Years after a cash bonus has been spent or used to do something else, the feeling of achievement remains. If that product is chosen wisely, it will continually generate good feelings for years to come.
Again, as that same expert noted of incentives and physical rewards, “they will remember the happy experience of earning their incentives and how it pushed them to work harder. When someone asks them where they got it, they can proudly tell an anecdote of their achievement in your company.”
What sorts of items will work in this way? The first thing to remember is that the item has to be durable and of higher quality. It must also be able to be branded with the company logo or name as well as customized to the recipient. For example, their initials, name or another key point will have to appear on the item.
Some good choices include:
- Laptop bags, backpacks, rugged canvas totes with embroidered initials or names
- Premium water bottles or travel mugs with the company logo and recipient’s initials
- Leather-covered journals with initials or names
- Travel accessories customized with names or initials
- Bar or wine sets with initials or names
There are many “corporate” gifts that will fit the bill here and which can really incentivize sales teams to aim higher.
To find effective sales incentives, a good place to start is our Corporate Gifts category, click here to see what corporate gifts can be custom branded. Or call one of our promotional strategist on (02) 9212 6600, email at info@4promote.com.au
