Have you noticed that some sales contests get more buy-in and participation than others? Here are three tips you can use to design sales incentives and contests that get everyone selling.
1. Offer a “jump start” incentive. Very often account executives take a “wait and see” attitude, not participating in your contest until they see others have some success. Or, sometimes they just procrastinate, not reaching their full potential because they wait until the final hour to begin selling.
An incentive for the first eligible sale in your contest will get everyone selling earlier and more throughout the entire time-span.
2. Your sales people are already paid commissions for “results”. Try introducing activity-based incentives versus incentives for bottom line results. Often, account executives believe that the reps with the big account lists will automatically win your results-focused contests. This attitude can curtail the efforts of both the “junior” reps, and the reps with the “fat” lists.
By offering a prize for the most activity you want to encourage, the most presentations for example, everyone has an equal opportunity to win.
Here’s a little trade secret…every time I run a contest where first prize goes to the person with the most “no’s” and second prize goes to the person with the most “yeses”, both prizes are always won by the same person!
3. Prizes and incentives do NOT always have to cost big dollars. Learn what motivates each of your account executives as individuals, and offer well thought out incentives that appeal to each of them. In some cases it might be recognition, a plaque or a celebratory dinner with their spouses or significant others. In others it might be the opportunity to further their career by sending them to a training course or seminar.
If you want to have a sales contest that captures more non-traditional business categories, check out TOMA Research at www.wensmedia.com. TOMA campaigns coupled with well-designed “activity” incentives have been proven to bring hundreds of thousands of new business dollars to stations across North America.