Many of our sales training clients in Edmonton, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria want to get their entire staff more sales focused. This can be done effectively with staff incentives. In this edition of THE PROSALESGUY BLOG, we’d like to give you three ways to get started.
We typically think that Salespeople are responsible for driving company revenue. They are employees with that assigned role. However, all staff can take an active interest in promoting sales for the general health of the company and the employment of all concerned. With a troubled economy in Western Canada, many decision makers have reached out to us asking for practical ways to build a better sales culture within their organization. Consider incentives for all employees who take the initiative to think beyond the parameters of their specific job responsibilities.
#1 – Create a Reward Program for New Customer Leads or Sales Generating Concepts
Your best employees are your champions. They are the ones that understand the value of what you have to offer customers and are likely personally responsible for a large part of your success. In short, they get it! Offer them a reward when they bring in a lead or idea that results in confirmed business. To do this, they should provide you the specifics of the new potential opportunity and why it makes sense at this time. Ask them to be creative in their thinking by identifying the reasons why this prospect or concept makes sense from a purely business perspective.
Examples
Alison is a receptionist at a car dealership. Her neighbor, who is a good friend of hers, is frustrated because her car has failed her one too many times leaving her stranded. Alison suggests that it might be time to look at getting another car. Her friend says she’s apprehensive of walking into a dealership by herself because of previous bad experiences. Alison offers to talk to her Sales Manager to make the introduction so she feels comfortable. Her friend agrees and the meeting is set up for the next day.
Mark is a maintenance worker at a Bed and Breakfast that is pet friendly. He suggests to the owner that the pet fees charged per room be donated to the local SPCA as a gesture of goodwill. When guests book a room, they are advised of the community program. The Bed and Breakfast decides to publicize this initiative on social media which results in a huge increase in business from pet loving guests.
Reward desired actions
These are two examples of people who are thinking out of the box and taking initiative. It’s important that you make the incentive specific to creative thinking and actions required that result in sales made. The concept of sales is paid on performance, so the referral or idea needs to be able to generate revenue for the company. Employees who walk into their Manager’s office with a creative thought or well defined prospect should be rewarded. It sends a great sales minded message to everyone.
#2 – Rewards for Employees in Client Renewals
Your internal champions are usually the reason for customer loyalty. While the Salespeople work hard to get and keep the business, often the primary reason why the business returns is due to those employees who service the business. These star performers are the ones you want to keep happy and engaged in the workplace. They make everyone look good! To be eligible for the reward, the Sales Manager and Salesperson have to agree to the key role played by this individual.
Examples
Mike is a creative commercial writer for a radio station and always manages to impress one of your largest Key Accounts. In fact, the commercials he writes are so good, they are often heard on other local stations in the market. The campaigns have had a great return on investment and the buyer is happy to renew the year long agreement even with a small rate increase.
Julie works for a sign and copy company catering to business owners. A restaurant chain, notorious for last minute orders and a tough client to please, has ordered new point of purchase material before a long weekend launch. On the day before the launch, your delivery driver gets into an accident on the way and your Manager is away sick. Without thinking twice, Julie takes her SUV and delivers everything to three stores that afternoon. The client renews the yearly agreement when learning of what she did.
#3 – Create a Sales Culture with a Kickoff Staff Meeting
Have lunch brought in to announce that you want everyone to feel like they are part of the future success of the company. While the Sales Team has the primary task of securing the business, you want everyone to know that each of them is involved in developing and retaining it. We are all in Sales with different specific job descriptions based on the role we each have with the company. However, the formula is clear:
Many Happy Customers = A Profitable Company with Happy Employees
Announce your Staff Sales Incentives to everyone and tell them that your door is always open to new ideas. This is a great way to recognize that people support what they help create.
We don’t have the budget for Staff Sales Incentives!
Please don’t think that you have to break the bank on financial incentives. It could mean a day off on their birthday or an extra day off in addition to regular holidays. Here’s a great book with excellent low cost incentives – 1501 Ways to Reward Employees.
Sir Richard Branson has a great way of capturing the true message of the thinking required in building a sales minded culture.
What do you think? Do you have any other great ideas for Staff Sales Incentives? I’d love to hear them. If you liked this article, share it on your favorite social media platform.
Thanks for reading!
Dave Warawa – PROSALESGUY
Author of SHUT UP! Stop Talking and Start Making Money
Available on Kindle and paperback.
Click the link for a preview of the book
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