Sales people are a breed apart. On the vast savannah of commerce, they are the alpha predators. With a smile, these purpose-built true believers live for the sale. But getting them on board with a travel incentive initiative is not as easy as it sounds. A strategic approach combined with a knowledge of your target audience is key. How to get your sales team behind a travel incentive initiative is about three little steps that mean so much. Let’s look at a framework for getting total buy in from these super special employees.
Being clear with your sales team about why you’re introducing a travel incentive initiative is pivotal to getting buy in. Tell them why you’re doing it. If you want them to ramp up the sales effort or find new ways of moving product or even new markets, be clear about the goal. And don’t forget to ask for their input. Brainstorming goals and the objectives of your initiative helps you in the process of defining them, while empowering your employees to innovate. Which brings us to the next key ingredient of winning their support.
From the inception of your travel incentive initiative, it’s crucial that you empower your employees to tell you not only what gets them out of bed in the morning but what lights a fire in their bellies. Asking them what they want from your initiative and what kinds of incentives they desire is a great way to refine your approach. The information you’re collecting is a look inside the individual heads which populate your sales team. But make sure to give them an element of control over who receives rewards. For example, build in a feature whereby individual team members can nominate their fellows to receive additional recognition. This gives them the ability to fortify the team, while empowering members to help you manage the program.
At Incentive Travel Group, we know that travel incentives have the power to change the game. But by building meaning into your travel incentives initiative, deploying the valuable knowledge you’ve gleaned from your sales team, your initiative gains power and momentum. Prizes which are evocative of team dreams and which feel like genuine rewards for a job well done are going to be talked about. That creates buzz and buzz is the lifeblood of a successful, dynamic travel incentive initiative. Creating rewards which speak to your people in a nurturing way, offering experiences they’ve stated an interest in, builds a stronger bond. Further, a travel incentive which is memorable and targeted cements the reward in the mind of the employee – and every colleague they can’t stop talking to about it. But none of this amounts to a hill of beans if you don’t communicate with your sales team. You’re building something, so let communication form the strong foundation you’re building on. Celebrate the winners, promote upcoming incentives and above all, stay connected with your team, engaging actively. Ready to start? Contact us.
