If you want to have a happier team, it’s time to think about incentives. Communication strategies are tried and true, but human beings are motivated primarily by three things: money, positive feedback, and the opportunity to shine. Below are some great ways you can use incentives to improve your team’s engagement. Read this post for more information.
1. Tie Their Incentives to Performance Standards
The easiest way to motivate your team is to tie their incentives to performance standards. Traditional performance bonuses are often based on the number of units produced or the revenue generated, but they don’t necessarily encourage a team to work together towards a common goal. For example, a sales team will happily sell more boxes if it means they have better chances at hitting their quotas – not so good for your overall revenue.
Instead, try to use incentives that honor teamwork and collaboration. A typical example of this would be a “5-star” performance review. Your team members are given points toward their review score for things like “complies with targets,” “communicates effectively,” and “works well with others.” This kind of performance review ties the team’s efforts directly to the success of your business.
2. Offer Rewards that are Unique and Creative
Another great way to motivate is to offer rewards that are unique and creative. This will not only keep your team motivated but will also encourage them to come up with new ideas that you’ve never seen before. For example, if you have a project team that doesn’t always hit their deadlines, they probably don’t mind giving extra time for projects if it means they are rewarded with more flexibility in the future.
3. Make Your Rewards Public
Trophies and certificates are great, but the most effective way to show your team that you value their hard work is by making it public. If an employee is being recognized for going above and beyond in a certain area, make sure to have a company-wide meeting so that everyone knows about it. This will encourage others to achieve the same results. Make sure to have a system in place that makes doing this simple. You can use a public leaderboard or photography of the employee receiving a special award for their efforts.
4. Acknowledge Large and Small Achievements
A great way to build your team’s morale is recognizing both big and small achievements. Your team members don’t necessarily want to be paid for one big accomplishment, and they want the opportunity to shine every time they show off their skills. For example, give yourself time at the end of each week for you to sit down with everyone on your team and ask them what went well that week or if there were any problems they needed help with. This will allow your team to feel more involved, make them happier at work, and remind you of any issues you need to address sooner than later.
5. Update Your Rewards to Keep Them Relevant
Your rewards should be a reflection of the goals and values of your company. If you change goals and values, you should also update your rewards program. An example would be a sales team that rewards salespeople based on the number of units they could sell regardless of customer satisfaction but now appreciate long-term relationships more than anything. If this is the case, take away traditional compensation packages and offer training sessions to help team members improve their skills. You can also offer training sessions for internal staff members so that they have the tools they need to do the best job possible.
6. Have a Conversation
It’s important to have regular conversations with your team about their goals, values, and accomplishments. You can do this in a traditional staff meeting or by walking around and talking with them one-on-one. This will not only keep your team motivated, but it will also help you figure out what they want from you so you can give it to them. This will make them happy and build morale, which will make it easier to work with your team.
Conclusion
It’s important to recognize the hard work that goes into being a great salesperson. By rewarding your salespeople for their accomplishments, you can keep your team motivated and help them develop better communication skills. If you want to be more successful, make sure to use the best strategies for improving your engagement.
