Tips for a sales focus day

[J_a_t_33]

Hi All,

I currently work as the UK product specialist for InFocus projectors within the UK's largest IT/AV distributor.

On Tuesday I am holding a focus day where I need to incentivise and excite the sales guys to focus on our product range for the whole day.

Last time I had some funding to buy spot prizes as rewards for most quotes, every order and other achievements and I also bought 2 Pinata's filled with sweets which they got to hit per quote which created some fantastic energy on the floor.

This time, I only have the funding to buy the guys pizza so if anyone has any interesting ideas for me I would be over the moon to hear them.

I know what products I want to push and will have some excellent pricing for them to call customers with but I am struggling for ideas on how to motivate sales guys without prizes.

Many thanks in advance

Jay

 

[maxine]

Is this for employees in a call centre type environment?

If so, then the most popular prize I have used is "duvet day" where they get to call in at short notice and take a day off paid

Depends how your budgets are structured I guess.

Otherwise extended lunch breaks, Friday afternoon off vouchers, anything that involves time off work really is always popular

Do they really want pizza? Some people hate the pizza/donut/cream cakes incentives as they are not healthy and some people in February will be on a new years resolution diet or health kick still. This could act as a de-motivator instead.

The thing to be careful of with "focus days" is that it can make people feel they are being treated in an immature way and that they have to participate in a focus day to perform in their jobs. It's like saying to people that they do a rubbish job for most of the time so a special effort is needed. People then think that if they do well on these types of days for little reward then they are expected to perform to that level as the norm and they won't want that kind of pressure.

Alternative suggestions would be to have a big piece of flipchart up on the wall with people to put post its on with the objections they encounter and then get management to commit to responding to them or helping with any issues. This can be really powerful.

If objections are because customer service is poor, things are faulty, too expensive etc then it can help people to feel that they are being listened too in a public and open way. Tip: You must have managements full co-operation for this to work.

Good luck & let us know how it goes

 

[british steve]

Hi All,

I currently work as the UK product specialist for InFocus projectors within the UK's largest IT/AV distributor.

On Tuesday I am holding a focus day where I need to incentivise and excite the sales guys to focus on our product range for the whole day.

Last time I had some funding to buy spot prizes as rewards for most quotes, every order and other achievements and I also bought 2 Pinata's filled with sweets which they got to hit per quote which created some fantastic energy on the floor.

This time, I only have the funding to buy the guys pizza so if anyone has any interesting ideas for me I would be over the moon to hear them.

I know what products I want to push and will have some excellent pricing for them to call customers with but I am struggling for ideas on how to motivate sales guys without prizes.

Many thanks in advance

Jay

Whats the nearest thing you do to the NEC PA500U? Using it for rear projection. Looking for up to 4 of these.

Needs to be min 5000 lumens, Short Throw (max six foot six) WUXGA, Horizontal and Verticl lens shift. Long lamp life.

PM me if you have anything! The above is the minimum spec we would accept.

 

[captaincloser]

If all the company can afford is Pizza as an incentive for a sales team...start looking for another position is my guess. This will be a slippery slope and some may find it insulting...

An alternative to a very weak incentive at a sales meeting is of course to randomly sack somebody in the meeting.

It's what Al Capone used to do and is a well known tactic in the States for focussing the minds of a sales team.

 

[J_a_t_33]

Evening all,

Cheers for the responses.

So basically within Maverick where I am based we have direct relationships with several major vendors and allocate several focus days throughout the month. For these the vendors can select certain products to discount for the day and offer incentives for the internal sales team.

A small number of the vendors fund an internal product specialist and InFocus are lucky enough to have me

So I have several objectives for a focus day. I want to sell as many projectors as possible to bring down the required daily number for hitting monthly target, ensuring the guys all learn more about the product range and the USP's so they are more confident and competent at pitching and also that they all have fun so they feel great about the day, the brand and the guy who supports them all.

I have requested more marketing money to give out cash prizes throughout the day as everyone is bored of vendors buying prizes no one wants like DVD's and tat so now I am just really keen to recieve some influence on what activities I can do throughout the day which warrant giving cash prizes and meet my objectives.

Last time I had a focus day I gave prizes for the usual most quotes in am and pm (written on a white board), every sale, a quiz which was specifically designed to boost the guys knowledge on the products we were focusing on and some InFocus USP's and asked everyone to write 5 USP's of InFocus down with a prize for the best and most accurate/relevant.

This day went really well but I don't want to repeat myself and be as predicatable as every other focus day.

Don't worry Maxine, pizza and dohnuts etc being bought by vendors has become a standard expectation in our office now lol. Loving your ideas, the duvet day is very counter productive but I gotta say I think I like it!

Captain unfortunatly I haven't the power to dictate who gets the axe... shame really that sounds like it has the potential to be effective.

Pardon the assignment but if anyone has anymore imaginative ideas for activities I can organise I would be excited to hear. Anything at all!


P.S
Steve, many thanks for the opportunity to offer an alternative projector. We may have the ideal solution. PM on route.

 

[maxine]

How many are in the team?

 

[patientlady]

An alternative to a very weak incentive at a sales meeting is of course to randomly sack somebody in the meeting.

A day without sacking is like a day without sunshine!

 

[DomainsRegistrar]

Good salespeople are incentivised by cash, thats why we are in the game - if I was offered a day off I would be losing commission - if I was offered pizza or sweets I would be gutted.

 

[alexduduta]

A day without sacking is like a day without sunshine!

I like this one!
Just do first and then correct it.
We have time to adjust and correct the way we have gone.

 

[maxine]

Good salespeople are incentivised by cash, thats why we are in the game - if I was offered a day off I would be losing commission

nah.. you'd be spending it !

 

[DomainsRegistrar]

Well if I was forced to take the day off then I guess you are right

 

[MH1]

Better to offer nothing than just a pizza, this is a joke right?

Seriously if a company offered such an incentive I would be looking for the exit sign. I did hear of another company offering a mars bar as an incentive to sell £600 TV's, the friend I knew who worked for them didn't bother to call in any sales, he was happy to leave them within 3 months of that farce.