The 6 Most Fruitful Sales Incentive Contest Ideas for Your Online Rewards Program

Most business leaders acquainted with sales incentive plans have their sales incentive contest ideas. However, you may have discovered first-hand how many of these ideas do not work, or they may be too expensive to be worth it—even if the incentives are effective. As you are running a business, it is important to maximize your profits, even when you are talking about sales incentive contests for online rewards programs.

Many fun contests will motivate employees but will not cost the business too much money. Keep in mind that sometimes employees are more motivated by fun and a sense of community than by money.

Here are six sales incentive contest ideas to consider implementing this year:

Idea #1: Free Food

Everybody loves free food. Your employees will be happy to have a free breakfast or lunch as a reward for excellent sales performance. Not only will they enjoy the food, but they can enjoy the recognition as well. Of course, a free meal is a relatively small reward and should not be the prize for big achievements, but it works well as a way to recognize hard work without busting your business budget.

Idea #2: Fresh Air

Another effective incentive that has recently become popular (especially amongst tech startups) is the opportunity to work outside, in the fresh air. Many people enjoy the chance to get out of the office and catch a few rays. Of course, depending on where you are located, this may not be an option during the winter, but spring and summer are appropriate seasons.

Idea #3: Desk Decorations

It has become popular in recent years, especially amongst younger employees, to decorate their work area. Studies have shown that employees allowed to express themselves at work, including through decorating their work areas, are happier and more productive. It makes sense that a program that encourages employees to express themselves will be effective, which is why some companies give out desk decorations as rewards for good performance.

Idea #4: Break Time Fun

In some areas, the law mandates and requires employee breaks. At first, companies were unhappy with this new piece of legislation; they felt it would eat into their profit margins. However, studies showed that employees who took regular breaks experienced less stress and worked at a higher rate of productivity.

This discovery has led employers to try to maximize the enjoyment employees get from their breaks. Some savvy managers do this through an incentive program that rewards employees with things like video games, board games, and other fun things to do on their breaks. Another attractive and related incentive is more breaks or longer breaks.

Idea #5: An Extra Paid Day Off

One of the most common incentive programs rewards employees with a paid day off in addition to the time they normally get off. Obviously, this program is costly to the company regarding lost working hours. However, as the ultimate reward for a job well done, it can be a powerful incentive. If you have multiple employees competing for the prize, it can drastically improve the productivity of the whole office.

Of course, implementation of this program must be well-considered and monitored. If you have several extremely competitive employees vying for the same prize, the work environment can quickly become tense and adverse. The person running this particular rewards program has to be careful to ensure this doesn’t happen.

Idea #6: The Yankee Gift Swap

Fans of the hit TV show “The Office” will recognize this one. It involves a holiday gift competition with a twist. Many employers in various industries have historically seen a decline in productivity during the holiday season, as salespeople focus on their festive celebrations instead of their work. The Yankee Gift Swap sales contest aims to combat this, and some employers have seen significant results.

The exact structure of the contest varies from company to company, but most companies buy a selection of gifts for their employees, wrap them, and allow employees that make sales over a certain dollar amount to unwrap a gift. It is important to note that the employee usually does not get to take the gift home right away. Other employees that meet the sales mark can open a new gift or take one that their co-workers have already unwrapped. This fosters a spirit of healthy competition amongst the employees. The employees are usually allowed to take the gifts home at the end of the holiday season.

Contact Incentive Solutions for Fresh Sales Incentive Contest Ideas

If you need sales incentive contest ideas, contact Incentive Solutions today. Let us put our more than 20 years of sales incentive plan experience to work for your business. Connect with us today to learn more about the ways we can boost your sales.