As wonderful as they are, our telemarketers are still only human. Days on end of calling in the stuffy summer heat can be trying for even the toughest of agents. To spice things up we like to throw in a little incentive every now and then and last month was a little, different…
The Race
Up for grabs was an all-inclusive trip to Edinburgh for two. Not too shabby if you ask me. All you needed to win was to get there.
Well, not really. We simulated a race to Edinburgh using our big map and some sticky felt cars. Each performer was represented by a specific car and our manager would allocate ‘miles’ for good performances that would get them closer to their destination. Discretionary miles were given or taken away at the behest of the manager. As a result, everyone was extra keen to ensure that they arrived on time, cleaned the dishes and were generally nice to each other, else they might find themselves stranded on the M5 with a flat tire.
In a nail-biting finale, our lovely Katie pipped the post – winning the trophy by just one mile! We weren’t too bitter as our manager gave some lovely consolidatory prizes for the runners up.
Yes, it may be a bit silly but we have found that these kind of gimmicks are key for driving motivation and increasing results. At the end of every week, our staff were always eager to gather around the map to compare their positions. It made coming in to work just that little more interesting.
As we always say though, variety is the spice of life. This month our incentives will begin veering in a slightly different direction.
Fresh Flow Lunch Club
Beginning next Friday, we will be launching Fresh Flow Lunch Club. Those who hit their metrics will be invited to an exclusive lunch planned by our managers every month. The venue will change each time, allowing for a broad range of cuisines from around the world. This is the perfect incentive for us, Fresh Flow Folk love our food, and we love going out and spending time with each other.
Incentives can be a delicate piece of business. If done poorly, you might find that it can actually drive motivation down. If the same gang of elite performers are winning week after week, those left out could be driven to hopeless despair. We try to be inclusive at Fresh Flow, focusing on personal goals and development. Every performer is different, and we try to accommodate that so that everyone has a chance to shine.
Obviously, there’s almost always some kind of investment to these incentives but in our experience, it’s a small price to pay for the results. The important thing is to spend in advance (and maybe not go completely spend crazy). You may notice that we have started to shy away from simple cash prizes. Cash has a nasty habit of being flitted away on necessities and mundanities, we try to give our staff something special and memorable instead.
Our approach may not work for everyone. Our culture has always been very open and social because that’s what our staff are like. The important point is that varied and creative incentives are a great way to keep your staff on their toes while maintaining a lively, buoyant atmosphere in the office – which is exactly what is needed in these drowsy summer months.