We want the Mevo contestants to be in it to win it. But win what, exactly?
There is a recipe for deciding the right prize strategy for your sales contest.
Yes, fame and glory.
The gamification in the app makes learning and selling more fun. Everyone can see your points and rank, which really highlights good efforts and gives leading men and women the attention they deserve.
Yes, new knowledge and confidence.
New insight and safe selling points make it easier to offer good service to your customers and sell more. This is a real confidence boost that makes your job even more fun.
This is all well and good. Some might argue that it’s enough (and in some cases, we agree). But what really pushes the contestants to put in the extra effort? The possibility to win something.
Incentivize like you mean it
In psychology, this is called “the incentive theory”. The incentive of a prize at the finish line is a safe way to ensure motivation throughout the contest. You don’t have to be a doctor of psychology to understand that watching your name climb on the scoreboard is even more exciting when you know a prize is waiting at the top.
So what is a good prize strategy for your sales contest? It depends on the size of your campaign and your budget, of course, but we have some general recommendations to share.
Some specific points to consider:
- Make sure there’s a prize opportunity for everyone, not just the sales superstars. Many small prizes will engage more people. It can be as simple as cinema tickets or some promo products.
- Reward team efforts. A prize category where the best store (the one with the most points/highest engagement on quizzes/best window display) gets a prize to share: A pizza night, promo products for everyone, or a shared experience.
- Sprinkle some glory along the way. You want to keep your contestants’ attention from start to finish, and a great way of doing that is to insert some challenges and weekly (or biweekly) draws. For example, randomly picking 3 people who have answered all available quizzes so far and giving them a little pat on the shoulder (yes, a prize).
- Make sure the superstars get their big, fat prize. Finishing #1 should be rewarded appropriately. Make sure the carrot is something many people will appreciate. Good examples are electronics, gift cards, and travel gift cards. Start big on the top, and make sure the runners-up get something nice.
Read on: Our guide to sales contests