Incentive Building Blocks - Develop the Campaign: Chapter 4

A typical incentive campaign has five components, each with a specific call to action:

- Prelaunch Teasers – Usually includes one or several teaser messages before the program launch to pique curiosity and interest. We will usually start prelaunch messages about a month before actual launch communications. Prelaunch teasers can be handled inexpensively with email blasts, sales intranet postings, and quick flash videos. The call-to-action is to pay attention to the program launch materials and get excited about the program to come.

- Launch Communications - Launch communications are absolutely critical to grabbing the sales audience’s attention and so, typically include a multimedia approach. This means mixing e-communications such as eblasts, social media and flash videos with printed materials. It also means that any type of personal touches that may be built into the launch effort should be included. For example, a program may be kicked off for employee salespeople, VARs or dealers through meetings with national or regional sales managers. Distributor sales programs can be launched with face-to-face meetings hosted by salespeople or by distributor managers who have been “trained” by salespeople. The call-to-action is to engage immediately in the program to achieve sales success and reap great personal rewards.

- Ongoing Touches – Now that the audience’s attention has been grabbed, it needs to be held with a mix of touches. If the life of the program is short, say 3-4 months, participants need to be touched 2-3 times per month. If the program is mid-term, 6-8 months, 1-2 touches per month are appropriate. If the program is annual, target several touches a month, early and late, with monthly communications in between. Even if an incentive process allows participants to roll points from year to year, it is critical to maintain monthly touches and change up the theme or subtheme on an annual basis to keep things interesting. The calls-to-action are typically entreaties to keep on pushing and reminders of the great awards that await top sales performers.

- Program Conclusion – A program needs to be closed out professionally and every participant needs to be contacted, regardless of his or her level of success. A personal message of congratulations or thanks for participating is appropriate. Rather than an email, we suggest a letter written and hand-signed by a top-level manager. Social media may be used to share outstanding performance with the rest of the sales channel. The call-to-action it to appreciate the relationship that is being built between the sponsoring company and the sales performer.

- Post-Program Recognition – Recognition is the memory anchor that locks in appreciation and spurs future performance, so if your channel allows for recognition of top performers, it is critical that sales managers take advantage of that opportunity with a local recognition ceremony or at least the delivery of a recognition award with a personal note of thanks. The call-to-action is to engage in the next promotion and shoot for even higher sales next year.

The story here is that sales managers must take the communications piece of their incentive and loyalty program just as seriously as the rules and rewards deliverables to give their program the best chance for sales success. Challenge your incentive provider to push the envelope with multiple media, social media and new strategies. In this of all years, your communications campaign may make or break your incentive program.