When I was an account executive, the quota benefits of blowing out my numbers weren’t my only motivator — I wanted to make Gold or Platinum Club. Every year I worked tirelessly and anxiously awaited the list to be posted of Microsoft’s incentive trip awardees. The trips were amazing, and they were incredibly motivating.
Whatever your company calls them - Presidents Club, Gold Club, Platinum Club, or something different - the idea is the same. They help motivate your team, building morale, and rewarding those that have gone above and beyond and blown out their number.
Whether you’re a veteran sales leader who has done the incentive trip song and dance a number of times or you’re building out your team and want to start implementing incentive trips, here’s 8 actionable tips to make it an experience to remember.
1. Set Clear Goals: Before planning your sales incentive trip, establish clear goals for the trip. Is your goal to reward, inspire, boost future sales, or all of the above? Once you’ve established your goals, it will help you set a purpose-built agenda that ensures the trip is memorable.
2. Know Before You Go: Ahead of the trip, make sure to communicate all of the details your team will need to know — are they allowed to bring a plus one, what’s the dress code for each part of the event, what’s on the agenda, any location addresses, etc. These can all help ensure the incentive trip kicks off smoothly.
3. Pick Somewhere Fun and Fabulous: Pick a location that will feel exciting to your team. It could be relaxing on a beach in Mexico, skiing the slopes in Lake Tahoe, wine tasting in Napa, or hitting the town in Las Vegas. When choosing a location, consider factors such as the location, climate, attractions, and activities that align with your team’s preferences.
4. Plan Activities and Experiences: Consider offering a number of different activities that your attendees can opt into. Offer options that incorporate team building activities, culture experiences, or adventure sports. For example, in Mexico, you could offer everything from surf lessons to cenote tours to taco and tequila tastings. Make sure the activities and experiences are inclusive and cater to different interests and abilities.
5. Reward Your Team: Your team is on this incentive trip because they kicked ass - so make sure they feel rewarded! Before the trip, share out internally who was invited to the incentive trip so that the individuals receive internal recognition and kudos. On the trip, consider some form of awards ceremony or other way to recognize their contributions such as having each manager write up a thank you note and present it at their table setting at dinner.
6. Make Them Feel Pampered: Sales incentive trips offer you the opportunity to really show appreciation for your team - incorporate details that will make them feel special like a welcome package, complimentary spa treatment, or complimentary room upgrades.
7. Get Competitive: Everyone loves a little friendly competition right? Set up team challenges or games as a way to motivate your sales team and boost engagement. Offer perks or prizes for the winners!
8. Post-Trip Survey: Before everyone’s tans fade, make sure to send out a post-trip survey to gather feedback and measure the success of the trip so that you can make it even more awesome next year!
Sales incentive trips can be a powerful tool for motivating and rewarding your sales team - make it one to remember and accelerate your business growth in the coming year.
Want to plan an awesome incentive trip but don’t want to deal with the logistics? Let Zinnia help, get started planning today!
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