[NEW GUIDE] Motivating Sales Teams in 2020: Don't Sell Your Sales Contests Short

Anyone else here wishing we could go back to “precedented” times?

We’ll go out on a limb and say that this “new” normal isn’t feeling so new anymore. It’s just...reality. 

On the bright side, we’ve seen some pretty cool things happening in our industry. Sales orgs are more collaborative than ever: people are coming out of the woodwork to share tips and ideas with one another (or sometimes, just to commiserate). 

>>> FREE DOWNLOAD: THE WINNER'S GUIDE TO SALES CONTEST <<< 

But we’ve also seen pain points become even more pronounced: keeping reps motivated and accountable isn’t easy even in the best of times, so now, sales leaders are pulling out all the stops.

Just say no to band-aid solutions

Sales competitions are a tried-and-true tool to increase engagement, motivation and accountability — and fortunately, you can run them wherever your reps are.

But a lot of sales leaders hastily slap together contests in an effort to get a quick lift. And that’s exactly what they get: a short-lived spike in energy that fizzles out, fast.

Shoot for immediate and lasting results

A successful sales competition should generate two key results:

1. Immediate impact. You should see a measurable lift in the activities that matter — i.e., the ones that drive deals down the funnel.

2. Long-term ROI. Contests should drive lasting performance change that ultimately leads to more revenue.

You can do both of those things with every contest you run — even in these unprecedented times. (Yeah, we said it.)

The sales contest secret: know your why

If you’re running a contest, start with why. Be change-oriented and specific.

And think big: go beyond motivation and engagement. Those are a given. Here are a few examples of a smart, change-oriented why:

• Change in behavior: Shifting reps' focus from emails to calls

• Change in mindset: Getting reps more confident in their social outreach

• Change in culture: Encouraging peer collaboration or peer coaching 

Bottom line: make sure every contest has a clear goal, so you can define what success looks like on the front end. 

GET THE GUIDE: See how to set up the perfect sales contest in 6 easy steps.

(Plus: see our top tips for maximum impact, our go-to sales contest checklist, and free sales gamification templates from Ambition customers!)