Why Is Sales Reward Innovation Stifled

“Over 1.6 million copies in print”. The proud sticker on the cover of this tome.

Within its 580 pages reside only a dozen on formal Sales Achievement.

Sadly, these are twelve pages of underwhelming, traditional American examples.

Standard bonuses, prizes, parties and “president club” exotic trips.

There is due acknowledgement of the risk in sales rewards fostering resentment throughout the rest of the organisation. (‘why are they rewarded for doing their job, one they only do because of my help anyway..’)

Exec office or chair swaps, fast cars for the day, paying for home renovations, Honolulu weekends.

Raffles where a gumball or ticket has a secret value or gift attached pulled out by random tombola.

Even Japanese owned Pental with their “samurai” programme. Crazily, they offer monetary gain for reps filling in sales and marketing reports (a “SAM”) documenting a successful new sales technique. Nuts.

These and their ilk have pretty much been around for all-time.

I read only two ideas fresh for me. And I’m not convinced they’re winners either.

The car showroom where the first two people to sell cars one particular day not only receive $5 extra for their sale, but successive five dollars every time anyone else after also sells a car too.

Then there’s “John Day”. The office bedecked with this very slogan. Even the receptionist answering the phone would say “…and we’re celebrating John Day today…”

But really.

Where are the new ideas?

Surely our 2.0 times have disrupted incentives?