Sales Team Out for Themselves? 3 Ways to Turn Incentive Travel into a Team Building Experience
As a manager, you know that part of your high performers' success is their ability to keep their eyes on the prize. Yet, you also know that it takes a team mentality to be the best, and getting your top salespeople to take the new crew under their wings would help you hit those sales goals. As you create your incentive plan, use these tips to make sure your travel awards foster a team mindset that ensures everyone benefits.
Divide and Conquer
When it's all about those numbers, contests are a great way to tap into your sales team's competitive nature to really drive your profits. However, it is important to avoid judging based upon individual merits if you want to foster a team atmosphere. Instead of simply giving a trip away to the one guy who gets the highest sales, divide your team into smaller groups and offer a trip for the winning one. Ideally, you should have a mix of experienced sales people and new people in each group.
Location Is Everything
Once your team has landed at their main destination, you want to avoid having them fall prey to the temptation to go their separate ways. Talk to your incentive travel service about what your goals are for this trip. For example, sending your crew on a cruise will give them plenty of space for relaxation, but you can also plan for them all to attend an event together that encourages bonding. Alternatively, you can send them to a tropical resort, but sign them all up for an experience such as snorkeling lessons so that everyone gets a chance to learn together.
Follow Up
After your group gets back, it's important to make sure the lessons they learned get shared with the rest of your group. Schedule time for everyone who went to share a few interesting stories during your next sales meeting, and talk with each salesperson individually to see what they gained from the experience. Then, use the information you glean from these meetings to plan your next travel incentive package.
Getting everyone on the same page is hard when you have a cutthroat sales team that drives your business. While you may not be able to fully get rid of that every man for himself mentality, you can foster an environment that nurtures growth in every member by turning incentives into a group opportunity. Learn more about setting up an incentive trip by contacting companies like Fab at Incentives.