Need Promotional Idea for Work?

Question

I work in a call center and I need a great contest for the operators to increase their sales. I can give prizes, but I want to toss it up a bit.

Answer 1

We used to own a call center.  Here are some of the things we used that should work for you depending on the value of the spiffs you can use.  For example if you are able to give any kind of a vacation certificate (even with resort tour) as a top gift decorate the room in the vacation theme and give minor prizes that go with the theme.  For example a beach trip might have small daily or weekly prizes like a seashell with a $1-5 inside, gift certificates to a seafood place (even if it's Captain D's, a beach towel, sunscreen to keep the excitement going.

Have a music promo with coupons for free tune downloads as daily prizes and the big gift anything from an I Pod to any other portable music.

Balloon pops build excitement too.  String loaded balloons with different gifts inside from a gift certificate for food, WallMart, even a coke, to a $1 or $5 wrapped in paper where it won't show through, whatever goes with the interest of your room including some gag gifts and one or two biggies like a $20 or a half day off with pay.

The thing that worked absolutely best was cash then and there.  Our operators had a sales goal and as soon as they met it they started to get on the spot bonus money.  $1 for each additional sale then and there taped to the edge of their cubicle.   We also had a prize for top sales each day usually $5 and sometimes something for the first sale of the day of it was a slow starting day.   Something about seeing the dollars build up and racing to see who would get the next one made a big difference along with the prestige.  We had ppl who went home with as much as $10-16 extra a day,  Everyone could hope to get something and ppl raced for the fun of being top as well as for the money.   One great day or one bad day didn't make or break their whole week.  If you have to bonus in their check use play money to build a similar promo.  Hang play dollars to represent real dollars.

I've seen something similar done with handing out tickets for a drawing on a special prize but that lacks the everybody wins sense that the "dialing for dollars" builds up.  

We also did stuff like pizza for everyone if the room went over a certain number of sales.

The key for us was to have something that rewarded the top ppl but gave everyone a reason to try and a reward for trying.

Answer 2

Ohhhh - that is a challenge.

I know there are companies that offer incentive plans that reward points and then allow employees to redeem points for product.  Those programs are for the long-term employees and, sometimes, call centers see alot of turn over, sooooo......

Just some random thoughts and ramblings:

Throw a party for the whole team if a sales goal is reached.  Make it something insane - and tell them you will do something crazy.  Have a luau and tell them you will learn to hula dance if they make goal.  Have karaoke and tell them you will sing one song that they all agree on.  You are the leader so you need to put yourself out there for them if they are putting themselves out there with customers.

Are you well known for your chocolate chip cookies, always having the most beautiful pedicure, or being a pool shark?  What talents do you have that can be used to sweeten the pot.  The highest sales will receive a dozen cookies every week for a month - - or will get a pedicure where you go for a month - - or will play against you in a game of pool.  

Start a tradition.  It can be touching, serious, stupid, or lame.  Traditions are strong motivators.  Highest sales gets a parking spot and weekly car washes.  Have a traveling trophy.  Take the top three to lunch at a great restaurant on the clock.

Be creative.  You are their motivater - their cheerleader.  An employee is only as good as the boss.

Answer 3

I liked the balloon popping idea AF suggested! How about putting in the balloons things like pay half of a weeks daycare for the employee, and in another balloon oil change for their car/van/truck, certificates for nails, autozone, icecream. Make the balloons appropriate for a guy or girl. Set it up so they get 1-3 pops out of say 15 balloons.

How fun...Susan

Answer 4

Would really like to know the type of call center you work at but....

my idea is to buy a "suitable pair of tickets" to the next concert, stage show, soccer game etc. and offer them up. Choose the type of tickets most suited to most of the employees.

Sometimes tickets are hard to get so snap some up on the day they go on sale.

Good luck and nice that you are trying to use those promotional pounds creatively.

Cheers!