Imagine it’s a Sunday and you’re in Tesco collecting some bits for the upcoming week. Going shopping whilst hungry is always a bad idea... Everything looks so good! You arrive in the bakery aisle. (Diets don’t count at the weekend, right?) The smell of fresh Tesco Finest cookies draws you in. But the way the icing is melting on those Mr Kipling cakes looks good too! But perhaps you fancy something more savoury? Decisions, decisions!

Looking for a challenge this summer? Want to get fit? Perhaps you’re a keen cyclist?

Then why not join our CEO, Rich, and sign up for the Cycling Sportive in aid of Willen Hospice?*

Question - do you actually know every single person who sells your product? Think outside your internal sales team. What about all your distributors and channel partners? Do you know what their sales approach is? Do you know if they need additional resources or support from you?

Emily Wright joined the Incentivesmart family in January 2021. With 7 years of marketing experience, she’s our first Marketing & Engagement Specialist within the business.

Emily not only supports the marketing for the Incentivesmart brand, but also works with our clients to help them increase engagement within their reward and recognition programmes.

A keen gym-goer, a cocktail lover and a fantastic marketer, we’re delighted to have her on-board!

Let's get to know her!

We’ve all been there. You have a pleasant interaction with a cashier, an adviser on the phone, or a seemingly sentient chatbot, and then they ask the question: “would you mind answering a few questions about your experience?”. Customer feedback makes the world go round - letting you know the things you are doing for your customers that are really working, as well as the opportunities that you may be missing. But you can’t just go charging in like a rhinoceros; there is an art to getting it right. Structuring your process and introducing thoughtful incentives can help make sure your request for valuable feedback doesn’t disrupt an otherwise positive customer experience, but enhances it - like gravy on a Sunday roast. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves… To understand how to collect feedback in the best way possible, you first need to know what you’re aiming for. Here’s everything that collecting customer feedback can do for your business… 

It’s Monday morning… again.

The best way to use rebates to attract new business is by using a straight cash discount, right? 

"The purpose of a business is to create and keep a customer." 

A great channel partner programme gets results. Given the appropriate amount of time and investment, a successful programme can help grow your sales team, expand their collective expertise, improve the efficiency of your business and drive international growth. But what is the right amount of time? According to 24% of companies, channel partners take more than a year to become as productive as you need them to be. Granted, a year sounds like a bit of a wait, but patience pays off! Giving you 28% shorter sales cycles, 13% more sales reps hitting their targets, and 12% higher conversion rates, just to name a few benefits.

They may wake you up early. They may cry when they’re hungry. They may even be a bit naughty sometimes. But we wouldn’t have them any other way! And no, we’re not talking about the kids! We’re talking about our beloved pets!

Whether it’s workload, long hours or perhaps tight deadlines, there are many reasons why people experience work-related stress. Unfortunately, it’s also very common. In fact, 1 in 5 people take a day off due to stress. However, 90% of these people cite a different reason for their absence.

In 2020, the most common cause of stress was work-related. Understandably, the pandemic had a lot to do with this. There were issues around job security, financial stability and of course – cabin fever.

A survey to over 2,000 people found that workplace stress has resulted 18% developing anxiety and 7% have even had suicidal thoughts.

So what do these terrifying statistics tell us? Do they say that people don’t feel confident talking about stress? Are they not being given enough support from their employer? And is there anything we can do to help combat it?

What makes your business different to your competitors? What makes your products stand out in a crowded market? Finding your niche is absolutely vital in today's day and age. With many businesses offering similar products to yours, sometimes the only tactic to compete on is price… But this is completely unsustainable and shows no value! 

Jon Stevens joined Incentivesmart in December 2020 as Head of Operations. He's certainly no stranger to the industry... 20 years on and he's still loving it! 

As Head of Operations, Jon is the go-to man for all things (you guessed it!) operational. From managing existing supplier relationships and onboarding new ones, managing the Operations team, enhancing our catalogue offering, owning certification projects, (just to name but a few things!) Jon is already proving to be an amazing addition to the Incentivesmart family.

A rugby fanatic, a keen traveller and of course, an incredible leader, we're excited to have Jon join our team!

Upselling and cross-selling - two simple strategies used to sell more! And two simple strategies that your sales channels should be using! 

Think of a brand that you love. Let’s take Nike as an example. (Other brands are available…)

Having a distribution network enables your business to grow and reach a much wider audience. It's a fantastic way to expand into new markets with less risk and upfront investment. Just like your in-house sales team, your distribution network will need support and encouragement when it comes to smashing those sales targets. 

Sometimes in life we look for quick wins. What can help me achieve the results I want but in a shorter amount of time? The problem with these “quick wins” is it usually means missing out on the full potential. This is something businesses have to be cautious of when it comes to maintaining an effective pricing and marketing strategy.

How often have you been drawn into a price battle with your customer? You want to close the sale quickly but the price is causing an issue. So what do you do? Discount the price to secure the deal!

Many marketing professionals are measured on customer satisfaction and engagement. Sounds easy, right? The happier the customer, the better!

Your distribution channels are key to success! With them, you’re able to maximise your profits and grow your business sustainably. However, much of this success depends on the relationship you build with them and the support you offer to effectively practise sales enablement. Utilising a set of tried and tested best practices will help you to achieve consistent results that have a range of positive knock-on effects, such as:

So you’ve identified your leads and converted them into customers. Your marketing efforts have paid off, right? Think again! Now the real hard work begins!

The simple answer is YES!

39% of employees rate respect and fairness as the most critical attribute of a strong company culture. Companies that practice fairness in the workplace experience higher levels of employee retention, engagement, and performance. When impartial and honest feedback is amongst the core functions in an organisation's culture, employees are far more likely to be engaged and motivated to help the business achieve its goals.

Your company's core values will play a huge role in determining its long-term success. They'll have a hand in your organisation's vision for the future, marketing strategy, its product and service development, investments, and the kind of people you bring on board to join your team.

When embarking on improving the culture of your business, one of the first places to start is with defining your core values. However, your work doesn’t end there.

According to research conducted by TAB, 86% of organisations surveyed believe that company culture helps their productivity – and with good reason. Environments that support collaboration, communication, creativity, and work-life balance tend to attract and retain the best employees.

For businesses that want to create successful workplace cultures, a reward and recognition programme is an indispensable tool. According to Deloitte, companies that reward and recognise positive behaviours have a 14% higher productivity and performance output compared to organisations that don't.

As with any initiative to get the desired behavioural outcomes from your employees, it's important to clearly identify the problems your organisation is facing and tailor your approach to targeting those issues.

Introducing a reward and recognition platform into your organisation is an exciting time – a smart step towards better employee experiences and improved engagement. 

The man, the myth, the legend – our very own Kieran Rafferty – set off on an intrepid coast-to-coast adventure across Scotland this September with a group of fellow veterans.

Introducing a customer loyalty programme into your business model is a fantastic way to boost retention and improve your customer relationships. Businesses that invest in creating positive interactions with audiences through personalised rewards schemes are also actively building their brand – an essential factor when competing in today's market. 

Your loyalty programme should reward your customers and your distributors. Salespeople work hard to build networks and relationships that allow them to put your products in front of the right audience, and their efforts should be recognised. Likewise, customers that show consistent loyalty and engagement should be encouraged and rewarded for choosing your brand time and time again. So, if your marketing team has created an exciting promotion that you're hoping will boost sales or interest in your offering, it's essential to consider two things:

In the UK alone, 660 000 new businesses are registered every year, so there are likely to be plenty of brands with similar products and services to yours. In this highly competitive market, connecting with customers and differentiating your brand through an engagement programme can be a powerful way to establish customer loyalty. 

It's easy to understand how a happy and motivated sales channel will impact the customer experience your company offers. After all, when was the last time you bought something from a salesperson who lacked product knowledge or showed little interest in you as a buyer?

When businesses start reviewing their finances, particularly during an economic downturn or in the advent of political instability, marketing activities tend to be classified as expenses. In Denmark, for example, 47.46% of CMOs and marketing managers reduced their marketing budgets at the start of 2020. 

Investing in building a loyal customer base is one of the most rewarding things an organisation can do. The positive feedback loop created by brand loyal customers will help your business to sustain during tough times and continue to thrive under pressure. When a customer repeatedly chooses your products and services, regardless of the alluring temptations that competitors offer, it means that your company is exceeding expectations and achieving loyalty.

A 2019 survey revealed that 99% of respondents would be happy to work remotely, at least occasionally. Whether remote work is the new protocol for your workplace or an opportunity you make available to employees when needed, there are numerous benefits, for example: 

Managing a sales channel is already a complex process that requires excellent communication between your brand and its distributors. Typically, the goal is to encourage and reward sales and keep your affiliates invested in your business by offering support and great content to pass on to customers and leads. 

Traditionally, human resource departments would handle the administrative operational functions of a business. In response to the changing demands of businesses and employees, however, HR now has a more strategic role in shaping the workforce of a company, managing conflict, encouraging high performance, job satisfaction and boosting retention.

Whether remote working has been long established in your company, or you're suddenly embracing this model to ensure that your team remains productive in the current climate, many positives can emerge from this initiative – for businesses and employees. 

Since no one really knows how long the lockdown will continue, or what the transition back into a normal working day will look like, it's a good idea to explore the benefits of remote working and keep employees engaged for the duration.

Has your company made a sharp swerve into the remote working lane? Many organisations have undergone an almost overnight transformation to enable employees to work from home – an essential business survival tactic in the current climate.

Remote working isn't a new concept. In 2015, 4.2 million people in the UK were already regularly working from home. Many companies have adopted (or were considering) this model long before recent events. However, if the current global situation has preempted the transition into remote working for your business, you may be tackling some novel challenges. 

Competing on price alone or using fly-by-night sales tactics won't ensure sustainable business growth in a relationship economy. If you're one of the 82% of companies that recognises customer retention as a more cost-effective strategy, then you're likely to be considering the implementation of a customer loyalty programme. Statistically, existing customers make up 65% of a company's business – it makes sense to keep them happy.

However, as with all infrastructural investments, your customer loyalty programme software needs to yield measurable results to validate its share of the budget and demonstrate how it contributes to the organisation's ability to meet targets. 

Loyal customers are, essentially, the proof in the marketing pudding. You spend hours creating campaigns that aim to engage leads and convert them into buyers, but the ultimate goal of the transaction is more profound. 

Building strong emotional connections throughout the sales cycle reinforces customer loyalty and ensures your brand's longevity. In a global market, where choice is abundant, this should be a priority.

We all know those who are satisfied with their jobs report being happier overall, however, the benefits of being a satisfied employee may extend even further than previously thought

Employee satisfaction means lower staff turnover and increased productivity, sure, but recent studies suggest that, for those that love what they do, it even has long-term health benefits. Workplace satisfaction speaks into concentration, focus, physical and mental health, and the ability to manage personal finances and relationships outside of work.

At its heart, servant leadership is about leaders meeting the needs of their followers by demonstrating ethics and empathy – and much less about ego and personal ambition.

When some people hear the phrase ‘servant leadership’, they automatically associate it with a ‘soft management’ style and believe it’s impossible to serve and lead at the same and is incompatible with the tough world of business.

The second of our two-part series that highlights how gamification can be an opportunity for boosting employee engagement. Jen Norton shares with us a check-list to support your employee engagement journey.

Ah, that perennial ‘employee engagement challenge’ that continues to confound HR and internal communication teams around the world. Jen Norton believes that gamification is part of the solution. Here are her suggestions on implementation for increased engagement

Rich White writes on how to leverage your profit and growth through customer loyalty

Let’s demystify a common bit of management jargon right out the blocks – starting with ‘Service Profit Chain’. It’s about how the value that your business ultimately provides is actually driven by your employee’s satisfaction, loyalty and productivity. In the search to reach the maximum customer satisfaction you should turn your thoughts to how you engage with your employees.

Who are you and what do you do at incentivesmart?

I’m Matt, the Business Development Manager at incentivesmart. I studied a degree in golf (really!) at University, following this I tried my hand playing golf full time. Unfortunately, this didn’t work out as I’d dreamt. I then proceeded to spend many years working in the leisure industry.

There’s a reason you get up, go to work and work hard, right?

Everyone’s reasons and motivation for going to work will vary to some degree. Yes, it would be fair to say regardless of job or profession most people’s motivation to work is underlined by financial circumstance, the basic need to provide shelter, food and of course Wi-Fi for themselves or their family.