Over the years, the format of business to business loyalty programmes has changed – and will almost certainly continue to do so. It all started in the late 1700s. Stores gave resellers copper tokens that could later be redeemed on future purchases. Fast forward to today and we have personalised notifications, smart cards, mobile apps, customisable programmes and personal rewards.

Tim Harris joined the Incentivesmart team back in November 2016 as a Senior Front-End Developer.

A lover of beer, film fanatic and quite possibly the most chilled out person you’ll ever meet, let’s get to get to know Tim…

The competition is tough, the market is a little rattled, and the pressure is on to grow your revenue. Do you invest your marketing budget in more advertising and chase up cold leads, or do you try to create better, more profitable relationships with your existing customers? Perhaps with a B2B customer loyalty programme?

Ann joined Incentivesmart as Finance Director in spring 2021, she brings knowledge and experience earned during an outstanding career in finance.

As you might expect of any great FD, Ann is extremely organised, and efficient, but she also has a knack of bringing the numbers to life, making them interesting and meaningful to the board and wider team.

I grabbed a quick coffee with Ann to chat about her career and life at Incentivesmart.

According to Loyalty 360, as many as 90% of B2B accounts believe that more personal interactions between a company and its partners create better relationships.

2020 - the year we all stayed home. Also the year that the world dramatically changed! Whether your business has had to adjust its working hours, on-site safety measures, or battle with supply chain disruptions, COVID-19 has undoubtedly challenged your regular operations, and your team, in some way. 

Since customer retention is far more cost-effective than generating and converting new leads, it pays to keep your customers happy! But since the pandemic, customer behaviour has changed. For example, it’s enhanced our use of digital technologies. In fact, according to a report from McKinsey and Company, COVID-19 has accelerated the digitation of customer interactions by several years. Understanding the needs of your customers couldn’t be ever more relevant in keeping those hard-earned customers onside. Establishing a loyalty-based relationship to increase repeat customer behaviour is essential, and we have all the tips to help you get this right.

Gary joined Incentivesmart in 2019 as a Non-Executive Director and offers a wealth of experience and contacts in banking and finance. Our CEO, Richard White, met Gary whilst on a business management course at Saïd Business School and there was clear synergy.

I grabbed a coffee with Gary to chat about his career and time so far at Incentivesmart.

Evaluating your distributor’s performance can be complicated. How do you know that those who performed well yesterday will continue to do so tomorrow? How can you spot those with the greatest drive and passion? You need metrics, reports, information…most importantly, the right ones.

How do you turn one-time customers into regulars? Loyalty programmes are a simple, reliable, and gloriously predictable way of incentivising customers to come back and spend with you over and over. Give a little something back to show how much you appreciate their business, and they might just stick with you for years and years. But, as with all the best things in life, getting it right takes time...

The Office - some people love it and others, well… not so much!

Let’s cut to the chase! When launching a new incentive programme for your distributors it needs to perfect. No long-winded processes. No boring content. No uninspiring rewards. It needs to WOW!

More and more businesses are relying on channel partners to get their products out to the right customers. Why wouldn’t they? It’s an additional way of getting their product out to even more people! Think of it like this…

We’ve all got that one friend who is more like a family member. You see them regularly, you love them dearly and wouldn’t change them for the world. Even though you’re not blood-related, you still value them just as much, sometimes more, as those who are.

We all need a little motivation every now and then. Whether it’s to be more healthy, get more sleep, or get more work done, we’ve all been there! So if you’re finding that some of your distributors may be lacking in motivation, then don’t worry - that’s what this blog is for!

With 18 years of incentive and channel loyalty experience, Roz joined the Incentivesmart team in December 2020.  Her job title says it all really - Client Success Manager! You guessed it... She spends her days working closely with our clients to make sure their programmes are a success!

We love having Roz as part of our team (and not just because of her amazing bakery skills!)

Let's get to know her some more...

In this day and age, incentivising a sales channel is pretty much expected. In fact,  81% of top-performing companies utilise incentive programmes to reward their sales associates. It’s all very well having one in place, but how do you ensure you get your desired outcomes? Well, it’s all in the planning! 

Without a loyal sales network, your brand's potential for growth will always be limited. Think of it like this… You’re getting your hair cut. The hairdresser uses product A on your hair which you really like. The next time you go in, they use product B, which seems ok. On your next visit, they use product C. By this point, you’ve completely forgotten about product A. This hairdresser has no loyalty to a specific brand. If they did have a favourite which they always used, the brand would have the potential to really grow. Why? Because the hairdresser would always use and talk about it. Every single day! 

Imagine you’re in a shop looking for a new laptop. You really like this particular one from brand A, but there’s one from brand B that also has your interest. A salesperson asks if you need any help, so you ask for their advice on which laptop is best. They seem to know everything about brand A, but they go a little quiet when asked about brand B. 

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.

When your employees understand and are engaged with your core values, your business can truly thrive. That's why building a reward and recognition strategy on the foundation of these values is essential.

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: