Recycling the same old sales incentives isn’t much fun for your team. And more importantly, it doesn’t offer optimal motivation. In fact, unexpected rewards trigger dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure that also helps with memory formation, or learning. In other words, surprising your team will motivate them.
We all know it takes work to come up with new incentive ideas that fit within budget, so easier said than done, right?
Not necessarily. We’ve compiled some resources to make this easier on you, starting with the 15 ideas below. Many came straight from our team or customers, who use these seemingly simple ideas — mainly as sales contest prizes — to support the type of stellar culture that breeds optimal sales performance. And then we have 102 more ideas in our latest sales incentive eBook.
But that’s for later. For now, let’s get into these…
15 Inexpensive Sales Incentive Ideas:
- An at-work delivery of milk and cookies
- An exercise ball to replace a desk chair
- The opportunity to switch desks with anyone in the office for a day (hello, window view)
- Takeout from any local restaurant delivered right to the winner’s desk for lunch
- Fresh breakfast on the winner’s desk and ready to eat at the start of the workday
- If it’s spring or summer, an outdoor work station for a day, equipped with a table and chair, extension cord and wifi code
- One different piece of dessert delivered every afternoon for one week
- A superhero figurine (Macho Man works for us)
- A promise that someone in leadership will sing one song over a channel that everyone can hear, such as a conference call or Google Hangout
- A promise that the entire executive team will wear the jerseys of – or if they’re feeling adventurous, paint their faces the colors of – a sports team they dislike for one afternoon
- A conference table turned candy buffet for one afternoon
- A pack of classic board games – such as Jenga, Trouble, Battleship and Candy Land – that employees can take short breaks to play at work over the course of a week
- A coupon to block off a meeting room for one 30-minute nap
- A toy basketball hoop to hang in the office
- The chance to take a 2-hour break from work and watch any movie (which management will bring in, along with some popcorn)
What do you think? Have any to add? We’d love to see your feedback and ideas in the “Comments” section below.
Don’t forget to check out our free eBook:
