April. What a time for new beginnings! It’s the start of Q2, and so many teams are looking for great ways to keep the momentum going — or to get back on track if Q1 didn’t deliver as well as hoped.
So what is the best way to celebrate the start of a new quarter? We’d argue that the answer is holding a sales contest.
The science is on our side when it comes to gamifying the workplace experience with the implementation of a sales contest. These exciting events shake up the status quo, boost team morale, encourage healthy competition, and even help to drive lasting behavioral changes that help your company’s bottom line.
Read on for a few fun and easy-to-implement sales contests to start this next phase of the fiscal year off the right way.
1. April Showers Bring May Flowers…Or Leads
The rain is upon us to help nurture the earth back to life. In business, it’s time to bring the storm. The goal of this contest is to encourage the activities that help drive new business to ultimately puff up that pipeline for a stellar quarter.
Length: 1 week
Focus: Grow pipeline
Points: Make a call — 1 point
Book a meeting — 2 points
Prize: A nice houseplant for the winner’s home, or a succulent to be displayed on their desk
2. Smash the Snooze Button
The goal of this contest is to take advantage of the morning hours, where many hidden opportunities might slip through the cracks.
Length: 2 weeks (before noon)
Focus: Generate conversations
Points: Make a call — 1 point
Send an email — 1 point
Book a meeting — 2 points
Prize: The winner gets to pick a day to hit their snooze button and come in after lunch
3. The Bard of the Biz
There is a little bit of Shakespeare inside of all of us. This sales contest brings together Sales and Marketing to shell out the best e-mails. Pair someone from Marketing with two or three salespeople to form teams to create their own 2-week cadence. The best response rate wins.
Length: 3 weeks
Focus: Cross-department collaboration, generate conversations
Points: Response to email — 1 point
Meeting booked from email — 2 points
Prize: The winning team is awarded tickets to a play or musical
4. The Answer is “No!”
Controversial? Sure. This contest rewards rejection from prospects, but there’s a good reason for it. Being turned down and hearing “no” helps reps who might get discouraged, and it also aids in clearing out deals or bad leads that are clogging up your pipeline. Consider making this contest a team sport for best results.
Length: 1 week
Focus: Pipeline health, skill development
Points: Call that ends in no interest — 1 point
Prize: The winning or winning team gets a “yes” day where they pick the lunch spot and are treated to a happy hour
Tips for Successful Sales Contests
No matter how you decide to go about holding sales contests, be sure to remember that the goal is to focus on behavior-changing processes.
Short-term incentives are a great first step for encouraging better behaviors and habits, but it needs to be intentional. Look at your data to choose the right activities and behaviors to focus on for each sales contest.
A few tips for implementing sales contests:
- All contests can be performed by individuals or you can split reps up into teams. If you go for teams, be sure that you are pairing up based on different strengths and weaknesses.
- Prizes don’t have to cost any money. You don’t have to spend a lot of money — if any — to make a sales contest fun and effective.
Need more help getting started with implementing sales contests this quarter? Check out our various contest templates, available for free here.
