Sales "Games" for Employees

[aeltiger]

I am looking for some sort of competition/game to use in August to try and boost employee morale & sales. I was thinking of doing something like drawing a football field and let each employee be a "player". As they reach a certain level of sales (or sell a certain amount) they can move forward a certain amount of yards. The first one to reach the end zone wins some prize (cash, bottle of lotion, etc). Anyone ever tried something like that? Let me know what you have done and how well it went over. I'm just trying to get my employees to be more competitive amongst themselves. They are the competitive type and I feel like something like this will drive them to make more sales and me more $$$!

[Tanning Queen]

I did the same exact thing! I even made little footballs with their names on it. We were doing a promotion on a particular package and the one that sold the most in won $500 in a visa gift card. I had 1st 2nd and 3rd place. Second won $200 and third got $50. That was a great promotion. One of the best we did, next to a FTWE. Had I stayed in business, I would have done more like that.

I had tried other contests before and they got a higher commission if they hit a certain mark. And in the summer, I would do one for stuff they needed for college (tvs, dvd players, ipod, etc.) Those worked well too.

WHat didnt seem to motivate them is prizes to be used in the store. Found that out within my first 2 years. It worked in the very beginning cuz the old owner gave them 15% off lotions and they earned $.25 for each bottle sold but got a whole $1 if they sold the $30 or higher lotions. LOL! Needless to say, that wasnt much of an incentive. SO when I offered free lotions to winners of contests, that was good at first. But wore off.

[eyecandytanning]

I just did a bingo board. I also had them compete against me...beat my LLPA and PPA get x amount of dollars for each. Beat a set LPPA and PPA and also get x amount of dollars...each bingo =X black out the board get x do it before my getx...one girl took home an additional $175 this month and doubled her average commission check! very much worth the extra money i put out! We ended having the biggest month of the year.

[aeltiger]

Explain the bingo to me. Each box represents a certain lotion or any lotion?

[Kathe]

For prizes you can try trading with area businesses. I do that a lot. A lot of the bigger restaurant chains like to trade so they can give gifts to their employees. Just go in and talk to the manager. I trade in even amounts so if I get 10/$5 gift cards I give them the same. It helps both of the businesses. (and you get the bonus of people coming in to the salon to use the gift cards). I'll get movie tickets from AMC as well. So then I can give out enough gift cards so someone can do dinner and a movie - they love that. And all it costs me is some free tanning.

[JustTans23]

I'd end up using the food and movie gift certs for myself! lol

[Beach Bum]

I personally like sales contests. But a potential problem is if you have an "All Star" salesperson and they win everything. The other sales people are not as motivated. Contests work well if your salesperson are all about equal.

We've had some poor sales people that we weeded out. But most have been good. But occassionaly we have had an "All Star" that just smoked even the good ones. Hard to imagine that could be a problem

We tended to not many promotions when we had them. If we did, it was structure to reward 2nd and 3rd too.

[eyecandytanning]

I had a different block on my bingo be something i wanted the girls to push.

ex:
black
formostar
custom spray package
level 3 eft
face lotion
etc

My girls are leaving for school this month so i wont be doing another bingo until my new girls are up and running.

[JustTans23]

Oh I like the bingo idea! What do they get if they get a bingo?

[eyecandytanning]

$5 per bingo $25 for blacking out board $50 for doing it before me. I actually stole the idea from Brandy. The girls really liked it! I but attainable items with a much harder item...so like lotions accesory, and then formostar so this way they did not feel like it was super impossible

[JustTans23]

hmmm I will have to play around and see if I can find a way to do it without cool things like formostar

[Jones]

You can also play poker. Certain lotions sales earn a certain card...so like Black = Ace of Spades....and let them earn their hand by selling the lotions...so the Royal Flush gets this reward...it does allow for all sales to be good sells and each employee to pick a hand to sell to...so no #1 or #2...just ......here's what you win when you sell a Flush ...ect.

[JustTans23]

Oh I like the poker idea too. That will take some more planning out for me. Got my bingo bored finished

[northtanman]

do you even have your employee's on commission? i do and i also have them on a bonus for the end of the month on any increase of $1,000 over last years sales...2 months in a row they have earned quadruple bonus. we just doubled last years lotion sales for june! so, not that "games" would'nt work....but commissions and bonuses on sales keeps my employees "selling".
the games do sound fun though....but you at least need your employee's on commission!! maybe you do? i assume maybe not?

Originally Posted by aeltiger

I am looking for some sort of competition/game to use in August to try and boost employee morale & sales. I was thinking of doing something like drawing a football field and let each employee be a "player". As they reach a certain level of sales (or sell a certain amount) they can move forward a certain amount of yards. The first one to reach the end zone wins some prize (cash, bottle of lotion, etc). Anyone ever tried something like that? Let me know what you have done and how well it went over. I'm just trying to get my employees to be more competitive amongst themselves. They are the competitive type and I feel like something like this will drive them to make more sales and me more $$$!

[aeltiger]

Yes, they are on commission. Sometimes I'll also offer some suprise bones if they meet their goals. But, I still feel like they need some sort of boost! It seems like they are ok with making the commission they have been making...it doesn't seem like they really want to strive to make higher! I used to work in sales and I enjoyed my commission and bonuses because the sky is the limit on how much you can make, but sometimes it gave me a little jumpstart to be in a friendly competition with my teammates!

[JustTans23]

If you have enough employees, it might be good to make "teams" too. I think people will try harder if they know they are affecting someone elses commission too.

[Jones]

The good thing about the poker is that you can put a card value on lotions that YOU want to move more quickly...maybe a better margin on it or maybe a slow mover...but it is a really easy way to move lotions...and it's fun too!

[eyecandytanning]

Yep my employees are on commission...i also did bonuses for beating certain goals i set.

[Tanning Queen]

Same here. Commissions and bonus for goals.

Was actually in the process of implementing a profit sharing program before I had to close. They seemed excited about making even more money by just having the salon be successful. In the weeks before I closed, I had noticed them starting to take more pride in the salon than ever before. They started treating it like it was THEIRS, not just a job they liked. I think it wou ld have been very successful had I been able to stick around.

[northtanman]

i need to post my commission chart...it pushes them to sell more...its based on LPPA...at certain dollar amounts they get 10%...but as they increase their LPPA, they can get 125% more. i have 3 full time employee's and they all sell very well. july they did nearly 9k in lotion sales. nearly doubled last years july sales...which is another bonus!! actually for each $1,000 they exceed they get bonuses...they hit quad in their monthly bonus.