by Bob Vitagliano, CITE
The use of incentives is relatively new in the non-sales arena. For decades incentive programs were viewed as a perk restricted to the sales force, those who were already highly compensated and, therefore, needful of other motivators to spur them to greater accomplishments.
It is obvious that what works for sales will be equally successful in other areas of business management. This successful management technique is no longer limited to applications like increasing the sales (and profits) of a company. Now any number of other management objectives can be addressed through the power of incentive/motivational management.
HR management has already discovered the value of incentives in recruiting and retaining highly qualified employees. That is just the beginning of the list of its applications. Virtually any business objective can be achieved through the judicious use of incentives. Incentives are not the answer to all challenges but they have proven effective in the majority of business situations.
The dilemma is: How is a manager to learn all there is to know about this technique – especially in our 24/7 world that already is too short for all that is required?
A fascinating survey, Time Poor/Tech Rich, published by Priority Management reports that 80% of us are working longer than the standard 40-hour week, a fact that is more startling in its converse – only 20% are working what was once considered a normal workweek. While the majority of us use more technology than we did a year ago, a third of us find that stressful.
(Priority Management offers suggestions for succeeding in the technology rich workplace and you can visit them at www.prioritymanagement.com.)
Clearly, we must take maximum advantage of every hour of our time both at work and at home. Making more intelligent use of our work hours is essential in today's environment.
The Internet is an excellent tool for research but it does not satisfy the need for first-hand knowledge. Successful meeting and incentive planners use it most effectively to research specific venues and destinations but they know that a site inspection is still essential for a successful incentive travel program. One needs to experience the reality of the reward they are planning for their best performers.
Trade shows are one opportunity to maximize our return on investment of time. They offer the environment to do research and gain knowledge in a minimum of time. With proper pre-planning at a show, we can see what's new, attend education programs, consult with incentive experts, and even contract for motivational products and travel. Probably the most important benefit derived from attendance at trade shows is that relationships can be formed that can be beneficial in the future.
The two prime trade shows for the incentive industry are still ahead of us this year: The Premium Incentive Show in New York on May 8-10, 2001 and The Motivation Show in Chicago on October 9-11, 2001. These are the premier showcases for the incentive/motivation industry and the best venues to capitalize on the opportunities needed to create profit-generating programs.
Use these shows to improve your knowledge about the use of incentives. Yogi Berra said that the future ain't what it used to be and he was right. The use of incentives can solve a myriad of business challenges.
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Bob Vitagliano, CITE is President of V Associates, an incentive marketing consulting firm, and is a partner in fourCE.org. He is also the former EVP/CEO of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives. You can reach him at vassociates@home.com or at info@fourCE.org.