By Alex Traynor,

You want your sales people to strive for superiority. You want them to close deals, go after new business, and do virtually anything that needs to be done to bring in more money for your company. However, not all sales people are totally motivated from their first day to their last.

That’s why companies come up with incentives for sales people. Incentives can boost morale, productivity, and motivation. But when it comes to figuring out which incentives will truly work within your sales force, you will have to get to know your team’s wants and needs. Not all incentives for sales people will work for every office, though. In any case, here are a few examples of some of the best incentives for sales people.

Cash

It’s not hard to believe that just about everyone is enticed by cash dangling in front of him or her. Providing cash incentives for sales people will only work if the value is impressive enough though, so if you can’t provide them with a decent monetary value, it won’t be worth trying this option and it might be best to go with some of the other options we’ve listed below.

Tangible Objects

When it comes to offering tangible objects as incentives for sales people, you really need to know what will get your team’s attention. If everyone already has a flat-screen TV, then offering one as an incentive likely won’t work. And if you cheap out, say, with a set of steak knives, you won’t see much excitement, either. With tangible objects, you need to be very careful and put more thought and consideration into what you offer.

Perks at Work

If you don’t have a huge budget to spend on incentives for sales people then consider offering some perks at work. These can consist of a reserved parking spot, a work-at-home day, a better office, a half-day of work, an extra vacation day, or even just an extended lunch hour. These motivators won’t cost you much but they’ll be seen as valuable to sales people who want a few extra hours off or who really want that office with the big window.

Experiences

Your sales people work hard and they want to play hard, too. So they’ll be motivated to go after some big sales if you offer them a luxurious weekend at a spa, event tickets, all-inclusive vacations, or other types of experiences that you think your staff and their loved ones might want to try out. These types of incentives for sales people will not only make them work harder, but also gives them well-deserved time off so they can be recharged when they come back to work. It’s a win-win situation.

Job Advancement

This is sort of a no-brainer, but we thought we’d mention it anyway: sales people are go-getters. They want to move up in their careers; they want more money; they want that shiny car; and they want the financial stability that comes with advancing in their jobs. And this is why providing career development incentives for sales people can be the best option. A spa vacation will last a week, but a career development incentive can provide them with the future they truly want. Your top performers should be rewarded with advancement opportunities. This can be done by paying membership fees to professional organizations, paying for their tickets to training seminars or conferences, or paying them to take night classes to advance their education.

Be Fair and Realistic

Any incentives for sales people should be based on behaviours that can be measured. Your entire team should have a chance at winning the prize if they apply themselves. It should also be flashy enough to get their attention. Choose a realistic goal for your sales people to go after and make it very clear what their incentive is for attaining the goal.