SalesHQ

sounds like you are having a problem with just the new product. motivation in general is money. A dinner won't get you too far, if you would also be at this dinner even less.

A dinner as a prize won't increase motivation or change behavior.

A new, but low margin product  may be undesirable from a rep perspective. typically low margin = low commission. perhaps the sale is too high an effort for a low reward. Don't know the case here without more info. I'm assuming the reps are doing ok with the previous products and from a cost to market basis better served by your inside reps.

Sellerina has hit the nail on the head.The motivation wil be money.Prizes are a waste of tiem and effort,you could say almost a joke.Place cold hard cash  with stipulations on the amount of sales.If the stipulatopon is not met ,the dollars are not passed to the winner.Default is no way to win.

 I heard a speaker talk on motivation. He tol,d a story of how he met up with a person who was at his seminar. He started to tell the motivational speaker he was full of crap for pushing motivation.He stated now that he was in management he had found motivation was no where to be found.Once the employees were fired up  as time went by  they would lose the agressiveness.Motivation was not cracked up to as much as people say it is.

 The replay to this was. So does a bath but I recommend you take one.

 You have to find a way to motivate and educate.

Thanks for all your help guys.

Indeed, Cash is King, and we ended up going with this route.

Double commissions on all first orders booked at full price. Even for existing customers, first time product orders, double the commission.

I am sure this will also have the manangement and bottom line friendly affect of increasing orders even at cut prices and single commisions becuase once our guys are that far into pushing the product, they will not walk away.

A win-win for all involved.

Now, about some of those value-added processes...

i have had many different promotions.   At the end end of the day, which is a greater cost, spending more on internal marketing or being dusted by your competitors who are selling.

Besides the money, you will eventually have to wene the sales force off of the double commission...This is  what I would do. 

1.  Pick a budget.....Popular things to give awayt right now - FLAT SCREEN TV's....2nd Place a New Ipod with Docking station.

2.  YOUR PLAN - Set each one up in your office, so they can see, touch feel the prize. 

3.  For the next quarter pit a competition between inside and outside sales....Competition should drive your sales force. Set up Benchmarks that are meaningful and a Point System...Perhaps New Business double Points, etc...

The most important part is have a score board for the whole office to see in a popular place.  No one wants to look like a schlump to the entire office.

If internal compitition and embarassment don't employ a motivational tool - yopur problem is much larger than getting people to sell a new product.

Also you should have a competition for your tenured reps and one for the newbies -so they don't give up at the beginning with the top dogs - so 2 of each prize.

I guess the key is to know your culture.....Our organization has gone through alot of changes over the past 18 months; including being acquired by our largest competitor.   With that our products changed....The philosophies that were put in place were both financial and tangible....

We lost alot of sales and service technicians over the transition, but we are better for it.. The replacmentse we acquired have no idea of what we were used to so we could mold them to the future....For most of us who were set in their ways had to do some thinking...I was going to leave, in fear of being barcode by the "GIANT MACHINE" who acquired us.   Needless to say, I did not after a heart to heart with my President and mentor.  What made me want to achieve more was this conversation and being to prove to myself, I could adapt to change...."I FOUND MY CHEESE WHEN IT WAS MOVED."

So knowing culture and individuals is so important, I would be lying if I didn't go that extra mile though to win the tv's, trips, dinners, and MONEY!!!!!!!  At the end of the day, why did you get into sales?  Was it to sell widgets or make MOney........I make money

you could be like my sales office and write everybody up. Just kidding...but just to let you know that's what my office is doing. Do you think your sales staff truely understands the product? Do they believe in their management? Are they pitching it? How many ride alongs are managers going on with reps?

Because I can tell you this much...me being in sales and just another number...I am really disappointed in the lack of knowledge our management brings to the table. I go to a manager for answers and they don't know them...no one knows. Sometimes I just want to ask them How many of these things did you sell..but I know that won't get me anywhere so I don't go that route. I see how a situation like that could make it really difficult to believe in the product to genuinely or make it a prioirty to sell the specific product often vs. just having to make quota for the day and "look good".

Another thing that I could mention would be how many of these products are these reps having to go in and sell at one time? How long is their sales call...do they have time to present all the products...are you tracking the reps production on it...I've had offices do Blitz's where everyone is accountable. The blitz doesn't end until every rep sells the elected product. Everyone on board. Good Luck.

WIN - what do you sell?

Cool - I sell copiers....

Win - Don't know if it's hard or easy; i always to try to get the day rather than have the day get me... This industry was my first true sales experience and I have been at it for about 8 years now, and now work on major accounts.... It's cut throat and margins have been cut...The ket is to be with a GREAT organization and stick with it....Have you considered this field?

alot of people end up doing something else - for me it just happens to be right....It would take alot for someone to uproot what I know at this point in my life.   If you can committ to it, I would say go for it,,,,just be careful of what company you join----IT CAN REALLY MAKE OR BREAK YOU

In my old job we have company-wide bonuses as well depending on how we do as a company...meeting our revenue targets, etc.  We can make up to 15% of our base salary in a bonus.  We had a monthly company meeting where we would drink beer and the CFO would present the numbers.  The experience was motivating in and of itself because the experience created a sense of comradery.

..beer and numbers works!