Use Contests to Motivate Your Outbound Lead Generation Team

Welcome 2013!

It’s the start of a new year, and what better way to kick it off and get your outbound lead generation team motivated than with an arsenal of fresh contest ideas. Outbound lead generation can be a grind, but contests can be a creative way of motivating outbound lead generation reps and creating a fun and competitive environment.
There are many different ways to setup a contest for the outbound lead generation team, but the key is to create contests that incentivize the right behaviors. You also need to be careful not to reward the wrong behaviors.
For example, if you run a contest for most calls in a day you will probably get people fudging the stats. There are tons of contest ideas out there that you can find just by searching online. The key is to keep it fun and competitive. Here are few ideas:

• The whole team gets a prize if everyone generates above a certain number of leads
• The rep with the most qualified leads gets a prize
• The rep with the most conversations gets a prize
• The rep with most improved number of appointments/qualified leads (week over week, month over month) gets a prize
• Reps are individually recognized for personal achievement when they reach a personal best for appointments or qualified leads
• Reps are divided into teams and the team with the most qualified leads wins a prize
• Reps are awarded fake money for achievement in conversations, appointments, and qualified leads, and are later allowed to gamble it off for prizes at a “Monte Carlo Night”

Just as important as the contest is the prize, and like contest ideas, there are tons of different ways to reward the winners. It doesn’t always have to be money, and you should keep in mind if you run contest frequently enough the costs can start to add up. It’s a good idea to allocate a portion of your annual budget specifically for spiffs and contest prizes. Here are few suggestions for prizes:

• Cash
• Gift card to a nice restaurant or local coffee shop
• Amex/Visa gift card
• Extra day off to use whenever
• A trophy or plaque
• Paid vacation at a hotel for a long weekend
• Team dinner
• Permission to leave early on Friday

The Biggest Motivator

Never underestimate the power of recognition. Regardless of the contest you run or the prize you give to the winners, make sure that you present the award in public in front of the winner’s peers and superiors so they get the recognition they deserve.

If you have any other good contest ideas that I didn’t mention in this list, please share them in the comments.

Have a great 2013!!!