A decade ago, the concept of a non-sales incentive travel program seemed, well, almost nonexistent. Today, however, those programs, and the inclusion of more non-sales participants, are becoming more common for a variety of organizations, all in an effort to retain, engage, and motivate employees in all sectors. And for those companies, that strategy seems to be working.
For the past seven years, Aimia has worked with a large healthcare client that wanted to recognize its exceptional call-center employees. This year, the company brought 311 winners from the U.S., India, and Ireland to Orlando, for a multiday program, including a welcome reception, awards dinner, teambuilding activities, and networking opportunities with the CEO and upper management. Post-event surveys showed that 72.4 percent of winners had increased feelings of company loyalty; 76.6 percent had increased feelings of belonging; and 67.4 percent of non-selected, non-sales employees that were also surveyed indicated a desire to improve their performance for a chance at future participation.
"Travel is a universal motivator," notes Bonnie Boisner, vice president of event management for Aimia. "A travel reward motivates across all business practice areas -- not just sales."
The idea that incentive travel, in particular, can and should be applied as a motivator for all members of an organization, and not just sales, is catching on, too.
"Rewarding only sales can generate an us-versus-them culture, instead of one where everyone's contributions are valued and recognized," says Susan Adams, senior director of engagement for Dittman Incentive Marketing. "Demonstrating appreciation for the efforts of those supporting the sales process will go a long way to ensuring that everyone is working toward the same goals and reaping the rewards of achievement."
At CWT Meetings & Events, Tony Wagner, vice president for the Americas, also notes, "Dedicating budgets to a travel reward program outside of sales departments relieves the 'non-valued' perception that many employees today have, and has a real financial impact in terms of worker engagement, efficiency, and retention."
When it comes to crafting an incentive travel program that includes non-sales winners, there aren't many differences, either, says Wagner. "Ultimately, the goal is the same: motivating, driving engagement, and driving performance." The differences have more to do with making the case for this type of travel, and how to obtain those goals. Here are five ways to do just that.
1. Make the case and set a budget
Unlike a traditional sales incentive program that's tied to sales revenues, it's much trickier to demonstrate the ROI of a non-sales incentive travel program but, says Scott Siewert, divisional vice president of sales for USMotivation, it can be done. "The ROI is harder to find for this type of program, but you can run an ROI on anything."
Aimia's Boisner agrees, adding, "Every initiative is measurable. Find out what your objective is, figure out a way to measure it, and budget accordingly," she says. Some measures of success that can be applied are client satisfaction levels, training metrics, peer recognition, purchasing behaviors, and service-level attainment."
Mike Ryan, senior vice president of client strategy for Madison Performance Group, also says it's important to try to identify potential revenue streams to create a budget that's more in line with how the organization thinks on a financial level. "Yes, the budget is important, but it's also about recognizing the potential revenue that these programs can yield for an organization," he says.
Matthew Hodge, vice president of sales for USMotivation, notes that for an inaugural non-sales incentive travel program, spending should be closely monitored. "Don't go overboard. In the second or third year, you can open up your wallet more if you're successful with the first program." He says that budgets for these types of programs may sometimes be smaller.
2. Set clear rules
Traditional sales incentive program requirements are straightforward: sell X amount, and win a trip. Non-sales incentive programs require a different set of rules, however.
"Perhaps it's more nomination based, or a product of a variety of measures like customer satisfaction or client renewals," Ryan says. "Whatever you decide, it's important for organizations to communicate exactly what's expected of [participants] and how that information will be processed. You need complete transparency."
He suggests allowing employees to get involved in the nomination process, for example, leveraging input from customers or social recognition to help senior management pick the winners.
"Doing this allows companies to learn from the experience, and figure out the desired level of performance or the type of behavior they want to reward," says Ryan.
3. Know your group
While this is true of any incentive travel program, and every group is different, non-sales incentive program groups are generally smaller in size and may have more winners who are not as well traveled.
To get to know your group better, Boisner suggests conducting pre-event surveys to assist with site selection and identifying activities that will appeal to the most winners. And as with any incentive trip, weaving in experiences that recipients would otherwise not be able to obtain on their own and offering a variety of activities and experiences are a must, no matter where they go.
Siewert says he has had success with conducting non-sales incentives at all-inclusive properties, especially in Mexico, as well as on cruise ships. A recent group of call center reps from a West Coast-based entertainment company traveled to Atlantis, Paradise Island resort, in the Bahamas in March, he says.
A multinational manufacturer and marketer of high-quality, brand-name food and meat products worked with CWT Meetings & Events to conduct a four-night Chairman's Club program in Costa Rica for 100 non-sales employees from across the company. That same group is headed to Grand Cayman in 2016.
Another activity to keep in mind for any group is some sort of corporate social responsibility activity to build camaraderie and give back to local communities. "In 2014, during one non-sales program, achievers constructed 60 wheelchairs for a local school and United Way," says Boisner. "This was extremely well received by all participants, and they loved making a difference in the local host community."
4. Include the top brass
Just as you would invite top executives to attend your sales incentives, you should do the same for non-sales incentive programs. "Participants, especially non-sales, appreciate exclusive opportunities to network with company leaders," says Boisner. "Including executives on the trip has been proven to be a very motivating factor for achievers. They enjoy the face time, and receiving gratitude from leaders makes them feel appreciated on an entirely different level."
5. Pay attention to the details
Leave a lasting impression on recipients by paying attention to the littlest of details, says Siewert. "It's the little things that make a program special," he says. "When you hand each guest a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses at check-in, for example, they will be thinking more about those, and about the trip, a year or more afterward."
Siewert, Boisner, Ryan, and Wagner all noted that merchandise bars, where a winner chooses an award from a selection, are a particularly effective way to add to the motivational impact of an incentive travel program.
Even after the trip ends, it remains important to keep reminding winners of their achievement, and to extend the motivational impact of their travel reward.
"After the trip, you can do anything -- from videos to testimonials from other members -- to reinforce, from a cultural perspective, the types of behaviors that the organization wants to sustain," says Ryan.