Exposing the 6 Myths of Call Center Sales: The Incentives Myth

Welcome to the fourth installment of our series: Exposing the 6 Myths of Call Center training. Be sure to check out the first, second, and third posts in this call center training series. 

Myth #4: Monetary incentives are the most effective way to reward your teams.

Once you’ve identified the critical behaviors for sales and service success, you’ll need to develop a reward system that reinforces those behaviors. But remember, different people respond to different rewards. 

For some, money can be a strong incentive, but for others, it isn’t always the best reward. 

That’s because small monetary incentives may not mean much to an employee — especially after taxes are taken out. Instead, a point system can be more productive. These systems let employees save up reward points for things that really do mean a lot to them (travel, higher-dollar items, etc.).

Don’t forget the value of emotional rewards either.

CSRs desperately need to know how they’re doing — especially in the unfamiliar world of sales. For them, an encouraging “pat on the back” can make all the difference in the world. Always look for opportunities to give kudos and recognition to team members in front of their peers. You should also send short, handwritten notes to acknowledge an employee’s accomplishments. Such notes can be incredibly meaningful and motivational for your employees.

What if you’re in a situation where it’s hard to track individual performance? Don’t let this stop you from offering incentives. Instead, consider team-based incentives. You can either reward your entire call center or single out smaller workgroups. 

Interested in learning more about ASLAN’s call center training and sales strategy?

You can download the complete ebook “Exposing the 6 Myths of Call Center Sales” here and continue reading. 

If you’ve got questions — or just want to shoot the breeze about the best sales analogies in the business — we’re excited to connect. 

Tom Stanfill

As Co-founder and CEO, Tom’s primary role is to create content that helps people live, sell, and serve more effectively. Find him on LinkedIn