10 Steps for Designing Effective Incentive Programs
Share on
Start with 3 simple, specific, and attainable objectives. Whether it’s increasing sales or reducing cycle times, ensure goals are communicated clearly to participants.
Target the individuals or teams who can help achieve your objectives. Not every employee or consumer is your audience, so focus on those who can make the biggest impact.
Collaborate with stakeholders and representatives from your target audience to help shape the rules, rewards, and structure of the program. This will increase ownership and engagement.
Determine your program’s foundation and whether it will be open-ended or closed-ended. Balance your fixed and variable costs to create a realistic budget.
Align rewards with your brand and what your audience values. Gather feedback from participants to ensure rewards are motivating and fit within your budget.
Develop a strategy to announce and maintain interest in the program. Training managers on execution is key to ensuring the program runs smoothly and participants stay engaged.
Decide what metrics to track and implement a system that reduces time spent on administration. Ideally, around 20% of the budget should cover administration.
The faster, the better. Digital rewards or online redemption can speed up the process and keep participants motivated, while ensuring the experience reflects your brand.
Evaluate whether your program achieved its objectives and changed behavior. Use this data to improve future programs and refine your approach.
Share the results and celebrate individual and team successes. Get leadership involved and ensure remote participants feel included by using virtual celebrations or web events.
Designing the perfect incentive program isn’t just about setting goals — it’s about delivering results. Let’s work together to create a tailored incentive program that fosters momentum and activates lasting engagement. Let’s get to work!
