Awards

Custom Watches: A Timeless Recognition Reward

November 8, 2018 By Bill Myers

What comes to mind when you think about traditional corporate and sales awards? I’d be willing to bet that custom watches or timepieces were high on the list. So, why are these products so popular in recognition programs?

Here are 4 main reasons you should consider custom watches in your recognition programs:

Personal

A wide variety of watch brands and styles can be personalized with names, dates and logos to enhance the lasting memory of an employee’s achievement.

In some recognition programs, you can continue to customize an employee’s watch depending on their level of recognition. For example, you could create an “add-a-diamond” program where multi-year achievements could be recognized in one commemorative timepiece.

Functional

In our recent blog, 6 Essential Elements of a Service Award Program, we discussed the importance of choosing a gift that not only has a high perceived value, but is also functional.

A watch is something that is looked at numerous times per day, making it useful and also memorable. Every time an employee checks the time, they will be reminded that they are a valuable asset to their company.

Watches are also an accessory that can be worn regardless of the season!

Traditional

Did you know the first mechanical timepiece dates all the way back to 1275 in England? In the beginning, blacksmiths used various irons only and were mainly concerned with improving functionality. After a few centuries passed, watches began to take on a new style.

In the 16th century, watch makers began to use bronze, brass, silver and other precious metals to distinguish their products, thus creating the culture of luxury and style we appreciate today. Interestingly enough, Swiss reformer John Calvin prohibited the wearing of jewelry, but allowed watches for their functionality. Jewelry makers had to learn a new craft in watch making, thus kickstarting the Swiss watch industry!

Watches have been appreciated for their mechanical intricacy, history, and elegance for centuries, and are still highly valued to this today. You can simply can’t go wrong with this timeless gift.

Desirable

Let’s face it, a good-looking watch turns heads. When a high-performance employee is seen by another worker sporting a nice new watch, it’s bound to get their attention. Having an attainable goal will motivate them to achieve their performance goals.

Many of the most desirable watch brands can be customized, including Tag Heuer, Timex, Bulova, Fossil, Seiko and more.

If you are a sales manager, or human resources specialist, you understand the need to commemorate milestones, anniversaries and other special occasions to encourage and reward your team. Recognition reinforces to the employee that they are an invaluable asset to the company. Positive attitudes of those in the workplace are vital to increased productivity and success of businesses, both large and small.

An elegant, high-quality watch is a special gift they’ll treasure forever. We would love to talk to you about our available options to recognize your team. Call us at 866-924-2778 to talk to one of our staff members today!

Turnkey Recognition Programs: Let Your Employees Choose

October 1, 2018 By Bill Myers

Our last blog, 6 Essential Elements of a Service Award Program, provided essential components that create motivation and show heartfelt appreciation to your employees. We believe that these elements about service awards are also applicable to Sales and Safety awards.

Times change and so have award program. They have evolved to make achieving these recommended elements easy for companies to offer. As a reminder, awards should:

Be functional
Potentially suitable for use at home
Have recurring value
A high perceived value
And focus on specific recognition levels – meaning the award should match what the person is being awarded for!

Let Your Employee Choose

This is a tall order to fill. How can we create a type of award that would meet all of these criteria for varying individuals with different tastes? Today recognition programs have been designed to do just that…meet the individual’s taste by letting them choose.

Now you can create a program for your company that provides useful, useable, and desired gifts for your employees that:

Keep your company top of mind with logos added to the items chosen
Provide varying levels of merchandise values for varying levels of service or performance.
Are created especially for your company with materials created for you employees to choose from.
And service to handle all of the gift packaging and delivery.

HR Manager Benefits

Human resource managers have a huge role in every company. They are tasked with helping operating managers recruit, onboard, pay, train, and manage benefits for all of the company’s employees. It is logical that they would support the operating managers in employee recognition also.

The HR manager is faced with logistics challenges with the varying needs of different departments and the desire to truly please the employees with the award. It may feel daunting.

It may also be intimidating to imagine setting up a whole turnkey program. However, the impact to your department team will be much less in the long run and with services such as ours, we can make the program set-up as painless as possible.

Take a Peak

Just to spark your imagination, see a few pictures of the items one of our customers chose for their organization:

Jewelry is a very popular choice among employees. There are a large number of selections at different prices allowing employers to have a jewelry selection at every level of their program.

An example of the items one customer chose for their 10 year service awards. Versatile and fun for an outdoor person.

Beautiful timepieces for a 40 year award. Yes, people still stay at one company for 40 years! Or maybe they have a 40 years of safe practices and no safety incidents on their record.

And charming home décor that the whole family can enjoy make for a wonderful 20 year recognition or a Top Salesperson of the Year Award.

These are just a few ideas of rich catalogues that could be created for your company and provide an organized, simple, but unique program to recognize all levels of performance and service.

There are many programs to choose from. For more information about our Choice Program, click here or call us at (866) 924-2778.

6 Essential Elements of a Service Award Program

September 4, 2018 By Bill Myers

Everyone desires to be recognized for their hard work. A good pat on the back for a job well done can show employees that they are truly appreciated. People thrive on recognition, and it actually can have a positive impact on a person’s self-esteem.

That’s where a Service Award Program comes into play. When structured correctly, this system will not only make employees happier, but it will actually increase their motivation to work harder. This reaction, in turn, benefits both the employee and the business by improving productivity.

Is A Service Award Program Right for My Business?

Personnel Journal published a survey that found that larger businesses have more budgeted for recognition and awards programs than smaller companies. However, recognition programs are an important way for businesses, no matter the size, to show that employees are valued. Even for small businesses, awards are crucial in hiring future employees and increasing productivity in the workplace.

But how do you know what type of award will provide a return on your investment, yet satisfy the employee at the same time? And, how should this award system be structured? Let’s look at the 6 essential elements of a Service Award Program:

1) The Award Should Be Functional

It should serve a purpose, even if it isn’t a practical use. And, preferably, the award should not be something that the employee would normally buy for themselves. If the award is something that has no functionality, the value decreases. If it is something that the employee could purchase whenever they want, this also decreases the value.

2) The Award Should Be Suitable for Use in the Home

When the award can be used in the home, it naturally includes the employee’s family. For the average person, most of the time that they are away from their families, they are at work. Thus, the majority of the time spent away from the job is at home with the family. The goal should be to unite the employee, employer, the home, and the family through the award. Everyone is happy and it brings a personal aspect to the award that is invaluable.

3) The Award Should Have Recurring Value

The award should be memorable. Whenever the award is used, or noticed by a friend or family member of the employee, the original moment of receiving the recognition is remembered and valued. It needs to be something that brings pride to the employee, provoking thankfulness to the company.

4) The Award Should Have a High Perceived Value

The award should be something that is not easily found in a local retail store. No matter how expensive, no award will ever equal the value an employee perceives they are to the company. However, if it is thoughtful and matched with recognition, the perception of the awards value is much higher to the employee.

5) The Award Focuses the Attention on a Specific Recognition Level

If an employee received a selection brochure of multiple rewards for different levels, they naturally desire the awards of greater value. This could lead to disappointment over something that is supposed to be a positive. Therefore, a single sheet selection system that focuses on their specific level of service is better for the employee. They can focus on what options they have to choose from rather than what they can’t have.

6) The Award Must Be Something the Employee Wants

If the award is personally meaningful and desired by the employee, then it increases motivation all the more. Finding useful items or adding a monogram to enhance its’ unique value, increases the employees desire for the item. This could be a plaque that mentions the employees name and their accomplishment, or it may just be a watch with their initials engraved on the back. Both add personalization, meaning, and therefore, desire for the item.

A properly designed award program should bring benefits to the company, the employer, the employee, and the employee’s family. Recognition reinforces to the employee that they are an invaluable asset to the company. Positive attitudes of those in the workplace are vital to increased productivity and success of businesses, both large and small. A Service Award Program does not have to involve high cost, but rather focus on showing the employee appreciation and public recognition through a reward that they will find special.

We would love to talk to you about our available options to recognize your team. Call us at 866-924-2778 to talk to one of our staff members today!

What Does Research Say About Motivating Your Sales Team?

August 6, 2018 By Bill Myers

If you employ people, you manage and lead people. I believe it’s a given that managers desire to lead well and maintain a motivated, engaged sales team.

Motivated and Engaged

These are elusive and abstract descriptions used every day for what we should look for in our organizations. When held up against the fire of getting our jobs done and achieving results, the intangibles tend to fade on our radar.

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” Lou Holtz

The quote from Lou Holtz does a good job applying motivation and engagement to a given role. But in addition to work performance, there is the resultant happiness that accompanies motivation and engagement. Motivated and engaged people tend to be more positive and pleasant to be with; or is it the other way around? Who cares?

We want and need motivated and engaged people in our business; the more the better.

Traditional Motivation Methods

The two most common tools we tend to look for in affecting human performance are Compensation/Incentives and Performance Management Systems. Both comp plans and performance management are critical elements of effective management, but in themselves fall woefully short of hitting the root of what motivates most people.

Gallup research says, “Just one out of five employees strongly agree their performance is managed in a way that motivates them to do outstanding work.” Gallup Blog Jan 3, 2018

Even the best design of performance management systems can only touch around the edges of what motivates any given employee. Important, yes; sufficient, no.

There is eye-opening research surrounding behavioral effect of “carrot-based” compensation plans. The London School of Economics analyzed 51 large company compensation plans and produced the discovery that “financial incentives … can result in a negative impact on overall performance.” LSE: When Performance-Related Pay Backfires” Financial, June 25, 2009

Compensation and financial incentive plans can frustrate employees when too much weight is placed upon them to drive motivation. The underlying premise that you can always do more or better if I just pay you more can send a message which undermines personal trust. This approach implies that employees are holding back unless they get more money. Who feels good in this view?

So The Best Way To Motivate Your Team Is?

Behavioral scientists agree that “intrinsic motivation…. Is the strongest and most persuasive driver.” Intrinsic motivation is often referred to as self-motivation or ambition. David Hoffeld, The Science of Motivating Sales People, The Carrot & the Stick Must Go.

In other words, the key to motivation is understanding what makes employees want to do a good job.

The same Gallup research saying only 1 in 5 are highly motivated by their performance management also reveals some positive and actionable information.

Gallup found motivation comes from how deeply we feel connected to what we’ve created [what we are doing] and the degree to which people appreciate us. Further, “Employees who feel adequately recognized are half as likely as those who don’t to say they’ll quit in the next year.”

Building motivation and engagement generates organizational momentum that tends to create a buzz in the culture. Everyone feels it and most respond to it.

Great Tools for Motivation:

Recognition – Public celebration and appreciation of a job well done create an awards system that is available to everyone. Encourage it’s use and let your team know they are appreciated.
Awards – Create short cycle contests with a menu of awards for accomplishment. Flexibility in the awards reflects the personal interests of the individuals. Be consistent and realistic in setting up goals for your team.
Milestones – Milestones can be public or more private which may be more personal. Examples are employment anniversary awards or gifts and project completion events

Human Resource and Sales Directors often look to pay plans and performance management cycles as their key tools for building motivation for performance in their teams. Consider the less expensive and far less ominous tools in your toolbox of recognition and awards.

Focus your attention on how you can tangibly communicate that you appreciate your employees’ efforts and nurture their intrinsic motivation to want to perform well.

5 Ways to Establish Your Company Culture

July 3, 2018 By Bill Myers

Company culture is defined as the beliefs, actions, expectations, and visions that are reflected in a company’s interactions among the team and outside customers.

Company culture highlights the core values of the brand, employees, and mission statement.

The key to a company’s success lies among the employee’s dedication to the overall organization and, without strong team development, a company’s culture fails to reflect their values and mission.

Below, we’ve listed six ways to establish a company’s culture in the workplace. Feel free to use this as an outline for your organization.

Vision

When crafting a company’s vision, business leaders must be sure to be both futuristic in planning but present in action. It is great to focus on future successes and projects however be keenly alert to what the company is doing right now.

What are the company’s most important goals? Where do you see the company in a year? 5 years? How is the team functioning? Are sales and productivity meeting the targets? Is employee retention high or low?

Learn from the past. Maintain a healthy, productive work environment. Look forward to the future and, in order to keep everyone on the same page, communicate about your organization’s future.

Goals

Organize plans, quotas, and processes around a company’s goals. Without goals in mind, it is inevitable that teams will slack in productivity on tasks and lose their focus on the vision.

For example, to stimulate productivity in sales, set tangible progress markers on projects so that the team is aware of how the project is progressing or falling short.

Encourage weekly or biweekly meetings as a team to discuss where each member is in their progress towards self-imposed deadlines, as well as the overarching business goals.

Direction

Aligning the goals and vision requires direction. Once goals are clearly defined, it is crucial to delegate specific tasks to employees.

Provide constructive, effective feedback consistently as projects are completed. Allow open communication within the team and, as the leader, figure out the best method to accomplishing tasks.

Also, it is a good idea to periodically reevaluate the methodology behind delegating tasks. Ask the team members where their strengths, weaknesses, and interests are on a specific project.

Unity

Much like the trust shared between customers and a business, establishing ongoing trust within the team is critical to developing a company culture.

Some methods of fostering unity in a company are to embrace different types of leaders and followers, recognize accomplishments, and practice positive feedback within the team.

As the team and company continue to expand, aim to practice displaying unity.

Communication

Dave Ramsey, money-management expert and author of EntreLeadership, explained that “strong teams come from strong communication.”

When communication is lacking, the chances of successfully solving issues later on becomes less likely. Showing respect for both the company’s mission and the team’s input is essential to effective communication.

Within the team and overall company, encourage communication often, as it allows teams to operate efficiently.

We would love to talk to you about our several options to recognize your team. Call us at 866-924-2778 to talk to one of our staff members.

Choose Corporate Awards: 4 Factors to Consider

June 5, 2018 By Bill Myers

In both large and small businesses, recognizing employees for their achievements is crucial to the overall productivity of the business. In a CBS report, the shattering number of unhappy employees outweighs the number of satisfied employees.

Feeling neglected and useless in the workplace due to the lack of motivation and incentive to do a better job was at the core of why employees performed so low in this study.

We believe the best way to showcase your appreciation for your team is by recognizing their diligence! Below I have listed 4 factors to consider when deciding what type of corporate award to choose.

Generational Shifts

A more matured workforce has traditionally appreciated monetary compensation for their overachievement, however the younger workforce has been shown to appreciate a tangible “thank you” rather than money.

The act of providing recognition for retirement, years of service, or sales awards has been shown to be of greater value to the upcoming generation.

The current and upcoming generation of the workforce is one that values relationships and connections to others. That being said, a tangible award on a corporate level functions as an ideal motivator because it can show the employee what specifically they are being rewarded.

“Thank you for your outstanding sales in the 2018 year” is much more appreciated than a financial bonus because they “did well.”

Motivation

A study held by Anita Bowness, a global leader for Halogen Software, revealed how money can actually function as a “demotivator.” Perspectives of money vary from person to person and unfortunately, cause more harm than good.

In one year, an employee might be rewarded a cash bonus for their hard work towards a project. However, in the next year, is the employee expected to receive the same amount of money or more?

There is always a risk in miscommunication when the employee expects a certain amount rather than what the business owner feels is an adequate amount. In order to avoid this morale depleting (and awkward) situation, choose other types of awards to recognize employees’ dedication!

As a business owner, I want my staff to feel the most motivated in their workplace as possible. When I was working for other companies, I also craved incentives that highlighted my achievements – not just a pay raise. Instead of attempting to motivate others with money, try successfully motivating your employees with beautiful pieces that they will cherish forever.

Teamwork

Corporate awards reflect how the team is achieving company goals and reinforces the vision of your company. Recognition awards for service or years of dedication are a great way to attract outside talent while also maintaining internal expertise.

In most leadership development tactics, encouraging an employee in a team setting has been shown to be highly effective to productivity. This productivity is a result from group encouragement, in which members work together as a team toward a common goal.

Teams are built to perform better together and showcase each other’s talents. In a corporate setting, team motivation creates more positive interactions and a stronger workforce.

Publicity

Awards draw attention from bystanders, both internally and externally. By engaging with your team in this way, you open the door to outsiders gaining perspective as to what your business stands for, how the leadership functions, and why choosing your corporation would be the best choice for them.

For small businesses, this type of positive publicity is critical in recruiting future employees, expanding sales to other consumers, and increasing productivity within the workplace.