Our 2025 Airfare Outlook; What You Need to Know & How You Can Try to Save Money
At Motivation Excellence, we book thousands of airfares every year for the participants who earn group travel experiences through our incentive programs and attend conferences that we organize for our corporate clients. We know a thing or two (or 12) about airfare trends and expectations. In the overall budget for our programs, air is the one thing that can fluctuate the most, so knowing when the best time to lock in tickets is critical.
We’ve seen airfares rise steadily since COVID, and we believe that trend will continue in 2025. Inflation, strong demand, and limited capacity all contribute to this, with the latter two really allowing airlines to flex their pricing power.
A recent Wall Street Journal article titled, “Airlines Are Charging Higher Fares and Are Confident You’ll Pay Up,” supports our position. Adding to the equation, delivery of new aircraft has been limited due to production problems at Boeing and Airbus.
“Just in January we’ve seen airfares rise 12%. Spring and summer travel will likely boost this by another 5%,” says Brad Hecht, Senior Vice President of Travel and Chief Travel Strategist at Motivation Excellence.
Airlines continue to prioritize profitability according to United Airline’s Chief Commercial Officer who was quoted in a New York Times article published January 22, 2025. Both Delta Airlines and United have projected their profits in 2025 to be exceptional, with Delta saying they expect their 2025 profit to be the best in their history.
What can the average consumer do to try and mitigate soaring ticket prices?
“As always, fares depend heavily on where you are flying and when you are flying. Flying to the south/Caribbean in winter/spring will guarantee higher fares and limited availability for the high season,” says Hecht.
For consumers looking to get the best fares, try to
- Book more than two weeks in advance
- Check prices at multiple airports; it might be worth driving to an airport farther away if you can save money
- Be flexible with your travel dates
- Consider alternate destinations that offer similar experiences, but may not be as popular for the masses
For our group travel incentive clients, we’ll continue to use our hybrid model of combining free-sold flights with blocked space and charters to help manage their air travel spend. We are diligent in checking price trends and guiding our clients about when the best time to purchase is to help control this part of their budget.
Motivation Excellence uses high-end travel and merchandise incentives, meetings and events to help our clients Inspire Extraordinary Performance among the people who mean the most to the success of their business. Through data-driven metrics we create customized solutions that minimize risk and maximize results while providing business intelligence companies often don’t realize they’re missing.
Why Your Approach to Sales Incentives Matters to the Results
You already know that sales incentives are rewards designed to motivate the sales team to achieve specific goals or objectives. You also know that incentives can be applied individually or team wide. But did you know that your approach to sales incentives matters to the eventual results?
Sales incentives are more than just the incentives themselves. An organization’s motivation is another big part of the equation. What does the company want to achieve? Introducing sales incentives could be about:
- Increasing revenue.
- Spurring new company growth.
- Introducing a new product.
- Encouraging channel partners to choose your product over a competitor.
Being very intentional about your goals is the first step to creating a successful sales incentive rule structure. Making sure your management team is hyped about the program is another step. When you get both aligned your odds of success increase dramatically. Create a simple and achievable set of rules that benefits your bottom line and motivates your participants and you’re on the right track from the start.
Sales Incentives Can Be Personalized
A good way to frame an organization’s approach to sales incentives is to look at the incentives themselves. Of course, there are monetary incentives that organizations have been relying on for decades. These include things like cash bonuses, gift cards, and stock options. But monetary incentives are not the be all and end all. Often an extra check gets spent on groceries or gas and is forgotten at the end of the month.
Incentives can be highly personalized. They can go above and beyond monetary reward. Here are just a few examples:
- Individual travel packages
- Group travel with a significant other and company executives
- Personalized lifestyle upgrade packages
- Award points that can be redeemed for nearly anything
- Tickets to high-value events or once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Sales incentives can even be packaged as professional development opportunities. For instance, we have worked with organizations that rewarded their channel sales teams with customized training programs and career development courses.
Anything You Want It to Be
It’s time for organizations to get beyond static sales incentives that don’t push the boundaries. Your organization’s sales incentives do not have to be the same incentives as your predecessors were using 10-20 years ago. The incentives you choose for 2025 can be anything you want them to be.
So, how do you come up with sales incentives that actually work? You start with establishing your goals. Put yourself in the shoes of the people who mean the most to the success of your business. Think about what motivates them. Think about what you can offer them they can’t get on their own. Are competitors offering a sales incentive or loyalty program to your shared distribution channel? What do you know about it? How can you do something more appealing?
Working with an experienced team like Motivation Excellence makes all of these questions easier to figure out and answer. We’ve got 40 years’ experience creating successful programs for our clients and their target audience.
The ‘Whatever It Takes’ Approach
This all boils down to being willing to do whatever it takes to motivate your sales team. If your approach to sales incentives is to simply do what everyone else did before you have done, plan to achieve the same results. If you want different results, you will have to approach sales incentives differently.
Your approach to sales incentives really does matter. It dictates how your internal and external sales teams will respond. And in the end, their response determines whether sales goals are achieved. It is really no more complicated than that.
Get to Know ME with Alyssa Chomiczewski
It’s time to get to know Alyssa Chomiczewski from our Traverse City location. Alyssa started with Motivation Excellence halfway through 2024 and fell in step with the team instantly. She’s kind, open and ready for adventure. Read below, and watch her short video, to learn more about her favorite sports team (despite the family drama) and at least one potential wedding gift idea (she gets married later in 2025). Thanks, Alyssa, for participating in our Get to Know ME segment this month!
What’s your current title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?
I am a Technical Project Manager, and I joined the incentive industry, and Motivation Excellence, about 7 months ago (July 2024).
What do you like about your job?
As a project manager, I enjoy problem-solving and keeping projects on track. Organization has always been a skill I value and rely on in my professional life. The problem-solving aspect keeps the work interesting and is especially rewarding when I overcome a complex challenge or learn something new in the process.
What’s something you want to share about the people you work with at Motivation Excellence?
I feel very fortunate to have joined a team that is not only welcoming (and fun!) but is also filled with smart, genuine people who have become friends with one another. The sense of camaraderie on my team, and with everyone I’ve met at Motivation Excellence so far, was obvious from the start and I feel lucky to get to be a part of it.
What’s a specific moment in your history that always stands out as a defining moment, and why?
The summer after I graduated from college, my car broke down while I was driving back to my internship. It suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, leaving me stranded and broke. At the time, my plan was to stay in Michigan and start interviewing for post-grad jobs in some of the state’s bigger cities. However, my dad was living in the suburbs of Chicago, so I made the decision to forgo buying a new car and move to Chicago instead. That choice led me to a role in Commercial Property Management, and I ended up having the time of my life living in one of the country’s largest cities.
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I got a unicycle for my 12th birthday, and for a time, I was pretty good at riding it. It’s been over 15 years since I last tried, but I’m sure I could pick it up again with some practice.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
I’m always striving to grow and improve, both personally and professionally. Learning or trying new things gives me a genuine sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, my goal is to spend as much meaningful time with my family and friends as I possibly can.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I love anything that gets me outside! Hiking, backpacking, kayaking, snowboarding. If I have free time, you’ll usually find me outside. When I’m indoors, I enjoy reading, puzzling, or building with Legos.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
My funny friends and family.
What’s a bucket-list item you can’t wait to cross off?
Traveling internationally (besides Canada). Other than a couple parks in Canada, I’ve never left the US.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Why or why not and care to share any?
No official resolutions, but I am participating in Dry January and No Frivolous Spending January.
Tips for Making Personalized Travel and Events More Exciting
If you’ve ever attended an event or embarked on a work outing that felt lackluster, where the highlight was watching the clock, you’re not alone. Whether it’s personalized incentive travel or a special event, the experience can feel uninspired when it’s not tailored to the participants. But here’s the good news: personalized travel and events can be thrilling and unforgettable.
At Motivation Excellence, we specialize in creating experiences that wow participants from the moment they arrive until the final farewell. Personalization is the key to transforming any event or journey into a memorable adventure. By focusing on customization and creativity, the possibilities for excitement are endless.
Let’s explore some tips for making personalized travel and events more engaging and memorable:
1. Choose Unique Destinations
The destination sets the tone for any experience. Selecting the same type of venue or location repeatedly can lead to predictability, and fatigue. Instead, explore unique destinations that your participants will be intrigued by. In the case of a channel partner incentive, selecting a location that outshines any competitors’ planned destination is critical.
Whether it’s an off-the-beaten-path retreat, a luxurious resort with a distinctive cultural flair, or a boutique venue with stunning views, a new and unexpected location ignites curiosity and enthusiasm. When attendees anticipate exploring someplace new, the excitement begins even before the journey starts.
Our travel planning team members are experts at finding the right space in the right place for your needs, audience and budget. You’ll be surprised at how many options you’ll have to choose from!
2. Incorporate Immersive Experiences
The best experiences are those that engage participants on multiple levels. Start things off with an engaging activity that immediately draws everyone in. For instance:
- A cultural cooking class at your destination.
- A fun group adventure, like ziplining or paddleboarding.
- A charitable activity that pairs your team with a local group in need.
- A hands-on workshop tailored to your group’s interests.
Interactive experiences create connection and excitement, breaking the ice and setting the stage for a truly memorable time. Your participants will wonder what’s happening next!
3. Add a Dash of Gamification
Gamification isn’t just for meetings—it’s a powerful tool to add fun and engagement to travel and events. By incorporating game-like elements, you’ll keep your group entertained and energized. Here are some ways to gamify your next experience:
- Create scavenger hunts that encourage exploration of the destination.
- Offer opportunities to earn rewards or prizes through group challenges.
- Set up friendly competitions, like trivia or physical challenges, that foster camaraderie.
Gamification not only adds excitement but also keeps participants engaged throughout the entire gathering.
4. Leverage Technology to Elevate the Experience
Technology can enhance travel and events in ways that feel fresh and innovative. Gone are the days of dull itineraries and generic activities. Our proprietary travel technology, Inspire, gives your participants the power of individuality in the palm of their hands.
- Real-time engagement: You can send alerts and updated activities directly to the participants who need to know there’s a change.
- Personalized itineraries: Inspire creates individual itineraries and keeps flight and transportation information in one place.
- Create a Scrapbook of Memories: Our interactive photo gallery allows everyone to share photos from the experience so they can relive the best moments again and again.
By integrating the latest tech, you can transform even the simplest gathering into something extraordinary. We’re up to date on
5. Surprise and Delight
One of the most powerful ways to create lasting memories is by incorporating surprises throughout the experience. Whether it’s a surprise guest, an unexpected gifting event, or a secret experience revealed at the right moment, these touches add a sense of wonder and make your event feel truly special.
We like to offer special activities that participants select ahead of time, to help create that personalized experience within a group travel program. Adding a gift that enhances the activity is a great way to keep the surprises coming.
Final Thoughts
The secret to creating excitement in personalized travel and events is to focus on the participants’ unique preferences and interests while continually introducing new elements to keep them engaged. From unforgettable destinations to interactive activities, gamification, and tech-driven innovations, there’s no limit to what you can do.
At Motivation Excellence, we believe in delivering the wow factor at every step. Whether it’s an incentive travel program for top performers, a team-building retreat, or a celebration to acknowledge a big milestone, we craft events and travel experiences that leave a lasting impact.
Your next adventure doesn’t have to be ordinary—it can be extraordinary.
How to Establish Goals for a Successful Incentive Program
When we design an incentive program, your goals become the heart of the rule structure. Motivation Excellence programs focus on attainable goals for your participants that move the needle for you too. Whether you’re putting together a sales incentive program for your internal team or looking to reward your channel partners, having clear goals and motivational rewards are the pillars to success.
Start With the SMART Concept
A good place to begin when establishing goals is the SMART concept. SMART is an acronym encapsulating the following five components:
- Specific – Specifically define what you want to accomplish and why.
- Measurable – Your chosen goals should be both measurable and trackable.
- Achievable – Set goals that are challenging yet reasonably achieved.
- Results-Driven – Goals should be driven by a desire to produce results.
- Timely – Establishing time sensitive goals creates a sense of urgency.
The SMART concept works extremely well for ensuring goals are intentional rather than random. Intentional goals lay the groundwork for successful incentive programs. If you’re looking for more tips on setting and achieving goals, check out our blog on the topic here. For specifics on how we design successful rule structures visit our website and explore our tab on Performance Management & Tracking.
Consider Existing Business Objectives
Every business entity has a core set of objectives. Well-designed incentive programs look at which objectives, or goals, will make the most difference to your bottom line. Pairing the appropriate goals to the most relevant participant audience is key to building your next incentive program. For instance, if you’re launching a new product in Q2, your incentive program audience might be your internal sales team, with the goal that each team member secures five new locations to distribute your new product. If five new locations is a stretch, but doable with extra effort AND it will create positive ROI for you, then it’s a worthwhile goal to use as the basis of your incentive program.
If something is unattainable for your participants, it kills the incentive process before it gets started. Also, if you’ve selected a goal that doesn’t help your overall business objectives, no one walks away feeling motivated or rewarded in the end, which can lead to poor excitement levels leading into your next incentive scenario.
Get Management Buy-In
In our experience, incentive programs that don’t involve the management team, tend to fizzle rather quickly. If team leaders are fully involved and excited, the enthusiasm spreads to participants. This is the case whether you’re planning an internal incentive or one that involves channel partners. Management needs to believe in the goals and rewards, and even have the ability to earn something if their team succeeds. Incentives that have individual and team goals can really amp up participation. And often, team leaders are the ones who know what the best goals are for their team, as well as the best motivators. Don’t leave them out of the mix!
On the flip side, if management isn’t involved or interested, we see inconsistent success rates. Incentive program motivation definitely comes from reasonable goals paired with aspirational rewards, but without consistent encouragement, individuals can find themselves deflating after the first bump in the road.
Personalize the Reward Experience
As a final springboard to preparing the best incentive outcome for your selected goals, consider making the reward for success something personalized to the receiver. Individual travel options, lifestyle upgrade packages, or reward points that can be used for nearly anything are all staples of our personalized reward choices. When someone is working for an experience or reward that means something extra special for them, the intrinsic motivation value can skyrocket!
Remember, incentive programs are most successful when they are established on clear and attainable goals, paired with aspirational rewards and buoyed by consistent encouragement. Before you launch your next program, consult with us on how best to establish goals and rewards that will help move your business forward in both the long- and short terms. We’re experts in creating winning rule structures that motivate your participants and reward your bottom line.
Channel Partner Engagement: Common Challenges to Overcome
Successful distributor incentive programs understand the importance of channel partner engagement and its relationship to loyalty. The whole point of engagement is to captivate, activate, and motivate partners to choose your product or services over your competitors. Anyone in this sphere of influence knows keenly though that there are challenges when it comes to engaging with B2B partners.
1. Poor Communication
Communication is essential between businesses and their distribution channel. Clear and transparent communication ensures that everyone is on the same page and pursuing the same goals. But the opposite is also true. Poor communication leads to goal misalignment. It leads to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and conflicts.
How can organizations overcome this challenge? By establishing clear lines of communication in advance. At Motivation Excellence, we suggest reaching out to channel partners involved in an incentive or loyalty program multiple ways. Some people prefer email to text. Others prefer a printed piece over a phone call. Sometimes participants like to be able to tune in on their own time.
We always recommend a variety of engagement channels. A custom program website that can house important program information, training modules and instant performance tracking gauges is great for the “one stop shop” approach. Sending well-timed emails with data analytic options is critical for getting increased open rates. Sending materials to the home can engage the significant other as well as the participant. Texts can be easy ways to keep the program top of mind. We put together a monthly schedule so we aren’t being too intrusive, while also knowing we are being timely and consistent.
2. Competing Interests
Your channel partners are probably not exclusive to you. Most partners work with multiple distributors or manufacturers, increasing the chances of competing interests. Channel partners may prioritize a competitor instead, leaving your business with partners who are not as engaged as they could be.
That’s where loyalty or incentive programs play a critical role. If your business is offering an incentive that ignites excitement, you’ll likely capture attention. At Motivation Excellence we take a deep dive into your industry to find out what competitors might be doing for incentive or loyalty programs. Then we look at what options could bring the focus to your program, and thus, bring you more market share.
Our programs drive incremental growth, but also, stronger relationships which, in the long run, builds loyalty and trust.
3. Business Support and Training
If your business invests in the success of your channel partners, you’ll see a greater ROI in your incentive or loyalty program. One of our clients has seen great success and increased loyalty with their distribution network because they offer supports like networking events, training modules and small business growth seminars in between their yearly customer loyalty travel event. As channel partners’ businesses grew, they tied the success back to our client’s support.
Providing training on the merits of your product or service is another proven way to build trust and loyalty with B2B partners. If you’re reaching out with valuable information on best practices or steps to the sale and your competitors are not, you’ll capture engagement and loyalty going forward.
4. Incentive Misalignment
Rewards and incentives are the seeds of channel partner engagement. However, they may fail to effectively bloom under one of two circumstances: they do not align with partner priorities or partners find the reward structure confusing or unmotivating.
Incentive misalignment is overcome through proper research ahead of time. Creating a clear rule structure with attainable stretch goals and aspirational rewards leads the way to engaging channel partners. By successfully overcoming numbers 1 to 3 above, you’ll naturally find better alignment and success with your next incentive or loyalty program.
One final word about channel partner engagement before we close: it is not a one-time thing. It’s an ongoing effort designed to ensure that channel partners remain on board for the long term. Strong engagement drives sales and brand loyalty. On the other hand, a half-hearted engagement will deliver half-hearted results. Which would you prefer to see from your channel partner program?
Take the guesswork out of your channel partner engagement and have Motivation Excellence manage your next loyalty or incentive program.
Get to Know ME with Susan Falkiewicz
Our last Get to Know ME segment for 2024 is one of our awesome Travel Program Coordinators, Susan Falkiewicz. She has a long history in the travel industry and provides detailed service to our incentive travel and meeting participants. She shares below, and in a short video, what keeps her laughing and enjoying her active life. Thanks Susan, for letting us get to know you better!
What’s your current title and how long have you been in the incentive industry?
I’m a Travel Program Coordinator and I recently celebrated 10 years in the incentive industry. I’ve been in the travel industry for 35 years.
What do you like about your job?
I like the people the most – our clients, coworkers, and participants. I’m always doing different things and shifting gears and that keeps it interesting.
What’s something you want to share about the people you work with at Motivation Excellence?
We are a great big family. I felt welcomed when David Jobes bought VIKTOR in 2022 and everything just fell into place.
What’s a specific moment in your history that always stands out as a defining moment, and why?
In early 1989, I lived in Detroit and was job hunting. I had interviews set up with Michigan Bell and Detroit Edison. Then Delta called asking me to fly to Atlanta for an interview. I wasn’t going to move so I didn’t think there was any sense in going. My mom convinced me to go, and I was hired to work at an office 15 min from home. This started my career in the travel industry. I got married a few months later. So it was a big period of time for me!
What’s an unknown or odd talent you have?
I can ride a unicycle.
What motivates you to accomplish things in your life (work or personal)?
With work, it’s mastering new skills. At home, my kids motivate me to live a healthy lifestyle and they keep me feeling young.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Spending time with my kids and grandkids, fishing, camping, hiking, and doing anything outside. I love to bake, cook, and read too.
One thing that always makes you laugh is?
My two youngest kids and I have this noise we make when we’re in a situation where we want to make each other laugh, but when we shouldn’t be laughing. It’s like an inside joke and we’ve done it for years.
What’s a bucket list item you can’t wait to cross off?
I’ve never had a bucket list, but Hawaii is the only state I haven’t been to. I would like to go someday.
This month, our theme for social media is “A Stress-free End of Year.” Do you have a favorite technique to use when stress creeps up on you?
I take a long walk or do some laps in my yard.
Discover What Company Meetings Can Be with Motivation Excellence
Everyone knows what a meeting is, but not everyone knows what they can be, or how to put together a truly inspiring one. Our experts at Motivation Excellence know how to make your next company meeting or event one people can’t wait to attend! From technology to personalization, our team gets how to help you shine at your next company meeting or event.
Elevating your next meeting experience takes effort. You have important information to share and you want your attendees to not only remember it the next day, but also act on it. They need to leave feeling motivated and inspired! Let’s look at three critical areas to consider when planning a meeting that excels at capturing enthusiasm and creating momentum.
Strategy
- This is the foundation for success and risk reduction.
- What are your goals, who is your audience, what environment do you want to curate?
- Logistical considerations like destination, venue and talent take shape here.
Engagement
- What’s your core message and how best do you deliver it?
- Interaction with attendees can start long before the meeting does.
- What technology will be needed to encourage participation and ultimate learning?
Impact
- How will you measure success?
- What are the actionable elements your attendees will walk away with?
- Business intel learned now will help build on future success.
We’re Your Full-Service Partner
Having a partner that can help you mitigate risk, inspire creativity and handle everything from Strategy to Impact gives your team the ability to concentrate on other high priority projects. We’re here to assist where you need us. We’re flexible and can handle everything meetings and events-related, including:
- destination/venue consultations
- contract negotiations
- registration and air bookings
- pre- and post-engagement with your participants
- wow-worthy elements on-site including entertainment, A/V, gifting and more
Pick and choose how to use us. We’re an extension of your team!
Technology that Makes A Difference
Our proprietary travel technology, Inspire, helps personalize each attendees’ experience from enrollment to post-meeting follow-up. Flight information, itineraries, break-out session FAQs, an interactive photo gallery and the ability for organizers to post alerts in real time are just a few of the features that make this a must-have tool for your next meeting or event. In the backend, dashboards and the functionality to drill down to details give planners incredible organizational options.
Feedback shows us that Inspire has been a game changer for many seasoned meetings and events participants. Having access to all meeting details on a phone or tablet literally lightens everyone’s load. The flexibility to customize features to fit your company’s needs adds immense value too.
We have 40 years of experience delivering excellence in the B2B incentives, group travel, meeting, event, loyalty and performance improvement industry. We Inspire Extraordinary Performance with the people who mean the most to the success of your business.
Did we catch your attention? Contact us to learn more about creating wow-worthy company meetings and events with Motivation Excellence.
3 Key Things About Sales Incentives to Keep in Mind
We are all about sales incentives here at Motivation Excellence. Sales incentive programs are powerful tools designed to motivate and reward sales teams for reaching goals that help your bottom line. While the premise of an incentive program might seem simple, designing a successful one involves more than a goal and a reward.
We are here to help your organization motivate your sales team, and even distributor partners. Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about our customized sales incentives. In the meantime, here are three key things to keep in mind:
1. The Details Matter
Incentives are very flexible. We build them to fit your audience and goals. We start from scratch with each client and guide you through several steps to find the best way to minimize your risk and maximize your results. We start with your objectives, look at your obstacles and then recommend the best way to motivate your sales team while bringing you the most robust ROI. Here are some other details you don’t want to overlook:
- Audience – Determining who you want to motivate and what you want them to do to earn the reward is an important step in creating a successful sales incentive program. You can have more than one set of participants too.
- Rules – We shine at doing a deep dive into your available data, along with industry trends, to cultivate a set of rules that protects you financially AND allows for realistic growth among your participants.
- Measurement – Being able to measure progress through analytics is a great way to keep your sales team motivated. It also helps you make adjustments in real time to capture the best results.
- Rewards – If they’re not motivating, you’ve lost before you started. Branded swag, lifestyle upgrade packages, individual experiences and group travel with other top performers are a few popular rewards you can use in a sales incentive program. They also work well with channel teams.
2. Proper Implementation Is Critical to Success
How you launch a sales incentive can lead to an excited boost or a disappointed fizzle. Subsequently how you continue to communicate with your sales team can help ramp up or stall the success of the program. Here are a few things we like to implement in our incentive programs:
- Make sure your management is on board and ready to hype the program.
- Create a consistent engagement plan that keeps your sales team members’ attention.
- Display an easy-to-read progress-to-goal gauge for everyone in the incentive and update it at a regular cadence.
- Keep the significant other in the loop with targeted communications so they can be a cheerleader outside work.
3. Sales Incentive Programs Can Improve Overall Company Outlook
Rounding out the list of key things to know about sales incentives is why they are worthwhile. Incentives targeted at the people who do the most to increase your profitability, positively affect your bottom line, which can boost morale, even for those not directly part of the incentive. A successful sales incentive can also:
- Provide friendly competition among your sales team, which can naturally increase sales.
- Help you retain talent as part of your total compensation package.
- Keep your sales team engaged with their own goals, but also the overall goals of the company.
- Build stronger relationships between company leaders and individual sales team members.
Incentivizing your sales team can make an enormous difference in revenue and growth. We encourage you to learn more about all of our incentive and loyalty offerings by visiting our Motivation Excellence website.
We are industry leaders who specialize in customized solutions for your B2B channel and internal sales team incentives. When your team is engaged, motivated and eager, great things happen. Our programs are designed specifically for that purpose. Let’s get started today!
How to Measure the Effectiveness of Your Channel Incentive Programs
Effectively growing sales revenues and market share is an ongoing challenge in today’s highly competitive marketplace. Moreover, encouraging channel partners and dealer reps to do their best by you takes strategy. Channel incentive programs are designed to help your business stand out among your competitors and can actually pay for themselves through incremental sales growth. Another great benefit of a well-run channel incentive program is the increased loyalty they foster, which can continue to reap rewards long into the future.
How do we measure the effectiveness of a channel focused incentive? There are a variety of metrics from hard sales numbers to program website log ins. It’s important to decide how you’ll know if a channel incentive is a success and keep track of those metrics regularly throughout the life of the program. Here are a few suggested metrics to consider:
1. Sales Performance
Although sales performance is not the only factor to consider, it is a good starting place. You can break down sales data rather minutely if that helps you make decisions on who and what to focus on. You can look at:
- Revenue by distributor, geography, and products/categories
- Overall and partner-specific sales growth
- Market share changes over a specified amount of time
Looking at sales performance metrics provides a broad overview of how your organization and its partners are doing on the revenue front. By looking at partner-specific sales growth, you can zero-in on the performance of individual channel partners. Between the two, you’ll glean important information about where you are now and where you want to be in short- and long-term periods.
2. Partner Engagement
Successful channel incentive programs engage partners. So, it is a smart idea to come up with some partner engagement metrics you can track. At the top of the list is participation rate. What percentage of your invited distribution partners enroll? Of those, who is consistently engaging with your company through increased purchases, and who could be coaxed to perform better with some TLC?
Other partner engagement metrics include:
- Interaction with sales team or customer service reps
- Incentive website log in frequency
- Email open rates with special focus on clickthrough percentages
- Amount of new sales tied to the focus of your incentive
If a channel incentive program is both attractive and meaningful to partners, they will reflect their interest with the amount of time and frequency they interact with the program.
3. New Opportunities and ROI
Effective channel incentive programs can open the door to more opportunities via stronger relationships and trust with your company. A well-designed channel incentive can more than pay for itself via incremental sales in the present, but the opportunity to be a long-term partner is where the continued ROI shines through. A metric here could be longevity of a client in addition to quantity of sales. We’ve seen long-running incentive programs foster participants who outperform industry trends even in flat and down markets.
Channel incentive programs can be invaluable in the drive to increase sales and grow an organization. But like all other business tools, program effectiveness must be continually measured so you can make adjustments in real time to capitalize on unexpected results, good or bad. Program design and rule structures are proven ways to get the best return and least risk for your program. We’re here to help you get started today!
