Salespeople play a crucial role in any company’s success. Their drive and dedication helps generate revenue, build customer relationships, and propel the business forward. While many companies incentivize their salespeople, most forget a powerful and necessary ingredient: employee recognition.
Beyond Bonuses
Salespeople receive commissions and bonuses based on their performance, so why would they need formal recognition on top of that? While commissions and bonuses are great and necessary for salespeople, they’re also expected. Being paid for their work doesn’t show that the company cares or is even paying attention to the salesperson. It’s simply part of their salary. The intention of employee recognition is to single out a person or team, spotlight their success, and thank them for their efforts. It’s a conscious decision the company makes to help their employees feel seen and valued.
The Power of Recognition
According to a recentGallup report, only 23% of employees strongly agree that they receive the right amount of recognition for the work they do. This isn’t surprising considering most business leaders (81%!) say that recognition is not a major strategic priority in their organization. When we’re not recognized for our hard work and contributions, it affects our well-being and morale. An unappreciated worker is more likely to be frustrated, contribute less, and ultimately seek employment elsewhere. The Gallup report concludes that properly recognizing employees could save a company of 10,000 about $16.1 million annually due to reduced employee turnover!
Boosting Engagement
Lowering turnover is just one benefit of practicing employee recognition. Continuing with the Gallup report’s findings, employees who receive proper recognition are 73% less likely to “always” or “very often” feel burned out. They’re also 4 times as likely to be engaged with the company. Engaged employees feel fulfilled with the work they do, which reflects in their performance. reflects in their performance. Salespeople can sometimes feel like a one-man-band as they attend to clients and chase deals. By implementing employee recognition, companies can reconnect and strengthen the relationship with their sales teams.
Celebrating - Not Dwelling
Salespeople have a more emotional job than most office workers. They’re constantly customer facing, and their days are filled with wins, losses, and nearly-had-ems. It can be easy to dwell on the disappointments and lose morale. It can become even worse if these failings are pointed out by others or even punished by the company. Employee recognition reverses this effect by celebrating the positive. Whether it’s a milestone achievement or a daily word of appreciation, companies can use these moments to build a culture of appreciation, respect, and positivity.
Bragging Rights
What sales team doesn’t love a little healthy competition? By setting clear targets and corresponding awards, salespeople have something definitive to drive towards. Friendly competition can be a powerful catalyst for increased sales performance. There are many sales award categories beyond highest earner, so companies can highlight what is most important to their mission and values. Having a shared goal can unite a sales team as they compete for the top spot.
Setting The Tone
When companies implement meaningful employee recognition, they create an environment where people feel valued and supported. This in turn leads to better engagement, a stronger work culture, higher morale, and lower turnover. Salespeople especially benefit as their job involves emotional fortitude and drive. Knowing the company is cheering them on can make all the difference.
Looking for the perfect award for your sales team? We’ve got you covered. At Dion, we have over 50 years of experience creating unique, high-end, custom jewelry awards for a variety of industries. Get inspired by browsing our gallery of past products, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. give us a call, or message us to get started!
