For many sales people, employee benefits are a vital part of the job. Though sales people are inherently ambitious and typically want money and a bonus plan before anything else, non-financial rewards are equally important, and can also go a long way to keeping your sales employees feel happy, valued and loyal. With over a third of people reporting that job perks are the most important thing that they take into consideration before accepting a job at a company, many employers are becoming more inventive with what’s on offer to attract new staff, and convince old ones to stay.
Here are some of the best job perks for sales people.
Company car
For sales people who spend a large proportion of their working life on the road, a company car is non-negotiable. Indeed, high-calibre sales people have come to expect it from the companies that they work at. With 85% of organisations offering car allowances, it should be a key part of your employee benefits scheme. This benefit can go beyond the individual employee as the car is visible to others, providing social reinforcement from fellow sales people – and if an upgrade is available for those who hit certain goals, both the sales person and their colleagues will see the results, boosting motivation across the board.
Recognition
Companies who make the effort to recognise their employees have a 31% lower turnover than companies with poor recognition cultures- and those that do see their workforce perform 147% better than those who don’t. If that’s not incentive enough, recognition is also an underrated and inexpensive way to show your employees some love. Sales people want recognition, so give it to them: it makes them feel like important and valued team members, which means that they’ll invest more in your business in turn.
Even better, if you do it in front of peers, or at a team meeting, you’ll ensure that others see it- and feel inspired to do the same.
Additional professional development opportunities
Who doesn’t want to learn more? For inherently ambitious sales people, one of the best things you can do to engage them is to help them advance and upskill. With 68% of workers saying that training and development is the most important workplace policy to them, this is something you should also be turning your attention to. Whether it’s signing your employees up for conferences, training days or even helping them to break into new areas, investing in your staff’s future will go a long way to improving workplace satisfaction.
Sales contests
Sales people are naturally competitive and love to win– it goes with the territory. Why not engage them further by driving their ambition with a daily, weekly or monthly prize for individuals who hit their targets, have the highest sales or make the most calls? You could even reward behaviour instead of sales metrics, or establish a team-based contest to improve collaboration between employees. After all, employee incentives are proven to improve performance: 51% of sales talent are already participating in incentive programmes at their workplace, whilst the presence of a corporate incentive programme has driven a 79% rise in sales people achieving their established goals when the right reward was offered.
Flexible working opportunities
Field sales people are hardly in the office, and when they work they need to be self-sufficient. To do this, try implementing flexible working opportunities. 90% of employees dislike the strict 9-5 working day, and many businesses are starting to realise this, implementing working from home or flexible working for their staff. Indeed, given that nine out of ten employees say that flexible working boosts their productivity levels, letting sales people set their own timetables will likely help them meet their targets even more quickly.
Team building days
There’s no better way of getting your team to work well together than by investing time in team-building days outside the office. With 70% of people saying that they feel that they’re part of a dysfunctional team- which has impacted their productivity and overall profitability- making the effort to get your team to gel will not only raise morale, but help you build a winning culture. Whether it’s go-kart racing, sports games, escape rooms or scavenger hunts, these team activities will motivate people to work together for a prize – and given how competitive sales people are, they’ll want to win.
Wellness perks
Working in sales is hard, so treat your employees a little bit with the huge range of wellness perks that are out there. From fitness-related vouchers to discounted gym memberships, private health insurance and health checks, there are many wellness perks you can offer to show you care. After all, sales is a stressful job, where people experience a lot of knockbacks, which can in turn impact motivation and productivity. With wellness initiatives proven to improve productivity and happiness, offering your sales people a little extra can pay off a hundredfold.
Improve your performance with BMS Performance
Employee benefits aren’t only a great way to engage your existing workforce: they also improve your reputation and attract new job applicants. Make the most of your job perks- why not submit a vacancy with us, or browse our Performance Blog for more insights?
