Sales incentives can be used to achieve any number of goals, such as lighting a fire under underperforming personnel, jumpstarting the sale of particular products, or expanding market share overall. Today we want to talk about a specific type of sales incentive – the President’s Club program.
Also known as the Winner’s Circle, Chairman’s Club, Circle of Excellence, and the like, the President’s Club program exists to motivate a company’s top salespeople. Traditionally, those who achieve President’s Club are rewarded with a high-end travel experience.
Unlike more common incentive programs, which may exist primarily to drive sales growth, the President’s Club is a recognition program and status symbol. You could say that its power lies in inspiring high achievers who are motivated by the concept of high achievement itself.
As such, to fulfill its potential, a President’s Club needs to be thoughtfully designed and kept up with the times.
The Three R’s
A President’s Club program is all about the three R’s – and no, we don’t mean Reading, ‘Riting, and ‘Rithmetic! In this case, the three R’s are Recognize, Reward, and Retain.
In addition to rewarding an employee, recognition programs contribute to organizational culture. With President’s Club Recognition, the Reward can serve to encourage talented personnel to step up and engage, leading to greater Retention.
President’s Club Program Design
By definition, a President’s Club program needs to be prestigious, symbolic, and a reflection of the success and achievement of its members. A well-designed program can provide a number of important benefits, among others:
- Improved company culture
- Increased productivity and performance
- Higher employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention
- Improved recruitment of top-quality job candidates
Achieving the prestigious rank of President’s Club member takes a lot of determination and hard work. The reward must be something spectacular – not just aspirational, but up to the “bucket list” level and beyond.
Here’s where program design can really increase the impact of your President’s Club and make your company stand out among top performers. Get creative! You don’t want the reward to stagnate. If this year’s reward package is essentially the same as the one you were providing five years ago, then you’re doing it wrong.
Destination and Experiences
When choosing the President’s Club trip, you want to make sure the destination feels exclusive and the planned activities are out of the ordinary.
This doesn’t necessarily mean an ultra-pampering five-star resort providing sun, sand, and lapping waves. It could mean high-energy trips in extreme conditions. Look at your achievers. What’s on their bucket lists? They might get more thrill out of being at a Swiss Alps ski chalet in the height of winter than from relaxing on the beach in Bali. Or perhaps swinging through the tree canopies in the Costa Rican rainforest is more their speed.
Understanding each achiever is part of what makes an exceptional President’s Club program. In addition to the where, don’t forget the how. Private tours? Exclusive or priority access? Perhaps the attention of a valet, or fresh flowers placed in their room each morning? Yes, yes, and yes. You want that “wow” factor.
President’s Club trip to Italy? Increase the “wow” factor by conducting a personal fitting during the trip and delivering a custom-made pair of fine Italian leather gloves or shoes to each person thereafter. Going to a beach resort? Include a significant voucher for designer beachwear shopping. Trip to Paris? Schedule an exclusive meal at one of the restaurants in the Eiffel Tower. You could even arrange for bottles of champagne to be custom-labeled to your business.
Adding a “wow” factor to an already-impressive trip can increase the ultimate impact exponentially, far more than the added cost.
Group vs. Individual
Traditionally, President’s Club trips have been conducted as a group. However, the modern trend is moving more toward individual travel rewards. No matter how wonderful the destination, group plans aren’t going to work for everyone.
For maximum impact, travel incentives can be customized to the recipient’s individual needs, interests, and preferences. Quite often, this results in every dollar spent delivering the maximum performance incentive possible.
For example, you wouldn’t necessarily sponsor a President’s Club group trip to five European capitals with dinner reservations in each city at the top Michelin-starred restaurant. But for the “ultimate foodie” in your President’s Club, such a trip may rank as a top entry on their personal bucket list. Find rewards that motivate each achiever to do their best work for months and years to come and to inspire their peers to do the same.
The Right Partner
Crafting a President’s Club program that maximizes the three R’s and includes plenty of “wow” factors can be as simple as choosing the right partner – Xceleration! Our professionals are experts in helping make high-performers feel motivated, inspired, and appreciated.
Xceleration’s RewardStation® software offers a full suite of features, with custom-curated rewards as unique as your team. Reach out to Xceleration today to learn more about how we can help your business achieve its recognition goals.