Is tying incentives to mock demonstrations beneficial to your producers? Does it create higher pressure and produce better results? Well, that depends on how you look at it.
We all know that for the most part, producers thrive off incentives and a little healthy competition. But when it comes to mock demonstrations, is implementing an incentive-based reward system really the way to go? Overall, keep it simple. Mocks are a way to improve and learn, which is where the focus should lie – much higher than stressing incentives.
“One important thing to remember is that mocks are a learning experience – don’t make the process a scenario based only on incentives – you want all your producers to feel confident after mocks,” said John Kuehn, regional manager at Zywave. The goal is to provide your producers with exceptional training before they even make their first call. John notes that with help from mock demos, this is possible.
And this includes an incentive? Maybe. “There must be some kind of competition to thrive off of,” said Lisa Gloede, director of sales training for Zywave. “Of course most producers will likely put in more effort if there is an incentive,” she added. Whether or not success is quantified by an incentive other than increased selling confidence is up for debate. In some cases, simply implementing an evaluation process in which producers need to adhere to a certain standard before receiving a “passing” grade is enough of an incentive. Another option is to use group incentives – something everyone at the mock demonstrations could enjoy. By tying incentives to mocks in some way, there will undoubtedly be a heightened sense of competition. But reining in this competitive tone is crucial to maintaining an environment conducive to learning whether you’re implementing mocks for a seasoned producer or someone with no previous selling experience.
“Treat mocks as a learning experience, but make sure seasoned producers don’t blow them off,” said John. “Sometimes the best way to do this is to tie in some sort of incentive,” he added. Your seasoned producers could see mocks as a waste or as time taken away from selling. Making it clear that they have a lot to contribute to the mock sessions in terms of best practices is very important. But don’t let them forget that there are always more skills to master. “Seasoned producers have a lot to contribute, but still have a lot to learn,” John said. “As time goes on, the best practices for producers change, and mocks help keep up with this change.”
Overall, mocks are about learning, and keeping the focus on that main objective is what they’re all about. This is the last article in a four-part series to help you or your producers to better execute. To learn more about mocks, check out the full series below:
Read part I
Read part II
Read part III
© Copyright 2009 Zywave, Inc.