Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007 - (Page 14)

the Pitch MOTIVATION/INCENTIVES The No-Pain Way to Gain Think outside the box for your next team-building event here may be euphoria at the end of climbing a 30-foot tasked with building a structure from chocolate pieces, with criteria pole, but let’s face it: Few people would look forward to set by the event’s organizer. For example, an HMO required its doing it. Team-building designers, however, are organteams to design the perfect hospital—a process that began with izing wine-tasting challenges and other exercises that identifying client needs. are motivational without sending the non-athletic into connipAn ethnomusicologist-turned-team-builder, Santa Cruz, tions. How appropriate they are depends Calif.–based Arthur Hull, of Village on the outcomes you want, says Leslie Music Circles, facilitates group drumUngar, president of Electric Impulse Comming events that (like climbing a pole) munications in Akron, Ohio and a teamforge bonds and help people internalbuilding facilitator. ize truths. He gives participants She says the first question before boomwhackers, bomba bells and selecting an exercise should be, “What do tuned drums, and imparts the meswe want to accomplish?” Maybe it’s just to sage that no role is more or less have a fun event outside the office. But if important than any other. He subtly the objective is to learn who the natural weaves in the meeting’s top thematic leaders are, or who is a great strategist, a points, then stands back and waits. wine-tasting challenge would fail. “If the In time, a wordless song will objectives and the methodology don’t emerge from the group drumming. meet, that’s when you’d have a problem,” With a high ropes course, Hull says, Ungar says. “You have two people hanging on a She adds that after any program, the wire and the other 30 people are on of U.S. workers facilitator needs to “connect the dots.” The the ground saying, ‘Come on, you can admit they waste entire exercise is wasted “unless I work make it.’ But in a music circle, everytime at work. hard at communicating why I chose this one is at risk at the same time exercise and how the participants can because most of us believe that we’re SOURCE: 2007 SALARY.COM SURVEY OF MORE THAN 2,000 WORKERS apply it in their everyday lives.” rhythm dorks.” Certainly, developing an overall sense of teamwork is different At the conclusion, participants describe personal insights from developing a team to perform a specific task. For example, and tie results to their job experiences. For larger groups, you could build teamwork and camaraderie via a chocolate-sculpt“Everyone gets to say what this was about and put it in one ing event. But there are ways to use the exercise for bigger goals, word,” Hull says. “And then we go around the circle and the says Janet Rudolph, who dreamed up a chocolate challenge for her words make sentences.” Berkeley, Calif. company, Teambuilding Unlimited. Small teams are —Julie Barker T [THE PULSE] 63% BRIGHT IDEA EMPLOYEES WANT GIFT CARDS, AFTER ALL istockphoto In a recent survey by Omaha, Neb.-based Giftcertificates.com, more than 90 percent of employees consider gift cards practical—but still desirable—holiday gifts for employers to give. Beyond that, 86 percent expressed a preference for an open network card, like a MasterCard or Visa, or a SuperCertificate like GiftCertificates.com offers. These gift-cards-on-steroids allow the recipient to select an electronic gift certificate from many retailers. Only 14 percent said they would prefer a store-specific gift card from an employer. “In the past, there was the perception that gift cards were impersonal, but that’s no longer the case,” says Jonathan Price, vice president of sales for GiftCertificates.com. “Employees tell us gift cards offer them more flexibility and convenience, making them one of the most popular workplace gifts for the holidays.” —Leo Jakobson 14 SALES&MARKETING MANAGEMENT OCTOBER 2007 www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com http://www.salary.com http://www.GiftCertificates.com http://www.GiftCertificates.com http://www.salesandmarketingmanagement.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007

Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007 Contents Editor’s Letter Management Strategies Why Prospecting Gets No Respect Sales Strategy: Spotlight your Services Marketing: A Social Intelligence Primer Management: Steer your Team to Success Motivation/Incentives: The No-Pain Way to Gain Training: Looking for Yesterday’s Learning or Tomorrow’s? Technology: Get Trade Show Satisfaction with the Video Massage Focusing on SMB Solutions The Best Sales Force The Hottest Job Industries Overseas Aggravation Gadgets & Gear: Pen and Ink as an Art Form Books that Improve Strategic Thinking, People Skills and Sales One Foot Out the Door Work/Life: Calling in the Fitness Cavalry. Take-Aways: Bite-size Strategies to Help You Sell More, Market Smarter and Manage Better

Sales & Marketing Management - October 2007

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