Use gamification to increase sales

According to this recent approach, increasing sales depends on motivating sales teams socially and emotionally by using games as an inherent part of their approach to work. The secret to this is ensuring full personnel engagement in the game: teams using effective gaming techniques enjoy higher levels of creativity and problem-solving abilities in real life.

The gamification approach is now being deployed in many aspects of business, drawing on simple yet effective tools ranging from the use of fun activities to handy computer interfaces, from mental and physical exercises to interesting vocational training programmes that improve collaboration by strengthening communication within organisations. Enterprises using loyalty and reward techniques to motivate their personnel can improve sales performance by 48% and sales levels by 36%.

Critical for young and dynamic teams

Along with the electric growth in the use of mobile applications, wifi and cloud applications, gamification techniques have become an integral part of sales and marketing.

The latest poll conducted by Gallup showed that 70% of American workers are unsatisfied with their work, a phenomenon that inevitably reduces performance. On the other hand, companies that effectively utilize gamification techniques to motivate personnel appreciate sales performances that are increased by as much as 50%. Major companies like Twitter and Quora are already using gamification tools in their recruitment processes in order to create their ideal sales teams. **

Effective strategies to increase sales through gamification

Identify your goal: In order to use gamification effectively, you have to set the right goals for you. For example, the aim of increasing sales in the medium term by developing customer loyalty is a completely different goal than achieving hot sales through viral promotion campaigns. In order to benefit from the use of gamification within sales and marketing teams it is vital to plan precise strategies.

Create added value: Any sales team you expose to gamification needs to believe that it has accomplished something challenging. Experienced members who feel empowered and special are an unmatched source of motivation for new members.

Establish an ecosystem: Having identified your goals for using gamification, you now need to plan how to deploy it. You can apply gamification techniques across a wide range of your operations in order to increase sales, enhance personnel experience and streamline personnel management, as well as in areas like e-commerce and customer loyalty.

Think simple and practical: Optimising back office applications is just as important as improving front office applications. By using gamification, you can render your software interfaces user-friendlier, which in turn speeds up your sales teams work-flow and thus their performance. In addition, an entertaining points and reward system can make it easier for new personnel to excel in new software.

Improve sharing and collaboration: Companies nowadays make use of online sharing tools to improve interdepartmental communication. Features that facilitate the sharing of sales achievements during training events inevitably improve worker performance.

Instant rewards: Another effective gamification approach to improve staff performance is that of rewarding members of sales teams immediately so as to build their status after even small achievements. For instance, instead of giving awards after long- to medium-term achievements, such as meeting monthly quotas or passing a training course, you can reward workers for meeting daily targets. This approach is proven to help deliver consistent sales increases.

Departmental communication: Gamification used in company social networks, forums and other communication platforms encourage the sharing of ideas. This in turn makes problem solving easier and helps workers come up with brand new sales ideas that helps the organization innovate.

Key points to consider in gamification

Focus on the objectives of gamification and not the games themselves: Keep in mind that the ultimate goal is to increase sales.

Take precautions against cheating so that you can measure real sales performance.

Don't go too far with instant rewards: Gamification shouldn't turn into a never-ending competition that wears staff out and reduces their performance. (Staying up all night in front of computers syndrome)

Companies who pay attention to these points when deploying gamification strategies stand to create a healthy competitive environment, motivate staff and improve customer loyalty. Gamification, which can be used in anything from simple tasks to complex software coding has much to offer to improving the sales performance of organisations.

* Sales Effectiveness 2013: The Rise of #Gamification. (2013).  ** State of the American Workplace, Employee Engagement Insights For U.S. Business Leaders. (2013).