The weather is getting colder, retailers are pumping up their advertising presence and everyone in the office is feeling the crunch of annual budget planning and finishing up projects started earlier in the year…all of these are tell-tale signs the holidays are drawing closer! Amidst all of this, I am going to ask you one simple question, “What are you doing to promote youremployee incentive program?”
Although reminding your employees about open enrollment and turning in budget projections is probably at the top of your to-do list right now, so should your incentive program. Employees often earn points or rewards throughout the year but many people wait until the holidays to actually redeem. As we all start to focus on shopping lists, people who have earned points in an incentive program can turn their hard work into holiday gifts for themselves or others.
This year, why not send out a friendly reminder to employees with enough incentive program points to place an order and encourage them to do so? I have been working with clients all day to create emails, posters and flyers designed to get the word out to everyone about using an incentive program to order brand name holiday gifts.
I am asking all of my clients with incentive programs to consider what type of artwork and messaging to include in communications to be sent throughout the week in order to promote the incentive program before the true start of the hectic holiday season. If your employees start placing their orders now, people can receive their holiday gifts with plenty of time to add wrapping paper and bows.
While putting together your own incentive program communications for the holidays, I have a few tips below.
-Include personalization whenever possible (i.e. number of points available, username, password)
-Remind people that incentive program rewards can be shipped straight to recipients
-Tell employees how long the checkout process will take and how long until the rewards arrive
-Note the website address where people can access the incentive program
One of my contacts added her own text to an incentive program email: “Save some money this season! Use your STARS points to do some holiday shopping for family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, pets and yourself. The STARS awards catalogue has just about anything for anyone, including stuff for inside and outside the house, jewelry, kids items, electronics, appliances, and more!” I really liked this text as it gives people an idea of what they can order through the incentive program. This is an excellent way to tell people WIIFMand inspire them to spend their points.
When you take a few minutes to promote your employee incentive program for the holiday season, you are helping people to get the rewards they want within plenty of time. We do our best to avoid out of stocks and back orders during the holidays, but when something unexpected happens (such as the great moist heating pad craze of 2010) people who wait until the last minute to place their orders may not get items in time. So as you remind people to enroll in a benefits package or turn in their final reports, remember to add something positive to your conversation: “Have you spent your points yet?” Click on a link below to download a free Microsoft Word template of your own to help promote your employee incentive program during the holidays!