Twelve months of motivation for telemarketing

Telemarketing, Feb 1994 by Riebschlager, Cathy

"You can't motivate anyone by standing still." That's the motto I live by at my telemarketing firm. My job description is quality assurance; however, I like to motivate people and see them succeed. We need to keep turnover low since we are located in a small town that doesn't offer a huge labor force upon which to draw. Retaining employees is a team effort for everyone in management -- we all know how hard it is to keep telephone representatives motivated and happy. We've found that the crazier the idea, the better it works, because the unexpected helps make an otherwise mundane job much more enjoyable.

Part of motivating people is just letting them know you care. I do that every month with Strength Day. Strength Day occurs in the middle of the month, in the middle of the week. I usually post it a few days in advance so TSRs can look forward to it. The day starts with a good quality assurance report that emphasizes the strong points in everyone. I also write everyone a personal note, consisting of a few lines about how I appreciate them and what good employees they are. I attach a fun sticker or small piece of candy on the notes to make them even more special. I write notes to both my team and the management members. I have found that if I don't write the notes, the TSRs are disappointed. I always see the notes hanging in their workstations long after I have handed them out. The best part of the day comes at break, when I make everyone lunch. This is the part everyone enjoys the most, since the TSRs feel appreciated and I feel really good receiving all the compliments the food brings.

Here is the monthly breakdown of motivational ideas I use.

We brighten up January with Rich And Famous Day. All TSRs are asked to come to work wearing something "dressy." During the day, we play games and give away toy cars, furs, houses, or anything "rich." We serve sparkling grape juice as well as caviar -- made from cream cheese on crackers topped with chopped black olives.

In February, we usually have a drawing for a romantic dinner at a local restaurant. On Abraham Lincoln's birthday, we pass around a five-dollar bill from TSR to TSR for every sale. At the end of each hour, the TSR with the last sale gets the five-dollar bill.

During March, we have Go-Fly-A-Kite Day. We let rules and regulations go by the wayside for one day. We let the TSRs have food in their stations, and other little things we don't usually allow. We set the rules in advance and have found that most TSRs don't take this too far; it's the idea of doing forbidden things that's appealing.

In April, we do a lot of things for Easter, such as hiding money and prizes in plastic eggs. The TSRs can pick an egg when they get a sale. We had Bad Hair Day one Saturday. All TSRs were instructed to come to work with their hair just as it was when they woke up. We gave away barrettes, shampoo, blow dryers, curling irons, etc.

In May, everyone brings in graduation pictures, or just a picture of himself or herself as a teenager. We hang up the pictures and let the TSRs guess who's who. We have everyone come to work wearing school colors, class rings or letter jackets. We also have had a wedding day where everyone brings a wedding photo or a prom picture. We have a "shower" during break, serve cake and punch, and ask everyone to contribute a shower gift. We put the gifts in a basket and as soon as a TSR gets a sale, he or she can choose a gift.

In June, we have Zoo Day. All the games and prizes are focused on zoo animals. The grand prize is an overnight trip to a nearby city to stay at a nice hotel, and, of course, go to the zoo.

In July, we have a week-long Fourth of July drawing for lawn chairs, table-top grills, beach towels and steaks. At the end of the week, we have a picnic during break and serve hot dogs and chips.

August is always a difficult month for motivation, as college students leave, and everyone seems to go through a letdown. We try to have a lot of motivational things going on all the time and end with a big Labor Day drawing. We play word games, give quarters for sales, and hand out lots of candy. I even used Wash Day for an incentive: we played games for prizes that included laundry baskets, soap, dryer sheets, clothes pins, and all the laundry items I could find. The laundry baskets were extremely popular.

In September, since we are a Nebraska telemarketing company, we have Big Red Week. We play a week-long football game where the TSRs gain points for sales. The TSRs keep track of their points on a football that's made of construction paper. At the end of the week, TSRs can buy prizes with their points. Some of the prizes are stadium blankets, footballs and Nebraska sweatshirts.

In October, I make puzzles in the shape of pumpkins. The puzzle pieces equal the number of sales needed to reach a goal. Those who complete their puzzles win a prize. After making a sale on Halloween, the TSRs go "trick or treating" to the offices in our building.

In November, we have a recipe contest, and everyone brings in a favorite dish and the recipe. During break, we vote for the best dish as we sample each one. We put together a little cookbook of all the recipes and distribute it to everyone.