Incentive programs are often seen as a tactical tool designed to boost short-term sales or reward top performers. However, when grounded in behavioral science and executed with a clear strategy, they become a powerful engine for sustained performance. That’s the philosophy of BI WORLDWIDE (BIW), a global leader in sales incentive and performance solutions.
BIW’s approach is rooted in behavioral economics, which reinforces that 77% of human behavior is driven by emotion versus reason. This insight is critical when designing programs to influence behavior change. Concepts like income targeting, loss aversion and idiosyncratic fit help explain why traditional compensation alone often fails to unlock full potential.
A notable example focuses on income targeting, as studied by four behavioral economists, including Richard Thaler, who won the Nobel Prize in 2017 in economic science. The researchers reviewed over 3,000 trip sheets and found that taxi drivers in New York City worked fewer hours on rainy days despite higher demand. Why? Because they hit their income targets faster and chose to stop working. It’s a classic case of income targeting, a behavioral bias that defies traditional economic theory.
Practical Application: A Case Study
Having the right approach, rules design and rewards set the stage for meaningful results. BIW, in partnership with a global media and technology conglomerate, reimagined how incentives, recognition and learning drive measurable business outcomes.
From Fragmentation to Focus: A Sales Incentive Transformation
Before the transformation, this company’s incentive landscape was fragmented and inconsistent. Departments ran their own programs with little coordination, ranging from cash bonuses to unused gift cards. There was no centralized system to track spending, measure effectiveness or align incentives with strategic goals.
Recognizing these inefficiencies, the company partnered with BIW to conduct a comprehensive audit. The findings revealed hundreds of disparate programs, minimal accountability and a lack of behavioral focus. It was clear that a unified, scalable solution was needed.
Building a Performance Ecosystem
The solution came in the form of a centralized platform — a performance ecosystem that consolidated all incentive, recognition, gamification and learning initiatives into a single hub. This platform became the go-to destination for all employees, offering:
- Contests to drive short-term focus
- Incentives to drive goal achievement
- Recognition to reinforce culture and values
- Upskilling and reskilling gamified missions to build long-term capability
The result was immediate: improved process efficiency, greater visibility, and a clear return on investment.
Contests That Spark Engagement
One of the first major initiatives was a head-to-head contest designed to increase mobile line sales. Prior to the contest, the average agent sold one line per week. The contest introduced a competitive, gamified element that energized the workforce.
The outcome:
- 123% increase in premium mobile product sales
The contest was easy to launch, track and reward — demonstrating the power of behavioral design and emotional engagement.
Incentives That Drive Results
Another initiative focused on boosting mobile sales across multiple channels. Top performers were flown to Universal Studios where they experienced a warehouse run, grabbing merchandise in an exciting setting for themselves, their family and friends. The program delivered impressive results, including a 24% improvement in mobile lines sold via chat. Top performers achieved 200% more mobile units than the average frontline employee.
These results validated the strategy: when incentives are structured around thoughtful goals and emotional motivators, performance follows.
Learning That Fuels Growth
To support continuous development, the company introduced missions — short, gamified learning modules that cover product knowledge, sales techniques and company values. These missions reward completion with badges and points, driving both engagement and capability.
The results:
- 120,000 missions completed monthly
- Over 40% of employees engaged monthly
- Average of 4.6 missions completed per user
- 85% program adoption
This learning strategy ensures that employees are not only motivated, but also equipped to succeed. Those who complete missions deliver stronger results.
Recognition That Builds Culture
Beyond contests and incentives, the platform also supports a robust recognition program. Employees and managers recognize peers for behaviors aligned with company values and celebrate milestones like birthdays and work anniversaries.
The Impact:
- Nearly 50,000 recognitions are shared each month
- 25% of employees actively give recognition monthly
This culture of appreciation not only boosts morale but also contributes to higher retention, especially among new hires.
Key Takeaways for Sales Leaders
This case study offers valuable lessons for any organization looking to elevate sales performance:
- Move the middle. Don’t just reward top performers; Engage the broader salesforce to drive maximum results for the organization. There are more of them, and they have greater upside.
- Make it personal. Design rule structures that give everyone a chance to succeed. Just as an 11-minute miler can’t compete with an eight-minute miler, you don’t want to create a program that only gives your top performers the opportunity to achieve. Your middle performers may never run an eight-minute mile, but they might move from 11 minutes to 10 minutes. That scales performance and revenue growth.
- Use points to maximize response and minimize expense. Cash is not always king. More cash does not defeat income targeting.
- Drive learning using gamification. Bite-sized, gamified learning builds skill and keeps employees informed, motivated and ready to perform when it matters.
By combining the science of behavioral economics with a comprehensive performance solution focused on incentives, gamification, learning and recognition, BIW and this media and technology conglomerate created a scalable and measurable approach to sales performance. The result? A workforce that’s not only more productive, but more connected, confident and committed.
