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Some years ago, AutoDesk, a leading engineering software vendor, wanted to get more people try their software, while giving them an engaging experience in the process. To achieve this goal, they turned to sales gamification. Specifically, they used the leaderboard gaming element for this purpose.
The results were astonishing: trial usage increased by a whooping 40%. And more trials meant more sales for the company. This gives you a fair idea of just how powerful sales gamification can be when put to good use.
As the name implies, sales gamification is the practice of using gaming elements to motivate sales teams to perform at their optimal best. It is also applied in e-commerce to engage potential customers and drive sales.
Interestingly, sales gamification isn’t a new concept, as it’s been around for quite a while now and a lot of companies have incorporated it into their operations. Studies have shown that about 70% of 2000 Global list companies are actively using it for a variety of purposes.
It’s about time you did the same - if you haven’t already. In this post, we will explain what a sales gamification solution is all about, the benefits it offers and strategies to make the most of it.
What is a sales gamification solution?
When we talk about gamification, we talk about applying game-design elements and principles in non-game applications like sales and e-commerce.
When applied to sales, it involves creating a game-like environment where sales activities are transformed into engaging challenges, goals, and competitions.
As such, sales gamification solutions are software platforms or systems that incorporate these game elements into the sales process, aiming to motivate sales representatives to improve their performance and move customers through your sales funnel.
How exactly do gamification solutions work?
Sales gaming software solutions play on two intrinsic human psychology:
- Our desire to get rewarded for completing a task
- The dopamine that comes with participating in competitive activities
Let’s take the spin-to-win gamification that is commonly used in e-commerce for example. In this setup, users are rewarded with points - or more tangible things like discounts - when they spin a lucky wheel. Whatever they win depends on what the wheel falls on.
The prospect of winning a reward is a strong motivation to push people to engage with the wheel. Another motivational factor is the possibility of raking up the highest points in the game.
Another example is the leaderboard, where sales reps are rewarded with points and moved up in ranks as they achieve key sales milestones.
When put to good use, solutions like this can help supercharge team performance and drive more sales.
Benefits of a sales gamification solution
Although investing in a sales gamification solution will cost you money upfront, it offers several benefits that are enough to outweigh this cost. Here are some of them:
1. Increases motivation and engagement
Gamification solutions can be instrumental in boosting motivation and engagement in people, particularly sales reps. Incorporating elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards, can potentially motivate them to go the extra mile. The sense of achievement from earning rewards or climbing a leaderboard can significantly boost morale and motivation.
2. Improves performance and productivity
When you make it easy for your sales reps to see their performance in real-time using gamification solutions, they can be stimulated to perform better. This transparency helps individuals understand their strengths and areas for improvement, motivating them to enhance their skills and performance continuously.
3. Improves team collaboration and communication
Another reason to incorporate a gaming solution into your business operation is that it can foster collaboration and communication among your sales team. Organizing team-centred contests fosters a sense of comradeship, encouraging sales reps to work together towards common goals. The outcome, as always, is better performance both at individual and team levels.
Furthermore, allowing your sales reps to compete in teams can create an atmosphere that encourages effective communication.
4. Better training and skill development
Gamification can serve as a platform for administering training to sales teams to uplift their skill level and performance. This is because it makes learning fun and memorable, making it easier for the sales team to retain knowledge longer and apply their skills more effectively.
5. Increased employee satisfaction and retention
Rewarding employees for their work and achievement can lead to higher levels of satisfaction, which will motivate them to stay longer on the job. This ultimately leads to lower rates of talent turnover, eliminating the need to hire and train new employees which can be very expensive.
Strategies to implement a gamification solution
To see meaningful results from gamification solutions, it’s important to be strategic when implementing them. That being said, here are the best tactics for implementing a gamification solution:
1. Get a reliable hosting solution
It can be tempting to take your hosting service as an afterthought when implementing a gamification solution. This can be a costly mistake, especially if you intend to set it up on your website instead of using a third-party platform. Low-quality hosting can lead to frequent outages and high downtime, which can ruin the whole essence of utilizing gamification.
So be sure to pick the right hosting provider that meets your needs. Better yet, opt for a dedicated hosting service provider to ensure high levels of availability and the safety of your users.
2. Set clear objectives
What exactly are you looking to achieve with a gamification solution? Do you want to improve user engagement, boost sales, enhance team collaboration, or build awareness? When have a clear set of objectives and goals, you will find it easier to properly align your gamification strategy.
3. Choose the right gamification elements
Once you’ve set a clear goal, the next step is figuring out the right gamification elements to use. If improving your sales team’s performance is the end goal, consider using leaderboards, sales points, and badges.
But if you want to apply gamification on your e-commerce website, consider using gaming elements like lucky wheels and quizzes.
4. Implement in phases
It’s crucial to implement the gamification solution in phases, as doing so will allow you to measure the degree of effectiveness. Start with the pilot phase, monitor and analyse results before going full scale. Then tweak and adjust as you progress based on the results you get.
Real-life examples of gamification
A handful of companies have tried their hands with varying degree of success. Some of the notable examples are as follows:
1. Starbucks
Starbucks is one of the leading pioneers of sales gamification, and have been active using via their reward app drive engagement and sales. The way it works is simple: users sign up for a account, pay for their coffee via their app, and earn stars as rewards. As the stars accumulate, users can exchange them for free coffee or gift cards.
2. McDonalds
McDonalds is also one of the top fortune companies leveraging the power of sales gamifications solutions to drive sales. They do this by nudging customers to play their customized game of monopoly. Customers are awarded with tokens when they purchase certain items on McDonalds’ menu, to play the game. Winning the game can earn them millions in cash prizes.
3. Virgin Atlantic Scavenger Game
A few years ago, Virgin Atlantic launched its scanvenger game to celebrate the launch of its mobile app. The idea was for customers to points concelled as secret codes. The points could then be redeemed as incentives and rewards.
Conclusion
Sales gamification solutions offer several benefits to businesses, small and large alike. From increased motivation and engagement to improved performance and productivity, implementing one for your business is critical if you desire to stay ahead of the curve.
Thankfully, you don’t have to break the bank to implement these solutions. Plus, they are relatively easy, requiring little technical know-how, to implement.
