5 Creative Sales Gamification Ideas For 2023

Mar 14, 2023

Sales gamification is an increasingly popular strategy for sales teams to boost employee engagement and productivity. It involves incorporating game-like elements into the sales process, such as competition and rewards. However, as we move into 2023, it's important to keep your sales gamification strategy fresh and exciting. Here are five creative sales gamification ideas for 2023:

Head-To-Head Matchups Over Leaderboards

In place of or in addition to sales leaderboards, a more effective idea for incentivizing sales reps is to have a round-robin season of head-to-head matchups throughout the quarter. The sales rep with the best win-loss-tie record at the end of the quarter wins a reward or incentive. Weekly matchups provide benefits over leaderboards, such as increased variability each week, more motivation to engage with opponents, and a greater number of opportunities for victories.

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Virtual Reality Sales Training

Virtual reality (VR) technology has come a long way in recent years and is now accessible to more businesses than ever before. One way to incorporate VR into your sales gamification strategy is by using it for sales training. By immersing employees in a virtual environment, you can simulate real-world sales scenarios and give your team the opportunity to practice their skills in a safe and controlled setting.

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Custom Mobile Games

Mobile games are a fun and convenient way to incorporate gamification into your sales strategy. You can create custom games that challenge your team to meet specific sales goals or reward them for completing certain tasks. These games can be accessed on employees' personal devices, making it easy to participate and engage.

Or you can take it a step further and create custom mobile games that gamify customer sales. For example, a Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant in Japan recently utilized gamification to promote its latest line of shrimp-based food items. KFC collaborated with Nintendo game designers to develop a game called "Shrimp Attack." The objective of the game was to defend a KFC castle by slicing as many shrimps as possible, similar to the popular game "Fruit Ninja." The game was free to play on the KFC website and awarded reward coins that could be redeemed for discounted meal combos at the nearest KFC location. Despite initially struggling to attract customers, the brand saw a 22% increase in game registrations after launching "Shrimp Attack." Eventually, KFC witnessed a significant 106% spike in overall sales growth. See our recent post on sales gamification stats for more examples like this.

Imaginative Sales Gamification Prizes

Incentivizing sales teams with unique and imaginative prizes can be an effective way to boost motivation and engagement. Here are a few examples of creative sales gamification prizes and the benefits they can provide:

Sports Car Weekend - Renting the winner an over the top sports car for the weekend is a great way to leave gift cards in the dust. Lime green Lamborghini? Tesla Model S Plaid with "ludicrous mode"? Yes please.
Butler Boss - Having the big boss doing things that bosses don't normally do is sure to not only build camaraderie, but also create a memorable and unexpected prize. Be the winner's butler. Wear a mascot suit. Lean into it and embarrass yourself a bit!
Short Friday - This low cost reward can be a big deal for the recipient. Turn it into a half-day on Friday or even a couple hours off each weekday.
Champs Only Parking - Create a champions only sign and put it over the best parking spot. Then make this a weekly or monthly recurring prize.
Movie Lunch - Gift the winner matinee tickets during the workday. Simple yet effective.
Fancy Lunch - People love food. But take this obvious fact to the max and award the highest end lunch that you can get in your area. Go all out.
Conference Room Spa - Bring in a masseuse and turn one of the rooms in your office into a spa. Then you can create a day full of a variety of challenges where the winners get an hour of top notch relaxation.
Celebrity Surprise - Using an app such as Cameo, you can award winners a video message from their favorite celebrity tailored just for them.
Volunteer Opportunities - Providing opportunities for employees to volunteer for a cause they are passionate about can be a meaningful reward. Volunteering can foster a sense of purpose and fulfillment, which can help employees feel more connected to their work and the company.
Just For You - Personalized rewards, such as a customized piece of jewelry, a tailored suit, or some other reward that matches the recipient's unique personality can make employees feel recognized and valued. These types of prizes show that you have taken the time to understand the employee's interests and preferences, which can lead to higher engagement and job satisfaction.

Pairing Sales Reps

Combining salespeople into teams of two can be highly advantageous for their engagement and personal development, especially when incorporated into your sales competitions, challenges, goals, and other gamification related activities. Here are a few ways in which this approach can be beneficial:

Shared accountability: By working as a team, salespeople can hold each other accountable for their outcomes, which can promote a sense of responsibility and motivate them to stay on track with their objectives. This shared accountability can also encourage them to work harder and achieve better results.
Collaborative learning: Pairing salespeople can promote a spirit of collaboration and teamwork, enabling them to share ideas, insights, and strategies with one another. This can assist them in enhancing their abilities and techniques. They can also learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses, providing feedback and support to help each other develop.
Mentorship opportunities: Pairing seasoned salespeople with less experienced reps can provide mentorship and coaching opportunities. More experienced salespeople can offer their expertise and knowledge to their partners, providing guidance and advice on how to enhance their performance. This can help new reps learn and grow more quickly, speeding up their personal growth.
Sense of belonging: Collaborating in teams can promote a sense of camaraderie and belonging. Salespeople can feel more connected to their colleagues and the company, which can boost job satisfaction and morale. This sense of togetherness can also foster more collaboration and innovation, as salespeople work in unison to achieve their objectives.

Sales gamification can be a powerful tool for motivating your team and driving revenue. By incorporating these five creative sales gamification ideas into your strategy, you can keep your team engaged and excited about their work in 2023 and beyond.

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