Posted by Michael Hurwitz on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 02:24 PM
Thinking of ways to increase corporate productivity and performance in today's economic climate we put together an animation on sales motivation and how to pull the correct strings:
Posted by Jeff Broudy on Tue, Aug 17, 2010 @ 01:58 PM
We all want to feel like we belong to give us grounding in this intensely moving world. According the latest neuromarketing research outlined in Martin Lindstrom’s book, “Buy-ology: Truth and Lies About Why We Buy”, the same regions of our brains light up when strong feelings about religious faith are reinforced as when we are confronted with familiar strong brands.
He is not suggesting that making your brand buy of Coke or Hefty Bags is the equivalent of a religious experience however, he notes that when we sense that there are too many options and lack of control, we retreat to comfort of something we know and can count on. The rituals of religious practice provide this as does a known brand. Both cut down the cultural clutter to something manageable and can be counted on.
Those of us who work in the motivation, engagement and incentive industries know that a key to success is a well perceived brand as that is what keeps our audience engaged and successful. Through the power of brand comes the desire of recognition within it and it is from this place that rewards should be focused. Recent research by the Incentive Research Foundation, Human Capital Institute and Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement is capturing metrics that demonstrate the power of a culture of recognition.
When a culture of recognition becomes the brand, we allow our audience to feel in control and reinforce the comfort of belonging.
Posted by Jeff Broudy on Thu, Sep 24, 2009 @ 05:13 PM
This month as we prepared to launch a sales motivation animation on our blog, we had many discussions about why people have been so down and what could be the antidote to their dissatisfaction.
So we asked ourselves, who are the most satisfied? It turns out, according to the Pew Research Center, business owners, retired Americans, students, and the professional class of educated professionals. Surprisingly, income was not the determining factor among this middle class universe. It appears that optimism and control are the keys to personal satisfaction.
A look at the Pew Social Trends site revealed two fascinating studies about human satisfaction.
“America’s Four Middle Classes” defies most social stereotypes of the Middle Class. The Top of the Class leads in income, education and optimism. The Struggling Middle has a lower income than those in who describe themselves on the lowest part of the economic ladder where the American Dream is more dream than reality. The Satisfied Middle is disproportionately young and old, has everything but money, and has a sunny outlook. And then there’s the Anxious Middle with the same economic, social and educational benchmarks as the Top of the Class, yet their outlook is bleak as they feel a lack of control. The variable that affects these groups to feel better about themselves is the ability to have control in their lives.
Another study about the self-employed, “Take this Job and Love It”, revealed that intangible psychological benefits were greater satisfaction drivers than those employed by others. Many behaviors contribute to this psychological lift, but the over arching factor is a belief they can exercise control over their lives.
Optimism. Looking at what can be done, instead of what can’t be done. Pulling your own strings defines satisfaction, and it’s in our control. We are in the incentive industry, so we know that only when a program is achievable and desirable will the audience be satisfied.