This large telecommunications company had missed their numbers three quarters in a row and needed a huge fourth quarter to close out the year. They called in BI WORLDWIDE (BIW) with a challenge: boost sales nationwide in Q4 to make our year-end results.

We took that challenge and recommended a dramatically different approach to engage their inbound sales teams. Instead of running multiple decentralized regional programs, as they had always done, we proposed a single, unified, national promotion. As an alternative to gift cards or cash, we would use award points that could be redeemed for merchandise, event tickets, travel and experiences. And rather than reps competing individually, teams would compete against each other for the win.

These changes were significant—and they required many independent regions to agree—but this entertainment provider was all in.

Everyone is all in

We designed the program with a few more features to maximize results:

• First, we matched teams with similar track records in head-to-head competitions—so they’d only have to beat one specific team to win.
• Second, to keep engagement high throughout the entire quarter, we awarded winners and reset the head-to-head challenges every two weeks.
• Third, we created a fun social element where teams could lightheartedly “smack talk” each other and amp up competitiveness.
• Finally, we kept the competition top-of-mind with leaderboards, videos, and a steady stream of communications.

Beating the sales goals

Not only did this company hit their national sales goals for Q4, they made up their losses for the first three quarters and came out ahead of their year-long goals. All in just ONE quarter.

In three short months, we helped this provider generate $32 million in revenue with 54,000 incremental unit sales. Reps increased their close rate by 2.9% and not only made up the gap from Q1, Q2 and Q3, but also exceeded the year-long goal.

And that’s not all.

For the second year in a row, this provider found itself with a gap to fill in Q4 and called us. We developed another national incentive—this time using a “do-this/get-that” structure with daily promotions and rewards. We achieved 100% participation in the program, and history repeated itself. With the Q4 promotion, this entertainment provider once again achieved their sales goals for the entire year.