The kitchen and bath industry is intricate and challenging – we don’t have to tell you that. Because of this, every role within the company is extremely important. From sales representatives to product specialists, each department needs to pull its own weight to accomplish company goals.
While sales techniques are essential, your business needs a comprehensive and unified effort to thrive – especially when times are tough. Think about a time when you worked really hard and accomplished something great…and then no one said a thing. Even a simple positive remark would have probably felt better than nothing. That being said, it is important to reward your crew somehow, to ensure high company morale. Let them know they are noticed and appreciated, and you’ll notice an increase in performance.
Take Notice
Make sure you know what is going on in each department, and try to get updates from managers regularly. Ask them to let you know when someone stands out, and then thank that employee for their hard work and dedication. Something so small as a personalized email goes a long way. If you really want to make an impact, attach your other employees to the email, and they too will see that you take notice.
Healthy Competition
Whether in sales, stocking, loading or even transport, your employees need to feel a sense of purpose and need something to strive for. One of the most common successful ways to instill this sense of competition is to launch weekly or monthly sales initiatives (or set other goals that fit into other departments). This allows all workers to compete at an even level, while working hard to facilitate cabinet sales.
At the end of each sales drive, recognize the workers who reached the set goals. This offers other members of the crew an incentive to work harder, and hopefully win the next sales challenge or competition.
Reward Your Crew
Paychecks are great, but let’s face it…sometimes they alone don’t make a huge impact. If your company is financially able to give monetary rewards or something tangible every now and then, do so. These prizes can be given based on performance in monthly challenges, raffles at company events (just for fun), or for that person who consistantly stands out (employee of the month/year). Even company lunches every now and then can make your employees feel appreciated (hamburgers and hotdogs, anyone?). Do what you’re able to do for your employees, and your employees will do what they’re able to do for your company.
If its not in the budget to give out actual rewards, get creative. Even non-tangible rewards can go a long way. Perhaps you can designate a parking space for the person who stands out each month, or offer more responsibilities (showing that you like what they’ve been doing and trust them to take on more), but make sure not to overload them. Anything you can do to show appreciation will go a long way.
High company morale is one of the biggest keys to success. When they feel needed and appreciated, your employees will want to work harder. Reward them any way you can, and they’ll strive to do their best – landing more bulk orders, increasing customer satisfaction and generating more profit in no time.
