Thursday, April 29, 2010

"Incentive" is Not a Dirty Word

It is true that the media has made America rethink appropriate bonus and incentive structures from the boardroom, to government employees to union halls. However, let’s not forget that we still must convey that our human capital (employees, sales staff, and yes, our executive teams too) still need to be engaged to continue to perform at peak levels. Now more than ever we need to remember that if we cannot instill that “fire in the belly” for employees to want to be a part of a successful organization – then where do we expect them to go when this recession ends?

The focus on big and extravagant bonus and rewards has taken us into a national mentality of throwing the baby out with bathwater. We cannot forget that rewards and incentive strategies are still a key tool to drive performance and hence, production and profits. We need high performing employees to drive profitable businesses that can support a growing economy. Whether or not you are a great believer in capitalism, it is what our economy is founded on. We cannot simply switch gears and expect that eliminating such an important business driver is going to fix our economy. Engaged employees are just as necessary to a business’s success as a solid product.

With a little work and some smart innovation, the engagement industry should come out of this recession stronger and more resilient than ever. Don’t forget that more millionaires were born out of the great depression than at any other time in our history.

Sandra Daniel

President and CEO

FIRE Light Group

Friday, April 9, 2010

FIRE Find of the Week

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Platypus SoftBottle

These water bottles are awesome! Not only do they roll up and stash away easily when not in use but they are fully imprint-able with your company logo. They have nice color options and plenty of choices for nozzle type and size.

This is a great way to give a small corporate incentive that is also environmentally friendly. It's so compact that your employees are sure to use this bottle everywhere. It just shows how green-forward you are! Now that's a great idea for company branding.

Get more info here.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Incentives Motivate!

Welcome to the inaugural blog for the Fire Light Group!

I'm sure there are many folks out there who have no idea who we are so perhaps the best way to start is to explain what we do.

FLG is an incentive marketing company that consults with clients on how to design and implement motivation programs.

Come again?

Let me explain... If you are an executive who wants to motivate your sales force or a retail store owner who wants to drive customer loyalty, we exist to help you accomplish these things. We plan and coordinate group and individual travel incentives, online and catalog merchandise programs, debit card programs and meeting and event planning. Plus, we do incentive and branding consulting and help with the ROI to show how it has affected your profits.

Whew! Sounds dry, right?

Quite the contrary! Incentives are one of the most fun things you can do as an executive. Who doesn't like to give (and receive!) rewards for a job well done? Being able to reward and recognize your people while simultaneously driving profits is a very exciting. Your employees make you look good and rewards are the best way to show your appreciation.

Did you know that incentives are a $110 billion per year industry? And that's just in the USA. This is a far-reaching field that affects just about everyone. You've probably been a part of it and never realized it before. Every store that offers a discount card, each company that has a bonus for sales goals and any website that offers a gift for signing up are part of this wonderful industry. So, there is a lot of write about!

Now, you might be thinking that this blog is going to be one long sales pitch. That is not our goal at all! We have started this to keep you informed about the movers and shakers and fantastic innovations happening in the incentive industry. Hopefully, we will give you some great ideas and perspectives that can help you motivate your target audience.

Keep an eye out for posts and updates from our President and CEO, Managing Director and Senior Account Executives. And remember that we welcome your comments, questions and suggestions!


Thanks for reading!

Anjee Sorge
Director of Operations
Fire Light Group