An Example From a Sales Environment

Today I had a revelation about my personal work history. I've often thought that that the time I spent working for Citicards was a waste of four years of my time, other than meeting my husband there, of course. Yet, when I reflect on my experiences in customer service, I realize that it contributed to my teaching pedagogy. 

As a customer service/sales agent, I was consistently one of the site leaders in sales numbers, so I was constantly pulled off the phones to assist in motivating others.  My duties included coaching struggling agents in ways to interact with customers more efficiently, but I was also expected to motivate my crew to pull up their sales numbers.  After all, in a business it is all about sales.  Sales driven performance was the center of CitiCards Customer Service. 

In order to increase motivation, management had instituted a sales incentive bonus called R2S (Route 2 Success).  Sales agents earned R2S points by doing something special, meeting a goal, or winning a contest.  Points could then be traded in for various prizes.  For instance, I got a camcorder and a digital camera after winning top site salesperson for the quarter.  It was a good program, and motivating for most agents.  We all wanted points.  I even wanted them, and I was the one giving them away.

When I got pulled off the phone to assist other team-members, I would set up sales contests.  I'd challenge my team to make 25 sales total in an hour, and if the team completed the goal, then everyone would get 100 R2S points.  Or, I'd challenge them to sell a dozen of a single product in a shift, and they'd get 250 R2S points.  While they progressed toward the goal, I'd keep track of their progress on an anchor chart.  Everyone on the team could see as the tally marks got them closer to the reward.  At the same time, the goal was an appropriate challenge.  It was doable, but difficult to achieve.  It was just outside of the normal performance rates.  That was essential in designing an effective sales game, so it continued to be motivating. 

The other big thing was that the game's rules had to be simple, and easy to understand.  Sometimes it would be just a straightforward fulfillment goal.  Other times, we'd assign a certain number of points to each product, and they would be set up on a bullseye.  Games were varied, but they were always goal-based, and creative.  It was fun.  Fun was the key to motivating the team.

The gaming principles set up in video games were being enacted in our business sales environment.  We achieved higher sales percentages when a game was in order.  If teachers would set up goals, just like I did with my sales team, it would be motivating to students.  If creative games-based learning principles would be put into effect in schools, am certain that learning would increase, just as sales increased at CitiCards.