Recognition Top 50 – Part 2

26. A company whose average field rep earns slightly more than $200 maintains unusually high retention rates because their field reps feel respected and valued.
27. The most popular feature in a Michigan-based company's newsletter is about the company's competition.
28. Tuesday is "Appreciation Day" at a company who features the picture, name and profile of a field leader in a pop-up window for employees to view each week.
29. A Florida-based company gives its employees training and information about new products well in advance of launch, recognizing that they are trustworthy and helping them to serve as the ambassadors for the new products.
30. Field reps can "win" a trip to their company's distribution centers in different parts of the world, to spend a day with the line workers there.
31. One company sends a broadcast email daily with motivational message, joke, success story or whatever helps the field enjoy what they do.
32. An Oklahoma-based company sends a coffee mug and logo key chain in a separate mailing to new customers and field reps, with a note welcoming them to the company.
33. A progressive company prepares a single 3" x 5" index card on every pinned leader expected to attend a company function. The card, containing a one-or two-line report of some achievement or contribution that the person has made, serves as "cue cards" for personally and specifically recognizing attendees.
34. Leading field reps receive flowers on their birthday.
35. A corporate sales director brought his own personal "hair terminator" who shaved his head at a gathering of his top field producers to celebrate goal achievement.
36. A company gives "daredevil awards" to field reps that do things that are innovative or helpful in building sales, recruits and momentum.
37. One company uses its intranet to announce to employees the rank advancements for the month, with a pop-up window whenever a field rep calls in whose name is on the list. The pop-up signals an opportunity to congratulate the field rep.
38. A CEO insists on distributing responsibilities to members of the field advisory council, providing support and structure in the fulfillment of the responsibilities.
39. High-ranking field reps receive a personal birthday call from the CEO and executives of a Northern-California company.
40. A forward-thinking CEO spends an hour or two each month in the customer service department listening to field calls and rubbing elbows with the staff.
41. A company provides its field reps with a system for retiring their home mortgage, with a "mortgage burning" party to celebrate when the mortgage is paid off.
42. Field reps get the red-carpet and back-stage passes at an annual concert with big-name performers sponsored by the company.
43. Families of high-ranking field reps receive cookie-grams at home for spouses, and a birthday card with $20 in movie tickets for each child (up to age sixteen).
44. A Kentucky-based firm recognizes first-level field reps with a package that contains a hand-written note of congratulations, a $50 bonus check, and a rubber chicken.
45. Many companies understand the value of a guest invitation to sit at the president's table, to sit in the VIP section at a conference, and to wear a special lanyard at conferences and conventions.
46. Pins and symbols of accomplishment should be uniquely designed to reflect the company's culture.
47. At a convention held in Las Vegas, a company brought up its top recruiters and top sales leaders to "cut the deck," inviting each recipient to draw a card from a deck of cards. For cards 2 through 9, they received a corresponding value in $100 increments (2 = $200, 3 = $300, etc.); for a 10 or face card, they received $1,000, and $1,500 for an ace.
48. The story is told of Mary Kay Ash that in the early days, when a new Beauty Consultant would have a disappointing week and sell only $100 of products, instead of being discouraged, Mary Kay would celebrate the accomplishment and use that small success to encourage the consultant to set and achieve a higher goal.
49. By creating steps with corresponding rewards on the way to achieving difficult leadership levels, a company propelled its growth to $250 million over less than 5 years.
50. A company encourages quarterly product "camps" hosted by field leaders, where women gather to share product ideas and experience camaraderie and recognition.