Mark Twain once said, “You have to take your brain out and dance on it.” In other words, you need to give your mind some downtime tonight, if you want to have a more productive tomorrow. With that said are you a person who spends weekends and evenings worrying about business? Do you think about meetings, emails, and office politics? If so, it’s time to learn how to use your free-time more productively. Not only is your time away from the concerns of the workplace necessary, but a rested mind is more efficient and productive.

Dr. Barbara Mackoff describes a number of techniques to help you leave work at the workplace in her book, “The Art of Self-Renewal: Balance Pressure and Productivity On and Off the Job” (Lowell House, 1992).

One of the first steps is learning how to leave in the evening – shifting from the fast, demanding pace of the workplace to the more relaxed rhythms of the home. Try these ideas for making the transition easier:

1. End the day with the low-pressure work. In your last hour of work, you may be doing your most demanding tasks. If the day ends in this kind of stressful rush, you’re bound to take that intensity home with you. Instead, try to end the day with easier, less pressured work. Clear your desk, put stuff away, read professional literature. Even better, this is a great time to return phone calls or emails. (Don’t you hate it when people don’t return your calls or emails? I’m sure that you do, so don’t do it to other people. If calling back takes too much time, then send an email. Keep your replies short and friendly. No one is that busy that they can’t return emails.)

2. Make a list of what you need to do the next day or the beginning of next week. Alleviate apprehensions you feel about tomorrow by setting up your plan right now. List everything you want to do. Decide if any tasks can be delegated or handled later in the week. Then assign a priority to each item and preferred time of day to tackle it. Before I go to sleep, I take a notepad and write everything down that I need to do the following day. (Sometimes this list can be two full pages!) The next day, as I finish each task, I not only feel a wonderful sense of accomplishment, but I also am amazed at how much work I’ve done.

3. Create a closing ceremony, a routine you will perform every day before you leave. Tear a page from the wall calendar and drop it into the waste bucket; log off the computer; ask co-workers about plans for the evening, put a sign up in your office or cubicle that reads, “I’m here, you just can’t see me!” or “Gone home.” No matter how simple the closing ceremony, it has the power to indicate the day is done and your evening or weekend has begun.

Start tonight and take your brain out for a dance. Not only will you have a more productive tomorrow, but there’s also no cover charge and you don’t even have to dress up! What could be better than that?

Funny motivational speaker Bob Garner is the author of “Masters of Motivation” which has been called a “must read” by business leaders. Bob writes for numerous business magazines and speaks extensively worldwide on motivation, sales, and success. Visit his funny keynote motivational speaker site for more information.

©2013 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the whole article, the byline and author resource links.

Whether it’s a customer appreciation event, employee appreciation event or a sales meeting, the utilization of corporate event entertainment goes a long way to making your event more exciting and fun. However, if you’re an event manager, choosing the right entertainment is critical. Here are a few things to keep in mind, when deciding on what type of corporate entertainment will work for you:

A Good Fit – The Audience:
While all people like to be entertained, there are differences of opinions as to what is entertaining. True, as the old saying goes, “The quickest way to fail is to try and please everyone,” you can still please the majority. To do that, look at your audience and determine what kind of entertainment they would actually pay to see. Consider the overall demographics of your group. For example: If you have an international group, a comedian may not be effective, unless that comedian knows how to work in front of that type of audience.

Stage, Lights and Sound – The Set-Up:
Make sure that your talent has the proper staging to deliver his or her act. If using a talent like a comedian or magician, keep the audience close to the stage. For these acts, placing the audience at a distance from the performer is an obstacle, as are any walls or building posts that may impede on views. Adequate sound and lighting that will meet the needs of your entertainment is critical. Finally, do not have your talent perform while your group is eating. That is distracting for the talent, as well as the audience.

This Ain’t HBO – Keep It Clean:
The corporate entertainer that you hire must be able to work clean. That means no offensive language, etc.

Show and Tell – View the Demo:
By viewing the corporate entertainer’s video, you will see whether or not he or she would be a fit for your group. Notice what other companies have hired that entertainer as their corporate event entertainment. Many entertainers will place logos on their sites “suggesting” they have worked for those companies, but they have no testimonials – written or video – to back up that work. The entertainer’s site should provide real testimonials – preferably video testimonials – and those testimonials should back up the majority of the companies for which the entertainer states he or she has worked.

Need to Speak – Conference Call:
Schedule a conference call with the act – not the agent. Unless you are hiring a “big name,” then you should be able to speak with the talent, prior to booking. Usually, the agent will also be on the call, which is fine. During that call, never talk about fees, just keep it to what you would like the talent to provide and gauge their response to your requests.

Don’t Forget Us – Customization:
The corporate entertainer should be able to customize his or her presentation to include some key messaging that you want your group to hear. Obviously, if you’re booking a band, that is not the case. I’m speaking about comedians, corporate magicians and mentalists, jugglers, etc. These talents should be able to incorporate some messaging into their presentations. For customer appreciation events the messaging may be lighter than for a sales group or maybe not. If the talent has corporate experience (and why would you hire that person if they didn’t?) during your conference call, ask their opinion.

The Check Is in the Mail – Pay on Time:
Most corporate event entertainment providers are self-employed. They require a deposit and then timely payment on the remainder. Don’t treat the talent like an employee or even a vendor that may supply product to your company. Your employees get paid on time – with benefits – and the vendors usually work with companies that pay them on time with benefits. You like to be paid on time… and so does the talent.

These are just a few corporate event entertainment ideas that will allow you to provide the right type of entertainment at your next meeting.  View my corporate entertainment site to find out what I provide or my corporate event entertainment site.

©2013 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

Wanted to share my latest video testimonial as a funny motivational speaker. I had the honor of speaking at a recent national sales training event for medical client Devicor Medical Products.

What an awesome group of dedicated and passionate people. I want to thank the SR. VP of Global Marketing for saying this about my presentation…

Astonishing, relevant and perfect for not only sales reps, but also customers – WOW – thank you for those words.  As always, if you’re looking for a funny motivational keynote speaker or a kick-off/wrap-up speaker for your meeting, you can give me a call.

Byy the way, here is a link to a few more testimonials http://www.bobgarner.com/testimonials.html about not only my entertaining motivational speaker programs, but also as a trade show magician – or should I say trade show mentalist !

Many companies are now allowing employees to work from home a day or two a week. And the vast majority of human resource professionals will be the first to tell an employee that working from home is a privilege, not a right – and they are correct. Just because you “think” you can do your job from home doesn’t mean that your company “thinks” you can. It’s about accountability and efficiency. If you can prove that you deliver at work, there is a good chance – with more companies offering telecommuting opportunities – you will have a good shot to “deliver” from home. However, if you’re the employee who is always gossiping, hanging out at the water cooler and “slow to perform,” then you will most likely not get “the nod.” Making the transition from working at the office to working from home requires not only self-discipline, but also adhering to a few strategies. As someone who has worked from home (or should I say a “home office”) for nearly 30 years, here are 6 strategies to help insure success:

1 – Your Environment: Clear out an area from which you can comfortably work. If this can be a stationary location such as a small desk or table in your abode – or a separate room – so much the better. That way, you know when you sit down in that location, you are “at work.” Having a dry erase board, a post-it board or something hanging from a wall on which to clip notes is always good for reminders, etc. With regard to keeping your desk neat and tidy, Albert Einstein said, “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then is an empty desk a sign?” Well, I would ask, “Of what then is an orderly desk a sign?” Unless you have a mind like Einstein, keeping your work location neat and orderly may be beneficial to increasing your overall efficiency.

2 – Minimize Visual Distractions: Make sure your work space is free from visual distractions such as the television or awaiting chores (i.e. dirty dishes in the sink). That doesn’t mean that you must face away from a window with a nice view. It means eliminating what might detract you. If you are in the middle of an important conversation and something comes on the television that distracts you, then you have just potentially created an uncomfortable moment that could have been avoided. The TV diverted your attention, which is different from looking out the window and taking a short break.

3 – Minimize Interruptions: When working from home, put phone numbers from relatives or friends who may call during your work day on vibrate. When checking your email, skip over personal messages until you take a break – that is also the time to check your personal phone messages. Also, refrain from web surfing, tweeting, and Facebooking, during your work time. Focus on what needs to get done and do it.

4 – Work Time & Breaks: Coordinate your day, so that you know when you will be working and when you will be taking any breaks. Try to stick to that time schedule. When it’s time to take a break, step away from your “office.” When it’s time to return to work, put personal issues or responsibilities aside and do your business.

5 – Shirt or Slippers: Maybe you can work just fine at home in your pajamas or sweats. However, for many people, “cleaning up” and wearing something more “appropriate” can increase efficiency and overall productivity. You don’t need to put on what you might wear if you were to actually go into the office, but you will probably feel more “professional” if you are wearing something other than a bathrobe and fuzzy slippers.

6 – Make Time for Motivation and Inspiration: Prior to starting your work day, take a few moments to read something that will inspire or motivate you. As stated, working from home requires discipline and discipline requires you to be self-motivated. Write down some sayings or affirmations that you like and keep them near your workspace.

While these strategies appear to be simple, many human resource professionals will tell you that some employees are unable to follow them. While those employees will have to trek into the office and continue working “in the cube,” by following these strategies, you may increase your performance and productivity and, therefore, be offered (or maintain) the privilege of working from home.

As a funny motivational speaker, I am known for delivering usable strategies on increasing performance and productivity via my programs for corporations worldwide. To view what I offer, visit my funny motivational speaker site. 

©2012 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

According to a study reported in the “Journal of Business Communications,” group laughter appears to be a resource that can be used to improve performance and, through this, the achievement of the goals of an organization. Obviously, improving performance and achieving goals is important to a human resource professional who plans meeting, as well as to an event or meeting planner.  It’s also important to those who conduct web conferences or virtual meetings. Therefore, when planning your next event for executives, sales people, employees or customers, here are just four benefits to keep in mind with regard to incorporating laughter and fun at your meeting.

Cohesion:

Laughter is like yawning – it’s contagious. And most meeting planners or human resource professionals would rather hear a roomful of laughter than see a roomful of people yawning. How many times at a web conference do you see attendees turn away from the “action” and start texting on their phone? Laughter brings people together. It allows them to drop their “guard” at a meeting and become “one” with the group. Furthermore, during coffee breaks or networking functions, attendees have a tendency to share what they thought was funny or humorous with each other. This greatly helps those who are not “outgoing” to strike up conversations with others, which fosters communication and teamwork.

Increased Comprehension:

Dr. William Fry, professor emeritus at Stanford University School of Medicine, stated “Laughter aids memory and increases alertness and concentration.” Studies reveal that you can’t think and laugh at the same time. Therefore, laugher acts as a “mental wash,” allowing the brain to take a break. This break then provides the mind with an opportunity to absorb more information. Plus, when you laugh, you remove carbon dioxide from your system at an increased rate and replace it with an increased amount of oxygen, which stimulates not only the brain, but also the whole body. Therefore, you are more alert and can concentrate more efficiently.

Aid in Stress Reduction:

A study at Stanford University showed that laughter stimulates the “feel good” chemical in your blood, which lessens the feelings of stress and makes you “feel happy.” These same chemicals also increase your immune system.

During a web conference, I usually am there to add some humor and fun to the meeting. However, at the vast majority of events at which I am hired to speak, in addition to providing laughter and fun, I also deliver content. One area on which I am most frequently asked to provide information is diminishing stress. The two areas that deliver the most stress are people being asked to do more with less and having to deal with change in the workplace. (These changes may stem from acquisitions, new products or procedures, government restrictions, heightened sales projections, increased competition, etc.) In both cases, the result is unhappiness and stress. Since most meetings focus on the announcement of future expectations from the group, as well as changes that will occur in the workplace — a little bit of humor can make dealing with that information a little easier. As Mary Poppins once said, “A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!”

Most human resource professionals would agree that stress is a major concern. Numerous reports not only state that stress related illnesses cost employers approximately $300 billion a year, but also affirm that unless these issues are addressed, the costs will continue to go up. Stress attacks your immune system, which causes a variety of illnesses.

In fact, a 20-year study conducted by the University of London stated that unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods. Therefore, to cut costs, it behooves corporations to be pro-active in reducing stress. Taking this into account during meetings and events is a step in the right direction.

Overall Satisfaction and Productivity:

When your group is having fun, not only is the overall satisfaction of your meeting or web conference increased, but so is participation, which means productivity. After all, if a meeting is just one speaker and power point after another, how much satisfaction or participation from your group would you expect?

Psychologist Maren Rawlings from Swinburne University in Australia conducted an amazing study on humor in the workplace and found a direct link between the climate of good humor in the workplace and employee satisfaction. Rawlings noted, “If employers take measures to encourage a positive humor climate in the workplace, they are more likely to retain their staff.”

Why will the staff be retained? Because they are having fun! Happy employees are productive employees. This finding can easily be translated to meetings, as a happy audience means increased overall satisfaction, which means heightened attention, participation, and, therefore, productivity.

As you can see, there are a few good reasons why providing laughter at your meeting is beneficial. An easy way to obtain these benefits is by engaging a funny motivational speaker for your event. If you would like to see how I have been helping companies worldwide offer this to their groups, visit my funny motivational speaker site.

©2012 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

I work with many meeting planners and not long ago, I was scheduled to be the morning entertaining motivational keynote speaker for a large corporation. In a phone call to the meeting planner, I found out that she – unknown to the actual client – had scheduled me to speak while the audience was eating breakfast.

I’m known as a funny motivational speaker who actually has something to say and my presentations are highly interactive. The meeting planner knew that my client wanted me to kick-off the day with an informative, motivational and fun presentation and having me speak while the audience was eating would not only not achieve that goal, but also was a prime example of poor planning.

Meeting planners and event planners know that speakers are a prime component of meetings and making sure the audience receives the full benefit of the person speaking, as well as ensuring that the speaker has what he/she needs to effectively deliver the presentation, is essential to the success of the speaker, as well as to the overall event. When this does not occur, the result is a poor experience for the speaker and the audience, as well as “egg on the face” of the event planner.

The following 5 steps will aid you in making sure the presenter and the audience, as well as your client receive the full benefit of utilizing a speaker at your meeting.

1 – No Speakers While the Audience is Eating:
People don’t like to be disturbed while they eat. How do you concentrate or even listen to what a speaker has to say while you’re passing the salt? Oftentimes, due to the room set-up, during meals some audience members have their back to the stage, which means the speaker has the pleasure of speaking to the backs of the heads of the audience. (It’s rude to the speaker and the audience.) Presenters like audiences to pay attention to what they have to say and that won’t happen, if the audience is engaged in eating.

2 – Position the Audience Close to the Speaker:
Placing a dance floor or tons of audio/visual equipment in front of the speaker so that the audience is 20-30 feet away from the stage provides an automatic disconnect from the speaker. A good presenter wants to see the faces of the audience to gauge their program and make any adjustments. Keep the audience close to the speaker.

3 – Clarify Walk-On and Walk-Off Music:
Recently at a large meeting, they introduced the chairman of the board by playing an unrecognizable song by the late James Brown. Instead of applauding the chairman when he arrived on stage, the room went quiet… no applause. The COB just stood there. It was a very uncomfortable moment and that’s never good, when you’re dealing with the COB. Pay attention to the details. Make sure that you go over the music that will be used to bring people on and off the stage.

4 – Don’t Clutter the Stage:
I recently did a presentation where the stage was so full of plants and flowers. I thought I was speaking in the nursery section of a Home Depot. When the director of sales came up to speak, he said to the audience, “Wow – look at all these flowers! Who died?” Of course, everyone turned toward the meeting planner and laughed. Let me ask you, is that a “good thing?” Keep it looking simple and smart. Having a nicely decorated stage is appropriate, but don’t go overboard.

5 -Read and Follow the Rider:
Most professional speakers have a rider, which is a document that explains what he/she will need in order to do his/her job effectively. Speakers create riders for a reason – they know what they need. We have all heard the stories about rock bands asking for something as superfluous as brown M&Ms in their riders. Such a request is usually placed deep in the rider to see if – when band shows up – the asked for items have been provided. That way – the band knows someone has actually read the rider and the stage will be set for the band to do what they were hired to do. If those items are not there – someone is not doing their job. The vast majority of speakers have simple riders and will not request brown M&Ms, but they will request water, proper lighting, a/v, etc. Read the rider. If there is a concern, call the speaker and ask for clarification.

With regard to the meeting planner for my morning event – fortunately, I was able to have her “see the light” and she had me go on after breakfast. It was the correct decision.

Remember, the client hired the speaker to either be entertaining, motivating, informative or a combination of the above. You do a disservice to the speaker, the audience, as well as your client if you don’t help the presenter do his/her job as easily and effectively as possible. While the above 5 tips may seem basic to most meeting planners, they are details that are quite often overlooked. A meeting planner gets paid to pay attention to the details and by doing so you make sure that the “eggs” stay on the plates of your audience … and don’t end up on your face.

Funny motivational speaker Bob Garner works with corporations worldwide to improve employee and sales productivity and performance. In addition to being an entertaining keynote speaker, Bob is an author and syndicated writer.

©2011 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use the byline and author resource.

Most companies hold hospitality events and provide the usual drinks and snacks or other food. With regard to hospitality suite entertainment, occasionally, there is a band or disc-jockey, a casino night, etc. These are considered “the norm,” and do little to differentiate your event from the next. Obviously, to go beyond the normal, requires doing something different.

If you want to go beyond the normal, then you may want to enlist the aid of mentalist Bob Garner. Bob is a mind reader and entertainer that adds the “WOW” factor to any event. Primarily because mind reading is such a personal thing, yet it can be performed in front of large groups, as well.

Having your mind read  – in a fun way – is something that most people have never experienced. Bob is a master at getting people involved in his show and making your guests feel special. Unlike walk-around magicians who have a tendency to interrupt conversations, Bob is stationed behind a table with chairs in front. This allows for a more sophisticated setting and allows your guests come to him and stay as long as they like.

Needless to say, his station is always full and, even more importantly, your guests talk about your event long after it is over. You may want to check out the video below, where one of Bob’s recent clients confirmed that Bob “rocked” the house at their latest hospitality event.

When deciding on how to make your next hospitality suite or event more memorable, make sure that you go beyond the normal and provide your guests with something they will remember and talk about… after your event is over.

After all, you can spend a lot of money on food, drinks, or a disc-jockey, as well as a casino night, but how much “mind share” do you think you will receive for that expenditure?

Just click on this link: hospitality suite entertainment – to see Bob’s video demo. You can find more information by going to his mentalist Bob Garner site and scrolling down to “Hospitality Suites.”

At many sales or employee events, there are incentive awards given to the top producers or achievers. As a funny motivational speaker, I speak at many of these events and prior to going on, oftentimes I will sit in the audience. Over the years, the comments that I have overheard from the “non-winners” have been interesting. Many have felt that the goals of the incentive program were unrealistic or that the people getting the awards “always win, so why bother…” etc. While such programs may increase profits, they – sometimes – do very little to increase teamwork or morale. In other words, any incentive program, whether it’s a sales incentive program or an employee incentive program, can either be productive … or counter-productive.

An example of a counter-productive program is where the goal is impractical or where only a specific number of participants will win and, therefore, the rest of the group will lose. Many in the group quickly give up or don’t get involved, because they don’t see how the goal can be reached or how they can win. Conversely, a productive incentive program establishes a realistic objective and rewards everyone in the department for reaching that goal. As opposed to the counter-productive program, this approach reinforces teamwork and increases overall morale.

The following 4 steps can aid you in creating a productive incentive program that enhances teamwork and morale, while simultaneously achieving an important goal. I call these steps the 4 D’s:

1) Define the Goal:
What do you want to accomplish? Who will be involved? What can you do to make the goal uncomplicated, include as many people as possible, and eliminate any obstacles to success?

2) Develop a System of Measurement:
How will you measure involvement and improvement? Allow those in the program to contribute their ideas with regard to the rules and the system of measurement, as well as the reward. Participation in the decision process greatly enhances a “team approach” and aids in increasing overall involvement.

3) Determine the Reward:
What reward can the company provide that acknowledges everyone’s contribution to achieving the goal? Consider a company-wide event where all can attend and have fun. Should you wish to reward individuals for specific achievement, think about something nice, but not “over the top,” such as plaques or certificates.

4) Dedicate Time from Leaders to Help:
Get management involved. Have them provide encouragement to all and keep everyone motivated. Leaders are supposed to provide support and guidance, not stand back with their arms crossed waiting to see how the group will perform.

The end goal of any incentive program should be that everyone has fun but, even more importantly, that the participants know the company is grateful for their hard work and dedication to achieving the goal.

Showing a 10-12% increase in employee productivity is just one result that you can expect when you conduct an employee incentive program correctly. My funny motivational speaker testimonial will prove to you it can be done, as will other testimonials regarding sales incentive programs found on my funny motivational speakers site.

Funny motivational speaker and funny emcee Bob Garner “WOWS” another client at their annual National Convention.

Bob reads minds and gets the audience laughing and involved. Bob was the kick-off speaker, as well as the emcee for the “Spirit Contest,” and then delivered an empowering keynote to wrap it all up.

The result: “Bob Garner astounded our audience… A standing ovation!” Check it out.

If you’re looking for an entertaining motivational speaker who actually has something to say; if you’re looking for a funny emcee who can keep your event moving and energized; if you’re looking for a speaker who will deliver the “WOW” factor, then you need Bob Garner. Go to http://www.bobgarner.com .

As a funny motivational speaker, I oftentimes wrap up a sales conference, which means that I have to sit through other presenters before I go on. At a recent sales meeting,  the Director of Sales was the last speaker before me and he was going talk about teamwork and how important that is to the overall success of the company. After presenting some valuable information on how all the reps needed to work together as a team,  he moved into speaking about the new sales incentive program and turned to a large flip chart and flipped the front page over. On this large chart was a picture of a race track and a bunch of horses. In place of the horses heads were pictures of the sales rep’s faces. Each horse was at different points on the track and the Director of Sales stated that each sales reps was responsible for hitting a specific goal and that depending on where the horse (sales rep) was on the track would determine who was closest to winning a cash prize.

My jaw hit the floor! Was this the same guy who just a moment ago talked about teamwork? You know, let’s all work together and help each other out… Well, any thoughts about teamwork flew out the proverbial window. (I mean when was the last time you saw a horse race where all the horses worked together?)

A sales incentive program, an employee incentive program or another incentive program for another group within your company, can either be productive or counter-productive. In my opinion, the race horse idea is definitely counter productive and is a good example of a close-ended incentive program. A close-ended incentive program has a specific number of winners and will leave the rest feeling demoralized. Many will give up or not even start the program, because they don’t feel that they could win.

An open-ended incentive program rewards everyone who reaches the goal, as well as everyone else who didn’t. The following are 6 steps that you can use to create an open-ended sales incentive program, employee incentive program or any incentive program for any group where you want a team approach to achieving a goal. I call it the 6 D’s:

1) Define the goal. What do you want to accomplish? (Make more sales,  improve safety, heighten customer service?) Don’t make the goal to complicated and eliminate as many obstacles to success as possible.

2) Decide if the program should be set-up for individuals or groups. Groups always seem to work better; however, it depends on what the goal is and how many people will be participating

3) Determine the prize. Will it be cash, gifts, or how about a company wide event where all can attend and have fun and the winners receive something nice, but not “over the top?”

4) Develop a system of measurement. How will you measure involvement and any improvement? Is you sales incentive program just for a certain level of sales reps or is everyone involved? Does your employee incentive program just focus on one or two departments or is it company wide?

Make sure that everyone who is participating knows the rules ahead of time and that all agree the goal and the system of measurement is realistic. Allowing for participation in the overall decision process is not only effective for morale, but also insures that everyone is in agreement, before the program begins, that the goal is a valuable one, the rules are fair, and the prize is worthwhile.

5) Declare a start date. Let your team know that the incentive program will be starting about a week or two before the actual start date and get people excited about participating. This also gives participants time to develop ideas and strategies.

6) Dedicate your time to help everyone. Get other leaders at your company involved and have them provide encouragement to all and keep everyone motivated. Don’t make this a “you’re on your own approach” by those in the C-suite. Leaders are supposed to provide encouragement and guidance not stand back with their arms crossed waiting to see how the teams will perform. If it’s a sales incentive program then there needs to be more involvement from leaders in other departments. If it’s an employee incentive program, then all department heads need to be involved.

If everyone will be rewarded and the prizes for the actual winners are not to outrageous, not only will everyone have fun, but also the teams will know that no matter who actually “wins,” the goal will be reached, and that you, as well as others in the C-suite, have noticed what everyone has accomplished – and that all of you are grateful for their hard work and dedication to achieving the goal.

Sales incentive programs and employee incentive programs are a great way to achieve goals, but you have to not only be careful as to what program you choose, you also need to be mindful of how it will be perceived by those actually having to do the work. The 6 D’s, will help you create an open-ended incentive program that will allow you to achieve an important goal, as well as increase morale.

Any incentive program is about achieving goals in a fun way. Unlike horse racing where only one horse is the big winner, unless you want to foster negative competition and bad feelings when the program is over, leave the horse racing to the race horses and let everyone who participates in your program be a winner.

Showing a 10-12% increase in employee productivity is just one result that you can expect when you conduct an employee incentive program correctly. My funny motivational speaker testimonial will prove to you it can be done, as will my other funny keynote speaker videos for sales incentive programs.

©2011 Bob Garner. All Rights Reserved. You may use this article, but you must use my byline and author resource.