FOCUS ON BEHAVIORS, NOT REWARDS Motivation Online (www.motivationonline.com) describes itself as being in the "behavior business." Its online performance improvement and rewards system, launched last January, was built from a foundation of behavioral principles, with the goal of driving sustained, long-term growth.
Here's how it works: Companies get customized home pages. Managers work with Motivation Online to determine specific milestones or behaviors that need to be achieved. Employees earn points for each "behavior," rather than for overall division or corporate goals. Individual employees' progress can be downloaded into reports that managers can use for performance analysis and reviews.
One client used Motivation Online to teach customer service repre-Fp.21 tives - who were not trained in sales - to up-sell and cross-sell additional services. The result? A 20 percent increase in sales and a 40 percent increase in customer satisfaction in a three-month period, says Eric Webb, Motivation Online's vice president of marketing.
After an individual's goals are met, the reward delivery side of the site kicks in. Employees claim prizes for points earned, ranging from DVD players to cinema tickets, through Motivation Online's 40 redemption partners. A bonus: Winners click right through to the partners' actual Web sites (Sharper Image or Bose, for example), and can take advantage of the retailers' promotions.
Top Tchotchkes How many key rings can a person use? Trade shows are the mecca of promotional knickknacks, and depending on who's doing the giving, freebies can range from mousepads to fine leather briefcases. Here's a look at the "top trade show tchotchkes" by category percentage:
- Wearables 29.5
- Writing instruments 9.4
- Office/business accessories 6.6
- Calendars 6.4
- Bags 6.1
- Buttons, badges, etc. 2.9
- Computer products 2.7
- Electronic devices 2.6
Source: Promotional Products Association International
When women make up the majority of membership in industry associations, it seems redundant to create a separate advocacy group exclusively for women. Not true, says Christine Duffy, president of Philadelphia-based McGettigan Partners, one of the largest meeting management companies in the business.
"Women are not in the majority in holding senior level positions," says Duffy, who recently established the Women's Meeting Industry Leaders Council. "At McGettigan, most of the executives are women, and I've been thinking about doing this for long enough," she says, taking a cue from other industries with similar groups such as Women in Film. "There's a disproportionate number of men at the senior level," says Duffy, "and no one's disagreeing with me on that."
Duffy gathered some of her most high-powered colleagues, and the Council held its first meeting during Meeting Professionals International's World Congress in Los Angeles. Among the 20 initial members are Charlotte St. Martin, executive vice president of Loews Hotels, and Dawn Penfold, president of Meetings Candidate Network, an executive search firm she created.
"If you look at our industry," Duffy says, "there is no research on women, nothing to tell us what is the best segment for women, nothing on what are the best companies for women. And we want to recognize those companies who are walking their talk." The group won't be starting another association, says Duffy, but will look to existing industry groups such as MPI, Professional Convention Management Association, and the American Society of Association Executives, to piggyback with educational tracks designed for women. "This is not an us vs. them, male-bashing thing," Duffy says. "It's about taking an opportunity and the responsibility to address issues and help women get those senior positions."
