As the year gets into full swing, many companies are looking for new ideas to strengthen their business. Finding meaningful ways to connect and motivate their teams with employee recognition is a best practice that can reap better returns.
At Crystal D we have seen the difference formal symbolic recognition can make — when an employee receives something representing prestige and honor, or recognizing their contributions and commitment, it’s something that sticks with them for years to come. An impeccable award customized with their name is something worth holding onto forever. We call this “The WOW Effect.” ™
Studies show something Crystal D has been practicing for decades: Investing in employee recognition programs is always worth it. Organizations are paid back in better retention, stronger engagement, improved customer satisfaction and long-lasting business results. But not every employer knows how to get the ball rolling.
Let’s pivot!
As a promotional products consultant, you are perfectly poised to go deeper with your clients by serving as an advisor on internal branding and employee recognition. It’s a bit of a pivot to focus on recognition programs, but you’ve already got the tools to help your customers plan out annual, semi-annual, quarterly or monthly programs where they celebrate things like:
- metrics, milestones and goals
- projects and initiatives
- ideas and innovation
- team wins
- employee engagement, retention and appreciation
- company values
- years of service and retirements
- outstanding leadership qualities
- customer satisfaction and loyalty
- Founder’s, President’s or Chairman’s recognition
Becoming an awards expert
In our eyes, there are just three steps to achieving awards-expert status.
1) Educate — Just because your clients don’t ask about awards every day doesn’t mean they don’t want or need them. Think about your last apparel order. Who presented who with the newest trends and options in styles? Awards work the same way. Your clients look to you for fresh ideas that will help their businesses stand out and succeed. Be proactive (and enjoy a competitive edge by doing something that sets you apart as a strategic partner) by educating them on the benefits of having a symbolic formal recognition program. Awards are a niche part of the promo market, with most promo distributors not offering them. We can get you set up with the tools to add awards to your arsenal.
Start today with building one easy habit: Talk about awards! Every organization relies on people to carry out its mission, so you want to make sure that awards and recognition tactics are always a topic of discussion — and that you’re their go-to person to help them meet their business objectives.
2) Innovate — The ideas and options are truly endless when it comes to helping your clients select awards. Understand what their goals are, the problems they want to solve, and how they want their brand to show up. Then, work with our team to curate a selection of unique, customized, and on-brand options for your clients to consider. Yes, it will require a little time to get your feet wet in the awards space, but once you’ve completed that first order, you can replicate the process for more clients, along with future orders for established awards programs.
You can also reap the benefit of being a referral as companies share best practices with each other and say, “I know, it’s so beautiful! We worked with [your name here] to design it.”
3) Celebrate — Join your customers in applauding the rollout of their formal recognition programs! As they watch recipients experience “The WOW Effect”™ when being handed a top-quality, optically clear crystal award and then see that appreciation and recognition pay off in stronger results, you’ll enjoy greater margins and repeat business as a trusted partner in the process.
Hit the ground running
We’d love to share with you examples of recognition programs that we’ve worked on, and we can help you develop ideas to share with your customers. Contact us today!
