GiftCard Partners Blog

Motivating your sales team is an essential component of your organization’s overall success. A highly motivated sales team is more engaged, experiences lower levels of absenteeism, and is better equipped to acquire and maintain loyal clients. However, motivation isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach; it requires a combination of recognition and appreciation tailored to the unique preferences of each salesperson.

Many retailers think of gift cards as a necessary item that gives consumers flexibility in purchasing and gifting. However, FirstData's
2014 Prepaid Consumer Insights Survey reveals that gift cards can actual hold the power to drive incremental sales for retailers, and the better news is that gift card sales are on the rise, with an 8% boost in sales between 2013 and 2014.
Incremental Sales Driver Gift cards drive incremental sales when consumers purchase past the value of the gift card. According to the FirstData study, in 2014 consumer spent an average of $23.41 over the amount of their gift card, up about $3 from 2013. As this consistent consumer behavior takes root, retailers can use gift card purchasing numbers to forecast this unique source of incremental revenue. The additional spending also represents the opportunity to gain new consumers and build a relationship with shoppers who wouldn't have otherwise entered the store. Using gift cards as a customer acquisition tool can help increase incremental revenue numbers that stem from gift cards and gifting.
Gift Card Popularity on the Rise Gift cards have long been a popular gift choice for those picky recipients and continue to offer consumers a safe gifting option that is easier on both the sender and receiver.
81% of consumers plan to spend the same or more in plastic gift cards, with
84% of consumers planning to purchase the same or more in e-gift cards. These strong numbers indicate a real opportunity for retailers to take advantage of the incremental revenue from extended spending on top of the value of gift cards. The flexibility of gift cards provides a desired convenience for consumers as well as a revenue opportunity for retailers. We want to know what gift cards do for your business? Leave us a comment.

Gift cards are versatile and make as good an employee reward as they do a sales driver to promote your brand.
First Data has released its 2014 Consumer Insights Survey, and it shows that gift cards can do as much for sales numbers as they can for motivating employees toward organizational goals. Here are two key components from the survey.

The topic of selling sales incentives made the list in the Incentive Research Federation’s (IRF) newest report,
2014 Trends in Engagement, Incentives, and Recognition. The report shined light on the fact that although sales goals came up short last year, many of those companies are still raising quotas for 2014, leaving many executives searching for answers on how their sales teams will make those numbers. One trend that came out of the study was focused on the incentives being used to motivate sales teams. The report stated,

In today’s rapidly evolving workplace, gamification is gaining traction as a powerful tool to engage employees in incentive programs. Gamification leverages game-like elements—such as rewards, challenges, and competition—to motivate and reward employees for achieving goals, learning new skills, or engaging in health and wellness initiatives. According to recent data, gamification is expected to grow significantly, with the global market projected to reach $30.7 billion by 2025, driven by its effectiveness in improving employee performance, motivation, and engagement .