The interim manager's client was a specialist bank that specializes in financial services in the automotive trade. The company is part of a globally active French group. The aim of the mandate was to strengthen the loyalty of the partners and sales agents to the specialist bank and to optimize and intensify communication with them. The interim manager acted in the role of Head of Marketing & Press in the mandate.
The reason for the project was that sales in the automotive market were generally stagnating. As a result, competition as an independent service provider had become increasingly fierce. In order to draw more attention from sales agents to the specialist bank as an attractive and rewarding financial service provider, incentives had to be created and occasions for more business had to be found.
Developing a revenue-generating incentive program
In order to significantly increase revenue per partner/sales agent and product group, the interim manager developed a comprehensive incentive program that can be used flexibly to generate revenue depending on the sales targets. The mechanics of the incentive program were designed in such a way that it could be used at regular intervals or continuously with new themes without losing its effect. The program included attractive campaign themes and rewards ranging from fuel vouchers to a trip to the final of the European Football Championship. It focused on products as well as online and offline communication. In order to get off to a quick start, the programme was supported with individual campaign microsites and email marketing in the first few months.
Decision for external provider of an incentive portal
The success with the target group and the colleagues involved was so great that the interim manager recommended further development in terms of standardization and continuity. There were two options for this:
- continuing to develop new sales promotion campaigns in-house for each individual occasion, both technically and thematically, and limiting them in terms of time or
- introducing a professional system that is constantly available as a platform and with which time-limited sales promotion campaigns can be run in a standardized manner.
In view of the manpower intensity, high development and operating costs, the client followed the recommendation for the second option.
In concrete terms, this meant setting up an individually branded standardized incentive platform. This platform is offered, technically implemented and hosted by an external service provider as a cloud solution. The service provider also handled the fulfillment of the entire range of rewards, from small prizes such as vouchers to travel.
Communication with the departments involved
The development and implementation of the project benefited greatly from the fact that the interim manager promoted an intensive exchange between internal departments such as marketing, sales and product management. The collaboration with the professional incentive service provider and the establishment of the individualized rewards portal also went without a hitch.
Reaching additional sales and bridging the crisis period
The campaigns implemented via the incentive portal were very well received by both the customers and the colleagues involved, especially in sales. The expected additional sales quickly materialized and the crisis period was successfully bridged.
