What’s your opinion on Sales Leaderboards?

[vic120]

Although if I were not independent and I didn't have to enter deals and there was an email system like Bevo said then I think it would be more motivating

 

[InfinityLeads]

Prior to venturing out on my own many years ago, I worked for a few large corporations in sales. They all were masters of tracking metrics and displaying them daily to the sales team. Typically people in sales who deserve to be there never want to see their names at the bottom of a list, and if you hired correctly your sales people should be highly competitive.

It especially motivates your upper 1/3rd (often Pareto's principle applies where 20% or slightly more of your team does 80% of your sales) and for that reason alone it's worth it. No one at the top wants to get beaten.

We have auto emails go out every time an agent gets a sale. This not only lets me know immediately when we get new sales but also lets every other agent know they need to pick up the pace.

It absolutely does a lot.

I agree. Regardless of the intentions. The Pareto principle will reign supreme.

Your top 20% will be motivated to compete harder against one another.

 

[somarco]

I am definitely odd man out here. Never cared much for leaderboards (except in golf), award dinners, Monday AM sales meetings, etc.

It's not that I am not competitive, just that I don't need or feel external pressure to compete. Over the years I have been in the top 20% in sales and one year took the top award company wide. That particular award was not based purely on sales (I was 3rd that year) but on a number of factors. Frankly, I was shocked to be called up at the awards dinner. Really did not expect it.

The next year I was fired.

Didn't expect that either.

I left the corporate side of the business in 1993 and never looked back. No more Monday sales meetings, leaderboards or a boss chiding me to do more.

However I am married, but that doesn't count.

If I needed the competition of a group to survive I would have failed a long time ago. I am not critical of those who enjoy that atmosphere, or need it to push them forward, just saying leaderboards mean nothing to me.

My focus is strictly on my clients and helping them understand and find a plan that meets their needs and budget. I find leaderboards and contests to be a distraction.

One of my favorite movies is The Natural with Robert Redford. If you haven't seen the movie you might want to check it out. A young baseball phenom gets' sidetracked on his way to the majors. At age 35 he is finally called up to the big leagues. In spite of his advanced age, "Grandpa" shows what he is really made of.

One of the memorable lines in the movie is in this exchange . . .
Roy Hobbs: I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book.

Iris Gaines: And then?

Roy Hobbs: And then? And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.


Here are a few more lines . . .
The Natural (film) - Wikiquote

All I really care about from a career perspective is doing the right thing for my clients and having them say "He is the best there ever was"

If you like baseball, and you like stories about the underdog coming out on top, you should watch this.

 

[goillini52]

I am definitely odd man out here. Never cared much for leaderboards (except in golf), award dinners, Monday AM sales meetings, etc.

It's not that I am not competitive, just that I don't need or feel external pressure to compete. Over the years I have been in the top 20% in sales and one year took the top award company wide. That particular award was not based purely on sales (I was 3rd that year) but on a number of factors. Frankly, I was shocked to be called up at the awards dinner. Really did not expect it.

The next year I was fired.

Didn't expect that either.

I left the corporate side of the business in 1993 and never looked back. No more Monday sales meetings, leaderboards or a boss chiding me to do more.

However I am married, but that doesn't count.

If I needed the competition of a group to survive I would have failed a long time ago. I am not critical of those who enjoy that atmosphere, or need it to push them forward, just saying leaderboards mean nothing to me.

My focus is strictly on my clients and helping them understand and find a plan that meets their needs and budget. I find leaderboards and contests to be a distraction.

One of my favorite movies is The Natural with Robert Redford. If you haven't seen the movie you might want to check it out. A young baseball phenom gets' sidetracked on his way to the majors. At age 35 he is finally called up to the big leagues. In spite of his advanced age, "Grandpa" shows what he is really made of.

One of the memorable lines in the movie is in this exchange . . .
Roy Hobbs: I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book.

Iris Gaines: And then?

Roy Hobbs: And then? And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.


Here are a few more lines . . .
The Natural (film) - Wikiquote

All I really care about from a career perspective is doing the right thing for my clients and having them say "He is the best there ever was"

If you like baseball, and you like stories about the underdog coming out on top, you should watch this.

Good stuff Bob. I've read that you shouldn't worry about competing with others, you should compete with yourself.

 

[Rearden]

While I agree leaderboards motivate, I always personally hated them, and never found them motivating.

 

[vic120]

I am definitely odd man out here. Never cared much for leaderboards (except in golf), award dinners, Monday AM sales meetings, etc.

It's not that I am not competitive, just that I don't need or feel external pressure to compete. Over the years I have been in the top 20% in sales and one year took the top award company wide. That particular award was not based purely on sales (I was 3rd that year) but on a number of factors. Frankly, I was shocked to be called up at the awards dinner. Really did not expect it.

The next year I was fired.

Didn't expect that either.

I left the corporate side of the business in 1993 and never looked back. No more Monday sales meetings, leaderboards or a boss chiding me to do more.

However I am married, but that doesn't count.

If I needed the competition of a group to survive I would have failed a long time ago. I am not critical of those who enjoy that atmosphere, or need it to push them forward, just saying leaderboards mean nothing to me.

My focus is strictly on my clients and helping them understand and find a plan that meets their needs and budget. I find leaderboards and contests to be a distraction.

One of my favorite movies is The Natural with Robert Redford. If you haven't seen the movie you might want to check it out. A young baseball phenom gets' sidetracked on his way to the majors. At age 35 he is finally called up to the big leagues. In spite of his advanced age, "Grandpa" shows what he is really made of.

One of the memorable lines in the movie is in this exchange . . .
Roy Hobbs: I coulda been better. I coulda broke every record in the book.

Iris Gaines: And then?

Roy Hobbs: And then? And then when I walked down the street people would've looked and they would've said there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.


Here are a few more lines . . .
The Natural (film) - Wikiquote

All I really care about from a career perspective is doing the right thing for my clients and having them say "He is the best there ever was"

If you like baseball, and you like stories about the underdog coming out on top, you should watch this.

I think most independents on this forum would agree for ourselves, However, I don't think that's a majority, I believe if I had employee agents working for me I would opt for all those things,

I have worked in that environment myself in the past, while I don't think it made that much a dif for me I do know it made a dif with many, I think most agents that work for agencies need more motivation and that's why they work for others

In fact, I know good agents that also left that place and went independent and gave up after 6 months or so, I know with a few self motivation was the issue

 

[Yagents]

The biggest insult to me in the industry is being called a producer.

I prefer Benjamin's instead of being recognized on a list.

Plaques are a waste of money for someone with a home office.

My daily bank account balance is what motivates me.

 

[InfinityLeads]

The biggest insult to me in the industry is being called a producer.

I prefer Benjamin's instead of being recognized on a list.

Plaques are a waste of money for someone with a home office.

My daily bank account balance is what motivates me.

This! We agree : D

 

[FinalExpenseDojo.com]

Prior to venturing out on my own many years ago, I worked for a few large corporations in sales. They all were masters of tracking metrics and displaying them daily to the sales team. Typically people in sales who deserve to be there never want to see their names at the bottom of a list, and if you hired correctly your sales people should be highly competitive.

It especially motivates your upper 1/3rd (often Pareto's principle applies where 20% or slightly more of your team does 80% of your sales) and for that reason alone it's worth it. No one at the top wants to get beaten.

We have auto emails go out every time an agent gets a sale. This not only lets me know immediately when we get new sales but also lets every other agent know they need to pick up the pace.

It absolutely does a lot.

Spot on! I've always been highly competitive. #2 is the first loser!

 

[adjusterjack]

I don’t think that it does a whole lot

I had a manager years ago who did that. Didn't motivate me a bit. What motivated me was the money I was making. I didn't care what anybody else was doing. My attitude spread to others and it wasn't long before the rankings chart disappeared.