Call-out days or SPIFF days as they are often known, are an exciting and high-energy opportunity for IT distributors to drive sales, increase vendor engagement and win kudos from their vendors! With the right planning and incentives, a call-out day can be a huge win for both distributor and vendor.
Never run a call-out day? Or maybe you have but are looking for some tips to streamline the planning and execution, well fear not! In this blog, we’ll break down the essential steps to successfully plan and execute a call-out day and how to pitch it to vendors to secure their buy-in.
Step 1: Craft a Strong Pitch to the Vendor
Vendors are usually enthusiastic about participating in call-out days, especially when they see clear value and potential return on investment (ROI). When pitching your idea, we find it helps to:
- Highlight the benefits: Showcase how a dedicated call-out day can significantly boost their sales on specific SKUs. Make sure you’re clear that all efforts on this day will focus solely on promoting their product, providing concentrated attention from your entire sales team.
- Link it to key market trends: Where possible, tie the SKU or product to market trends. For example, if your vendor’s SKU is aligned with the education sector, suggest running the call-out day during peak education buying season.
- Predict ROI: Build out a proposal that clearly estimates the return on investment for the vendor. Use past data from similar events to predict order numbers, lead generation, or sales conversions. Vendors are more likely to engage when they can see the tangible outcomes.
Step 2: Organise Fun and Interactive Sales Activities
The key to a successful call-out day is to keep the energy on the sales floor high and to create an environment that encourages participation. Here are a few tips to make your SPIFF day engaging:
- Set up a leaderboard: The tracking of your sales teams’ performance is absolutely critical, after all no one is more competitive than a lead hungry sales team! You could track metrics like calls made, leads generated and sales secured. This constant visibility and healthy competition will help maintain motivation throughout the day.
- Incorporate incentives: Nothing gets sales teams buzzing like a good incentive. Work with your vendor to offer some exciting prizes for top performers, for instance, an Apple Watch for the first person to secure an order over an agreed amount, or the highest revenue generator by the end of the day. Other prizes you could consider could be things like gift cards, spa day vouchers or other tech gadgets like an Air Fryer!
- Create fun competitions: Adding in a fun, interactive element will help ensure your call-out day is memorable for everyone involved. For instance, you might consider organising a drone or paper aeroplane racing competition, and the more sales generated, the more opportunities they get to race their drone or paper aeroplane, crowning an overall winner at the end of the day.
Step 3: Prepare Thoroughly in Advance
Attention to detail in the planning stage will ensure the day runs smoothly. Here’s what you need to do ahead of time:
- Update account lists: Ensure the sales team has accurate, up-to-date account lists for the day. This will save time and ensure that their efforts are focused on the right customers.
- Align messaging with the vendor: Work closely with your vendor to ensure your team has the most up-to-date information on the product they’re pushing. This might involve additional training sessions for the sales teams in the days leading up to the event to ensure the sales team are confident in the messaging.
Step 4: Plan the logistics for the day
The call-out day should be a full experience for the sales team, so take care of the practical elements as well. Here are some important logistical aspects to consider:
- Book catering: Keep the team energised by organising a catered lunch or snack breaks throughout the day. Sales floors thrive on momentum, and a well-fed team will stay motivated and engaged.
- Plan the day’s structure: Make sure you have a clear idea on how the day will flow. You may want to break the day up, allowing for mini-competitions or team challenges throughout the day. For example, a mid-morning sprint could focus on securing the first sale of the day, while an afternoon challenge might reward the person who closes the largest deal.
- Involve marketing: Leverage your marketing team to create internal buzz around the event. Fun graphics, countdowns, and internal announcements can build excitement in the days leading up to the event. Your marketing team may also be able to help you with creating assets for the day, including things like one-page battlecards that the sales teams can use during their calling.
Step 5: Measure and Report on Success
To ensure ongoing vendor support, it’s important to demonstrate the effectiveness of the call-out day with solid results:
- Track sales metrics: Make sure you capture data like the number of calls made, number of orders secured, and the total revenue generated. Being able to demonstrate the success of a call-out day is vital, but it also provides a benchmark for any future call-out days you hold.
- Survey the sales team: After the event, gather feedback from your salespeople. Did they find the day engaging? Were the incentives motivating? Use this feedback to improve future call-out days and strengthen your proposal when pitching to other vendors.
- Follow-Up with the Vendor: Post-event, schedule a follow-up meeting with the vendor to review the results and share any relevant data. This will help cement their interest in future collaborations, as they will see firsthand the value the call-out day has provided.
Conclusion
Call-out days are a powerful tool for IT distributors looking to drive vendor engagement and sales. With proper planning, strong vendor collaboration, and fun, engaging activities, you can create a day that is both productive and enjoyable for your sales team while delivering real ROI to your vendors.
Whether you’re pitching a SPIFF day during peak education season or organising a drone race for the top sellers, these steps will help you plan a successful event and position your organisation as a valuable partner for vendors.
Are you ready to make your next call-out day a success? Our team of channel marketing experts are here to help you plan and execute a super engaging day that delivers real results. Don’t hesitate to give us a call, and let’s create a campaign to be proud of!
