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Money Isn’t Always the Best Motivator

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Money Isn’t Always the Best Motivator

Why smart rewards go beyond cash & how to build a winning incentive mix.

In the world of sales and service, rewards aren’t a luxury – they’re a management tool. Many team leaders already know that the right incentive can lift morale, shift behavior, and drive measurable results.


But is money always the key?
Not necessarily.

What Truly Drives Performance
At the heart of every incentive is behavioral economics – the study of how people make decisions. Research shows that feedback itself – not just rewards – is one of the most powerful drivers of behavior.

A study by Deci, Koestner & Ryan (2001) found that while external rewards (like bonuses) can provide short-term motivation, they may undermine intrinsic motivation if not used properly. In contrast, rewards that are accompanied by positive feedback, a sense of meaning, or an enjoyable experience can improve performance over time.

The takeaway: immediate feedback, public recognition, and a positive experience matter just as much as – and sometimes more than – the reward itself.

The 4 Circles of Workplace Rewards

To truly motivate your team, it’s important to understand the multiple layers of rewards already at play within your organization:

 

  • Base Salary
    The foundational reward – employees show up, complete their expected tasks, and receive regular compensation.

 

  • Personal Productivity Incentives
    Commissions, performance bonuses, overtime pay, or rewards for initiative. These directly link output to recognition.

 

  • Campaign-Based Rewards
    Temporary competitions, challenges, or project-based bonuses that reflect strategic priorities or short-term goals.

 

  • External or Layered Rewards
    Sometimes, rewards come from outside the organization – like a manufacturer incentivizing retail employees to promote their products. Or through platforms like Qwan, where employees earn digital coins redeemable for personal gifts – offering double the incentive: once from the employer, once from the app.

Understanding these layers helps leaders spot gaps and opportunities to enhance motivation.

Not Just About the Money

Cash is the classic reward but it’s far from the only one.
In fact, there are three core types of rewards, each with its own pros and cons:

Financial Rewards

Simple, immediate, and effective – but short-lived. A 2017 Gallup study found that the motivational impact of monetary bonuses tends to last around nine months on average.

Tangible Rewards

Physical prizes like gadgets, dinners, or even travel. These can create memorable moments, but often feel out of reach for the majority – typically reserved for top performers. This can create disillusionment or disengagement among the rest of the team.

Status-Based (Ego) Rewards

These don’t cost money but offer social recognition. Think: sitting in the manager’s chair for a day, receiving personalized coffee from the boss, or having the manager wash the employee’s car. These small gestures can build culture, trust – and sometimes outperform cash in driving engagement.

Building the Right Mix

If there’s one key lesson here, it’s this: no single reward motivates everyone.

To truly drive behavioral change and improve productivity, great managers don’t just choose a prize – they design an incentive ecosystem. One that aligns with the company’s goals while recognizing individual preferences, personalities, and motivations.

The smartest incentive plans combine:

  • Immediate and long-term motivators
  • Cash and experiential rewards
  • Team celebrations and personal recognition

And this is exactly where technology steps in. Tools like Qwan help organizations design and run daily competitions, track performance KPIs, and deliver positive feedback – making motivation personal, visible, and ongoing.

 

In Summary

If you’re aiming for real impact – don’t just ask what can I give them?

Start by asking what truly motivates my people?

Sometimes, it’s not about the next bonus check – but rather a cup of coffee, a smile, and the feeling of being seen.

 

Don’t feel like reading? Just click on the image to hear the article in podcast format, it’s really cool. [Powered byGoogle AI –NotebookLM]

* This article is based on insights gathered by our Systems Analysis and Customer Success teams, following dozens of interviews with clients. Organizations that performed this type of internal review prior to implementation entered the process with clearer expectations and significantly improved their project success rates.

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Is KPI Gamification for me?

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Is KPI Gamification for me?

The steps you need to take to see if the platform is right for your organization?

After being introduced to the concept of “Gamification of Goals,” watching product videos, and perhaps speaking with colleagues in other organizations, you might be considering whether a goal-and-competition management system is suitable for your organization.

This article outlines a simple, quick, and structured internal evaluation process that can be conducted independently, helping you make an informed decision.

  • Article

Is KPI Gamification for me?

The steps you need to take to see if the platform is right for your organization?

After being introduced to the concept of “Gamification of Goals,” watching product videos, and perhaps speaking with colleagues in other organizations, you might be considering whether a goal-and-competition management system is suitable for your organization.

This article outlines a simple, quick, and structured internal evaluation process that can be conducted independently, helping you make an informed decision.

Step 1:

Organizational Mapping and Initial Interviews

Begin by speaking with key stakeholders across three organizational layers:

  • Head Office–Management, HR, Payroll
  • Direct Managers–Team leads, call center/regional managers
  • Frontline Employees–The potential end users of the system

Guiding questions:

  • What does the organizational structure look like?
  • What are the main KPIsfor each group of employees?
  • How are these KPIs currently measured? (Which systems, how often, in what format?)
  • Are the metrics tracked individually, by team, or both?
  • Are the KPIs purely quantitative, or also qualitative (e.g., customer feedback, managerial evaluation)
  • Do employees understand the KPIs and what is expected of them
  • Are there existing reward mechanisms tied to these goals?
  • Are internal competitions conducted? If so, how are they managed, who is responsible, and how many resources are involved?

Step 2:

Consultation with IT and Data Stakeholders

Assuming KPI tracking is already in place, technical aspects should be reviewed:

  • Which systems store the data? (CRM, manual Excel, telephony systems, BI tools, etc.)
  • Are these internal systems orthird-party platforms?
  • Is there a way to export the data? (API, reports, Excel, file exports, automated data delivery)
  • Is the data organized and accessible (e.g., by user/team/time period)?
  • Does the organization have technical autonomy, or does it rely on external vendors for access?

Step 3:

Consolidate Findings in an Internal Report

It is recommended to compile the findings into a concise internal document to support the evaluation process.(You may have heard the term “Go/On Go”)Suggested structure:

1.Target Population–Who within the organization is being considered for implementation?

2.Current Workflow–What goals exist today, how are they communicated, and who manages them?

3.Existing Measurement Infrastructure–What systems are used to collect and manage performance data?

4.Gaps and Challenges–Are there inefficiencies, duplications, or redundant resource usage?

5.Technical Feasibility–How easy or complex would it be to connect existing systems to an external platform?

Conclusion

This internal assessment does not require a major investment or commitment. Its purpose is to create a solid understanding of your current state, enabling a data-informed decision about potential next steps. For many organizations, the evaluation itself leads to better internal clarity around measurement, incentives, and performance management.

Don’t feel like reading? Just click on the image to hear the article in podcast format, it’s really cool.
[Powered byGoogle AI –NotebookLM]

* This article is based on insights gathered by our Systems Analysis and Customer Success teams, following dozens of interviews with clients. Organizations that performed this type of internal review prior to implementation entered the process with clearer expectations and significantly improved their project success rates.

Step 1:

Organizational Mapping and Initial Interviews

Begin by speaking with key stakeholders across three organizational layers:

  • Head Office–Management, HR, Payroll
  • Direct Managers–Team leads, call center/regional managers
  • Frontline Employees–The potential end users of the system

Guiding questions:

  • What does the organizational structure look like?
  • What are the main KPIsfor each group of employees?
  • How are these KPIs currently measured? (Which systems, how often, in what format?)
  • Are the metrics tracked individually, by team, or both?
  • Are the KPIs purely quantitative, or also qualitative (e.g., customer feedback, managerial evaluation)
  • Do employees understand the KPIs and what is expected of them
  • Are there existing reward mechanisms tied to these goals?
  • Are internal competitions conducted? If so, how are they managed, who is responsible, and how many resources are involved?

Step 2:

Consultation with IT and Data Stakeholders

Assuming KPI tracking is already in place, technical aspects should be reviewed:

  • Which systems store the data? (CRM, manual Excel, telephony systems, BI tools, etc.)
  • Are these internal systems orthird-party platforms?
  • Is there a way to export the data? (API, reports, Excel, file exports, automated data delivery)
  • Is the data organized and accessible (e.g., by user/team/time period)?
  • Does the organization have technical autonomy, or does it rely on external vendors for access?

Step 3:

Consolidate Findings in an Internal Report

It is recommended to compile the findings into a concise internal document to support the evaluation process.(You may have heard the term “Go/On Go”)Suggested structure:

1.Target Population–Who within the organization is being considered for implementation?

2.Current Workflow–What goals exist today, how are they communicated, and who manages them?

3.Existing Measurement Infrastructure–What systems are used to collect and manage performance data?

4.Gaps and Challenges–Are there inefficiencies, duplications, or redundant resource usage?

5.Technical Feasibility–How easy or complex would it be to connect existing systems to an external platform?

Conclusion

This internal assessment does not require a major investment or commitment. Its purpose is to create a solid understanding of your current state, enabling a data-informed decision about potential next steps. For many organizations, the evaluation itself leads to better internal clarity around measurement, incentives, and performance management.

Don’t feel like reading? Just click on the image to hear the article in podcast format, it’s really cool.
[Powered byGoogle AI –NotebookLM]

* This article is based on insights gathered by our Systems Analysis and Customer Success teams, following dozens of interviews with clients. Organizations that performed this type of internal review prior to implementation entered the process with clearer expectations and significantly improved their project success rates.

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Article

Competitions Based on AI Quality Metrics

  • Article

Competitions Based on AI Quality Metrics

Are you using AI tools in your call center?

How to combine call analysis, agent motivation, and real-time performance improvement.

Over the past year, we’ve seen a growing trend of AI tools being implemented in call centers, both in sales and customer service operations. It’s becoming increasingly clear that phone calls are a goldmine of data. The question is: what are we doing with it?

In this article, we introduce the next evolution of call center management: competitions driven by AI-based metrics.

Why do call centers need AI?

It all started with a simple challenge: a disagreement between a customer and an agent. The
customer claims the agent said X, while the agent insists, they said Y. So, the team turns to call
recordings.

But when there are hundreds or thousands of calls a day, analyzing each one becomes nearly
impossible, especially when there are multiple conversations with the same customer.

That’s where a new hero comes in, an AI engine that performs three key steps:

  1.  Full transcription of every call
  2. Automatic filing of the transcript in the customer’s CRM profile
  3. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of the call, turning insights into measurable
    performance indicators

AI Metrics: Not just what was said ,but how it was said.

The system analyzes each conversation and extracts key performance metrics such as:

  • A 1–5 score for the agent’s needs assessment process
  • A quality score for how the agent presented the solution
  • A metric for building rapport and trust
  • A score reflecting the likelihood of closing the sale

These metrics feed into detailed managerial reports and provide a clear picture of call quality and
agent performance.

But and this is important, if the data doesn’t reach the agent in real time, it remains just statistics.
Enter QUAN: Real-time competition built on AI insights
Quan connects three critical systems: the call center platform, the AI engine, and Quan built in
templates for gamification layer — into a single smart operational solution.

The goal?
To transform AI-based insights into live, competitive metrics that drive agents to improve.
With Quan, you can run competitions based on both quantity (number of outbound calls) and quality
(needs assessment score).
Agents see, in real time, where they stand, what’s expected, and how they compare to their peers.

The result?
Higher quality in both service and sales.
Home Market, a real estate marketing company, was among the first to implement the system —
and immediately saw a boost in both productivity and call quality.
Agents are more engaged, more motivated — and customers feel the difference.

In conclusion:
AI is no longer just a back-office analysis tool, it’s the foundation for a new management culture.
When you connect quality data with smart incentives, results follow naturally.

Don’t feel like reading? Just click on the image to hear the article in podcast format, it’s really cool.


[Powered byGoogle AI –NotebookLM]

* This article is based on insights gathered by our Systems Analysis and Customer Success teams, following dozens of interviews with clients. Organizations that performed this type of internal review prior to implementation entered the process with clearer expectations and significantly improved their project success rates.

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