Weekly Spiff: Hey, Let’s Throw Darts at Work!

Darts

SO YOU’RE GOING to let your employees throw darts at work. I know how that sounds. But stay with me.

You set up a dartboard in the backroom — or a corkboard with some paper targets, or balloons if you want it to be loud, which you might, because loud is fun. And when someone hits a goal — a big sale, an add-on, moving something that’s been sitting there since the Clinton administration — they get to throw a dart.

• Set up the board somewhere safe. Not by the bathroom door. You’ll figure it out.
• Put prizes on the targets or inside the balloons. Cash is good. Candy works. A long lunch. Whatever.
• Decide what earns a throw: sale over $500, selling a repair customer something new, moving aged inventory.
• Let people throw at the end of the day, or save them up for Friday. Friday’s more fun.
• If someone misses the board entirely, that’s also entertainment. Arguably even more entertaining.

What this encourages: Here’s the thing — the prize almost doesn’t matter. It’s the throwing. People want to throw the dart. They want to earn the throw, and then they want to stand there and line it up while everyone watches. It’s a tiny moment, but it’s theirs. And they’ll sell harder to get another one.

Extra Bonus Note: Oh, also — go buy a gumball machine this week. You’ll need it in a few weeks for the Gumball Machine spiff, which is exactly what it sounds like. They’re like forty bucks online. Get one with the swirly ramp if you want to be a hero. Don’t overthink it.

DISCLAIMER: Spiffs are not appropriate for every store, but can add a sense of excitement to the sales process for some. Will it work? It depends on your store, and it depends on your staff. If you haven’t tried these types of contests, give it a try and see what happens. But if you do try it, make a big deal of it. These work way better when they’re an exciting, shared experience.