Money isn't always motivating

When business owners are asked how they motivate their staff, the typical answer is expressed in dollars and cents.

And let's not kid ourselves--how much employees get paid is important to them.

But it's not the only motivational tool in your arsenal.

Businesses that look outside the square to motivate their staff enhance their opportunities to increase sales. For sales people, the commission-based pay structure is how they are typically paid.

Although there is no sense that this is changing, I urge people to think about other incentives.

We recently did work with a company where staff had the option of taking a cash bonus or a Red Balloon Day voucher. Interestingly, staff were more appreciative of the latter.

A Red Balloon Day is where employees receive a voucher to do anything they want, from skin diving to dinner in a restaurant.

One company sent two salesmen to a raceway to do laps in a V8.

The Daily Telegraph (Sydney), December 8.