The commercial challenge is much more than a simple competition. It is a powerful tool to stimulate the motivation of your teams and increase your sales. But to take full advantage of them, a rigorous method must be followed.

In this article, we show you all the essential steps to carry out this mission successfully.

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The steps to follow to lead a challenge in a commercial action

For a commercial challenge to be a success, it is crucial to follow a series of well-defined steps. Each of them plays a decisive role in the overall effectiveness of the project.

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Define clear and achievable goals

The first step is to set specific goals. These goals should be in direct contact with the needs and ambitions of your business.

Take the example of a company that wants to increase its sales by 20% over a quarter. A clear objective could be to encourage salespeople to make a number of additional sales each week. Goals should be realistic and motivating. They should not seem inaccessible, otherwise the team will be discouraged. To avoid this, an analysis of past performances is useful to adjust ambitions.

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Choosing the right performance indicators

Once goals are set, it is essential to determine how to measure their achievement. This is where performance indicators, also called KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), come in. They allow you to follow the evolution of the challenge and make the necessary adjustments along the way.

For a challenge focused on increasing sales, KPIs may include:

• The number of new customers acquired ;
• The turnover generated by each salesperson ;
• The conversion rate of prospects into customers...

These indicators should be monitored regularly to ensure that the challenge remains on track and to quickly identify areas in need of improvement.

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Develop a specific schedule

A commercial challenge must be carefully planned over time. Setting a start and end date is not enough; intermediate steps must also be taken to maintain motivation.

A well-designed schedule could include:

• Launch phase : where the objective is clearly explained to the team;
• Checkpoints : weekly meetings to review performance;
• Closing date : with a ceremony or a communication to celebrate the results.

The importance of a well-structured calendar lies in its ability to pace the challenge, maintain momentum and avoid periods of trough where interest could falter.

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How to properly manage a commercial challenge?

Once the foundations have been laid, it's time to animate the commercial challenge. This is where it all comes in: how you engage and motivate your team will largely determine the success of the operation.

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Communicate regularly with the team

Communication is the backbone of a successful challenge. Without it, the team can quickly lose sight of the goal and motivation can drop.

Regular updates keep everyone aligned. These communications may include:

• Sharing interim results : shared via emails, meetings, or bulletin boards;
• Give personalized encouragement : to congratulate the best performers and encourage those who need them.

Communication should not be one-sided. Involving team members by allowing them to ask questions, share their successes or challenges reinforces a sense of belonging and commitment.

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Creating a healthy competitive spirit

Competition is a powerful motivator, but it needs to be managed carefully. A commercial challenge should not turn into an internal war; team spirit must always come first.

To do this, several strategies can be put in place:

• Set up weekly rankings : display the results in a visible way to stimulate emulation;
• Aim for balanced rewards : provide rewards for different levels of performance so that everyone feels valued.

The spirit of competition must encourage self-improvement, without falling into excess. The aim is to create a stimulating atmosphere where everyone is encouraged to give their best.

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Use adapted technological tools

Technology can greatly facilitate the management of a business challenge. Performance management platforms and gamification tools make it possible to automate some of the monitoring, while making the experience more engaging for participants.

Here are some useful features:

• Interactive dashboards : where participants can monitor their own progress in real time;
• Rewards and badge systems : to gamify the challenge and make the competition more fun;
• Automatic notifications : which recall the objectives or inform the intermediate results.

Integrating these tools can simplify challenge management while providing a more immersive and interactive experience for participants.

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What about the evaluation and the necessary adjustments after its implementation?

A sales challenge does not end once the last sale has been made. Assessing results and learning lessons are just as crucial as the preparation phase.

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Analyze results and performances

Performance analysis starts with a review of the goals set at the start. Have they been reached? If yes, to what degree? If not, why? This analysis must be thorough to identify successes as well as areas for improvement.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

• “What was the overall performance of the team?” ;
• “What were the most difficult goals to achieve and why?” ;
• “What factors contributed to the successes observed?”...

Listening to participants' feedback is also essential. Sales representatives are the first to be concerned and their point of view can reveal aspects of the challenge that are not visible from the management position.

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Adapting future business strategies

The lessons learned from the business challenge must be applied to improve future strategies. It's not about not just correcting mistakes, but also Reinforce what worked well.

If a particular type of reward has particularly motivated the team, consider integrating it more systematically into your future plans. If a certain KPI has proven to be too difficult to achieve, think of ways to make it more accessible or to replace it with a more relevant one.

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Rewarding and celebrating successes

Recognition is a crucial element to end a commercial challenge on a positive note. Even if not all goals have been achieved, it is important to celebrate the efforts made.

Here are some ideas to mark the end of the challenge:

• Award ceremony : to reward the best performers;
• Internal communication : announcing the results to the whole company to highlight the work of the team;
• A moment of conviviality : a lunch or an aperitif to celebrate the end of the challenge together.

Celebrating successes strengthens team cohesion and sets the stage for future challenges. It is also a special time to thank each member for their contribution, whatever it may be.

Yes, a Commercial challenge Done well can become a powerful lever to boost the performance of your team. Plan rigorously, animate with enthusiasm, and evaluate objectively to get the most out of it. Your success depends on it!