The Foundation of Effective Employee Advocacy
Points are the engine that drives your TeamWins program. Get the point structure wrong, and you'll reward activity without results. Get it right, and you'll align individual motivation with business outcomes, creating a sustainable system that generates measurable value.
Why Outcome-Based Points Work
The Psychology of Incentives
Traditional Approach Problems:
- Activity-focused rewards encourage quantity over quality
- Equal point values don't reflect business impact
- Participation trophies dilute the value of real results
- Gaming behavior where people optimize for points, not outcomes
Outcome-Focused Benefits:
- Results alignment - teammates focus on what matters to the business
- Quality emphasis - better to have fewer high-value contributions
- Natural selection - most engaged contributors rise to the top
- Business justification - clear ROI from point investment
The Motivation Science
Behavioral Economics Principles:
- Variable ratio reinforcement - outcome uncertainty increases engagement
- Loss aversion - higher outcome points make participation points feel small
- Social proof - visible outcome rewards encourage similar behavior
- Intrinsic motivation - meaningful business impact satisfies purpose
Understanding Point Categories
Participation Points (5-15 points)
Purpose: Reward the effort and intention to help
Examples:
- Sales: +5 for sending a warm introduction
- Marketing: +5 for sharing a company post
- HR: +10 for submitting a candidate referral
Why Keep These Low:
- Acknowledge effort without over-rewarding activity
- Encourage experimentation - low risk to try contributing
- Build habits - small rewards for consistent behavior
- Foundation layer - everyone can earn some points
Outcome Points (30-300 points)
Purpose: Reward measurable business results
Examples:
- Sales: +80 for a meeting booked, +200 for deal closed
- Marketing: +25 for 10 link clicks and traffic to website generated
- HR: +150 for candidate hired, +300 for 90-day retention
Why Make These High:
- Reflect business value - outcomes drive revenue/savings
- Motivate quality - worth the extra effort to achieve
- Create excitement - significant reward for success
- Justify program cost - high-value outcomes fund the points
Point Structure Examples by Function
Sales Point Structures
Conservative B2B Sales: ``` Warm Introduction Assist: • +5 points: Introduction sent • +30 points: Qualified response received • +80 points: Meeting booked with decision-maker
Account Intelligence Assist: • +8 points: Intelligence submitted • +25 points: Intelligence used by sales team • +60 points: Intelligence contributes to closed deal ```
Aggressive Enterprise Sales: ``` Strategic Introduction Assist: • +10 points: Introduction sent to target account • +75 points: Qualified meeting scheduled • +200 points: Meeting advances to proposal stage • +500 points: Deal closes (quarterly bonus)
Executive Referral Assist: • +15 points: C-level introduction made • +100 points: Executive meeting scheduled • +300 points: Strategic partnership discussion initiated • +1000 points: Partnership agreement signed ```
Rationale for Sales Points:
- High outcome multipliers (8-16x participation points) reflect deal values
- Progressive rewards for advancing through sales funnel
- Quarterly bonuses for closed deals maintain long-term motivation
- Account-specific bonuses for strategic targets
Outcome Verification Systems
Quality Gates:
- Sales outcomes verified by CRM data and sales team confirmation
- Marketing results validated through analytics platforms
- HR outcomes confirmed by ATS systems and hiring managers
- Customer success verified through support tickets and NPS scores
Reviewer Approval Process: ``` Automatic Approval (Low Risk): • Participation points awarded immediately • Basic social media sharing outcomes • Internal referral submissions
Manual Review (High Value): • Meeting booked confirmations • Deal closure validations • Candidate hire verifications • Major engagement milestones ```
Common Point Structure Mistakes
The "Flat Rate" Problem
Mistake: Same points for all activities regardless of business value `` ❌ Bad Example: • Send intro: +50 points • Meeting booked: +50 points • Deal closed: +50 points ``
Solution: Exponential scaling based on business impact `` ✅ Good Example: • Send intro: +5 points • Meeting booked: +80 points • Deal closed: +500 points ``
The "Activity Trap"
Mistake: Higher rewards for easy activities than hard outcomes `` ❌ Bad Example: • Share 10 posts: +100 points (easy volume) • Generate qualified lead: +25 points (hard result) ``
Solution: Outcome rewards always exceed activity rewards `` ✅ Good Example: • Share 10 posts: +50 points total • Generate qualified lead: +150 points ``
ROI Validation
Business Value Generated: ``` Using same scenario: • 12 meetings booked per month • $12,500 expected value each • Monthly business value: $150,000 • Annual business value: $1,800,000
ROI Calculation: • Program cost: $3,780 (perks) + $1,308 (Pro plan) = $5,088 • Business value: $1,800,000 • ROI: 35,300% return on investment ```
Budget Management
Cost Controls:
- Point caps - maximum points per person per month
- Outcome verification - prevent fraudulent claims
- Perk inventory - limit expensive reward availability
- Seasonal adjustments - reduce points during slow periods
Scaling Considerations:
- Team growth increases total point liability
- Success breeds success - higher conversion rates increase costs
- Premium perks may require higher point thresholds
- Business growth should increase outcome values and justify higher points
The key to successful point structures is starting simple, measuring results, and iterating based on real business outcomes. Most successful programs see significant ROI within the first quarter when points are properly aligned with business value.
