Motivation Insiders

In this episode, travel experts Todd Tomlin and Pali Chhabra discuss the business value of creating memorable travel experiences, the evolving traveller expectations, and practical tips for incentive travel planning. Discover how personalised, culturally immersive trips can boost engagement and loyalty. Key topics : The value of travel in incentive programs Design principles for memorable trips Ch...

The podcast episode explores the complex nature of motivation in sales organisations, emphasising the interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic drivers. The conversation delves into the behavioural science behind motivation, the impact of rewards and recognition, and the importance of understanding and influencing specific behaviours aligned with corporate objectives. Takeaways Intrinsic vs. extri...

This episode explores the evolving landscape of incentive marketing, focusing on digital transformation, program experience, security, and future trends. Featuring insights from Paul Flemr of Group O, it highlights how brands can adapt to new consumer expectations and technological advancements to stay competitive. Key topics: - Evolving incentive strategies for 2026 - Impact of digital transforma...

This episode of Motivation Insiders explores the data-driven revolution in incentives and recognition programs, emphasising the impact of data, analytics, and AI on program design. We sit down with Richelle Suver, Managing Director at One10, and Kimberly Huffman, CRP, Vice President of Talent, Learning and Culture, VCA Animal Hospitals, to discuss the value of data insights, metrics for evaluating...

In this episode of Motivation Insiders, we explore insights from Inside the Incentive Buyer’s Mind: Trends, Risks & Realities, a new IESP resource built from the perspectives of more than fifty industry leaders who gathered at the 2025 IMA Summit. Three IESP board members, Lincoln Smith, Vince Chiofolo, and Andrew Solomon join the conversation to discuss how today’s incentive buyers are reshap...

Recognition has always been a key driver of engagement and performance, but as our workplaces evolve, so too must our recognition strategies.

In advance of the annual IMA Summit, we speak with three IESP executive-level members about the future of employee recognition programs and how data and AI are impacting incentive campaigns.

In incentive campaigns, personalization can increase engagement and boost ROI for sponsoring companies. But what does personalization of incentive programs actually mean? And how is it accomplished? Take a closer look (or listen).

How do you design a travel incentive program that excites and motivates employees of all ages? Learn how tailored experiences designed with the younger generation in mind can guide your program to success.

The complexity of B2B sales processes today means that many sales cycles can last six months, and some can take more than a year. Too often, reps try to shorten the sales cycle by skipping vital steps that help earn trust and showcase value. By structuring an incentive campaign that rewards reps for completing steps along the way to a sale as well as closing a deal, companies help ensure their pro...

Sales kickoffs can be an effective way to generate enthusiasm at the beginning of the year. These events, often held at an offsite location in January, provide an opportunity to reinforce effective sales tactics, introduce new product lines, new tech tools, or new sales processes. Salespeople can depart from a multiday kickoff event with high energy and even higher confidence, only to have that ev...

Workforce demographic shifts and emerging trends for program participants and sponsors have resulted in significant changes for incentive travel initiatives. As costs increase, so does the importance of ROI. Thus, today’s incentive travel campaigns are highly sophisticated with opportunities for all team members. Success begins in the planning stages, relies on a well-conceived launch and creative...

The business world continually turns to technology to simplify complex or even previously impossible tasks. However, technology isn't as quickly adopted for some aspects of business as quickly as it could be. Incentive and recognition campaigns are one example where much of the technology that is available is not getting used. Incentive and engagement solution providers offer software platforms th...

Managers often become managers because they were successful in a non-management role. They routinely met – or exceeded – their goals, which can make it difficult for them to cope with members of their team now who fall short of their goals. In this episode, we explore the fact that missed goals are not always solely the fault of the person who misses them. Managers can be partly – or even mostly –...

Industry experts from around the world at the 2022 IMA Summit discussed future planning for reward and recognition programs and waning-pandemic strategies. As the pandemic wanes, they advised leaders to return to a longer-term, more strategic viewpoint and to reinvest in the humanness of the organization. Employees today want to be treated as individuals and to feel valued as contributors to compa...

Successful engagement in rewards and recognition programs relies on getting people involved. But the question is HOW? Researchers have discovered seven principles that make persuasion more successful, and this episode is packed with them – including words from the godfather of persuasion himself, Dr. Robert Cialdini. This episode will help you engage your employees, salespeople, channel partners,...

As they explore three workplace trends, Adaptive Elasticity, Authentic Transparency and Wellness to Wellbeing, our experts discuss how these are impacting your business today. Then they’ll share strategic insights on how to develop and implement policies that impact your people.

Measuring ROI is only one way to use data. The real power of data comes from a multi-dimensional approach. Lincoln Smith, chief strategy officer, HMI Performance Incentives, shares how loyalty and incentive programs can be powerful tools to drive revenue when data is applied to program design and decision-making in ways that build value into the relationships.

Why would industry professionals travel from near and far for the IMA Summit, on the heels of the pandemic? Learn what attendees had to say and what experts have learned about the power of in-person networking. Motivations Insiders conducted interviews with more than 20 attendees at the 2021 IMA Summit in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Most of us agree that rewards are motivational, but do we know what kinds of rewards deliver the most motivational impact in incentive and recognition settings? A century ago, Elton MacDonald, who is credited with selling the first incentive program using merchandise as a reward, discovered two key pillars of the motivational power of rewards. In this episode, we explore the behavioral science beh...

Motivation Insiders is the podcast series created to help improve the results of your incentive and recognition programs. Created in collaboration with the Incentive and Engagement Solution Providers (IESP) board, each episode brings subject matter experts, incentive practitioners and academics in the behavioral science field together to tackle a new topic and provide unique perspectives and exper...

Does your incentive program fail to deliver the results you have been looking for? In this episode host Tim Houlihan and guests Lincoln Smith, Dr. David Cox and Dr. Jana Gallus discuss simple mistakes people make when creating incentive program rules that can cause incentive programs to crash. They will also weigh in on how to apply behavioral science to writing rules that work and provide four fa...