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# Extu: AI-powered automation and incentive rewards get you 80% engagement and 20:1 ROI on attributable sales.

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://extu.com/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Ghosted by Your Channel Partner? Here’s Why You Didn’t See It Coming  ](https://extu.com/blog/ghosted-by-your-channel-partner/): Ghosting used to be a thing that happened after first dates. Now it's everywhere. People ghost on friendships and job interviews, even on family members. It's definitely present in your channel program: a top channel partner used to register deals every month, attend  trainings, claim MDFs, and show up at every QBR. Then, with no warning, activity slowed. Their name gradually disappeared from reports. By the time you noticed, they were long gone. 
- [What Is a Distributor Loyalty Program? ](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-distributor-loyalty-program/): This guide was created to give you a full understanding of what a distributor loyalty program is and how you can maximize its effect on revenue. 
- [How Do You Measure Channel Incentive Program ROI?](https://extu.com/blog/measure-incentive-program-roi/): If you've ever been in charge of running a channel incentive program, maybe this situation is familiar: three months into the program’s implementation, an executive asks you how the program’s doing. You say, “It seems to be going pretty well,” since nothing disastrous has happened so far, and channel partners are active in the program. Then the executive prods further with, “What does ‘pretty well’ mean? What’s our actual incentive program ROI?”
- [6 Habits That Will Save Your Channel Partner Relationships](https://extu.com/blog/save-your-channel-partner-relationships/): Channel partner relationships often fail not all at once, but from built-up neglect. This article covers six habits that keep channel partnerships healthy: removing friction, showing up consistently, recognizing wins, investing in mid-tier partners,  operating at partner speed, and listening for what's unsaid to catch disengagement before it becomes departure. 
- [What Is Channel Intelligence?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-channel-intelligence/): Channel intelligence is the result of connecting channel data across marketing, sales, and incentive systems to explain what drove revenue and why. 
- [The Unanswerable Question in Channel Incentives ](https://extu.com/blog/channel-incentives-unanswerable-question/): There's a question that every brand offering channel incentives will face eventually. It might come from a CFO reviewing the quarterly budget or a CEO comparing growth targets to actual results. It may even come from the channel marketing leader themselves, late on a Thursday, staring at a spreadsheet that doesn't add up. 
- [What Is a B2B Loyalty Program? ](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-b2b-loyalty-program/): A B2B loyalty program rewards channel partners for buying/selling your products and engaging with your brand. Unlike a one-time promotion, it runs continuously and deepens relationships.
- [The Partner Experience Is Your Brand](https://extu.com/blog/the-partner-experience-is-your-brand/): Supplier brands with engaged, active, and loyal partners have figured out that the partner experience isn't a feature of their partner program; it is the program. The platform, design, ease of use, the way it makes someone feel when they do something the program motivated them to do — all those things should be working together to reinforce branding. 
- [What Is B2B Marketing Attribution?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-b2b-marketing-attribution/): A guide to how B2B marketing attribution works, including the models and software necessary to connect marketing spend to revenue.
- [What Is a Channel Incentive Program?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-channel-incentive-program/): Typically, when someone asks "What is a channel incentive program?", what they mean is "Show me examples of successful channel incentive programs."
- [The Open Secret in B2B Marketing: Nobody Knows What’s Working or Why ](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-marketing-nobody-knows-whats-working-or-why/): Most B2B marketing teams rely on one of three attribution frameworks:  
- [Why Channel Marketing Dashboards Lie ](https://extu.com/blog/why-channel-marketing-dashboards-lie/): Most channel marketing dashboards are built around email and campaign performance— open rates, click-through rates, impressions, social shares, etc. These metrics feel like proof of performance because they move, they trend, and they're easy to present in a quarterly review. 
- [B2B Personalization  Examples   ](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-personalization-examples/): If you sell through channel partners, you’re competing for attention. Partners have other suppliers and other priorities. According to Gallup, 70% of channel customers are looking to buy from someone else. There’s good and bad news there: the bad news is that most of your customers are at risk of moving on to competitors. The good news is that you can become the competitor that those 70% move on to, while keeping the partners you have. How do you do that? By following the B2B personalization examples in this blog, making partners’ experience with you memorable and useful. 
- [Why Does B2B Attribution  Terrify Channel Marketers?](https://extu.com/blog/why-does-b2b-attribution-terrify-channel-marketers/): Why do the words “B2B attribution” terrify channel marketers? Because it’s the hardest metric to prove. Being able to attribute marketing activity to a sale (much less real revenue) resulting revenue sometimes seems impossible, yet it's the piece of data leadership cares about most. As a supplier or manufacturer, you can run great campaigns and support partners all day long, but it means nothing if you can't tie your efforts back clearly to revenue impact.  
- [Distributors & Suppliers: Help Contractors Retain HVAC Technicians](https://extu.com/blog/help-contractors-retain-hvac-technicians/): Every HVAC distributor and manufacturer knows about the need to retain HVAC technicians. Most treat it like a contractor problem, but that’s a mistake. If there aren’t enough HVAC technicians to service and install equipment, demand doesn’t disappear, but it does stall, delay, and get replaced with whatever’s easiest to support. That can hit you where it hurts: fewer installs, slower replacement cycles, weaker pull-through, and more pressure on revenue.
- [Extu President & COO William Shida and CEO Nichole Gunn Named to the 2026 Georgia Titan 100 ](https://extu.com/blog/extu-william-shida-nichole-gunn-2026-georgia-titan-100/): Extu is proud to share that President & COO William Shida and CEO Nichole Gunn have been recognized in the 2026 Georgia Titan 100, a program that honors the state’s most accomplished business leaders. The Titan 100 celebrates executives who demonstrate exceptional leadership, vision, and passion in their industries while driving meaningful impact within their organizations and communities. 
- [5 Ways to Engage Contractors That Never Fail ](https://extu.com/blog/ways-to-engage-contractors-that-never-fail/): This blog is about fixing that with five ways to engage contractors that work even when your contractor visibility is limited. 
- [Proof That Partner Programs Increase Channel Revenue ](https://extu.com/blog/proof-partner-programs-increase-channel-revenue/): Partner programs help you reach those end customers without playing the “beg your partners to forward this email” game. You give partners turnkey campaigns, co-branded content, and ready-to-run materials they can confidently send.  
- [What Are Channel Partner Programs? ](https://extu.com/blog/what-are-channel-partner-programs/): Why run channel partner programs?
- [The Final Form: What a Unified Partner Platform Looks Like](https://extu.com/blog/unified-partner-platform/): Many manufacturers or distributors have a dark secret: their “partner platform” is actually a mess of disconnected tools, portals, spreadsheets, and one-off programs. Marketing lives in one system. Incentive and loyalty programs live in another. Sales data is buried in a CRM they don’t fully trust. Partners have three different logins and still can’t find the campaigns and sales promotions they're supposed to engage with. 
- [How Smarter HVAC Incentive Programs Drive Partner Behavior ](https://extu.com/blog/hvac-incentive-programs-drive-partner-behavior/): HVAC incentive programs shouldn’t just move inventory. They should align your partners’ habits with your business goals. And right now, as the industry navigates the phase-out of high-GWP refrigerants, that alignment has never mattered more. 
- [TCMA + SPIFFs: The Advantage You Need in Your Channel Partner Strategy ](https://extu.com/blog/tcma-spiffs-channel-partner-strategy/): Your hidden advantage isn’t a bigger budget. It’s combining the strengths of TCMA and SPIFFs for an even more effective channel partner strategy. 
- [Beyond the Campaign: Secrets to Repeatable B2B Marketing Growth ](https://extu.com/blog/secrets-to-repeatable-b2b-marketing-growth/): It’s hard to achieve B2B marketing growth if your data is a mess. Investing in better, cleaner data pays off, giving you the confidence to plan and pivot your channel marketing and sales with accuracy. Here’s how to level up your data game: 
- [Switching to Low GWP Refrigerants: A Guide for HVAC Companies](https://extu.com/blog/hvac-low-gwp-refrigerants/): The HVAC industry is on the clock to adopt low GWP refrigerants. Under EPA’s Technology Transitions rules, most new stationary residential and light-commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems must use low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, ie. refrigerants with a GWP below 700. Companies can't manufacture or import most new equipment using refrigerants with +700 GWP as of January 1, 2025, and new systems using these higher-GWP refrigerants may only be installed until January 1, 2026, if all components were manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025.  
- [Gut Instinct vs. Grounded Truth: Why Channel Decisions Need Data ](https://extu.com/blog/channel-decisions-need-data/): Every channel leader has been here before: you’re staring at quarterly reports, trying to figure out which partner to invest in next, which product to promote, or which incentive to renew. Your options are a) spend hours hunting down and manually exporting specific reports you need, b) find a developer or software expert who can create specific  reports for you, which could take days or weeks, or c) go with your best guess based on incomplete data. Experience and instinct aren’t without value, but you need cold, hard data to make the best channel decisions possible.  
- [How a Building Manufacturer Increased Sales 30% With the Right Platform ](https://extu.com/blog/how-a-building-manufacturer-increased-sales/): Grab a coffee or a snack, put on a nice focus playlist, and let's talk about something uplifting. Here’s the story of how a building manufacturer, one of the world’s largest suppliers of energy-efficient technologies, made a measurable, positive change in their distribution channel.
- [How Extu’s Built-In Rebates Work  ](https://extu.com/blog/how-extus-built-in-rebates-work/): Extu’s built-in rebates change that. They live inside the Partner Experience Platform, the same system partners already use to run marketing campaigns and earn incentives. That means rebates are no longer a side project or a separate login. They’re automated, visible, and tied directly to sales performance. 
- [How to Strengthen HVAC Dealer Loyalty ](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-strengthen-hvac-dealer-loyalty/): The challenge is to build awareness and keep attention simultaneously. HVAC dealers are loyal to brands that make it easy to sell, profitable to promote, and worth sticking with. Incentives, education, and marketing support all play a role when they work together. 
- [Your Channel Isn’t Broken, Your B2B Rebates Are ](https://extu.com/blog/your-channel-isnt-broken-your-b2b-rebates-are/): In many cases, your channel isn’t broken, but your B2B rebates program is. 
- [Why Marketing to Niche Accounts Matters](https://extu.com/blog/why-marketing-to-niche-accounts-matters/): Looking to grow your MSP or IT business without chasing thousands of leads?
- [What Partners Hate About Rebates ](https://extu.com/blog/what-partners-hate-about-rebates/): Rebates should motivate partners, drive loyalty, and boost sales performance. But, too often, rebates frustrate the people they’re supposed to motivate. Many programs are slow, confusing, or uninspiring. When partners lose trust and interest in your rebate program, they disengage—or worse, take their business elsewhere. 
- [What Does Extu’s Partner Experience Platform Do? ](https://extu.com/blog/what-does-extus-partner-experience-platform-do/): The Partner Experience Platform changes that. It’s a single place to run through-channel marketing, manage incentives, and get full-funnel attribution, so you can defend budgets and double down on what works. 
- [Nichole Gunn Named Extu CEO, Ushering in Next Era of Growth](https://extu.com/blog/nichole-gunn-becomes-extu-ceo/): We’re excited to share big news: Nichole Gunn has been named Extu’s new Chief Executive Officer.
- [The #1 Reason Channel Programs Fail (and How to Prevent It) ](https://extu.com/blog/the-reason-channel-programs-fail-and-how-to-prevent-it/): The challenge is in keeping your channel marketing engine running smoothly and effectively communicating people who are getting your competitors’ marketing and content, not to mention all the other marketing and spam bombarding them 24/7. It's harder than ever. Uncertainty is bogging down markets. Budgets are shrinking, AI allows companies to pump out more content. Partners have more options than ever. Meanwhile, your CEO and CFO are asking the same question: “Are our channel programs really working?” 
- [You Need Smarter Distributor Rebate Programs ](https://extu.com/blog/you-need-smarter-distributor-rebate-programs/): According to a survey published in Modern Distribution Management (MDM) magazine, the majority (87%) of distributors say that rebates are critical to profitability. The problem is that more than half (52%) also believe they don’t receive all the rebates they earn. That’s a major trust gap that hurts both sides of a channel partnership when it comes to distributor rebate programs. 
- [What HVAC Manufacturers Must Know Before the Phaseout ](https://extu.com/blog/what-hvac-manufacturers-must-know-before-the-phaseout/): The HVAC industry is no stranger to regulation. But with the AIM Act accelerating the phasedown of high-GWP refrigerants, HVAC manufacturers face one of the most transformative shifts ever. Whether you’re ready or not, the phaseout is happening, and the window to prepare is closing fast. 
- [Why Your Channel Partners Tune You Out (and What to Do About It) ](https://extu.com/blog/why-channel-partners-tune-you-out/): Meet your average channel partner: Jonathan. He’s a sales rep at a mid-sized partner firm that represents more than a dozen manufacturers. Like most channel partners, he’s got a long list of products to sell, five brands all running campaigns this quarter, and at least four different portals he’s expected to log into just to find co-branded content. 
- [Save Your Partner Marketing Strategies from the Universe of Multitasking Madness ](https://extu.com/blog/save-your-partner-marketing-strategies/): We’ve all encountered that marketer who brags about their multitasking skills. But is it really something to be proud of? And is the work you do when you’re multitasking really better than the work you do when you can focus? If you’re trying to scale partner marketing strategies across dozens (or hundreds) of channel partners while juggling campaigns, MDFs, incentive programs, and reporting dashboards, multitasking may feel inevitable. But it doesn’t usually produce your best work. You look overworked. And it’s killing your results. 
- [One Channel Marketing Platform to Rule Them All ](https://extu.com/blog/one-channel-marketing-platform-to-rule-them-all/): B2B brands love to say that improving channel partner relationships is a top priority. Logically, sales and marketing leaders understand that a brand can’t be defined by an About Us page with pretty words or social media posts about corporate values. It’s built one relationship at a time, one interaction at a time. No one has time to take every channel partner out for a beer or round of golf. Channel marketing is still the best way to improve these relationships. And the right channel marketing platform unifies all your efforts, data, and insights in one place. 
- [How Rebate Incentives Reinvent the Channel: From Rigid Tiers to ROI](https://extu.com/blog/rebate-incentives-reinvent-the-channel/): Rebate incentives have been around forever. But B2B brands need to change the way they deliver and manage rebates to make them work in today’s increasingly complex distribution channels. For too long, B2B rebate programs have lived in spreadsheets, buried in finance, and disconnected from actual partner behavior. Thresholds are set. Maybe partners hit them. Maybe someone gets paid weeks later. Meanwhile, you’re flying blind and leaving money on the table. 
- [How to Build Channel Partner Loyalty That Lasts](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-build-channel-partner-loyalty/): Building channel partner loyalty isn’t just a smart move - it is essential for B2B growth. Loyal channel partners promote your brand, hit sales goals, and become long-term advocates in your distribution network. But earning that loyalty takes more than a good product. It requires strategic engagement, meaningful incentives, and a partner experience that keeps them coming back.
- [Ultimate Guide to Channel Partner Loyalty Programs](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-channel-partner-loyalty-programs/): No matter which method you go for, you’ll still have to know your target audience. Let’s take a look at what loyalty programs are and what makes them so powerful in this guide to channel partner loyalty programs.
- [The Mid-Marketers Podcast: Scott Fristachi on Self-Funding Reward Programs](https://extu.com/blog/the-mid-marketers-podcast-scott-fristachi-self-funding-reward-programs/): In the kickoff to Season 2 of The Mid-Marketers, Extu’s VP of Sales, Scott Fristachi, explains why self-funded incentive programs aren’t just viable—they’re often your most powerful untapped growth lever. With hosts Nicole Gunn and Adam Dilbeck, Scott dives into how to structure programs that fund themselves through incremental growth, not upfront spend.
- [Rethinking B2B Rebate Programs: A Smart Play in Uncertain Times ](https://extu.com/blog/rethinking-b2b-rebate-programs-in-uncertain-times/): In today’s economy, every dollar counts. Manufacturers who survived pandemic-era supply chain disruptions are now under new pressures to drive sales and partner loyalty, all while managing budgets without compromising on product performance and being unable to plan ahead due to volatile trade policies. Oh yeah, and that skills gap doesn't seem to be shrinking anytime soon. That’s where B2B rebate programs come in. When resources are stretched thin, rebates are a cost-effective and low-lift way to drive channel partner loyalty and reward sales performance.  
- [The Partner Experience Platform vs. PRM Software: What’s the Difference?](https://extu.com/blog/partner-experience-platform-vs-prm-software/): PRM software or Partner Relationship Management, was built to help vendors manage partner operations. Think deal registration, MDF, and content libraries. It’s structured and admin-first.
- [Top 10 Features Every Partner Experience Platform Should Have](https://extu.com/blog/features-of-partner-experience-platforms/): To align sales goals with incentives, platforms must support real-time performance tracking. Features like SKU-level tracking, tiered payouts, and progress gauges help partners see how close they are to rewards. Built-in validation and auditing keep the system accurate and fair. 
- [Ultimate Guide to The Partner Experience Platform](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-partner-experience-platform/): In today’s channel-driven landscape, partner expectations are high. A partner experience platform is the next evolution of partner engagement software, built to support your full channel marketing strategy by providing B2B companies an edge with unifying onboarding, co-marketing, training, rewards, and support. It drives partner engagement, turning friction into loyalty and activity into measurable ROI.  
- [From Overwhelmed to Overpowered: Transform Channel Management with the Right Tools ](https://extu.com/blog/transform-channel-management-with-the-right-tools/): Be honest: is your channel management strategy really driving growth or is it just keeping up with complexity? If you’re like most channel marketing and sales leaders, you’re probably juggling siloed data, partner disengagement, clunky tools, and rising expectations. One misstep and the whole thing falls apart—or worse, you do make positive changes but can’t prove it. 
- [What You Lose When You Use the Wrong Partner Marketing Tools ](https://extu.com/blog/dont-use-the-wrong-partner-marketing-tools/): In B2B, partner marketing tools aren't just "nice to have" accessories. They're your infrastructure. Your fuel. Choose the wrong partner marketing tools, and you’ll just create obstacles that you definitely don’t have time for. This could lead to bleeding sales, losing partners, and lighting your marketing budget on fire. 
- [Ultimate Guide to Partner Experience: How to Build a Winning Channel Program ](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-partner-experience/): In a channel-driven world, partner experience isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a game-changer. As ecosystems reshape how companies deliver value, outdated partner strategies are quickly losing relevance. In fact, 76% of business leaders say their business models will be unrecognizable within five years, with ecosystems as the primary driver of change.  
- [B2B Attribution Tools: What Matters When You Want Control ](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-attribution-tools-what-matters/): B2B attribution is doesn’t have to be messy, but it is. Long sales cycles, multiple stakeholders, and a blur of disconnected touchpoints make proving ROI feel impossible. That’s why the right B2B attribution tools don’t just crunch data—they give you control, clarity, and confidence in every decision. 
- [Ultimate Guide to a Partner Marketing Automation Platform](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-partner-marketing-automation-platform/): A partner marketing automation platform helps you scale co-branded campaigns, streamline collaboration, and grow faster with your channel partners. With 75% of global trade flowing through partnerships, this isn’t optional—it’s essential. Teams that align marketing across their partner network see 1.4x faster channel revenue growth. In this guide, we’ll break down what it is, who it’s for, and how it drives serious results.
- [The B2B Marketing Tools That Channel Superheroes Use  ](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-marketing-tools-channel-superheroes-use/): Not all heroes wear capes. Some wield B2B marketing tools like dashboards, campaign syndication engines, automation, and incentive plans—resources so powerful, they’d make Batman’s utility belt look like a fanny pack. 
- [The Secret Supervillain: Complexity Is Killing Your Distribution Channel Strategies ](https://extu.com/blog/complexity-killing-distribution-channel-strategies/): Meet the villain with its sights on your distribution channel strategies: complexity.
- [Simple Ways to Introduce Sustainability into Your IT Business ](https://extu.com/blog/simple-ways-to-introduce-sustainability-into-your-it-business/): From reducing energy waste to rethinking procurement strategies, small shifts can add up to meaningful environmental and business benefits. The key? Focus on practical, measurable steps that make a difference—without disrupting operations.
- [What You Don’t Know Is Hurting You: A CEO’s Guide to Fixing Channel Data Gaps ](https://extu.com/blog/ceos-guide-to-fixing-channel-data-gaps/): If you’re a CEO or VP in building or construction manufacturing, making decisions without clear sales channel data is like driving blind. It can lead your business into uncertainty, avoidable risks, and missed opportunity. But what happens when the data behind these decisions is incomplete, outdated, or simply wrong? 
- [The Cost of Bad Channel Data ](https://extu.com/blog/the-cost-of-bad-channel-data-construction-cfos-prioritize-data-integrity/): In the building and construction industry, every project budgeting and resource allocation must be precise. Data accuracy isn't just nice to have—it's essential. But too many financial leaders grapple with inconsistent, incomplete, or inaccurate channel data, leading to unexpected costs and stagnant profits. And with constant industry disruptions - like the recent tariffs on steel and aluminum that are set to raise project costs - companies can’t afford inefficiencies. Challenges like this make it crucial for businesses to cut these inefficiencies wherever possible. And often these inefficiencies stem from bad or missing data. 
- [The Mid-Marketers Podcast: SOC 2 Compliance 101](https://extu.com/blog/mid-marketers-podcast-soc-2-compliance/): In a new episode of The Mid-Marketers podcast, Extu CMO Nichole Gunn and Social Media Specialist Adam Dilbeck sit down with Extu CIO Kelly Held for an in-depth conversation on SOC 2 compliance, data security, and why it matters for marketers.
- [The Mid-Marketers Podcast: Rinnai’s Lori Page on Plumbing & HVAC Labor Shortages](https://extu.com/blog/the-mid-marketers-podcast-rinnais-lori-page-plumbing-hvac-labor-shortages/): In a recent episode of Extu's podcast, The Mid-Marketers, our CMO Nichole Gunn hosts a conversation with our Manager of Client Accounts, Keenan Meadows, and special guest Lori Page, Senior Manager at Rinnai America Corp. In episode 5, "How to Combat Labor Shortages in Plumbing and HVAC," the trio covers vital industry trends, marketing strategies, and the future of trades.
- [B2B Marketing Data: Common Data Gaps and How to Fix Them ](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-marketing-data-gaps-how-to-fix-them/): In the high-stakes world of B2B marketing, data isn't just a tool—it's the foundation of every decision you make. Yet, many organizations struggle with gaps in their B2B marketing data that sabotage their marketing efforts, lead to poor engagement, and make proving ROI nearly impossible. 
- [Navigating HVAC Industry Trends in 2025 ](https://extu.com/blog/navigating-hvac-industry-trends/): The HVAC industry is poised for another year of rapid transformation in 2025, driven by market expansion, private equity investments, labor shortages, and digital innovation. As demand for commercial and residential HVAC solutions grows, manufacturers must stay ahead of the curve by adapting their sales, marketing, and incentive strategies to support their channel partners effectively. 
- [AI in B2B Marketing Can Make You a Superhero—with the Right Data ](https://extu.com/blog/ai-in-b2b-marketing/): Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing industries across the board, and manufacturers in virtually every sector are no exception. But AI doesn’t just hand out results like candy. To make it work, you need one critical ingredient: data. And let’s be honest—getting that data can be your biggest battle. This blog will explore how AI in B2B marketing is poised to transform your business and what you need to make it your superpower. 
- [Rescue Your Channel Marketing with These Customer Data Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/rescue-channel-marketing-with-customer-data-strategies/): Channel marketing can feel like a battle against the forces of chaos. When you’re flying blind without clear customer data, it’s almost impossible to target the right audience, optimize your campaigns, or prove ROI. But just like any superhero who steps in to restore order, the right customer data strategies can help you harness the power of customer data to take full control of your channel marketing. 
- [25 Ways to Increase B2B Sales by Combining Marketing and Incentives ](https://extu.com/blog/ways-to-increase-b2b-sales/): When vendor and manufacturer brands are looking for ways to increase B2B sales, channel partners must be priority #1. Whereas a B2C company can see sales skyrocket from a single, catchy marketing campaign, things are more complicated over in the B2B realm. Marketing campaigns must be multi-pronged—resonating with multiple channel partners in a way that’s beneficial and relevant to them while representing your brand in an appealing way. 
- [How to Start Generating More Leads Immediately](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-start-generating-more-leads-immediately/): Extu partners looking to maximize their program experience, look no further. Grounded in our email marketing expertise and Extu's unique tools, this guide will help you generate more interest in your business immediately.
- [Most Profitable IT Services ](https://extu.com/blog/most-profitable-it-services/): Explore 2025’s top IT trends: automation, edge computing, CCMO, and cybersecurity. Learn how they boost ROI and redefine business efficiency.
- [The 2024 Countdown: Most Redeemed Items in Extu’s Rewards Catalog ](https://extu.com/blog/most-redeemed-in-rewards-catalog/): With the holidays just around the corner, it’s a great time to ask: what are the most popular items in the Extu rewards catalog? Every year, we look at what people are spending their points on to get an idea of which rewards are most motivating. Sometimes the results are surprising. This year, we’ve had some popular items flying off the virtual shelves in our rewards catalog. Here’s a look at the top redeemed items of 2024, counting down to number one! 
- [Effective Strategies for Third-Party Selling and Marketing](https://extu.com/blog/distributor-marketing-strategies/): Our CMO, Nichole Gunn, was recently on Tony Moore's podcast, jobTopia. They explored topics relevant for manufactures and automotive OEMs, such as marketing automation, attributable sales, and the importance of data collection in understanding consumer behavior.
- [Sales Leaders, Stop Trying to Motivate Sales Reps the Wrong Way ](https://extu.com/blog/stop-trying-to-motivate-sales-reps-wrong-way/): Sales teams are the lifeblood of any business. They drive revenue, build the foundations for customer relationships, and ultimately propel a company forward. But let’s face it—even the most naturally driven salespeople lose their mojo now and then. Having a strategy to motivate sales reps is always a good idea. Salespeople like recognition and rewards for their hard work. And according to Gallup, the stakes are high: employees who don’t feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to quit within the next year. 
- [Using Omni Channel Marketing to Rev Up Construction Revenue](https://extu.com/blog/rev-up-construction-revenue-with-omni-channel-marketing/): If your construction company’s marketing strategy isn’t driving revenue, it’s time to rethink the approach. Construction marketing success demands more than fragmented campaigns and sporadic email blasts to distributors. Your potential customers—contractors, dealers, and resellers—see your competition’s messaging across multiple channels, from digital ads to face-to-face interactions at trade shows. Are you meeting your future channel partners where they are with omni channel marketing that’s consistent across all touchpoints? 
- [5 Unfun Facts About Employee Engagement—and What You Can Do About Them ](https://extu.com/blog/unfun-facts-about-employee-engagement/): We all know employee engagement is important. Engaged employees are not only productive and efficient, they spread their optimism to others and contribute to a better company culture and healthier bottom line. What’s not so obvious is how to go about increasing employee engagement. Companies throw around terms like "culture," "morale," and "recognition" to proclaim themselves as worthy of engaged employees, but these aren’t magic words that will unlock your workforce’s potential.  
- [Fill Your Funnel with These Marketing Moves  ](https://extu.com/blog/fill-your-funnel-with-these-marketing-moves/): What happens when you intentionally market to your prospects based on where they are in the buying phase? Spoiler alert: you convert more leads.
- [Celebrating Extu and Agape’s Eight-Year Partnership ](https://extu.com/blog/celebrating-extu-and-agapes-eight-year-partnership/): It’s not every day that all of us go to work knowing that we’ve made a positive impact on the world. In the grind of meeting corporate goals and daily tasks, it’s easy to forget the opportunities available for businesses to make a difference. That’s part of why Extu has found it so rewarding to partner with local charities, including Agape Youth and Family Center in our Atlanta region. 
- [Sales Incentive Trips: Reward Salespeople, Increase Revenue ](https://extu.com/blog/sales-incentive-trips/): Just about everyone loves a change of scenery. In an American Express survey, 89% of respondents said they wanted to visit places they’ve never been before. Sales incentive trips are a powerful way to motivate and reward your top salespeople or distribution sales reps. Not only do sales incentive trips allow them to enjoy unforgettable places and experiences, they’re also an investment with returns in revenue and brand loyalty.  
- [What Is an Incentive Program and How Does It Work?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-an-incentive-program/): What is an incentive program? An incentive program is a reward-based method to motivate someone to complete an action. Whether it's encouraging a sales team to hit new targets or building customer loyalty, these programs leverage the power of rewards to align behavior with business goals. In this complete guide to incentive programs, we'll explore what an incentive program is, how it works, why it's a vital business tool, and how to manage an effective one.
- [How to Motivate Distributors](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-motivate-distributors/): If you sell through a channel, you might have encountered an inconvenient truth: sales don’t move unless your indirect sellers—dealers, distributors, etc.—move them. And, unfortunately, you're not the one in charge of their movements. It's not always easy to influence indirect salespeople, but it can and has been done with great results. Figuring out how to motivate distributors and dealers requires a deep understanding of what they need, some innate business simpatico, and offerings that make it convenient and worthwhile to do business with you.  
- [What Is Through Channel Marketing?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-through-channel-marketing/): Learning the difference between through channel marketing vs. through channel marketing can help improve your channel marketing strategies.
- [The Worst Parts of Distribution Channel Marketing (and How to Make Them Better) ](https://extu.com/blog/worst-parts-distribution-channel-marketing/): In the glamourous world of distribution channel marketing, there’s a delicate balance between being a smooth operator and being a hot mess. Seasoned channel marketers are all too familiar with the hardest and most frustrating parts of marketing strategy. In this blog, I want to confront the worst parts of distribution channel marketing and talk about how we can transform obstacles into opportunities for more efficiency and revenue-driving results. 
- [Measuring Customer Loyalty: The Building Manufacturer’s Guide ](https://extu.com/blog/measuring-customer-loyalty/): When it comes to the building industry, customer demand is high but competition is savage. Customer loyalty isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a must. But how do you know if your attempts to engage and retain customers are working? Let’s dig into effectively measuring customer loyalty. 
- [Stop Throwing Money Away – Invest in Smart Incentives That Drive Results ](https://extu.com/blog/invest-in-smart-incentives/): Incentive programs can drive engagement, loyalty, and revenue. Without a strategic approach, though, they don’t function as intended. Let’s face it—running an incentive program can be like throwing money into a black hole if you don’t plan and budget carefully. In this blog, I’ll explain how to implement cost-effective, smart incentives that deliver a return on investment (ROI) and achieve long-term success. We’ll break down the costs associated with running an incentive program, discuss budget-sharing strategies, and share strategies for measuring your program’s effectiveness. By the end, you'll know how to make every dollar count. 
- [A Power User’s Perspective on genAI](https://extu.com/blog/a-power-users-perspective-on-genai/): Has AI lived up to its hype? Debunking some of the promises of AI requires a consideration of consciousness.
- [Incentive Program Management 101](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-program-management/): For businesses who sell through a distribution channel, it's crucial to have good relationships with channel partners. Because channel partners are focused on their own businesses' goals, manufacturers need to use mutually beneficial approaches if they want to influence partner behaviors. That's why incentive programs are so effective in channel environments. It's a win-win strategy for manufacturer brands to motivate channel partners. Implementing and running incentive programs is called incentive program management. The most successful channel incentive programs are steered by informed, data-based, and dynamic incentive program management strategies.
- [Celebrating Pride Month with Extu](https://extu.com/blog/celebrating-pride-month-with-extu/):  In celebration of Pride Month, Extu is showing support to our LGBTQ+ employees and sharing significant moments in LGBTQ+ history.
- [Tangible Rewards vs. Rebate Programs for Customers](https://extu.com/blog/tangible-rewards-vs-rebate-programs-for-customers/): It's an age-old debate. Which is better, tangible rewards or rebate programs for customers? Both have their advantages and place in a B2B customer loyalty strategy. For building long-term customer loyalty, though, the answer is pretty clear.  Tangible rewards have a lasting impact that builds strong, long-lasting customer relationships.
- [Drive Mid-Tier Channel Partner Sales with These Low-Touch Engagement Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/drive-mid-tier-channel-partner-sales/): Stop me if you've heard this one: your top channel partners are consistently driving revenue, but you're having issues with your mid-tier partners. Some are on fire, some of the time. Others could use a little heat. Sometimes they make big purchases, then go quiet for months. Some may not have done much business with you historically, but inevitably there's that special handful with the potential for better partner performance or even growth as a company. But, during meetings with you, their eyes glaze over. You talk about channel partner sales and deal registration goals, but there’s no follow-up.  
- [Free eBook Chapter: Step on It! SMB & Mid-Market Sales Acceleration](https://extu.com/blog/free-chapter-step-on-it-sales-acceleration/): Do you have the need for speed? Strap in for sales acceleration. I'm offering the first chapter of my latest ebook, Step on It! SMB & Mid-Market Sales Acceleration here in its entirety, no form submission necessary!
- [From Sh*tshow to Superhero: Fix These 6 Construction Marketing Fails (Fast) ](https://extu.com/blog/fix-construction-marketing-fails/): Let’s face it: construction marketing can often be like a job site at 5 PM—messy, chaotic, and everyone’s ready to call it a day. But don’t hang up your hard hat just yet! We're about to transform your approach. Ready to ditch the mayhem for some real gains? Let’s dive into making your marketing efforts less about shotgun blasts and more about sharpshooter accuracy. 
- [Maximizing ROI with Incentive Travel Services: Industry Best Practices](https://extu.com/blog/maximizing-roi-with-incentive-travel-services/): Incentive travel services are a way for companies to reward their employees for good work by providing them with travel experiences. These trips can range from domestic getaways to international vacations. Employers often use incentive travel services to motivate their teams and boost morale. Companies can customize these trips to suit their employees' interests and performance levels, making them a valuable tool for enhancing employee satisfaction and productivity.
- [What No One Is Saying About the HVAC Technician Shortage ](https://extu.com/blog/facing-the-hvac-technician-shortage/): Everyone's talking about the HVAC technician shortage like it's a huge surprise. Spoiler: it isn’t. It’s been looming for years, without much done to combat the problem's sources. Here are a few issues you'll find in just about every article about labor shortages in trades industries:
- [2024 B2B Marketing Statistics and Research](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-marketing-statistics/): Ready to dive into some eye-opening B2B marketing statistics? We've gathered the latest figures that every channel marketer should know to stay on top of their game. Whether you're crafting strategies for customer engagement, fine-tuning your sales tactics, or amplifying your content across various channels, these B2B marketing statistics shed light on what's working in the fast-evolving world of marketing.
- [Construction Employee Engagement – It’s Time for a New Perspective](https://extu.com/blog/construction-employee-engagement/): Here are a few other reasons you should care about construction employee engagement.
- [Importance of Partner Engagement in B2B Marketing](https://extu.com/blog/importance-of-partner-engagement-in-b2b-marketing/): There's no B2B marketing without partner engagement. It strengthens relationships and communication. Engaged partners are more likely to understand your brand vision and collaborate with you effectively. B2B engagement leads to increased sales, enhanced brand loyalty, and a competitive edge in the market. It also fosters innovation and paves the way for creative marketing strategies that better resonate with target audience.
- [Supercharge Your Channel Marketing with These Smart Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/channel-marketing/): How can B2B vendors deliver marketing that channel marketers retain, trust, use, and even look forward to receiving?
- [How Do You Actually Use Channel Marketing AI?](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-use-channel-marketing-ai/): The important thing to note here is that all the satisfactory ratings hover around the 5 rating. AI isn't (yet) leaving us in the dust with 1-2 ratings above human-generated content. But the fact that marketing AI is just as convincing as marketing humans means something very important to marketers: we can use AI to make our lives easier.
- [The Truth about Growing Your Small Business with AI](https://extu.com/blog/the-truth-about-growing-your-small-business-with-ai/): Here’s the truth about AI: it requires engineering, experts, and big budgets. Without the monies and the minds, AI can only promise incremental advantages.
- [How to Prove B2B Customer Loyalty Growth](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-prove-b2b-customer-loyalty-growth/): Whether you’re at the end of a B2B customer loyalty program life cycle, or simply need to reassure stakeholders of the program’s value, proving customer loyalty growth is a key part of running a loyalty program. That means you need to know which key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and how each of them impacts your loyalty program’s success. We’ve broken down the most reliable KPIs to track B2B customer loyalty growth and how to derive insight from those KPIs.  To begin with, key performance indicators can be divided into two groups: leading indicators and lagging indicators.  
- [Using AI to Increase Sales in the Trades Industry ](https://extu.com/blog/using-ai-to-increase-sales-in-the-trades-industry/): We live in an era where efficiency is king. With everyone strapped for time and inundated with information, businesses that figure out how to exhaust fewer resources will come out on top. Using AI to increase sales is one of the ways businesses can take advantage of emerging technology. This includes businesses in the trades industry. AI tech isn't reserved for office work or tech start-ups. It's a versatile tool that the trades industry can leverage to create efficiencies, improve processes, and outpace their competition. 
- [Celebrating Women’s History Month at Extu: Empowering the Future Through Female Leadership](https://extu.com/blog/celebrating-womens-history-month-at-extu/): March marks Women's History Month, a time when we at Extu reflect on the profound impact women have made—and continue to make—in shaping the future of businesses, particularly in sectors like building material manufacturing where their influence is increasingly recognized and essential for innovation and growth.
- [Guide to Marketing Development Funds](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-development-funds-best-practices/): Vendors can optimize marketing development funds to increase sales and reseller brand loyalty. Learn more about the basics and best practices.
- [HVAC Industry Trends to Watch in 2024: An In-Depth Look ](https://extu.com/blog/hvac-industry-trends/): As we step into 2024, the HVAC industry is undergoing significant transformations. Driven by technological advancements, environmental concerns, and evolving market dynamics, this year is set to bring about notable changes in how we approach heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. In this blog post, we delve into the most significant HVAC industry trends, backed by authoritative sources and the latest HVAC sales data. 
- [The Best Companies Will Banish These Bygone Construction Sales Tactics in 2024](https://extu.com/blog/banish-construction-sales-tactics/): The construction industry is booming, but are your sales tactics stuck in the age of blueprints and hard hats? Don't let outdated methods hold you back from closing deals and building strong relationships with builders. It's time to ditch the dusty rolodex and embrace fresh, innovative construction sales tactics for 2024 and beyond.
- [Increase HVAC Sales in 2024 with Data ](https://extu.com/blog/increase-hvac-sales-with-data/): Welcome to 2024, where data, not instinct, helps you increase HVAC sales.  Gone are the days of relying on gut feelings. Today, it’s all about facts, figures, and forecasting. Emotions and instincts have long influenced sales planning. But in an industry as dynamic as HVAC, this approach can lead to bias and stress. The solution? Data.  Data brings accuracy and certainty, transforming stress into confidence in your business decisions.
- [3 Proven Ways to Boost Channel Sales 30-40%](https://extu.com/blog/3-ways-to-boost-channel-sales-30-40-percent/): Feeling stuck in a sales rut? You're not alone. Countless businesses struggle to hit their boost channel sales, leaving them frustrated and deflated. But fear not, fellow sales warriors! Today, we're unveiling three sales strategies that have propelled real businesses to a whopping 30-40% sales increase. Buckle up, because you're about to discover the secrets to skyrocketing your sales figures and leaving your competitors in the dust.
- [Celebrating Black History Month with Extu](https://extu.com/blog/celebrating-black-history-month-extu/): Black History Month isn't just corporate lip-service to us here at Extu. We want to take time to challenge our assumptions. We want to see how we can do better. Most importantly, we want to elevate Black voices and celebrate the corporate culture and success that results from having a diverse, inclusive workforce.
- [Opinion: Your HVAC Sales Strategy Needs Better Data](https://extu.com/blog/opinion-hvac-sales-strategy-better-data/): In the world of HVAC sales, getting the right data is pivotal to creating an HVAC sales strategy that not only resonate with our target market but also drive meaningful results. In my years of experience helping HVAC companies create incentive and sales strategies, I've battled the complexities of data analysis to get better sales outcomes. Today, I want to share some of the most critical things I've learned about using data to improve HVAC sales strategies.
- [Challenge Your Channel Partnership Approach](https://extu.com/blog/challenge-channel-partnership-approach/): Has complacency taken over your channel partnerships? Are some as stale as last month's Fritos? You can't achieve channel growth without taking a good, hard look at your channel partnership approach. The good news is you're in the right place to ask the right question and see what you can do to change so-so, status quo partnerships into legendary collaborations.
- [What Is a Sales Incentive Program?](https://extu.com/blog/sales-incentives/): A sales incentive program is a plan or strategy that motivates salespeople to surpass status-quo performance metrics. A sales incentive program may use non-cash incentive rewards, cash-based sales performance incentive funds (SPIFFs), or both. The defining aspect of a sales incentive program is being a supplemental part of an overall sales compensation plan or sales strategy.
- [Get Ready for The Ultimate Incentive Plan Template](https://extu.com/blog/the-ultimate-incentive-plan-template/): Competition is heating up in industries all across the globe. Rising above your competitors' noise is more important than ever. That's why Extu is introducing a resource that will transform the way you approach incentive strategies: The Ultimate Incentive Plan Template. An incentive program is not just an advantage; it's necessary.
- [HVAC Tech Breakthroughs in 2024](https://extu.com/blog/breakthroughs-in-hvac-tech/): The HVAC industry in 2024 is undergoing a radical transformation, thanks to groundbreaking advancements in HVAC tech. From energy-efficient solutions to cutting-edge HVAC innovations, these trends are not just about heating and cooling—they're about reshaping our future. Let's dig into the latest developments. 
- [Stop Basing Your HVAC Sales Strategies on Hot Air ](https://extu.com/blog/hvac-sales-strategies/): Much of sales planning, forecasting, and promotional structure is often based on "instinct," “intuition,” or "prior experience." But even experience, if not backed by data, can be dangerous to rely on. What's often tied to instinct, intuition, and even personal experience? Emotion. We all know that emotion can cause an unwanted bias and unnecessary stress when planning HVAC sales strategies. So, let's look at ways you can take the hot air - and the stress - out of HVAC sales planning and replace it with data. Data brings accuracy and certainty, so you can feel confident about your business decisions. 
- [What is a SPIFF in Sales?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-a-spiff/): What is a SPIFF? SPIFF stands for sales performance incentive fund formula, which is a short-term sales incentive strategy in which sales reps are awarded a bonus for closing a sale or booking a demo. SPIFF programs, unlike traditional sales incentive programs, typically have cash value. Today, the most common form of delivery for a SPIFF is through reloadable debit cards. However, SPIFFs can also take the form of gift cards, select merchandise, or an incentive travel trip.
- [11½ Excellent Employee Reward Ideas](https://extu.com/blog/employee-reward-ideas/): Meaningful rewards go beyond the superficial. They have the potential to combat the daunting costs of employee turnover, a challenge faced by many businesses. Retaining top talent becomes even more critical in industries such as leisure and hospitality, health services, and business services currently grappling with labor shortages. In this blog, we'll look at some of the top employee reward ideas to show your employees you care.
- [A B2B Loyalty Program Shouldn’t Cost You Time and Resources](https://extu.com/blog/a-b2b-loyalty-program-shouldnt-cost-you-time-and-resources/): Through a B2B loyalty program, you can use award incentives and supportive services to motivate your partners to prioritize your product. Loyalty programs can substantially boost channel sales – but only if they’re handled correctly. 
- [Marketing Forecast 2024](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-forecast-2024/): Predicting what's to come and what you can do about it. Here's our marketing forecast for 2024.
- [Upselling vs. Cross-selling: Ways to Win Business Effortlessly](https://extu.com/blog/upselling-vs-cross-selling/): We’re sharing the difference between upselling vs. cross-selling and how you can use both techniques to boost revenue.
- [Extu Launches GoTu Rewards, a Flexible, Affordable Incentive Platform to Drive Loyalty](https://extu.com/blog/extu-launches-gotu-rewards-a-flexible-affordable-incentive-platform-to-drive-loyalty/): For midmarket and SMB champions on the hunt for a game-changing incentive platform, the wait is over. GoTu Rewards is here, and it's not just a loyalty program; it's your secret weapon for turbocharging teams without breaking the bank.
- [What Is Mindshare (and How to Activate It)](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-mindshare/): Gaining mindshare is one of the best ways to push your business forward. But what exactly is it — and how do you achieve it?
- [10 Free Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses](https://extu.com/blog/free-marketing-ideas-for-small-businesses/): Hey, small business owners – get your free ideas for free marketing.
- [How to Instantly Create Sales Emails with AI](https://extu.com/blog/create-sales-emails-with-ai/): Before you can start creating sales emails with AI, you need to select a tool.  
- [Riding the Economic Wave: From Point-Based Incentives to Debit Card Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/from-point-based-incentives-to-debit-card-rewards/): In unsteady economic climates, incentives become the life jacket for preserving the motivation, engagement, and productivity. By offering recognition and rewards, we’re not just lifting spirits – we’re accelerating performance even amidst the choppiest seas. Yet, as inflation continues to chew into household budgets, we find ourselves asking: are we really meeting our customers on their turf? Could the big game-changer be a daring pivot from point-based incentives to debit card rewards?
- [Say Hello to the New CEO of Extu, Steve Prebble!](https://extu.com/blog/steve-prebble-new-ceo/): We have some big news, and his name is Steve Prebble! Steve is officially the new CEO here at Extu.
- [5 Tips to Grow your Social Media Following](https://extu.com/blog/5-tips-to-grow-your-social-media-following/): Social media has evolved from a means of keeping in touch with friends and family to an attention empire. Users (across generations) spend an average of 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone; and, a lot of that time is spent consuming content. This environment creates huge potential for digital marketing on social platforms.  
- [Increase Sales with Storytelling](https://extu.com/blog/increase-sales-with-storytelling/): People buy from businesses that understand their pain. So, how do you show prospective customers that you know what they’re going through (and that you have the solution)? Storytelling.
- [How to Communicate the Value of your IT Business](https://extu.com/blog/communicate-the-value-it-business/): How do you differentiate your business from your competitors? Simple. You answer one question: “How can you help ME?” This is the core concern of any lead you’re courting.
- [Ultimate Guide to Second Sends](https://extu.com/blog/second-sends-guide/): Second sends are an Extu and vendor perk offered to partners to improve their marketing outcomes during key sales periods. But not everyone is privy to the benefits and best practices of these campaigns.  
- [5 Super Sales Incentive Plan Examples](https://extu.com/blog/sales-incentive-plan-examples/): A sales incentive plan should help you get more revenue. But that’s like saying any script will make a good movie. While a plan is a good first step, you must check if your plan is right for the task. A rom-com script wouldn’t make for a good horror film, and the wrong incentive plan wouldn’t guarantee the right results from your distributors. Good sales incentive plan examples include:
- [Eleven Years in a Row: Incentive Solutions Named One of Atlanta’s Best and Brightest Companies](https://extu.com/blog/best-and-brightest-for-eleven-years/): Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson said it best:
- [SEM vs. SEO: What’s the difference?](https://extu.com/blog/sem-vs-seo/): Improve your marketing strategy with search engine marketing (SEM), a powerful tactic that uses search engines to drive immediate results.
- [B2B Customer Experience Stats that Will Help You Increase Revenue [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-customer-experience-stats/): Channel marketing professionals can use these B2B customer experience stats to develop customer engagement plans that drive revenue.
- [The Power of Product Led Sales](https://extu.com/blog/the-power-of-product-led-sales/): Discover the benefits of Product Led Sales (PLS), a customer-centric strategy that leverages the product to acquire, activate, and retain customers.
- [Setting Up a Dynamic Dealer Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/structuring-a-dealer-incentive-program/): The same is true for companies that offer dealer incentive programs. If implementation of an incentive program is done incorrectly, though, you risk getting the results you're after. In order to be sure that your dealer incentive program is meeting all of the critical standards, these basic requirements should be addressed:
- [Channel Partner Engagement Ideas to Drive Revenue](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-engagement-ideas/): The great thing about channel partner engagement ideas is that the only limit is your imagination. Corny, but true. You can also develop unique, hard-to-imitate channel partner engagement ideas when you have a deep understanding of your buyers and their specific needs or preference.
- [Do you have a brand identity?](https://extu.com/blog/do-you-have-a-brand-identity/): A brand identity is your brand's personality. Does your brand have one? Find out and learn more about your business in this article.
- [How to dodge the spam box (and why you end up there)](https://extu.com/blog/dodge-the-spam-box/): The spam box – enemy to email marketing. Check out the top 3 reasons why your emails go to spam, and how to dodge the spam box altogether.
- [How Do You Engage B2B Customers?](https://extu.com/blog/how-do-you-engage-b2b-customers/): Engaging customers can present a unique challenge for business-to-business (B2B) vendors. With various stakeholders and multiple channels in play, combined with varying needs and business segments, there’s a lot to consider. In this article, we’ll dig into why it’s so critical to boost channel partner or customer engagement, along with best practices for further engaging your B2B customers.
- [5 Simple SEO Practices for SMBs](https://extu.com/blog/5-simple-seo-practices-for-smbs/): A list of 5 simple SEO practices for busy business owners who want to improve their website's visibility on the SERP.
- [How to Add Newsletter Subscribe Form to Your Website](https://extu.com/blog/add-subscribe-form-website/): Collecting new contacts is hard – but this works. Grow your list like a pro by learning how to add a subscribe form to your website.
- [What Is Interactive Promotion?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-interactive-promotion/): This article breaks down the massive potential of an interactive promotion, and shares how your company can reap the rewards.
- [What Is Distributed Marketing?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-distributed-marketing/): Distributed marketing, or partnered marketing, involves hiring partner companies and distributors to market the central brand’s services or products.
- [Why Do Incentives Work? Exploring the Psychology of Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/incentives-work-psychology-motivation-rewards/): In this blog, I'll namely be covering the first kind of reward, an outside reward, particularly as a tool in workplaces and customer loyalty. Digging into the question "Why do incentives work?" is fascinating. Let's dive into incentive motivation theory to see how and why incentives work can help you improve employee motivation, customer loyalty, and channel partner relationship strategies.
- [5 Ways You Can Provide a Better B2B Customer Experience](https://extu.com/blog/5-ways-provide-better-b2b-customer-experience/): Are you one of the many unlucky manufacturers or suppliers whose customers are indifferent to you? Gallup estimates that 71% of B2B customers are indifferent or actively disengaged. How can you grab their attention in a meaningful, effective way, not a desperate, cringey way? Check out this infographic for more information, and five suggestions for providing a better B2B customer experience that engages and excites your channel.
- [Innovations in IT: Education Edition](https://extu.com/blog/innovations-in-it-education/): We dissect how IT Innovations are transforming education and creating space for new services. Plus, what educators really need from IT.
- [IT Industry Trends for 2023](https://extu.com/blog/it-industry-trends-for-2023/): The IT services industry trends for 2023 reveal the communion of new digital tech and global economic shifts. Here's what you should know.
- [Top B2B Marketing Trends for 2023](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-marketing-trends-2023/): Let's explore what's ahead for B2B marketing trends in 2023, according to industry experts and marketing savants.
- [5 Key Communication Skills for Selling](https://extu.com/blog/key-communication-skills-for-selling/): Communication, it's THE only free thing that increases close rates. Here's the 5 key communication skills for selling.
- [OneAffiniti Named Momentum Leader in G2’s 2023 Winter Report](https://extu.com/blog/g2-winter-report-2023/): OneAffiniti's through-channel marketing software was named Momentum Leader and Easiest Setup in G2's Winter Reports.
- [Incredible Incentives for Indirect Distribution Channels](https://extu.com/blog/indirect-distribution-channel/): By going through an indirect distribution channel, manufacturers can sell to a big buyer audience. This way, manufacturers don't have to rely solely on their in-house sales team. While indirect selling has its benefits, it's not without its challenges.
- [The Importance of Growing Your Business When Times Are Bad](https://extu.com/blog/growing-business-when-times-are-bad/): When it comes to running a successful company, growing your business is the main goal. It should come as no surprise that growing business becomes even more important in times of economic uncertainty. Unfortunately, when economic conditions worsen, companies begin bracing for the impact, and opportunities for innovative solutions are overlooked. Let’s take a look at how businesses can respond to adversity with measured steps, and continue to pursue growth when times are bad.
- [What Is the Goal of Partnership Marketing?](https://extu.com/blog/partnership-marketing/): What is the goal of partner marketing? To generate brand awareness, leads, and sales – for both a brand and their channel partners.
- [What Is Distributed Marketing Management & How Can It Strengthen Your Brand?](https://extu.com/blog/distributed-marketing-management/): Learn about distributed marketing management, how it works, and how it can benefit your brand by strengthening its image across numerous channels.
- [Email List Fatigue and How to Overcome It](https://extu.com/blog/email-list-fatigue/): The success of your campaigns relies heavily on building a solid email list. Your email list is an investment that can build your business for years to come, but it requires maintenance and your attention to ensure its usefulness. Even when we provide constant care to our lists, recipients of email campaigns can become overwhelmed and unsatisfied leading to email list fatigue. In this article, we will explore what email list fatigue means and how to overcome it to keep your conversions high. 
- [Why Your Marketing Should Support Your Business Goals ](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-support-business-goals/): So, business goals are critical to achievement and innovation. But if your marketing doesn't support them, you’re going to struggle to hit your milestones. How can you do both: establish strong goals and support them with marketing? Find out in this article. 
- [OneAffiniti Named High Performer in G2’s 2022 Fall Report](https://extu.com/blog/g2-fall-report-2022/): OneAffiniti (now Extu) was named High Performer, Most Implementable, Easiest Admin, Easiest Setup, and Fastest Implementation according to the G2 Fall Report.
- [What Is a Channel Marketing Strategy?](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-strategy/): What is a channel marketing strategy? Channel marketing is the practice of partnering with a third party to access a wider reach. The plan developed to achieve the desired goals within the channel is considered a channel marketing strategy.
- [Demand Generation vs. Lead Generation: What’s the Difference?](https://extu.com/blog/demand-generation-vs-lead-generation/): Demand and lead generation are both vital tools in modern marketing for discovering new prospects. Even though it’s important to understand the differences between them, it’s more advantageous to grasp how they can complement each other for maximum results. In this article, we’ll explore the distinction between demand and lead generation, and how we can use them to drive customer-based growth in unique ways. 
- [The Powerful Impact of Customer Experience ](https://extu.com/blog/customer-experience/): A business is nothing without the people who patronize it. And for small to mid-size business owners, who are more likely to have shaken the hands of the people they do business with, this is especially true – your customers drive your profits.  
- [Channel Marketing Strategies to Protect Your Business in a Recession](https://extu.com/blog/channel-marketing-strategies-protect-in-a-recession/): Channel marketing strategies can help B2B brands weather a recession by integrating data, measuring ROI, and engaging channel partners.
- [How Incentive Programs Can Help B2B Marketing in a Recession](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-programs-help-b2b-marketing-in-a-recession/): Many B2B industries have survived pandemic and supply chain disruptions without major setbacks. For example, a Grand View Research report predicted that the HVAC industry will enjoy a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% from 2022 to 2030. If you’re a B2B brand experiencing high product demand and optimistic sales forecasts, you may have placed channel partner incentives low on your priority list. But when your revenue tide is high, it's actually the best time to prepare a channel partner motivation strategy using incentives. Why? Because channel incentive programs tend to yield much greater returns when they’re implemented before unfavorable market conditions strike. To better understand how channel incentives can help B2B marketing in a recession, let’s first examine the current market conditions B2B brands are facing. Beginning with the Big Question…
- [How to Optimize Marketing for Your Sales Cycles](https://extu.com/blog/optimize-marketing-sales-cycles/): Your marketing should support your sales cycle, but how? We have all the tips for integrating your marketing and sales properly.
- [Co-Op Marketing](https://extu.com/blog/co-op-marketing/): Co-op marketing has become a popular strategy of mutually assuring success between channel partners.
- [Are Your Lead Gen Efforts as Profitable as You Think?](https://extu.com/blog/is-lead-gen-profitable/): There’s a reason more business owners are investing time and money into lead generation.
- [Co-Op Brand Partners](https://extu.com/blog/co-op-brand-partners/): A co-op partnership can help brands overcome issues that prevent a brand from growing and expanding by sharing experience, assets, and funds.
- [Why Are Non-Cash Rewards Better Than Cash?](https://extu.com/blog/non-cash-rewards-better-than-cash/): How do you increase sales without lowering prices or hiring new salespeople? Get each of your sales reps to hit their productivity peak. A sales incentive program can help you maximize the potential of each salesperson. Many companies use a cash-based sales compensation plan. It sounds like the quickest, easiest, and most widely appealing option, right? Actually, non-cash rewards are better than cash as far as cost-effectiveness, ROI and overall results. Let's take a look at why cash doesn't cut it, and how you can maximize incentive program potential by using non-cash sales rewards.
- [Customer Retention Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/customer-retention-strategies/): In today’s competitive business world, customer retention strategies are everything. But don’t take our word for it: even the Harvard Business Review says it’s less expensive to retain existing customers than it is to go out and find new ones. If a business can find a way to retain customer loyalty, it will gain — and keep — a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
- [How Can Sales Enablement Help My Business?](https://extu.com/blog/sales-enablement/): Shape sales enablement strategies by understanding the needs of your sales and marketing teams.
- [5 Steps to More Loyal B2B Customers](https://extu.com/blog/5-steps-loyal-b2b-customers/): Is the word out about your B2B customer loyalty program? If not, we have a few creative ways to promote your B2B customer loyalty program. But let’s start with the basics. One of the best ways to successfully max out program enrollments and engagement is to show participants what’s in it for them. The trick is getting people excited about all the great benefits your loyalty program provides.
- [Email List Segmentation: Why and How It’s Incredibly Effective](https://extu.com/blog/email-list-segmentation/): What's the key to making your campaigns as effective as possible? List segmentation and audience targeting. Here's why they work.
- [Extu’s Reward Program Technology Meets SOC 2 Compliance ](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-solutions-reward-program-technology-meets-soc-2-compliance/): With cybersecurity attacks on the rise, it’s increasingly important for companies to protect any sensitive data they handle. Because Extu handles the personal information of so many of our clients’ program participants, we’re dedicated to keeping that data secure. Our incentive software meets SOC 2 compliance requirements to ensure clients can trust that their sensitive corporate and participant data is safe.
- [5 Important Loyalty Program Management Services](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-program-management-services/): But partner loyalty programs require loyalty program management. When you partner with a loyalty program provider, you get the benefit of improving channel partner relationships and buyer experiences without sacrificing your internal time and resources. This infographic breaks down five important loyalty program management services that make the program experience easy and beneficial—for both you and your B2B customers!
- [Incentive Plan Template for Increasing HVAC Sales](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-plan-template-hvac-sales/): Are you interested in increasing HVAC sales? With today’s increasing HVAC demands, you may be scrambling to meet end-users needs for new, energy-efficient products. You may be focused on staying competitive in an industry with plenty of opportunities for newcomers to corner the market with regional, technological, and brand-value advantages.
- [Enhance Employee Engagement Using the Hierarchy of Needs Theory](https://extu.com/blog/employee-engagement-hierarchy-needs/): If you’ve ever held a management position or you’re a psychologist, then you’re probably familiar with Abraham Maslow and his Hierarchy of Needs theory. Maslow's theory suggests that human mental health and well-being are determined by needs being fulfilled in a specific order – all leading to what he calls “self-actualization,” which is the ability of an individual to pursue their own personal goals and development. They're able to do this because all of their other needs are met. How do employee engagement and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs relate to each other? The hierarchy tells us a lot about what kind of motivation employees need.
- [How Do Incentive Programs Create More Channel Marketing Touch Points? ](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-programs-channel-marketing-touch-points/): Channel marketing is all about keeping your brand in front of your customers and channel partners. This includes raising brand awareness, keeping the brand top of mind, and engaging channel partners. You’re competing for channel partners attention, not only with the competition, but other product, promotions, partner initiatives, etc. Reaching partners is tough, let alone making sure the right message gets through to them. You have to rise above the noise with effective, timely channel marketing touch points.  
- [5 Tips to Boost Your SEO With LinkedIn](https://extu.com/blog/linkedin-helps-boost-seo/): Your website isn’t the only way to increase your brand visibility online, LinkedIn can also be an asset to your SEO and lead generation efforts. By leveraging the platform's professional audience, you can position your brand in front of the decision makers you want to reach. Start today with these easy and effective tips and build your LinkedIn presence the right way.
- [How to Get Great Reviews Online in 5 Steps](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-get-great-reviews-online/): When it comes to generating new business, social proof outranks all other methods. 91% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase. So, how do you get great reviews online? In this blog post, we outline five steps to take to get positive online reviews for your business.
- [Through Channel Marketing Software Comparison](https://extu.com/blog/through-channel-marketing-software-comparison/): Which through-channel marketing programs actually empower channel marketers, and which are just smoke and mirrors?
- [5 Ways to Use Emotional Intelligence in Sales Conversations](https://extu.com/blog/emotional-intelligence-in-sales-conversations/): Studies show that sales reps with high emotional intelligence produce twice the revenue of those with average or below average scores. So, how do you improve your emotional intelligence skills? With the right information and a little bit of practice. In this blog post, we share five tactics to help you use emotional intelligence in your next sales conversation.
- [Automate Your Lead Funnel With These 4 Tips](https://extu.com/blog/automate-lead-funnel-tips/): Automating your lead funnel is easier than you think. Start small by adding a few automation actions in your lead funnel process. It will save your team time your team Lead funnel automation saves you and your team time while increasing business leads.
- [Is Email Marketing Still Relevant in 2022?](https://extu.com/blog/is-email-marketing-still-relevant/): Social media is on the rise, but email is here to stay. Ditch outdated email marketing practices in favor of what actually works in 2022. Here's what you need to know.
- [3 Secret Tips to Maintaining Your Database](https://extu.com/blog/secret-tips-to-maintaining-your-database/): A successful sales strategy involves a clean email database. Keeping a well-maintained database is easier than it sounds; Take a look at these little-known tactics to improve your email list and keep your campaigns going strong.
- [Partner Program Best Practices: Executing Campaigns & Measuring Performance](https://extu.com/blog/partner-program-best-practices-campaigns-performance/): Utilization isn’t the only partner program success factor. In order to maintain a partner program that continuously engages, educates, and boosts revenue, you also need to nail these partner program best practices: savvy campaign execution and consistent, accurate measurement of the program’s performance and ROI.
- [How to Improve Sales Performance](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-improve-sales-performance/): Regaining your sales momentum requires an intelligent and efficient approach. Here are 10 ways to improve sales and achieve your revenue goals. Learn more.
- [Partner Program Success Depends on Utilization](https://extu.com/blog/partner-program-success-utilization/): How do you take your partner program from “adequate” to “revenue contributor”? You need features that encourage utilization.
- [Get More Partner Referrals – the 7 Best Incentives to Use](https://extu.com/blog/partner-referrals/): Discover seven proven methods successful companies employ to attract new customers, and learn about some of the best B2B marketing referral software.
- [Hit the Ground Running: Start 2022 Right with a List Refresh](https://extu.com/blog/2022-list-refresh/): Out with the old and in with the new — old data, that is. Since 30% of data becomes outdated each year, performing a database cleanup at the beginning of the New Year is a smart move.
- [What Is Your Contractor’s Loyalty Worth? New Article in Mechanical Hub Magazine](https://extu.com/blog/contractor-loyalty-mechanical-hub/): Are your dealers or contractors really feeling the value of your channel loyalty program? Do you offer rewards and technology that motivate and engage, or does your loyalty program feel more like a burden? In her new Mechanical Hub article, What Is Your Loyalty Worth to Your Supplier?, Nichole Gunn tackles the concept of the channel loyalty program from the perspective of the contractor. This piece helps manufacturers and suppliers dig a little deeper into their loyalty and reward offerings to their channel partners, and whether they offer true value and an authentic display of appreciation.
- [Has Partner Marketing Outgrown the Pareto Principle?](https://extu.com/blog/partner-marketing-outgrown-pareto-principle/): Today's channels are increasingly complex, and can no longer rely on the Pareto Principle to drive partner marketing and sales strategies. Here's why.
- [The 3 E’s of Channel Management: Channel Partner Education](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-education/): Welcome to the third and last of my “three E’s of channel management” blog series! Previous pieces covered the first two e’s: experience and engagement. Now let’s talk about e number three: education. Even if your channel partner experience and engagement cylinders are firing, channel management requires channel partner education to succeed. If you don’t view sales resources and training as an ongoing, continually improving process, you’re not being the best channel partner you can be. Improve your channel partner engagement approach with these strategies:
- [Why Case Studies Are Valuable B2B Content](https://extu.com/blog/why-case-studies-are-valuable-b2b-content/): For B2B companies, it’s becoming increasingly clear that content is king: in one survey, 80% of B2B buyers said they referenced case studies as part of their buying research. Case studies are a powerful form of social proof. 88% of marketers consider case studies to be the most effective type of B2B content marketing.
- [4 Ways Incentive Technology Helps You Manage Channel Partners](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-technology-helps-you-manage-channel-partners/): If you’re a manufacturer who’s developed an effective distribution channel through which to sell your products, your channel partners are no doubt excellent. They likely come from different backgrounds, with a variety of knowledge and skills. While that diversity is a strength in collaborating on sales and marketing strategies, it can also be a challenge. A growing distribution channel sometimes results in disjointed sales promotions, marketing campaigns, or incentive programs. Here are four ways incentive technology can help you manage channel partners and build a more aligned channel ecosystem.
- [How Posting on LinkedIn Can Help Boost Your Revenue](https://extu.com/blog/how-posting-on-linkedin-can-help-boost-your-revenue/): LinkedIn might not be your first thought when it comes to content marketing. However when used correctly, the platform, which boasts  774 million members, can drive enviable revenue growth through content, engagement, and genuine networking.
- [The 3 E’s of Channel Management: Channel Partner Experience](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-experience/): Today’s sales channel climates are defined by access to an excess of information, increasing numbers of decision-makers involved in B2B decisions, a plethora of channel technology—and don’t forget the highly competitive markets. All this complicates the channel partner experience and relationship management. As Forrester channel expert Jay McBain puts it, “managing a channel program today has become less of a linear approach and more on-demand with automated workflows, personalization, customization, and scalability.”
- [Channel Partner Management Strategies that Grow Revenue](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-management-strategies/): When preparing strategies to increase channel revenue, you have multiple options. You can make sales processes more efficient, promote product education, adjust pricing structures, run discount and sales promotions, or try new marketing tactics. But what about when you’ve gotten all these down to a science? How can you continue gaining market share and growing revenue? Efficient channel partner management strategies can help you save costs in sales and marketing planning and boost channel partner activity by improving their experience with you. Consider these three tactics:
- [4 Ways to Be a Better Marketing Resource to Your Channel Partners](https://extu.com/blog/better-marketing-resource-to-channel-partners/): Vendors can increase their value to channel partners as a marketing resource by following these four best practices.
- [Why You Should Use The Challenger Sales Method](https://extu.com/blog/the-challenger-sales-method/): Customers today have access to more information than ever before — and that means the role of the salesperson is evolving and changing. Traditional approaches to sales typically focus on building relationships with prospects but research has shown that sales organizations can increase business by actually challenging their customers.
- [How Do Incentive Programs Help Medical Device Companies Achieve High Market Share?](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-progrrams-medical-device-high-market-share/): As the medical devices industry recovers from COVID-19 challenges and re-prioritizations, a rapid growth trajectory is expected. A growing geriatric population, increase of infectious and chronic conditions, as well as increasing complex surgical procedures, are projected to drive the market at a 6% growth rate, reaching a market value of $600+ billion by 2023. Medical device manufacturers will no doubt face growing sales expectations and increased competition both in the form of smaller companies with specialized technology focus, and larger players expanding their product line. Incentive programs represent one of many strategies suppliers can use to maintain high market share.
- [3 Incentive-Based Strategies to Increase Market Share](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-strategies-to-increase-market-share/): When is a corporate incentive program more than an incentive program? When it produces escalating ROI, sales and customer data, and facilitates strategies to increase market share.
- [Motivate Sales Staff and Boost Performance Using Sales Spiffs](https://extu.com/blog/motivate-sales-staff-and-boost-performance-using-sales-spiffs/): Sales motivation and engagement are year-round processes. As you put your sales plans to work, you must consider incentives that will motivate your sales staff, drive performance, and keep morale high.
- [A Complete Guide to Online Rewards Programs](https://extu.com/blog/a-complete-guide-to-online-rewards-programs/): Online rewards programs have become common among businesses. It’s estimated that more than 90 percent of companies currently use some form of online reward or loyalty program. Rewards programs are a great way to boost customer loyalty and increase your business’s revenue. Studies have shown that companies that implement strong reward programs grow their revenue 2.5 times faster than their competitors and generate higher returns for their shareholders.
- [5 Ways to Increase Market Share Using Incentive Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/ways-to-increase-market-share-incentive-rewards/): Some of the common ways to increase market share are product improvement, adjusting price points, utilizing VC funding, streamlining processes, or driving new sales and marketing initiatives. Not every market share growth strategy has to be a drastic company change, however. A reward program can help you increase market share while aligning with your existing goals and objectives. Let’s look at five ways to increase market share using incentive rewards:
- [How Do Incentives Help Increase Market Share in the HVAC Industry?](https://extu.com/blog/increase-market-share-hvac/): Those in HVAC markets face an increased need for competitive differentiation compared to other B2B industries. According to an International Energy Agency (IEA) report, demand for air conditioning in particular is expected to soar over the next three decades, “becoming one of the top drivers of global electricity demand.” The race to supply this demand will feature both innovative, energy-efficient technology and increased production, making it more difficult for manufacturers to increase market share.
- [Why Product Marketing Alone Doesn’t Work](https://extu.com/blog/why-product-marketing-alone-doesnt-work/): Once upon a time, focusing on a product’s features and price was enough to engage buyers. But now, your audience has changed — and product marketing alone won’t bring long-term success. Read on to learn how mixing product and content strategies drive growth and brand awareness.
- [Best Ways to Manage an Incentive Plan for Medical Device Sales](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-plan-management-medical-device-sales/): When you're creating sales incentive plans for the medical devices industry, you need flexibility. Although you may have a vast sales distribution channel, you often have specific goals you need to laser-focus on, such as increasing sales of a new glucose meter model by the end of the quarter. With the right set of technology, services, and expertise, a sales incentive plan can yield long-term, scaling results. Here are some incentive plan management tools and skills that help:
- [Services That Help with Incentive Plan Design](https://extu.com/blog/services-incentive-plan-design/): It’s cliché but true: an incentive plan design is both an art and a science. It requires strategic and business acumen to align the program with corporate sales and marketing goals. It also requires a creative streak to spark to encourage emotional and intrinsic motivation. Along with effective incentive technology, it can be greatly beneficial to consult experts when developing your incentive plan design. Here are some of the services that can help you plan a superior incentive program:
- [Questions to Ask Your Loyalty Software Provider](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-software-provider/): If you’re looking to implement a loyalty program or strategy, you’ve probably considered whether you should run the program internally or use a loyalty software provider. There are many advantages to utilizing loyalty software and expertise. They all boil down to one all-encompassing benefit: it saves you time, money, and stress in the long-run to work with technology and experts that help set your loyalty program up for success right from the start.
- [The Most Important Incentive Meeting Services for Your Upcoming Event](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-meeting-services/): Planning a group incentive event or meeting? Exciting! Your attendees will enjoy the chance to interact with each other in a more relaxed environment and taking them out of their day-to-day settings will spark greater engagement and attentiveness. Incentive meetings and events can have lasting ROI and build long-lasting relationships in your company or among your channel partners. To make the absolute best of your meeting, consider taking advantage of these incentive meeting services:
- [Long Term Incentive Plan Best Practices](https://extu.com/blog/long-term-incentive-plan-best-practices/): An incentive program can be a swift energizer to pump motivation and action into channel sales and marketing efforts. Rewards such as debit cards, gift cards, merchandise, or group trips can add excitement to promotions or tap into your customers' emotions. But what about when initial incentive program buzz has died down? How do you turn that "new incentive energy" into a sustainable asset that incrementally grows your business over time? Let's look at some long term incentive plan best practices so your program stays fresh, effective, and engaging.
- [Performance Based Incentive Plans for Insurance Sales Reps](https://extu.com/blog/performance-based-incentive-plans-insurance-sales-reps/): Performance based incentive plans can definitely help you motivate insurance sales reps and maximize each salesperson’s individual performance. But how well is your incentive plan itself performing? Do you have a formalized method of measure the program’s ROI and the sales increases it yields? Do you have a plan to scale your incentive program over time, so its successes are replicated and expanded? There are multiple methods you can use to assess, improve, and grow your incentive program. Here are a few that I recommend:
- [Engage Tire Customers with Loyalty Program Services](https://extu.com/blog/tire-customers-loyalty-program-services/): If you’ve already offered a loyalty program to your tire customers or channel partners, maybe you’ve seen how beneficial they can be. Or maybe you’re in the research phase, trying to determine if a loyalty program would be a fitting customer engagement solution. Either way, it will help you to understand the various strategies and services that can scale your loyalty program over time. Here are a few strategies:
- [[INFOGRAPHIC] 6 Customer Retention Software Necessities](https://extu.com/blog/customer-retention-software-necessities/): If you're looking to upgrade or acquire customer retention software, you might be wondering what kind of features and benefits you should be on the lookout for. Well, that depends on what kind of company you are, what your go-to-market strategy is, who your customers are, and what your product/service is. For B2B companies who sell their products through a distribution channel, there are six key things you should expect from customer retention software:
- [Short Term vs. Long Term Incentive Plans](https://extu.com/blog/long-term-incentive-plans/): If you’re a manufacturer, you’ve probably already used a number of short and long term incentive plans, whether or not they were formal or you referred to them as such. Ever run a discount on a product line? Ever given sales reps bonuses or recognition for gaining extra insights during a sale? Anytime you offer a reward in exchange for an action, it can be considered a sales incentive. When you formalize these incentive strategies by planning, measuring, and repeating your success, you can have a reliable tool for increasing sales, rather than sporadic or last-minutes efforts to move products.
- [The 4 Biggest Benefits of Incentive Program Management Software](https://extu.com/blog/benefits-incentive-program-management-software/): But wait—is in-house really the best way to go? Are your teammates actually that pumped to be taken away from their day-to-day responsibilities to run this incentive program? Before taking the plunge, you should understand all the long-term and ancillary benefits that come with using incentive program management software and services, rather than doing it all by yourself.
- [Increase Medical Device Sales with These Reward Services](https://extu.com/blog/medical-device-sales-rewards-services/): Sales departments within the medical device industry face a number of challenges. If you sell routine products that require no government regulation, such as surgical gloves, you may need to compete heavily on price and rely on high sales volume. You may also be competing with a small handful of large suppliers who offer a broad range of products, or smaller, upcoming companies specializing in innovative new technology. Whatever your go-to-market and sales strategies may be, sales rewards can help you reach your goals. The sales reward services and technology you use can make a vast difference in your reward program’s performance.
- [How Much Time Should I Spend on Marketing Each Month?](https://extu.com/blog/how-much-time-should-i-spend-on-marketing-each-month/): Running effective marketing campaigns can have a big impact on your bottom line. However, it also takes a significant time investment. That’s because a good marketing campaign includes crafting engaging content for your audience on a consistent basis and then sharing that information across your channels.
- [Improve Your Insurance Sales Incentive Compensation Plan](https://extu.com/blog/insurance-sales-incentive-compensation-plan/): Whether you’re launching a new insurance sales incentive compensation plan or revamping an existing one, you have various options to plan up for future growth. Rather than a one-and-done effort, you could build a scaling sales asset that yields incremental sales growth, additional sales data, as well as sales trends and insights over time.
- [6 Questions to Ask Incentive Management Companies](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-management-companies/): If you're thinking of implementing or updating your incentive program, you may have considered working with an incentive management company. By partnering with incentive experts, you can offload and streamline much of the incentive management process. The best incentive company will be able to offer you not just rewards, but incentive technology, seasoned guidance, and services. Here are six questions you can ask incentive management companies to see if they can deliver an optimal incentive program that will target your specific needs and scale as you grow.
- [Long Term Incentive Plan Examples](https://extu.com/blog/long-term-incentive-plan-examples/): Manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers who sell products or services via a distribution channel stand to benefit greatly from using channel incentive programs in their sales and marketing strategies. Channel incentives can influence those who matter most to a B2B company's bottom line: channel partners. When you have a motivation tool behind your initiatives, it's easier to align the behaviors of dealers, contractors, resellers, and vendors with your overarching business goals. Below you'll find four long term incentive plan examples that can drive action and growth in the distribution channel.
- [How Much Does Content Marketing Actually Cost?](https://extu.com/blog/how-much-does-content-marketing-actually-cost/): Do you ever wonder if you’re spending too much — or too little — on your marketing each year? Content marketing is an essential piece of the puzzle for businesses that want to grow.
- [4 Secrets to HVAC Customer Loyalty Management](https://extu.com/blog/hvac-customer-loyalty-management/): If you’re an HVAC supplier looking to build better channel partnerships, improve customer retention, or gather more end-user data, a loyalty program is a great tool to have at your disposal. Today’s partner loyalty programs are much more than just plastic, points-collecting cards you get at the grocery store. Loyalty management software is as full-featured as sales enablement or marketing automation software. Here are the best ways launch and manage an HVAC customer loyalty program:
- [The Difference Between Long Term and Short Term Incentive Plans](https://extu.com/blog/difference-long-term-short-term-incentive-plans/): The difference between long term and short term incentive plans is a little more complicated than “one is long, one is short.” There are some incentive plan goals and incentive rewards that are better suited to one or another. This is important to keep in mind, particularly if you want to build multiple shorter incentive programs and promotions within one larger, overarching, long-term incentive plan. Let’s break it down:
- [[INFOGRAPHIC] 5 Creative Incentive Plan Examples](https://extu.com/blog/5-incentive-plans-examples/): Every now and then, a company develops an attention-grabbing incentive program idea that’s impossible to ignore. These companies understand the power of thinking outside the box, jolting their incentive program participants out of their sales, purchasing, or business routines. Here are five creative incentive plans examples that turned heads!
- [6 Keys to Effective Incentive Plans](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-plans/): No two effective incentive plans are the same, just like no two successful companies are the same! The fact that an incentive plan can be your company's very own secret weapon, tailored to your objectives and goals, is the best thing about it! Use these six incentive planning keys to create a unique incentive program design that drives behaviors that help you increase revenue.
- [Get End-Customer Data Using Tire Dealer Incentives](https://extu.com/blog/tire-dealer-incentives/): Tire suppliers, where do your products ultimately end up after they roll out of manufacturing? Presumably, they find their forever home with an end-consumer whose day-to-day life is impacted by your tires safely bringing them to work, to their kids' school, or on family vacations. They have the power to provide friend or family customer referrals, i.e. referrals 77% more likely to result in a purchase. They have the biggest impact on your brand reputation and market position. But what do you actually know about them? When you sell through a tire distribution channel, you don’t have direct communication with and influence over them. You can use tire dealer incentives to motivate your sales reps and manage B2B data. Here are four examples of this strategy in action:
- [The 4 Roles of Rewards in Distribution Channel Management](https://extu.com/blog/roles-of-rewards-distribution-channel-management/): Trust and collaboration are essential to a successful distribution channel. Channel partners are more invested and cooperative when they have positive experiences and emotional engagement with your brand. When this is the case, your channel partners are more amendable to capturing extra data, providing insights, and participating in sales promotions. Let’s take a look at four ways that incentive rewards can contribute to distribution channel management by helping you engage, educate, and connect with channel partners.
- [How to Improve Channel Partner Performance](https://extu.com/blog/improve-channel-partner-performance/): Channel distribution sales has a reputation for being impersonal—cold and unfeeling, like the equipment often sold through such channels. I’d like to challenge that, though. Successful channel sales strategies depend on solid, trust-based relationships between you, your channel partners, and your end-consumers. Improving channel partner performance means that your channel partners enjoy being your channel partners, and want to share in mutual success. Otherwise, it’s all too easy to turn their focus on the other suppliers or distributors they work with.
- [Why Content Marketing Is Crucial For Your Company](https://extu.com/blog/content-marketing/): Good content will keep customers engaged with your brand. Here’s why content marketing is so essential and how you can create the quality content consumers want.
- [How to Increase Insurance Sales with an Incentive Plan](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-increase-insurance-sales-incentive-plan/): Top sales performers in every industry lose steam from time to time. Industry slow-downs, maxing out the current customer base, and burn-out can all lead to demotivated insurance sales agents. Even when you’re experiencing a period of growth, the question of how to increase insurance sales is always looming around the corner. Here are some ways you can keep insurance sales steadily on the rise:
- [3 Incentive-Based Channel Management Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/channel-management-strategy/): Channel incentive programs have the potential to greatly enhance your channel marketing and sales efforts. By adding emotional impact and personal value of incentive rewards to everyday channel partner activities, you can maximize sale value and make actions more mutually beneficial. Here are three incentives-based channel management strategies you can try:
- [10 Best Uses for a Channel Partner Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-incentive-program/): Data and behavior are two of the biggest drivers of sales channel success. If you're a channel sales or channel marketing professional, this isn't news to you. How many times have you wished you could pull off targeted channel strategies, if only you had the actionable data and enough team-work? The right channel technology and tools can help you drive behaviors and collect sales data. A channel partner incentive program, for example, accelerates your sales and marketing strategies by powering them with motivation, brand value, and personalized experiences. For broader revenue impact, many teams also rely on structured sales incentive programs to reinforce consistent performance across their channel.
- [Retain Medical Equipment Sales Reps with These 5 Incentive Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/retain-medical-equipment-sales-reps/): I recommend these five incentive strategies to retain and engage your medical equipment sales reps, so you don’t lose your frontline brand representatives:
- [How to Motivate Insurance Agents](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-motivate-insurance-agents/): A motivated insurance agent is engaged with customers, colleagues, and insurance carriers alike. They ask questions, challenge outdated modes of thought, are open to new approaches, follow industry regulations and trends, are present in their interactions and, most importantly, actively strive to be better today than yesterday. Sound like a dream? It doesn't have to be! Insurance companies can learn how to motivate insurance agents, retaining top talent and building an engaged, educated sales force. Here are four ways to accomplish that:
- [How to Educate & Engage Medical Device Sales Reps](https://extu.com/blog/engage-educate-medical-device-sales-reps/): Medical device sales reps face unique challenges selling in their industry. They have to be informed about healthcare regulations, hospital policies, evolving technologies, medical discoveries, and products whose effectiveness is often a life-and-death matter. As a manufacturer, you never want a medical device sales rep to miss an opportunity due to lack of knowledge or preparation. You want to keep these sales reps engaged and educated, so you can build long-lasting, fruitful partnerships that serve your healthcare buyers well.
- [What Are the Best Ways to Manage Sales Channel Visibility?](https://extu.com/blog/sales-channels/): In a distribution channel sales model, you sacrifice direct influence on your end-user customers in exchange for the benefits of channel partnerships. With the expanding connectivity of a digitalizing world and capabilities of channel technology, however, channel manufacturers are closer to having the best of both worlds. Those who keep their eye out for technology trends and get creative with channel solutions will gain the competitive edge. The ability to manage sales channel visibility can be the difference between solid B2B customer retention and kissing your market share goodbye.
- [Create a Truly Competitive Customer Loyalty Program](https://extu.com/blog/competitive-customer-loyalty-program/): Do you offer your B2B customers a loyalty program? It’s likely your competitors do, too. It’s possible they even run sales promotions and bonus reward-earning opportunities at the same time you do, to siphon off some of your loyalty program activity. So how do you win this race? How do you deliver a competitive customer loyalty program that your channel partners prefer over the others? Focus on these strategies:
- [5 Ways to Improve Your HVAC End User Marketing Strategy](https://extu.com/blog/end-user-marketing-strategy/): In HVAC distribution channels, manufacturers often have little to no knowledge about their end-users. Though you may have excellent relationships with your channel partners, today's end user marketing strategies require extensive data to provide seamless, personalized customer experience. Rewarding channel partners for collecting more data can make each sale more valuable and informative. An incentive program can help you increase warranty registrations from 37% to 92%, for example. Let's take a look at some of the additional end-user data you can motivate your channel partners to collect:
- [7 Incentive Ideas for Attaining Motivation and Gaining ROI](https://extu.com/blog/7-competitive-incentive-ideas/): In competitive and disrupted channel markets, having an incentive program can boost revenue and maintain positive relationships with your channel partners. But just like channel management, marketing, and CRM technology must constantly evolve to meet the demands of channel marketing and sales, so should your incentive technology and strategies. Let’s talk about seven competitive incentive ideas that will keep your program fresh and fruitful.
- [How to Gain the Customer Loyalty Competitive Advantage](https://extu.com/blog/customer-loyalty-competitive-advantage/): Customer loyalty can be defined as an emotional connection customers have to your brand, which inspires them to consistently choose your brand over the competition. Customer loyalty can be measured in several ways, such as:
- [5 B2B Customer Experience Best Practices](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-customer-experience-best-practices/): Last week, I talked about some of the harsh realities of competing for B2B loyalty. Today, I want to share some research and insights on what you can do about those realities. Here are five B2B customer experience best practices I suggest for staying competitive and customer-centric in today’s B2B challenging markets:
- [10 Things Your B2B Competitive Analysis Should Include](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-competitive-analysis/): What should you include in a B2B competitive analysis? A traditional competitive analysis includes your competition's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threads (SWOT). With so much data to collect and analyze, and with industries changing so rapidly, B2B market research can quickly get overwhelming. Focusing on the right areas can be the difference between drowning in information overload, and identifying the difficulties or opportunities you need to address.
- [If Your Competitor Provides Incentives, It Could Kill Your Market Share](https://extu.com/blog/competitor-provides-incentives/): Have you looked high and low, but can’t figure out why you’re losing on the sales floor? Consider that, likely, your competitor provides incentives. It could be their secret weapon. Incentives help create a more memorable experience, and study after study of B2B customers—such as Walker’s 2020 report on B2B customer expectations—stresses the need for B2B companies to step up customer experiences by building trust, personalizing interactions, and adding a human touch. If your competitor provides incentives, it could be their “secret sauce” to offering a better customer experience than you. Here are some of the ways the competition’s incentive program could be better than yours, and how you can fix that:
- [The Best Brands Use Manufacturer Incentives – This Is Why](https://extu.com/blog/manufacturer-incentives/): Businesses who rely on the B2B channel for the sale of their product commonly ask, “how do manufacturer incentives work?” Incentives from manufacturers work by motivating channel partner behaviors with rewards.
- [Incentives Don’t Work! [Video]](https://extu.com/blog/bad-incentives-dont-work-video/): When discussing the human psychology behind motivation, it's not uncommon to encounter the school of thought insisting “incentives don’t work.”
- [What is eLoyalty?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-eloyalty/): What is eLoyalty? When it comes to the growth and longevity of an online business, eLoyalty refers to the act of generating and maintaining customer loyalty within the virtual marketplace.
- [Direct Sales Team Incentive Ideas](https://extu.com/blog/incentives-for-direct-sales/): For manufacturers, farmers, craftsmen, and other industry “producers,” direct sales are often the first form of distribution considered when trying to promote one’s product.
- [Creating Customer Loyalty Programs that Build Brand Preference: Nichole Gunn Featured in “Today’s Grocer”](https://extu.com/blog/customer-loyalty/): In the world of marketing, securing brand preference is the ultimate goal.
- [5 Mistakes to Avoid When Running an Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-program-mistakes/): Today’s blog will cover the topic of incentive program mistakes. From what our incentive programs have been able to accomplish, we know that incentives work. We also know that the power an incentive is only as strong as the program that implements it. Let’s take a look at some of the most common incentive program blunders, and how your business can shift gears to successfully harness the power of incentives.
- [What is Incentive Compensation?](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-compensation/): What is incentive compensation? Incentive compensation, or incentive pay, can be defined as a type of variable compensation that is awarded to employees when they have completed a specific set of performance objectives.
- [5 ways to optimize your company’s LinkedIn page](https://extu.com/blog/5-ways-to-optimize-your-linkedin/): Simply having a LinkedIn page isn’t enough to secure B2B success. You won’t get leads or achieve thought leader status simply by creating a company LinkedIn profile. Instead, use this primer to optimize your LinkedIn page and set your profile up to be an exposure and engagement magnet.
- [Extu Releases New ROI Calculator: Projecting Business Growth for Your Channel Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/blog/new-roi-calculator/): Introducing Extu’s new and improved ROI calculator!
- [What is ROI and How Is It Calculated?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-roi-and-how-is-it-calculated/): Today’s question: what is ROI and how is it calculated?
- [How & why to set up a LinkedIn profile for your company](https://extu.com/blog/how-and-why-to-set-up-a-linkedin-profile-for-your-company/): All businesses need a professional network. Young companies who want to gain credibility, increase their lead potential and make new industry connections are using LinkedIn to drive their B2B marketing strategy. This guide walks you through how to set up your LinkedIn profile step-by-step and proves why doing so is crucial if you want your new business to succeed.
- [Incentive Card Options For Top Performing Reward Programs [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-cards/): Today we’ll take a closer look at one of the most popular reward types on the market: incentive cards. Showcasing the popular debit card and gift card reward program, check out our infographic below to see how your incentive program can stand to benefit from them.
- [5 Ways to Boost Loyalty Program Engagement](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-program-engagement/): Maintaining a high level of loyalty program engagement is one of the key factors in determining the success of your customer loyalty program. a who doesn’t want success?
- [Gamification Strategy: What is Gamification?](https://extu.com/blog/what-is-gamification/): The question: what is gamification? And how does it work?
- [6 Successful Sales Incentive Program Examples](https://extu.com/blog/sales-incentive-program-examples/): With over 25 years of incentive program experience, we’ve seen firsthand the financial growth that a successful sales incentive program can provide
- [Enrollment Statistics for Top Performing Loyalty Programs](https://extu.com/blog/enrollment-statistics/): When it comes to customer loyalty program best practices, establishing an enrollment strategy is just one of many key steps to a solid program structure.
- [Channel Data That Manufacturers and Distributors Need for a Successful Loyalty Program](https://extu.com/blog/channel-data/): For many manufacturers and distributors, the first thought behind investing in a customer loyalty program very rarely involves the collection of channel data. And rightly so! When our client’s main goal is to gain customer loyalty, they are looking to foster a strong emotional connection to their brand. The driving force behind this emotional connection is to provide meaningful rewards that motivate channel partners to choose their product over a competitor.
- [How to grow your subscriber list organically](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-grow-your-subscriber-list-organically/): Good things take time. Especially those made from scratch. The same can be said of your subscriber list.
- [How to Succeed in an Oversaturated B2B Marketplace](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-market-saturation/): A quick anecdote before we begin our discussion on the B2B marketplace: one of my favorite travel destinations is New York City, and I make it a purpose to see as many Broadway shows as possible when I visit.
- [10 Referral Business Statistics You Need to Know](https://extu.com/blog/referral-business-statistics/): When it comes to obtaining referral business, there is no denying that word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool. While companies pour hundreds of dollars into blind customer acquisition through paid ads and SEO, sales leads through referrals outshine these efforts in both effectiveness and cost.
- [5 Tips on Marketing to Millennials](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-to-millennials/): Marketing to millennials is by no means a new concept. Highly focused efforts on reaching this target market demographic have been in practice for quite some time as companies looked to “get ahead” by proactively chasing this “generation to look out for.” According to the July 2019 population estimates from the Census Bureau, however, the future is officially here as the millennial generation has exceeded generation “baby boomer” as the largest living group of adults.
- [Employee Relations in the Remote Work Setting [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/employee-relations-remote-work/): 2020 has been a year of intense change, particularly for the workforce. With the onset of a global pandemic, remote work has become the new normal, regardless of whether or not companies were equipped to handle the change.
- [How to make your marketing database work for you](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-make-your-marketing-database-work-for-you/): Email marketing databases inevitably decline, but a good strategy can help stem the slide and even grow your subscriber list.
- [Changing Target Marketing Demographics in B2B Sales](https://extu.com/blog/target-market-demographics-millenials/): When it comes to effective marketing in the B2B channel, manufacturers and distributors are tasked with enticing their target market demographic. Appealing to today’s B2B buyer, however, has become increasingly difficult as the age of technology and information have raised the bar for product, company, and purchasing expectations. The force behind this change? The increasing number of millennials in the workforce.
- [Why purchased lists don’t work (and how to get emails without wasting money)](https://extu.com/blog/why-purchased-lists-dont-work/): When you run a small business or startup, every penny counts. To get money coming in the door quickly, some SMBs give in to anxiety and buy an email list. Unfortunately, it’s almost always a waste of resources.
- [Employee Rewards and Recognition: 10 Examples of Incentives That Don’t Work](https://extu.com/blog/employee-rewards-and-recognition/): When looking to enhance company culture, boost productivity, increase employee retention, or simply inspire morale, employee rewards and recognition are a great place to start your research. But before you can begin picking out ideal ways to recognize employees, you have to answer the fundamental question: do incentives work?
- [Customer Acquisition v. Customer Retention Strategy [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/customer-acquisition-customer-retention-strategy/): We’re back with the ongoing battle: customer acquisition versus customer retention strategy. Which is more important to focus precious sales and marketing dollars?
- [Reward Stories: Real Employees, Really Great Employee Incentive Program Ideas](https://extu.com/blog/employee-incentive-program-ideas/): Here at Incentive Solutions, not only do we develop, build, and manage employee incentive programs for our clients- we use one ourselves! Recognized back in March by Atlanta Journal-Constitution as one of the Top 150 places to work in 2020, we have no doubt that our employee incentive program ideas and execution have helped earn this title.
- [74% of SMBs report flat or increasing IT Budgets despite the toughest economic climate](https://extu.com/blog/74-of-smbs-report-flat-or-increasing-it-budgets-despite-the-toughest-economic-climate/): SMBs are recognizing IT investment as critical to their success, leaving the majority (74%) of IT budgets flat or increasing.
- [The Psychology Behind Employee Motivation](https://extu.com/blog/boost-employee-motivation/): Employee motivation in the workplace is more than just a “nice thing to have,” it is the foundation of successful business. For companies on the path of continuous growth, challenges arise not only in managing a growing number of employees, but in finding ways to motivate groups of varying personalities, priorities, backgrounds, and worldviews.
- [10 Steps to a Successful Employee Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/10-steps-to-a-successful-employee-incentive-program/): Successful employee incentive programs have been proven to increase engagement, productivity, and solidify a company culture of high-achievement. While there are a variety of ways to reward your employees, your workforce is unique, and the best incentive plans for employees have your company’s details in mind. Follow the steps below to begin structuring the most effective employee incentive program.
- [Channel Partner Spotlight: Celebrating the Value in the Value-Added Reseller](https://extu.com/blog/value-added-reseller/): As a manufacturer operating within the sales channel, your channel partners quickly become your greatest asset. Be it distributors, dealers, or value-added resellers, promoting your product across various avenues increases marketing reach and brand exposure, all without having to manage a sales team or cover distribution costs.
- [The Importance of Employee Retention](https://extu.com/blog/the-importance-of-employee-retention/): While no two successful companies are exactly alike, they all have one thing in common: an employee retention strategy. Happy employees make productive employees, and smart businesses know that high employee turnover can harm a company financially and affect company morale. While the hiring process can have a large impact on retention rates, the real challenge for HR departments is keeping up with evolving employee expectations. How does a company go about retaining employees?
- [5 Reasons You’re Losing Customer Loyalty and Retention – How to Fix It](https://extu.com/blog/losing-customer-loyalty/): For most humans, relationships can be tough to navigate.  The same can be said for business relationships- that is, if you aren’t constantly seeking ways to keep the love alive. When it comes to customer loyalty and retention, statistics show high profitability for businesses who invest in strengthening customer relationships. But what exactly does “strengthening customer relationships” entail?
- [Top Redemption Reward Categories for Maximum Customer Loyalty](https://extu.com/blog/redemption-reward-categories-customer-loyalty/): When it comes to boosting customer loyalty within the B2B sales channel, investing in a customer loyalty program is one of the best ways to get to know your customers. Here at Extu, we are dedicated to growth, which means constantly revisiting customer retention strategy to see where we can improve. This is also true for our channel strategy, which is continually evolving to keep up with channel partner preferences. The key to continued improvement? Measuring the data.
- [Incentive Travel: The Ins and Outs of All-Inclusive Resorts](https://extu.com/blog/all-inclusive-incentive-travel/): The all-inclusive resort is a popular category of the travel industry, known for its sunny destinations, ease of planning, and all-you-can-consume amenities. When it comes to arranging an incentive travel excursion, businesses need all the “ease” they can get to ensure an unforgettable experience for their customers and a positive return on their investment. With over 25 years in the incentive travel industry, Extu is well versed in the all-inclusive incentive trip, continuing to foster long-lasting relationships with these resort types all over the world. Before we take a virtual journey into our top incentive travel recommendations, let’s take a look into the development of the all-inclusive experience and how it came to be.
- [Adapting Sales Strategy: A Deeper Look into BCG’s “Leading Sales Through the COVID-19 Crisis”](https://extu.com/blog/sales-strategy-covid-19/): How should you gear your sales strategies toward faster recovery from the coronavirus outbreak? An excellent article by the Boston Consulting Group tells you how to do just that, in great detail! A few things BCG recommends:
- [4 Ways to Design Successful Sales Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/blog/design-successful-sales-incentive-programs/): Here are 4 Ways to Design Successful Sales Incentive Programs:
- [Top 10 Reasons Why Gift Card Incentives are Better than Cash](https://extu.com/blog/gift-cards-better-than-cash/): Cash has been a popular reward for recognition in the workplace for quite some time, so it’s no surprise that gift card incentives are quickly climbing to the top of the ranks. Gift card programs are becoming increasingly more popular… and for good reason. It’s the same reason most people prefer to give gift cards as gifts instead of cash–because gift cards provide an opportunity to cater to the recipient’s interests and wants.
- [Research Report Findings: Desktop PCs are still popular](https://extu.com/blog/research-report-findings-desktop-pcs-are-still-popular/): Everybody is moving to the cloud, right? Not so fast. The move to cloud continues, but many SMBs are sticking with on premise processing.
- [Elements of Successful Sales Incentive Programs [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/successful-sales-incentive-programs/): Successful sales incentive programs help stimulate business growth and increase sales. But what does a sales incentive program need to be successful?
- [3 ways to support the channel during COVID-19](https://extu.com/blog/3-ways-to-support-the-channel-during-covid-19/): We asked our channel partners how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected their current and future business. We wanted to understand if this was a global challenge, or if there were specific regions or specialties that this was affecting.
- [Gift Card Incentives – Today’s Incentive Reward](https://extu.com/blog/todays-incentive-reward/): It seems like yesterday I was sitting with my former boss and trusted mentor, Steve Damerow, discussing the 2008 recession that was sweeping the nation. The incentive industry was taking a hard hit. Travel incentives were being placed under a microscope and scrutinized by leaders in Washington. Amazon was backing out of the incentive industry as an online reward provider. Millions of Americans were losing their jobs and homes. Yet there I was, trying to push for marketing campaigns around the science of incentives. I had tons of research supporting my claims. Steve sat across from me, quietly smirking. He let me finish and finally said, “Nichole, I understand what your research suggests. But let me talk to you about what my years of experience have taught me.” We then discussed how gift card rewards programs were the necessary corporate incentive when times get tough because they were the rewards that people wanted and needed.
- [Mapping (And Improving!) Your Customer Experience Strategy [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/customer-experience-strategy-infographic/): When was the last time you took the customer journey for your company? In order to plan an effective customer experience strategy, you need to put yourself in your customers’ shoes. How do they experience your sales and marketing funnel? What can you do to improve their experience every step of the way?
- [10 Examples of Employee Gamification](https://extu.com/blog/employee-gamification-examples/): Employee gamification is the use of game-like elements, such as points scoring, rewards, and competitive platforms to boost employee engagement. Gamification for employee engagement makes the workplace more fun, rewarding, and collaborative. Consider the results of the following experiment published in Harvard Business Review:
- [Incentive Travel for Wholesalers and Distributors](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-travel-for-wholesalers/): Everyone loves incentive travel, including your channel partners! But incentive travel for wholesalers is about more than seeing the world and creating unforgettable experiences with your B2B buyers. For distribution companies, incentive travel is a business investment. Wholesale distributors need to be mindful about structuring their incentive travel promotions to generate a measurable return.
- [Why You Need a Wholesale Loyalty Program](https://extu.com/blog/wholesale-loyalty-program/): Wholesale loyalty programs give wholesalers and distributors a way to engage and educate customers and enhance their overall value proposition. Moreover, wholesale loyalty programs give suppliers tools and platforms to collect more complete customer data. Wholesalers can use this data to personalize their marketing and value-adds, inform their product mix, and leverage this data to increase their channel sales.
- [Customer Loyalty Programs for Grocers and Wholesale Food Suppliers: Nichole Gunn in Progressive Grocer](https://extu.com/blog/customer-loyalty-programs-for-grocers/): When it comes to customer loyalty, both grocers and wholesale food suppliers have it tough. There’s the meteoric rise of online mega-suppliers and competition from niche grocers. And there is a new kind of buyer – in retail and wholesale alike – who demands a more personalized, informed, and engaging customer experience. Luckily, Vice President of Marketing and Creative Services Nichole Gunn shed light on how grocers and wholesale food suppliers can build customer loyalty in an article in Progressive Grocer.
- [How Food and Beverage Distributors Can Use Incentives to Improve Supply Chain Data Analytics](https://extu.com/blog/food-and-beverage-distributors-data/): What does every food and beverage distributor have in common? Almost all of them could greatly benefit from improving their supply chain data analytics. The problem? Accessing much of this data can be difficult.
- [4 Sales Incentive Statistics You Need to Know](https://extu.com/blog/sales-incentive-statistics/): Whether you’re looking to increase sales of a specific product line, or give a boost to your organization’s overall revenue, staying informed of sales incentive data is a must. As a sales leader, we know your job requires all of your attention, which is why we’ve gathered key sales incentive statistics all in one easy-to-read place.
- [How Do You Offer Incentives to Customers?](https://extu.com/blog/offer-incentives-to-customers/): How do you offer incentives to customers? Before we get into the how let’s get into the why. Offering incentives to customers is an effective way to increase sales and build customer loyalty. You can use incentives to build your brand and market your products. You can even integrate customer incentives with your e-commerce platform!
- [Motivate Distributor Loyalty: 6 Strategies That Change Your Channel](https://extu.com/blog/motivate-distributor-loyalty/): I hate to break it to you, but you’re not the only manufacturer in your distributor’s supply mix. Even your top distributor sales reps are only a tradeshow or SPIFF away from being swayed to another brand. For manufacturers, it’s necessarily to craft effective B2B marketing strategies that motivate distributor loyalty.
- [Important Loyalty Program Statistics for 2026](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-program-statistics/): Customer loyalty is important to businesses. Loyal customers are more profitable customers. A loyalty program is a tool business can use to increase sales, differentiate their brand, and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. But don’t believe me! These loyalty program statistics show why and how companies use loyalty programs – as well as what kind of revenue growth a loyalty program can achieve!
- [Rebate Management Software for Manufacturers and Distributors](https://extu.com/blog/rebate-management-software/): Manufacturers and distributors can use rebates to build brand preference with partners, increase sales for specific products, and gather key data throughout the channel. However, structuring and rebate programs for the channel can be tricky. Managing them can be cumbersome. Selecting the right rebate management software is key.
- [The Difference Between SPIFFs and Rebate Programs [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/spiffs-rebates-infographic/): What’s the difference between SPIFFs and rebate programs? Which program type is right for your business? The infographic below gives a quick overview about the differences between SPIFFs and rebate programs.
- [How Channel Partners Influence End-User Purchasing Decisions](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partners-marketing-strategy/): Who are your channel partners? How do they influence the purchasing decisions of end-users? Why do they recommend some brands and not others? Which channel partners have the biggest impact on your potential sales growth?
- [The Importance of Incentive Programs in Today’s Channel](https://extu.com/blog/importance-of-incentive-programs/): Recently, we released Incentive Program Secrets for Manufacturers, a free e-book that explains the importance of incentive programs and how manufacturers can (and should!) incorporate incentives into their go-to-market strategy.
- [Online Reward System: What Rewards Did Participants Redeem for in 2019?](https://extu.com/blog/online-reward-system/): When selecting an online reward system for your business, it’s important to choose a platform that’s stocked with rewards participants care about. Every year, we analyze redemption stats from our online catalog to see what items and categories were most popular.
- [Choosing an Incentive System [Ultimate Guide]](https://extu.com/blog/choosing-an-incentive-system/): You’ve been tasked with researching an incentive system for your company. A quick Google search reveals hundreds of incentive companies, all claiming that their incentive system is the best. So how do you begin to narrow down your search? What factors do you need to look at to find an incentive system that actually works for your business?
- [Tips for Strategic Insurance Agent Incentive Promotions](https://extu.com/blog/insurance-agent-incentives/): While this can seem like a daunting prospect, insurance companies do have tools at their disposal. Effective insurance agent incentives give companies the ability to:
- [Loyalty Program Strategy for Each Stage of the Program Life Cycle [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-program-strategy/): Loyalty programs evolve over time. Eventually, even the most exciting loyalty programs get a little stale. Participants become desensitized to the value proposition. However, the good news is that loyalty programs follow a predictable life cycle. By planning ahead, you can adjust your loyalty program strategy for each stage of the loyalty program life cycle to keep your program fresh.
- [10 Types of Channel Incentive Programs and How to Use Them](https://extu.com/blog/types-of-channel-incentive-programs/): Manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers use channel incentive programs as part of their go-to-market strategy. Channel incentives are a behavioral modification tool that influence channel partners – such as dealers, contractors, resellers, and vendors – to align their behaviors with overarching business goals. These programs often work alongside broader sales incentive programs to motivate partners, drive predictable growth, and reinforce consistent sales behaviors throughout the channel.
- [Choosing the Right Incentive Rewards for Your Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/choosing-right-incentive-rewards/): Choosing the right incentive rewards for your audience is an important part of an effective incentive program strategy. What factors guide incentive reward selection? Of course, program budget plays a role. However, beyond that, the two most important factors are your target audience and your program goals.
- [Channel Rebates: Turning Buyer Preference into Customer Loyalty](https://extu.com/blog/channel-rebates-customer-loyalty/): Many manufacturers and distributors use channel rebates as part of their channel partner marketing strategy. After all, price is the part of your overall customer value proposition that is most easily quantified and communicated.
- [How To Create Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/blog/how-to-create-incentive-programs/): Incentive programs are flexible business tools that can be used to accomplish a variety of goals. Incentives can help you motivate sales teams, engage employees, build customer loyalty, and/or develop better channel partner relationships. One of the biggest benefits of incentive programs is their flexibility. By getting creative and utilizing incentive software, you can create a unique program that gives you an advantage your competition can't imitate. Follow these 10 steps to learn how to create an effective incentive program:
- [Why You Should Use Reward Redemption Campaigns to Inspire Participants to Redeem Points](https://extu.com/blog/reward-redemption-campaigns/): When it comes to incentive programs, some people are spenders and others are savers. And while there’s nothing wrong with saving your incentive points for big ticket items like electronics, jewelry, or travel expenses…this can cause a few problems for the company who’s sponsoring the program. This is why planning reward redemption campaigns for your incentive program can be so important.
- [Sales SPIFFs vs. Long-Term Sales Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/blog/sales-spiffs-strategy/): Should you use sales SPIFFs or invest in a long-term sales incentive program? Well, that depends on your goals. A sales SPIFF is a short-term, seller side promotion, where direct or indirect sales reps are paid an immediate bonus for selling a specific product. Sales SPIFFs are strictly results-based. On the other hand, a long-term sales incentive program is an ongoing investment in your salesforce.
- [Where Do B2B Rebates Fit Into Your Sales and Marketing Strategy?](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-rebates-strategy/): B2B rebates are simple, right? You attach rebates to specific products to generate demand from buyers in your sales channel. Or you use B2B rebates to reward increased purchase volume. However, there are other considerations to take into account.
- [Digital First: Channel Partners Want Digital Marketing Above All Else](https://extu.com/blog/digital-marketing/): Discussing how and why of all the types of marketing available, channel partners want and need the most help with digital marketing
- [Sales Incentive Strategy: Make Sure to Schedule Promotions for the Holiday Season!](https://extu.com/blog/sales-incentive-strategy-holiday-promotions/): Whether you’re trying to motivate internal sales reps, channel partners, or run a successful SPIFF or rebate program, planning your promotions is an important part of an effective sales incentive strategy. Some sales incentive promotions might be longer term. Others might be used to give a quick boost to a product launch or to help ignite interest in an underperforming line.
- [Loyalty Marketing: 9 Steps for Communicating an Amazing Customer Value Proposition](https://extu.com/blog/customer-value-proposition/): Does the marketplace feel a little bit crowded, or is it just me? Every morning when I log in to my work email, I’m confronted with stacks of marketing emails. Some of them I open. Most of them I delete. But I’ve noticed a trend: I tend to open marketing emails based off of senders, instead of subject lines. What do brands who make the cut do differently?
- [17 Employee Incentive Examples Your Staff Will Be Thankful For!](https://extu.com/blog/17-employee-incentive-examples/): Are you looking for employee incentive examples to let your staff know how grateful you are for everything they do for your organization? Employee incentive programs help keep employees motivated, high-performing, and can increase the overall profitability of your organization.
- [Loyalty Management Software: Matching Modular Platforms with Your Goals](https://extu.com/blog/modular-loyalty-management-software/): If you’ve read The BthruB Incentive Program Playbook, chances are you’re interested in learning more about the loyalty management software that empowers the strategies and solutions we discuss in the eBook. Well, today, you’re in luck!
- [Incentive Program Design: How Do I Pick a Goal for My Incentive Program?](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-program-design-goals/): You know that you want to create an incentive program to help you accomplish your business objectives. But where do you start? When it comes to incentive program design, the first step is determining a goal for your program. Your goal will inform how you structure the rest of your program.
- [The Latest in Channel Enablement: Insights from Jay McBain at BthruB 2019](https://extu.com/blog/jay-mcbain-channel-enablement/): Last month, we had the pleasure of having Jay McBain as the keynote speaker at our BthruB 2019 Leadership Summit. Jay McBain, the Principal Analyst for Channels & Partnerships at Forrester Research, is known for being one of the most influential figures in B2B sales strategy and analysis today. His presentation on channel enablement in the modern sales channel definitely lived up to the hype!
- [Best Practices for Loyalty Marketing & Incentive Program Communications [SlideShare]](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-marketing-slideshare/): Hey everyone! Are you interested in learning how to use your incentive program as a complete loyalty marketing platform? One that drives desired behaviors and educates your partners? One that spreads brand awareness and creates relationships that grow your business? One that gives you access to new insights and data to drive your marketing campaigns?
- [Influencing the Influencers: How Channel Partner Incentive Companies Help Manufacturers Increase Sales](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-incentive-companies/): Let’s pretend you were trying to buy a new air-conditioner. Chances are you wouldn’t buy it from the factory. Instead, you might have a contractor come out to your house to recommend you a new unit. Or you might go to a retailer or dealer and speak with an on-floor sales rep. Or you might even chat with a rep from an online wholesaler or distributor.
- [Benefits of Using an Online Rewards Site for Your Loyalty Program](https://extu.com/blog/loyalty-program-online-rewards-site/): Incorporating an online rewards site with your loyalty program has multiple benefits – for your customers and for your business.
- [Incentive Program KPIs: How Do You Measure Incentives? [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-program-kpis-infographic/): How exactly do you measure incentives? After all, you have to justify the budget for your incentive program to various stakeholders across multiple departments. You need to be able to prove ROI and to track whether the strategies you are using are having the intended effects. This is where incentive program KPIs come into play.
- [Examples of Incentive Plans for Motivation, Recognition, and Growth [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/examples-of-incentive-plans/): Looking for examples of incentive plans companies use? While the specifics of an incentive plan are tailored to the organizational goals of an individual business there are several general types of incentive programs companies use. Check these out these categories in the infographic below:
- [Do These 3 Things for a More Successful Loyalty Program [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/successful-loyalty-program-roadmap/): Eager to learn more about creating a successful loyalty program?
- [Through-channel marketing: why it needs to be more than software](https://extu.com/blog/more-than-software/): Through-channel marketing automation has the potential to transform the world of channel marketing, if brands can educate partners on the benefits.
- [Types of Employee Rewards for the Different Members of Your Sales Team [INFOGRAPHIC]](https://extu.com/blog/types-of-employee-rewards-for-your-sales-team/): When it comes to motivating your sales team, it’s important to match the right employee rewards and recognition with the right type of rep. Everyone is different, with different goals, aptitudes, and degrees of motivation. Therefore, it’s important to back your sales incentive program with different types of employee rewards, for every level of performance – so that top performers, new hires, and even the slackers all have something to work towards.
- [Plan Your Next Corporate Incentive Travel Event in 5 Steps [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/corporate-incentive-travel-planning/): Last month, Incentive Solutions appeared in ThinkAdvisor as part three in our series on how to strategically plan and execute a corporate incentive travel program. You can read all three parts of the series here:
- [Can Incentive Programs Reduce the Effects of Recession on Business to Business?](https://extu.com/blog/effects-of-recession-on-business-incentives/): “It’s not in the budget this year.” No one likes to hear it, but these words are all too frequently uttered. Market trends change faster than the latest memes and economic conditions are rarely stable for long. Our current, 12-year economic expansion is one of the longest in U.S. history, causing many to fear that the next downturn is just around the corner. Is it? Maybe. Recessions are notoriously hard to predict. The International Monetary Fund has only correctly forecasted four out of 469 economic downturns since 1988.
- [How email bounces (in small doses) are actually helpful](https://extu.com/blog/email-bounces-helpful/): Fewer things are more annoying than receiving a bounce back email when trying to send a message to your subscribers. Before you get too frustrated, keep in mind bounces aren't always a bad thing. In fact, we've identified 3 big silver linings.
- [Commission vs Incentives for Sales Reps [Infographic]](https://extu.com/blog/commission-vs-incentives-for-sales-reps-infographic/): From construction to manufacturing to energy distribution, every company wants to increase sales. The question is, What’s the best way to motivate your sales team in order to make that happen? According to our weekly Bombora report, last week 15.7% of U.S. companies with more than 1,000 employees spent time researching incentives for sales reps. It turns out these companies are on the right track.
- [Top Incentive Travel Destinations 2019 Participant Survey: Caribbean Edition](https://extu.com/blog/top-incentive-travel-destinations-2019/): The responses to this survey were open-ended so that we could get an unbiased view of the top incentive travel destinations for 2019, according to actual program participants. All of these results were top-of-mind. We made no effort to influence or limit their selections. However, it is worth noting: These participants had just gotten back from a trip to the Bahamas, so their mind was very much on Caribbean destinations!
- [Providing Incentives and Benefits in the Workplace: A Commitment to Core Values](https://extu.com/blog/benefits-of-incentives-core-values/): Providing incentives and benefits in the workplace can help you in many ways:
- [B2B Relationship Management: 6 Ways to Avoid Becoming a Commodity Supplier](https://extu.com/blog/b2b-relationship-management/): B2B relationship management can be challenging. There’s a misconception that customers in industrial sectors only care about cost and logistics. Of course, price and convenience are important, and industrial manufacturers and distributors should optimize both. But do you know what a focus on cost and convenience makes you? A commodity. There will always be cheaper options. There will always be competitors who have more money to pour into their e-commerce platforms and their delivery speed.
- [Four reasons to accept — and even embrace — email unsubscribes](https://extu.com/blog/embrace-unsubscribes/): With email marketing, there's always a fear of decreasing in list size. Here are four reasons to accept and even embrace a subscriber bowing out.
- [Case Study Breakdown: Using E-Commerce Incentives to Get B2B Customers to Shop Online](https://extu.com/blog/ecommerce-incentives-case-study/): When it comes to e-commerce, B2B sales have lagged behind B2C, especially in industries like industrial distribution. But expect that to change. The B2B e-commerce industry in the U.S. is projected to hit a valuation between $1.8 and $2.77 trillion in 2020, passing B2C e-commerce sales globally that same year. With big players like Amazon Business and Walmart for Business entering the B2B e-commerce space, other distributors will be increasingly pressed to focus on their e-commerce platforms in order to stay competitive.
- [Changing Workplace Demographics: Incentives for Millennials](https://extu.com/blog/incentives-for-millennials/): When it comes to the science of motivation, demographics matter. Different incentive rewards and incentive marketing tactics will appeal to different segments of your target audience. It’s no secret that millennials have shaken things up, and that companies need to be mindful of these changes when designing incentives for millennials.
- [4 Ways Food and Beverage Manufacturing Companies Can Use Incentive Programs to Increase Sales](https://extu.com/blog/food-and-beverage-manufacturing-incentives/): Food and beverage manufacturing is an increasingly competitive space – and one which has been slow on the uptake of implementing strategic incentive programs to gain a competitive advantage. However, with 615,000 businesses competing for $6 trillion in annual revenue, we expect that to change.
- [The Mobile App: “Would You Like Your Incentive Program To-Go?”](https://extu.com/blog/mobile-incentive-app/): With 60% of B2B customers reporting that their mobile device played a significant role in their most recent purchase, can you afford to invest in B2B sales solutions that aren’t mobile ready? Luckily, this is a reality we saw coming a long time ago, back when we’d hear complaints like, “Well, our contractors said they meant to submit that sales claim, but then they forgot.”
- [Invest, train and transform: the keys to IT success in 2019](https://extu.com/blog/invest-train-and-transform-the-keys-to-it-success-in-2019/): Our 2019 Business IT Trends Report is here. Discover where small to medium businesses are planning to invest their techn budgets. Do your plans stack up?
- [Do’s & Don’ts of a Power Hour](https://extu.com/blog/dos-donts-of-a-power-hour/): Best practices for engaging with your customers after sending out a marketing email. Learn the do's and don'ts of the post-email phone call: the Power Hour.
- [Three Major Challenges That Stop Channel Partners From Marketing](https://extu.com/blog/three-major-challenges/): It's difficult when marketing falls on partners whose expertise may not align. Here are the top three challenges that channel partners face with campaigns.
- [What’s More Effective? Visa Incentive Cards vs. Gift Card Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/visa-incentive-cards-comparison/): What’s more effective, Visa® incentive cards or gift card rewards? OK, that’s a trick question. It comes down to context. When designing an incentive program, a key piece of strategy is deciding what type of incentive rewards you should use to motivate your target audience. Different incentive rewards make sense in different situations.
- [Plumbing Manufacturer Uses a Channel Loyalty Program to Increase Market Share (Without Dropping Their Price!)](https://extu.com/blog/channel-loyalty-program/): It’s a scenario that’s become increasingly common for building materials manufacturers and distributors. Between offshore competitors, offsite construction, and online mega-retailers, your channel partners and B2B customers have more options than ever. And for cheap. You can easily find yourself in a race to the bottom or out of the picture altogether.
- [Self-service marketing platforms and through-channel marketing](https://extu.com/blog/self-service-marketing-and-tcm/): There is a huge opportunity to use through-channel marketing to support your mid-tier partners who are unlikely to develop their own marketing anytime soon.
- [Case Study: Using Incentives to Gather Key Dealer Marketing Data](https://extu.com/blog/dealer-incentive-marketing/): Nothing like a great incentive program case study to start the week! This case study is particularly interesting since it demonstrates how, with the right incentive technology, manufacturers can incorporate a dealer incentive program as part of their marketing strategy. In this case, a global manufacturer of wheelchair-accessible vehicles and products used dealer incentives to nearly triple their percentage of warranty registration submissions, from 37% to 92%
- [Ethics and Compliance: Are Incentives a Form of Bribery?](https://extu.com/blog/pharmaceutical-sales-incentives/): Incentives are a tool to modify behavior. An incentive program offers rewards for desired actions. Over time, those actions will be repeated more often. Non-cash incentives result in longer, more permanent changes in behavior than cash commission or verbal praise.
- [Making marketing easy for your channel partners in 2019](https://extu.com/blog/easy-marketing-for-channel-partners-2/): Looking to increase brand engagement? Make sure your channel marketing program is easy to use, helps your partners save time, and rewards them over time.
- [The Surprising Psychology of Sales Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/surprising-psychology-sales-rewards/): The element of surprise is incredibly effective when it comes to sales rewards. And it’s not just because surprise incentive rewards are fun. Scientific studies have shown that unexpected incentives and rewards tap into parts of the brain connected to learning and motivation. If you’re running a sales incentive program, you should definitely use this fact to your advantage. Let’s take a look at ways you can use surprise as a powerful sales motivation strategy.
- [Incentive Programs Can Increase Revenue How Much?!](https://extu.com/blog/increase-revenue-calculator/): Every year, Incentive Solutions hosts some of its clients for our annual BthruB Leadership Summit. It’s an opportunity for B2B industry leaders to get together to compare notes and exchange ideas. Although our clients represent a ton of different industries, they have a lot in common. Most of them are trying to figure out how to better navigate their distribution channel. How to leverage their business relationships with distributors, dealers, or contractors to increase revenue and stay on top.
- [Using Incentive Program Gamification to Increase Sales](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-program-gamification-mark-herbert/): Personally, I’m a huge fan of gamification. At Extu, we have a work hard, play hard atmosphere. We try to incorporate fun in everything we do. We have a gong in my office that our ROI-certified sales reps hit every time we partner with another company for their incentive program. There’s a loud bang. The whole office cheers. We also use Quick Points to award our employees on the spot and Total Recognition so that we can shout each other out.
- [Channel Marketing Across Your Building Materials Distribution Channel](https://extu.com/blog/building-materials-distribution-channel/): Driving through Atlanta is a constant reminder of the sheer size of the construction industry. Every morning on my way to Extu, I see new high rises, apartments, and retail properties ascending the skyline.
- [Team Leadership Profiles: Mark Herbert, President & CEO, Incentive Solutions](https://extu.com/blog/team-leadership-mark-herbert/): This emphasis on goal-setting and data-driven performance metrics extends to every level of organizational culture. Employees are held accountable for setting and achieving ambitious personal goals. But they’re given the tools they need to succeed. Regular coaching sessions with team leadership, ample workflow management tools, paid-for educational opportunities to expand their skillset through seminars and certification courses. And, of course, working at Incentive Solutions, the employee incentive programs are particularly generous.
- [Sneaky Way One of the Largest Pharmaceutical Companies in the World Used a Leaderboard to Increase Sales](https://extu.com/blog/pharmaceutical-company-leaderboard-sales/): In pharmaceutical sales, the use of traditional incentives—a branded coffee mug, point-based rewards, or a high-end incentive travel experience—to motivate buyers is strictly forbidden. If pharmaceutical sales companies use incentive programs at all (and they do if they’re smart), they reserve incentives for the seller-side to drive growth.
- [The Rising Cost of Retaining Top Medical Sales Reps](https://extu.com/blog/pharmaceutical-sales-rep-retention/): Earlier I mentioned the possibility that sales incentive programs could be repurposed into a business relationship management system for your top performers and best employees. Let’s take a moment to explore why—and how—that is.
- [Through-channel marketing and its value for IT brands and their partners](https://extu.com/blog/through-channel-marketing-value/): Through-channel marketing is the new marketing frontier. Between establishing brand consistency and trust, through-channel marketing serves as the link between brand and channel partner.
- [How to jumpstart quote activity with your partners](https://extu.com/blog/jumpstart-quote-activity-with-partners/): The traditional mode of channel marketing is outdated - a curated, long-term marketing strategy is key to getting the results partners want.
- [How to double the leads for your channel partners](https://extu.com/blog/double-leads-for-channel-partners/): In order to be successful, marketing efforts needs to be consistent and long-term. We’ve got the data to prove it - more touchpoints yield more leads.
- [The Best Way to Achieve B2B Customer Retention](https://extu.com/blog/achieve-b2b-customer-retention/): Let's say your company’s goal is to increase sales through B2B customer retention. The problem? Your company sells to other businesses, not directly to consumers. Taking the business-to-customer (B2C) re-engagement route isn't just inefficient—it could be disastrous. As Sean Geehan, author of The B2B Executive Playbook puts it, B2B companies should implement strategies that make “sustainable, predictable, and profitable growth” possible.
- [What Is the Difference Between Commission and Incentives – Which Is Better for Sales Motivation?](https://extu.com/blog/commission-and-incentives/): Commission and incentives aren’t the same. Not only are commission and sales incentives awarded for different reasons, each has a unique mental impact on the receiver. Now, what exactly is the difference between commission and incentives, and why does it matter?
- [Marketing through the channel effectively with drip email campaigns](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-through-channel-effectively-with-drip-campaigns/): What is the goal of a digital marketing campaign? In the end, the goal of every marketing effort is the same: to make sales. But the path to a sale is often a long one.
- [Training Techniques to Help You Excel at Channel Enablement](https://extu.com/blog/channel-enablement/): Ever look for your glasses and realize, quite some time later, that they were on your face the entire time? If you’re struggling with channel enablement and increasing channel sales, there may be a solution. And, a lot like those pesky glasses, its right in front of you – it’s your channel partner training strategy.
- [Channel partner incentives, by the numbers](https://extu.com/blog/channel-partner-incentives/): Traditionally, partner incentives have been offered as rewards for partners hitting sales targets, but increasingly brands are finding value in offering partner incentives to encourage certain behaviors, including lead generation and deal registration.
- [Encouraging Employee Motivation Through Internal Promotion](https://extu.com/blog/encouraging-employee-motivation-internal-promotion/): If an employee feels stuck in their current position and sees no prospect of advancement, it can lead to a feeling of resentment toward the company and their job. In such circumstances, these workers may begin to search for other employment opportunities. One of the ways you can prevent this is by encouraging employee motivation through internal promotion. Not only can internal promotion motivate and engage individual employees, but it can also help your company in the following ways:
- [How Are B2C and B2B Loyalty Programs Different?](https://extu.com/blog/how-are-b2c-and-b2b-loyalty-programs-different/): Often it seems like B2C marketers get to have all the fun stuff. Viral Twitter hashtags, tear-jerker commercials, the attention of a big audience, and customer loyalty programs. But wait! B2C doesn’t get it all when it comes to customer loyalty programs. There are a lot of effective ways B2B marketers can influence their customers with a loyalty program. While B2B loyalty programs should be set up a little differently than B2C ones, it doesn't mean loyalty programs are only for B2C companies.
- [9 Creative Marketing Strategies for Your B2B Loyalty Program](https://extu.com/blog/creative-marketing-strategies-for-b2b-loyalty/): Are you ready to launch your B2B loyalty program, but need some creative marketing strategies to promote it? Or, is your existing B2B loyalty program due for a much-needed makeover? If so, here are nine inventive marketing strategies to take your program to the next level.
- [How to Reach Dealer Incentives Program ROI in 11 Steps](https://extu.com/blog/dealer-incentives-program-roi/): Reward programs are familiar to most people (think Starbucks Rewards). But their close cousin - a dealer incentives program - isn't. Not only are most people not familiar with them, but the people who need them most also aren't sure how to reach an ROI using one. There's a lot of reasons why reaching ROI with your dealer incentives program may be hard, but it starts with trying to connect with your dealers.
- [7 Smart Ways to Use Channel Incentives in B2B Marketing](https://extu.com/blog/channel-incentives-in-b2b-marketing/): There are many ways to use channel incentives in B2B marketing. Especially if you want to build better relationships with your distributors, you can start with a channel partner incentive program. When done well, channel incentives go hand-in-hand with your channel sales goals and set you apart from your competition. Channel incentives help you build brand loyalty with your channel partners.
- [Your Employees Deserve a Better Tenure Recognition Program](https://extu.com/blog/employee-tenure-recognition-program/): The average U.S. employee’s tenure is only 4.6 years. When you subtract the time spent training the employee and the duration of time that an employee has mentally “checked out” long before resigning, 4.6 years' worth of productivity...isn't much. Not only that but an American Psychological Association survey reported that fewer than half of employees are happy with their job’s employee recognition efforts. The same survey revealed that about half of working Americans reported an average level of work engagement. About a quarter reported low or very low work engagement levels. But there's good news: employee engagement techniques such as an employee tenure recognition program can help you increase retention rates, job satisfaction and employee motivation.
- [Can Construction Loyalty Programs Change Part-Time Customers’ Ways?](https://extu.com/blog/construction-loyalty-programs/): A construction loyalty program with multichannel communication tools lets you quickly and easily deliver information in the most effective way possible. With the option of a loyalty app version of your program, you can instantly connect to dealers and contractors even when they’re out in the field. A contractor could open your loyalty program app to find a notification about a casement window promotion just as they’re about to purchase window materials. Finding this relevant information just at the right moment creates an incredibly positive interaction with your brand. A mere purchase can't compare with that. You can use this same loyalty program technology to send product updates, offer regional discounts, and just about anything else that would be useful for your channel partners to know.
- [Company Incentive Program Ideas](https://extu.com/blog/company-incentive-program-ideas/): Look at your employee rewards plan or business incentive program. Has anything changed since you first implemented it? Updating your incentives plan for your employees can boost its effectiveness and improve productivity in your company. In many ways, it speaks to how motivation is driven by purpose. Some of the best incentive plans include online points programs, flexible work hours, group travel incentives, corporate events, skill set development and new learning opportunities. Here are a few company incentive program ideas you can implement in your workplace to boost motivation and productivity.
- [What’s Happening at the Best Companies to Work for?](https://extu.com/blog/best-companies-to-work-for/): Fortune’s annual 100 Best Companies to Work For list is out and many of the same companies that were on there last year grace the list with their presence once again. For someone in the incentives and motivation industry, it’s great to read about what it is these companies do to be at the forefront of the want-to-work-for job market.
- [The Top Benefits of Customer Loyalty Programs](https://extu.com/blog/top-benefits-of-customer-loyalty-programs/): Companies everywhere are implementing customer loyalty programs to increase customer retention and expand their client base. But what other benefits of customer loyalty programs can you expect for your company?
- [Don’t forget the little guy: helping smaller channel partners succeed](https://extu.com/blog/dont-forget-the-little-guy/): While you should be thankful for the business generated by your top-performing partners, you should also be wary of the risks that come with depending on a small number of resellers.
- [AI in the IT channel: past, present, and future](https://extu.com/blog/ai-channel-past-present-and-future/): Seth Robinson chats about the current state of artificial intelligence in IT, where it’s heading and how the IT channel can do a better job of marketing AI to buyers.
- [The channel marketer’s challenge: how to measure ROI?](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-roi/): With all the work you’ve put into your channel marketing program, you’re wondering if it’s really paying off.
- [Ways to Improve Sales Performance](https://extu.com/blog/ways-to-improve-sales-performance/): When it comes to poor sales performance, the “why?” is always easier to understand than the “how?” In this piece, we do the heavy lifting for you. Here are four ways to improve sales performance and sales strategies.
- [AI Small Business](https://extu.com/blog/ai-trending-smes-arent-buying/): In June we sent out a survey to 363 North-American partners to see if they agreed with the results of our 2018 Business IT Trends report. Not too shockingly, most of our partners were in general alignment with what our buyers thought regarding IT budgeting priorities. When it comes to expectations for VR/AR and AI verticals, however, we see a remarkable rift between the two.
- [How Does a Reward Points Program Work?](https://extu.com/blog/reward-points-program/): A reward points program is a method of rewarding people for certain behaviors using virtual currency, i.e. reward points. Reward recipients can then exchange their points for items in an online rewards catalog. These programs can be used for a variety of reasons in business environments, from motivating employees and increasing sales to building customer loyalty.
- [Creating effective content for channel partners](https://extu.com/blog/creating-effective-channel-marketing-content/): Help channel marketers engage with their target audience by providing them with resources to build trust and be cultivate a relationship.
- [Business IT Trends for 2018: 5 Ways to Stay in the Game](https://extu.com/blog/5-ways-to-stay-in-the-game/): Earlier this year, we released our second annual Business IT Trends Report. We were able to gather survey responses from almost 1,300 businesses from around the world, and combine those findings with data from over 30,000 marketing campaigns.
- [What IT Partners Really Want From Your Marketing Programs](https://extu.com/blog/marketing-programs/): It’s no wonder that so many channel partners are consistently disappointed by the results of their marketing efforts and think that marketing is futile. The great majority of partners don’t have the time or resources to regularly target customers with high-quality digital marketing campaigns.
- [How Can You Inspire Brand Loyalty in Your Distribution Channel Partners?](https://extu.com/blog/distribution-channel-partners-loyalty/): Last month, we covered some of the reasons distribution channel partners may not value your brand as highly as you'd like them to. These reasons include miscommunication, lacking B2B customer data, mismatched partnership and not engaging channel partners. This month let's sink our teeth into distribution channel strategy. What can you change about your channel marketing and partnerships to make your distribution channel partners more loyal?
- [Best Tools for a Sales Incentive Strategy](https://extu.com/blog/best-tools-sales-incentive-strategy/): Want a great sales incentive strategy? We designed and developed our own set of proprietary tools that you can take advantage of to get your sales incentive program off to a strong start. Once you see the initial results, you can use additional modules to extend your reach and make the most of every statistic. Add more modules as you need them and stay one move ahead of the game with the following best tools for a sales incentive strategy!
- [Why Don’t Sales Channel Distributors See You the Way You Do?](https://extu.com/blog/sales-channel-distributors/): Your sales channel distributors don't always have the same definition of your brand that you do. Ideally, you want to be on the same page with your channel partners, aligning your sales and marketing goals so that you both get the most out of the relationship. But what if that's not the reality of your distribution partners? Let's identify a few things that may be causing a disconnect. Once you understand why distributors don't see you the way you want to be seen, you can begin adjusting their view.
- [Long-term marketing is the only marketing that works](https://extu.com/blog/long-term-marketing-works/): It’s no wonder that so many channel partners are consistently disappointed by the results of their marketing efforts and think that marketing is futile. The great majority of partners don’t have the time or resources to regularly target customers with high-quality digital marketing campaigns. On the rare occasions that they do take the time to craft a marketing campaign, they’re disappointed to see how little effect it seems to have. Where’s the return on investment?
- [Why Don’t Third Party Resellers See Your Brand the Way You Do?](https://extu.com/blog/third-party-resellers/): It's not always easy to get on the same page with your distribution partners, or third party resellers. They have their own companies' business challenges and sales and marketing goals to worry about. When you peer in to see how your brand is reflected in their eyes... the sight may be frightening. Here are a few common reasons you and your third party resellers may not see eye-to-eye:
- [The Learn and Earn Module](https://extu.com/blog/learn-earn-module/): While you may have heard of the Learn and Earn concept before, chances are you can’t quite envision how it can help your staff succeed. The short answer is that the Learn and Earn Module is a thoroughly vetted solution for the problems of lack of sales skills, knowledge and time. The long answer is, well, a bit longer.
- [Giving B2B Customers the Content They Trust](https://extu.com/blog/giving-b2b-customers-content-trust/): For IT buyers, it’s hard to make sense of all of the competing marketing campaigns flooding their inboxes on a daily basis. Vendors from across the world are vying for their attention with all kinds of different product promotions, blog posts and social media content. In order to make a decision, buyers have to wade through a cacophony of voices and choose one they can trust.
- [5 Tips for Executing an Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/executing-incentive-program/): Executing an incentive program that is right for your business needs can feel like a serious challenge. Many companies never get it right and spend a lot of time and money creating a system that leaves their employees feeling confused or unappreciated. You just can't afford to make that kind of mistake because it can cost you thousands of dollars or more.
- [Growing A Lead List Organically: Why Buying Leads Doesn’t Work for IT Channel Partners](https://extu.com/blog/growing-lead-list-organically-buying-leads-doesnt-work-channel-partners/): For an IT reseller hungry for business, buying potential prospects may seem like a natural course of action to boost its customer base. But, in our experience, it’s rarely a worthwhile decision, with the results typically ranging from disappointing to disastrous.
- [How to Effectively Market on a Limited Budget](https://extu.com/blog/effectively-market-limited-budget/): Every month we talk to thousands of small businesses that have virtually no in-house marketing. They have no dedicated staff to handle marketing, largely because if you’re a small or midsize IT reseller, marketing isn’t what drove you to get into this business. You’re focused mostly on making sales and providing top-notch technical expertise to your customers.
- [5 Surprising Tips to Increase Channel Partner Engagement](https://extu.com/blog/tips-increase-channel-partner-engagement/): How do you do it? Here are five surprising tips to increase channel partner engagement by creating mutual benefits:
- [How to Implement an Incentive Program That Will Work Right Out of the Gate](https://extu.com/blog/implement-incentive-program-will-work-right-gate/): Learn how to implement an incentive program the right way from the people who put them to work for their clients every day. These tips come from a company with a tried and tested approach to building successful channel incentive programs across multiple industries.
- [6 Successful Channel Incentive Program Strategies](https://extu.com/blog/6-successful-channel-incentive-program-strategies/): A successful channel incentive program helps you boost engagement and drive sales through your channel partners. By leveraging effective strategies, you can motivate your partners, increase their loyalty, and enhance overall performance.
- [6 Channel Incentive Program Strategies that Work](https://extu.com/blog/channel-incentive-program-strategies-work/): Dozens of factors influence the outcomes of channel sales and marketing. Combine that with the fact that incentive technology has numerous, flexible capabilities, and you get a lot of channel incentive program strategies to choose from. This can make it difficult to know which incentive strategies will work for your business. It can help to understand what, exactly, businesses who run successful incentive programs are doing right. That’s why we took a close look at our most successful channel incentive program clients and identified the most effective techniques.
- [4 Priceless Partner Motivation Tips That Can Boost Your Partner Relationships](https://extu.com/blog/partner-relationships/): Are you looking for an incredible series of partner motivation tips that can propel you and your business partners to the top of the pack? There are many different ways you can motivate your partners and improve your relationships. These include tips such as using sales incentive programs and channel incentive programs to increase the motivation of all of your partners. We’ve compiled some of the best and most exciting options for you.
- [How to Make Channel Marketing as Direct as Possible](https://extu.com/blog/make-channel-marketing-direct-possible/): If only channel marketing were as simple as direct marketing. Don’t get me wrong. Figuring out how to convince people to buy your product is always a challenge, whether your target market is tween girls or multinational corporations. But for direct marketers, the only thing that matters is what end buyers want.
- [eMail Bounces: Make it an Opportunity](https://extu.com/blog/email-bounces-make-opportunity/): Let’s face it: There are few things as aggravating as an email bounce. You need your subscribers to see a message, and you can’t deliver that message to them.
- [5 Steps to Successfully Implement a Sales Incentive Program](https://extu.com/blog/successful-sales-incentive-program/): To successfully implement a sales incentive program can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be! We’ve put together this simple guide for the 5 key steps that will help shift any program off the drawing board and into your office.
- [The Power Hour](https://extu.com/blog/the-power-hour/): You’ve built a healthy email list, you’ve sent valuable content to your subscribers, and your readers have opened and clicked the email. While the average B2B marketer might consider this campaign completed, we know a great email marketer will take one more step for the best results.
- [eMail Unsubscribes: Is it all bad?](https://extu.com/blog/email-unsubscribes-bad/): There’s an age-old fear of unsubscribes in the email marketing world. Marketers dread a decrease in list size, and some take it personally when a reader loses interest. But the question is: Are unsubscribes really a bad thing? Here are four reasons to accept — and even embrace — unsubscribes.
- [Challenges of the Indirect Channel Model and How to Overcome Them](https://extu.com/blog/indirect-channel-model/): In today’s business world, the constant pressure to improve revenue has led to an increase in the number of companies leveraging an indirect channel model. And it makes sense: it’s faster, cheaper and easier than direct sales.
- [How Bringing on an Intern Improved Our Work Motivation and Sanity!](https://extu.com/blog/bringing-intern-improved-work-motivation/): Some companies may hesitate to bring on an intern. The marketing team here at Incentive Solutions definitely did. There’s a lot of uncertainty and risk involved. Is it really worth it to spend our time and resources training someone who may not be a good fit for our organization or team? Are we just going to lose productivity giving a newbie free experience while our workload stacks up? While doing all of this our work motivation plummets? Well, at least we can always send them for coffee, right?
- [Which Incentive Strategies Should You Be Using?](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-strategies-using/): There are so many different schools of thought and strategies when it comes to operating business incentive programs. How do you know which incentive strategies you should use? It all comes down to who you want to incentivize or reward.
- [Your Guide to Incentive Program Billing Options](https://extu.com/blog/guide-incentive-program-billing-options/): Whatever your current business objectives and marketing budget are, your incentive program billing model should align with your needs. Choose the billing model that makes the most sense for you in order to max out your program’s ROI.
- [What You Need to Know About Reward Program Billing Models](https://extu.com/blog/need-know-reward-program-billing-models/): One of the things that make online reward programs such a useful business and marketing tool is how flexible they are. The goals you set, the behaviors you reward, the amount of money you invest and the way you communicate to participants can all be tailored to your unique business needs and objectives. You even have options when it comes to the way you pay for your rewards program. In this article, we’ll walk you through the value of digital reward points, as well as five different billing models commonly used to pay for them. When you’re through reading this piece, you’ll be more informed on reward program cost options and better able to determine which billing model would work best for your business.
- [[Infographic] The 6 Steps of Savvy Incentive Program Budgeting](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-program-budgeting/): How much should an incentive program cost? Well, the definition of an "incentive program" is broad, and they come in all shapes and sizes. So do their costs. However, there are a few universal incentive program budgeting best practices we recommend to ensure your incentive program costs make sense for your budget and goals:
- [What Do Online Rewards Program Costs Include?](https://extu.com/blog/online-rewards-program-costs-include/): What exactly are you paying for when you decide to adopt an online rewards program for your business? When you're in the process of choosing the best online rewards program for your budget, you should expect the cost to include these three things:
- [How to Create and Run an Incentive Program Budget](https://extu.com/blog/budget-incentive-program/): Unsurprisingly, the first thing people want to know about starting up an incentive program is this: how much does it cost? The short answer is, “it all depends.” The long answer? Well, consider this article the long answer. We can’t tell you exactly how to establish your incentive program budget until we spend a little time researching your business needs, but we can lead you to having a better idea of how you should create and manage your incentive program budget by providing this six-step, pre-game plan.
- [Hop Aboard This Travel Incentives Trend: European River Cruises](https://extu.com/blog/hop-aboard-travel-incentives-trend-european-river-cruises/): In today’s crowded markets, every company wants to stand out and secure top talent in the industry. One of the best ways to show appreciation to your top salespeople and market yourself as an exciting, thriving organization is to plan a group travel or incentive trip. Unique destinations are sure to turn heads, which is why we want to share great incentive trip ideas with you. We created the monthly Emerging Incentive Travel Destination series to highlight interesting destinations and point out what makes them perfect for corporate and incentive travel.
- [Using an Employee Motivation Program to Inspire Success](https://extu.com/blog/employee-motivation-program-inspire-success/): As a business owner, you expect your employees to provide their best effort toward the success of the business, and you compensate them appropriately for their hard work and dedication to achieve mutual business goals. Whether their pay is based on an hourly rate, salary, or commission depends on the specifics of their contract, but great employees always deserve rewards. Conducting an official employee motivation program can engage employees, as well as ensuring they feel appreciated and recognized.
- [Emerging Incentive Travel Destinations: Florida Keys All Inclusive Packages](https://extu.com/blog/incentive-travel-florida-keys-all-inclusive/): Another entry into our Emerging Incentive Travel Destination series is here! If you’ve missed previous posts in this series, let’s catch you up. Every month, we highlight a specific location for its excellent potential as an incentive travel spot. Many of these are destinations our own travel team has visited, coordinating corporate events and memorable group travel experiences. Other emerging incentive travel destinations we've covered include Hawaii and Nicaragua.
- [Research on Types of Incentive Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/research-types-incentive-rewards/): Contact Us
- [Why Provide Corporate Incentive Programs, and Who Deserves Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/provide-corporate-incentive-programs-deserves-rewards/): Corporate incentive programs are a basic function of every business, large or small. Every employee and client contributes to the overall success of the company and are rewarded with pay or a service, but they deserve recognition in order to assure repeat performance. The employee is expected to continue to produce the same results, and the client is expected to be a repeat customer. A very simple “thank you” gesture shows each how much they are appreciated and assures they continue to be a part of the ongoing business success.
- [Emerging Incentive Travel Destinations: Nothing Compares to Hawaii](https://extu.com/blog/emerging-incentive-travel-destinations-nothing-compares-hawaii/): This month’s Emerging Incentive Travel Destination isn’t an obscure one. Sometimes you want to go somewhere out of the ordinary and sometimes you want to go one of the most timeless, beautiful destinations on Earth, one that’s on just about everyone’s dream travel list: Hawaii.
- [Was The Big Bang Theory Right About Rewards?](https://extu.com/blog/big-bang-theory-right-rewards/): In an episode of The Big Bang Theory called "The Gothowitz Deviation," characters Sheldon, Penny and Leonard perfectly demonstrate an ongoing debate among behaviorists and economists. Is it possible to change people with rewards? More specifically, can incentive programs and employee rewards influence employee behavior and customer loyalty? Let’s see how the show answered this question.
- [Maximizing Your Employee Incentive Plan](https://extu.com/blog/maximizing-employee-incentive-plan/): It’s safe to say that the majority of business owners have a vested interest in keeping their employees motivated and engaged in the success of the enterprise. It’s also safe to say that if you want an employee to stay invested in your business, you must first invest in the employee. One way to show an employee their value and to motivate their behavior is to establish an employee incentive plan.
- [Best Way to Motivate Generation X](https://extu.com/blog/best-way-motivate-generation-x/): Generations in the Workforce & Marketplace: Preferences in Rewards, Recognition & Incentives Generation X is more independent than other generations because they learned to take care of themselves as “latchkey kids” at an early age—letting themselves into their homes, making their own lunches and dinners, and doing their own homework, for example. Most generational experts agree on a few truths about Gen X. Namely, Generation X came of age at a time when dual income families and divorce rates were sky rocketing. Xers weren’t told they could do or be anything they wanted, at least to to the extent Boomers and Millennials were. They saw their parents less because, in many cases, their parents were hard-charging Boomers working long hours to make a difference and get ahead. Today’s disloyalty between workers and employers, in fact, began as Xers entered the workforce. Since then, the distance between employees and employers has widened such that Xers and Millennials today expect to depend on themselves to steer their own careers. Xers, it is argued, are constantly concerned with building their resumes because they don’t expect to stay with one employer for a long time. This is consistent with generational theory that would point out the turbulent economic conditions and mass layoffs that occurred during their formative years. Generation X is also said to demand a greater degree of proof that a reward or incentive is what it purports to be. Experts recommend that you “ensure that you don’t make promises that you can’t keep” to Xers in particular. Where Xers are invited to events, they may seek meaningful information from knowledgeable people more so than other generations. In other words, the brochure or sleek corporate video may not cut it with many Xers, they might prefer the detailed product specifications and the raw YouTube video made by a regular employee or customer, for example. In its 2015 study on the generations, IBM found that despite the belief that Millennials seek the most frequent recognition among the generations, “They are no hungrier for accolades than Gen X employees.” Like Boomers and Millennials, IBM argues, Xers prefer face-to-face experiences to virtual ones. However, they might go either way when it comes to preferring casual or extreme experiences. Generations in the Workplace: The Convergence of Baby Boomers, Generation X & Millennials As their Baby Boomer mothers increasingly entered the workforce, Generation X became the first generation in which a significant number of children grew up in dual-income households. They were also the first generation of “latch-key” kids. Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980, totaled 46 million people in the United States in 2010. They learned to be independent, self-reliant, resourceful, and comfortable on their own. In the workplace, Gen Xers are independent, technologically savvy, and strong multi-taskers. As a rule, they do not see the value in frequent meetings when a weekly, or even daily, email update can provide the same information. This generation is motivated by extra time off rather than money, and they place a high value on their personal lives. Forget Millennials. Gen Xers Are the Future of Work Gen Xers play the 7-up game daily. They are known for keeping their heads down and assuming their work speaks for itself. They constantly plug along and feign satisfaction, too afraid to upset the apple cart. And that’s a productivity and engagement killer. poised for great leadership–the average age of an S&P 1500 CEO is 50. And they’re already leading the majority of growing companies: 68% of Inc. 500 CEOs are Gen Xers. We know Generation Xers are less engaged than their Millennial counterparts, and that makes for less motivated, energized and prepared leaders. According to AARP, “in 2012, 42% of Generation X had a financially dependent child along with a parent over 65.” Like it or not, we can’t ignore the stress, concern and lack of sleep that follows them into the workplace and into positions of leadership. The generation under the most financial stress, Generation X lost 45% of its wealth–almost double that of the Baby Boomers before them. Because Generation Xers will make up only 20% of the workforce, as leadership roles are vacated by older workers, there are fewer Generation Xers available. And Millennials may not have the experience and maturity needed for such roles. The Stunning Fall Of Generation X Young generations have stopped getting richer over time. In just about every regard, Gen X has fallen behind financially. Even before the recession, they were earning less and saving less for retirement than previous generations did at their age while taking on unprecedented debt. They were hit hardest by the recession, losing half of their wealth from 2007 to 2010. 37-year-old Americans today are actually much poorer than 37-year-olds in 1983. The recession dealt a devastating blow to Gen X, knocking median net worth from $75,077 in 2007 to a paltry $41,600 three years after the recession. By 2010, Gen Xer's assets were less than twice as much as their debt load, making them more likely to take on more debt as they struggled to pay for housing, student loans and car payments.
- [Designing a Corporate Rewards Program](https://extu.com/blog/corporate-rewards-program/): Imagine this: a customer is researching your, sees you have a corporate rewards program, and their eyes light up. An employee achieves a sales target and eagerly checks their rewards balance. A client receives a thoughtful birthday gift from your company, a subtle reminder of the strong partnership you share. These are just a few snapshots of the magic that unfolds when you implement a corporate rewards program.
- [Emerging Incentive Travel Destinations: Nicaragua, Central America’s Hidden Gem](https://extu.com/blog/emerging-incentive-travel-destinations-nicaragua-central-americas-hidden-gem-2/): If you’re a latecomer to our Emerging Incentive Travel Destination series, here’s the scoop: every month, we’ve been dedicating a blog post to places all over the world that can provide unique incentive travel experiences. Popular, well-known places like The Bahamas and Panama Beach attract a lot of corporate and incentive travel, but our event planning and group travel connections have led us to some more interesting corners of the world. If you want to offer your incentive program participants or corporate event attendees travel opportunities that no other company has thought of, look no further than this blog series!
- [How Incentive Travel Motivates Millennials to Reach Their Goals](https://extu.com/blog/how-incentive-travel-motivates-millennials-to-reach-your-goals/): If it’s true that the generation mix has significantly varied expectations, preferences and tastes, it could certainly have an impact on a company’s sales performance reward tactics, including incentive travel plans. Do Baby Boomer salespeople prefer incentive trips to Florida where they can lay on the beach and read Tom Clancy? Do Millennial salespeople just want to go somewhere exotic and Instagram every meal? We’ll attempt to answer these questions and more with a series of articles on incentive group travel and the generation mix. Our goal is to help event planners and sales leaders understand and leverage the ways incentive travel rewards uniquely motivate team members from each generation to achieve business and sales goals.
- [How Can a Corporate Event Planner Help You Negotiate Group Travel Contracts?](https://extu.com/blog/group-travel-contracts/): One of the major challenges of corporate events and group travel is contract negotiation. With large groups come large responsibilities. Hotels and resorts want to secure their profits and liabilities with contracts. If you host a group travel event yearly, you might be able to score a mutually beneficial relationship with a hotel or resort. By choosing one location year after year, you build up a reputation as a reliable client. Consider another option, though: a group travel service helps you negotiate thorny contracts on your behalf. Group travel experts have experience and deal with travel contracts all the time. They can use their large network of hotels, resorts, agents, and cruise lines to your advantage. When you work with a corporate event planner, they can look for clauses to renegotiate in your favor.
- [Three Ways Convenience Impacts Customer Loyalty](https://extu.com/blog/three-ways-convenience-impacts-customer-loyalty/): In this highly-connected age of information and interactions, when customers “cheat” on brands more than ever, customer loyalty is hard to achieve. Customers can effortlessly find out just how many options they have for any product or service, and easily compare the benefits or downsides of those options.  Nearly every brand, service, or store under the sun has an online review page where potential customers can read about others’ experiences and determine whether a particular brand deserves their business. In this article, we’ll explore why customers choose one brand over another, and how you can make your own brand stand out.
- [What Does Office Environment Mean to You?](https://extu.com/blog/what-does-office-environment-mean-to-you/): Here are a few helpful articles:
- [Sales Motivation: What it Means to Be Ego Driven](https://extu.com/blog/what-it-really-means-to-be-ego-driven/): It's no secret that salespeople have a reputation for being ego-driven. Sales is a competitive field and it attracts people who like visible, immediately gratifying accomplishments. Many elements of the famous sales ego are external. Take competition with co-workers and rival organizations, for example. Great salespeople are also known for charismatic and persuasive interactions with customers. The sales motivation underneath all those extroverted displays, however, is very emotional and personal. The source of ego-driven motivation is not always ambition or energy. Ego-driven sales motivation often comes from a need to enhance self-esteem (Greenberg, Herbert M., 2010).
- [Avoid These 7 Common Sales Incentive Mistakes](https://extu.com/blog/avoid-these-7-common-sales-incentive-mistakes/): Last month, we discussed How to Execute an Incentive Program that Benefits Sales on our Incentive Solutions blog. In this week’s article, we will discuss some of the common pitfalls companies succumb to when they initiate a sales incentive program. An Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) study found that, although incentive programs have proven benefits, organizations often fail to take full advantage of them because they “lack the knowledge or will to create properly constructed programs that yield desired results” (Clark, R.E., Condly S.J. , Stolovitch). By being aware of these common mistakes, managers and team leaders can avoid them on the onset, before they become hindrances to promising new motivation strategies.
- [Why Are Trip Incentives So Motivating?](https://extu.com/blog/makes-travel-unique-motivator/): As budgets gradually expand, more companies are beginning to reconsider and restore incentive programs. Incentive programs provide employee recognition and reward behaviors that create a more positive work environment, stimulate productivity, and inspire loyalty. Trip incentives are one of the most appealing sales incentives managers can offer. People place unique, emotional and psychological value on travel experiences.
- [Step Up Your Sales Promotions](https://extu.com/blog/sales-promotions/): Almost every business in the world offers sales promotions. There’s no escaping them. But who would want to? Sales promotions are an excellent way to drive incremental sales on new products, or even on products that you want to move at a certain time of year when they typically sell slowly. Sales promotions give your clients/customers a tangible answer to the question “what’s in it for me?” But for your company, they offer much greater benefits.
- [Millennials and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs](https://extu.com/blog/millennials-maslows-hierarchy-needs/): A week ago we discussed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the way it impacts employee engagement. Now, let's look at the hierarchy again and see how it affects millennials, those born anywhere between the early 80’s and the late 90’s. The Millennials will soon be the largest demographic within the American workforce.
- [9 Ways to Incentivize Employees without Using Money](https://extu.com/blog/9-ways-to-incentivize-employees-without-using-money/): All entrepreneurs, business owners and managers think about ways to incentivize their employees in ways other than throwing a pile of cash at the employee. Employees, in turn, can be motivated by things other than money. In fact, there are quite a lot of motivational techniques to employ at the workplace which will keep your employees happy, motivated and productive.
- [Leader In Online Reward Marketing Expanding Sales Team Of World’s Best Incentive Reward Platform](https://extu.com/blog/leader-in-online-reward-marketing-expanding/): We have an extraordinary 90% closing ratio when we get a qualified prospect to experience a 45 minute web demo.
- [Best Practices For Contractor Spiffs](https://extu.com/blog/best-practices-for-spiffing-contractor-purchases/): Once you lower prices it is difficult to raise them. But offering contractor spiffs for a short (quarterly) promotion via VISA prepaid debit gift cards or a choice of 155 store gift cards has proven to give sales a jolt.
- [Healthcare Savings of $11 Million for Kansas City Employers](https://extu.com/blog/healthcare-savings-of-11-million-for-kansas-city-employers/): Study after study demonstrate the benefits of adopting a corporate health and wellness program. Analyzing this information and specific workforce trends, Kansas City, Missouri employers took action.
- [Health and Wellness Program Had Domino’s Pizza’s Workers Walk to the Moon and Back](https://extu.com/blog/health-and-wellness-program-had-dominos-pizzas-workers-walk-to-the-moon-and-back/): Corporate health and wellness programs are finding their way into every business sector, including the fast food industry. In a recent press release, Domino’s Pizza reported on its own health and wellness incentive results.
- [Texas Roadhouse Focuses on Tangible Rewards](https://extu.com/blog/texas-roadhouse-focuses-on-tangible-rewards/): An employee rewards program is a significant tool that can be used to motivate and engage employees. Texas Roadhouse knows this. The barbecue restaurant chain tweaked their existing incentive programs in 2010, to focus on tangible gifts rather than direct cash incentives.
- [Purpose-driven Motivation is the Most Powerful and Effective](https://extu.com/blog/purpose-driven-motivation-is-the-most-powerful-and-effective/): Purpose-driven motivation is what Pink considers the most forceful type of motivation. To be purpose-driven, the employee must feel he is a valuable part of the business, that his efforts and successes are integral to the company.

## Pages
- [Channel Intelligence Hub – Variant/AB Test](https://extu.com/channel-intelligence-hub-variantab/): Your channel program may look active. Partners may be engaged. Incentives may be moving. But if you can’t connect spend to behavior, behavior to sales, and sales to ROI, you're still guessing.
- [Attribution Calculator](https://extu.com/resources/attribution-calculator/): 10 questions across five dimensions. About two minutes. Your score maps directly to the Attribution Maturity Model and shows exactly where gaps are costing money.
- [Channel Intelligence Hub](https://extu.com/channel-intelligence-hub/): Most channel programs run on disconnected data and institutional habit. The numbers behind that problem are worse than most people realize.
- [Channel Intelligence Hub – Variant](https://extu.com/channel-intelligence-hub-variant/): Your channel program may look active. Partners may be engaged. Incentives may be moving. But if you can’t connect spend to behavior, behavior to sales, and sales to ROI, you're still guessing.
- [Channel Program ROI Calculator](https://extu.com/resources/roi-calculator/): Stop estimating. Run the numbers on your incentive investment or your through-channel marketing spend and see what the return looks like before you're in a budget meeting defending it.
- [William Shida- Bio](https://extu.com/about/leadership/william-shida-bio/): Press Inquiries
- [Nichole Gunn – Bio](https://extu.com/about/leadership/nichole-gunn/): Press Inquiries
- [Extu Client Panel](https://extu.com/programs/client-panel/): The Extu Client Panel is your seat at the table — an exclusive, invite-only group of clients helping shape what’s next in partner marketing, incentives, and channel growth. You’ll gain valuable insights, early access, and direct influence while connecting with peers who lead the way in their industries.
- [Extu Rewards](https://extu.com/programs/rewards/): Extu Rewards matches your incentives to your goals, budget, and audience. We deliver the programs, tech, and support to maximize impact and prove success across your channel.
- [Extu Echo Newsletters](https://extu.com/resources/extu-echo-newsletters/): Welcome to Extu Echo! This is where we share what’s new, exciting, and worth celebrating at Extu. Each newsletter is filled with updates, stories, and resources to keep you connected to different teams. Take a look through the editions below and catch up on anything you may have missed.
- [Solutions > Channel Marketing Solutions](https://extu.com/solutions/through-channel-marketing-solutions/): Extu delivers channel marketing solutions that engage and enable channel partners while delivering measurable ROI. Powered by our Partner Experience Platform, these solutions combine intuitive technology, expert services, and high-quality content to help your partners reach more customers and close more deals without adding work to your plate or theirs.
- [Rebates Landing Page](https://extu.com/solutions/smart-rebates-supercharge-channel-strategy/): Rebates are a beautifully simple concept. Channel partners buy from you, earn rewards, then they come back for more. But most rebate programs are slow, disconnected, and untrackable. Partners are stuck jumping through hoops to get their rebates and leadership see nothing but sunk costs. 
- [The Partner Experience Platform](https://extu.com/platform/): The Partner Experience Platform unifies through-channel marketing, channel incentive management, MDF tracking, and partner performance analytics in one connected environment. Run your entire partner ecosystem from one place and see exactly what's driving revenue.
- [Electrical Distributors, Launch a Customer Loyalty Program That Pays for Itself ](https://extu.com/electrical-distributors-launch-a-customer-loyalty-program-that-pays-for-itself/): Margins are tight. Customers shop on price. Discounting cuts deep into profits. But with the right incentives, electrical distributors can increase sales, engagement, and profitability without adding extra costs. That’s the power of a self-funding incentive program. Unlike traditional rewards that drain budgets, Extu ensures that every dollar you spend on your loyalty program generates revenue.
- [Sitemap](https://extu.com/sitemap/): Sitemap HTML Sitemap | Extu Home Platform Solutions Incentive Solutions Through-Channel Marketing Solutions Incentive Travel Solutions Incentive Technology Multi-language Capabilities Services Travel Incentive Services Channel Marketing Services Corporate Meetings & Events Programs Extu Rewards Through Channel Marketing Programs Incentive Programs SPIFF Programs Sales Incentive Programs Channel Incentive Programs Employee Recognition Programs Customer Loyalty Programs Debit Card Reward Programs Rebate Incentive Programs Online Rewards Programs Reward Catalog Travel Incentive Programs Travel Rewards Programs Opportunities Gain Customer Loyalty Engage Channel Partners Prove Channel Marketing ROI Industries Building & Manufacturing Technology Automotive Hospitality Insurance Medical Energy About Leadership Team Careers Extu Cares Awards & Accolades Media Room Resources Case Studies Guides & eBooks Videos & Webinars Mid-Marketers Podcast Templates Whitepapers Infographics ROI Calculator CIM ROI Calculator TCM ROI Calculator FAQs Channel Sales FAQs Customer Loyalty FAQ Employee Incentives FAQ Incentive Program FAQ Incentive Rewards FAQ Through Channel Marketing FAQ Sales Incentives FAQ Extu Blog What is Channel Intelligence? What Is a B2B Loyalty Program? What Is B2B Marketing Attribution? The Unanswerable Question in Channel Incentive What is a SPIFF? What is an Incentive Program? What is Through Channel Marketing? What is Partner Marketing Platform? What is Partner Experience? What is a Partner Experience Platform? Features of a Partner Experience Platform Contact Us
- [Unleash Your Channel Marketing Superpowers ](https://extu.com/solutions/power-of-control/): Your data's trying to tell you something. Take control of your channel with the platform built to actually show you what’s working.
- [Templates](https://extu.com/resources/templates/): Need to move fast and still look polished? These ready-to-use templates help you launch campaigns, plan promotions, and track performance without starting from scratch. Built for channel marketers, each template is designed to save time, drive partner engagement, and make your strategy shine. Grab what you need and start making an impact today.
- [2025 Lenovo Annual Partner Survey ](https://extu.com/legal/2025-lenovo-annual-partner-survey/): We’re a few months into 2025, and Lenovo and Extu want to hear from you! Looking back on 2024, what worked? What could be better? Your feedback helps us fine-tune our programs and support so we can better meet your needs moving forward.  
- [Legal](https://extu.com/legal/): Privacy Notices, Service Agreements, and GDPR Information
- [Programs > Incentive Travel Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-travel-programs/): Extu provides top-tier incentive travel programs, combining unforgettable experiences with advanced incentive technology - allowing you to track, measure, and prove the impact of your trips on business performance.
- [Programs > Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/): Discover the incentive programs that will move your channel, boost sales, and keep partners coming back.
- [Programs > Through Channel Marketing Programs](https://extu.com/programs/through-channel-marketing-programs/): Our unique approach to through channel marketing programs ensures 80% partner participation and 20:1 ROI in just six months.
- [Solutions > Incentive Solutions](https://extu.com/solutions/incentive-solutions/): Extu’s Partner Experience Platform delivers incentive solutions that blends strategy, services, and technology to drive B2B growth and partner engagement. It aligns with your sales goals, simplifies execution, and connects first, second, and third-party attribution data to clearly prove ROI. Smarter incentives, less effort. 
- [Solutions > Incentive Travel Solutions](https://extu.com/solutions/incentive-travel-solutions/): What kinds of incentive travel solutions does Extu offer? 
- [Programs](https://extu.com/programs/): See every piece of the channel clearly with smart programs backed by powerful technology.
- [Q4 Promo – 50% Off](https://extu.com/q4-promo-50-off/): Learn More
- [](https://extu.com/136970-2/): At Extu, we are deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all our operations. We understand that an ethical workplace is not just a requirement; it’s the foundation of trust and respect that we share with our employees, customers, and stakeholders.
- [Mid-Marketers Podcast](https://extu.com/resources/mid-marketers-podcast/): Join us as we tackle the challenges facing mid-sized business and uncover ways to stay ahead of the ever-changing marketing landscape.
- [Gain Channel Partner Loyalty](https://extu.com/solutions/gain-channel-partner-loyalty/): Build channel partner loyalty with marketing and incentive solutions proven to increase revenue. 
- [Drive Partner Engagement](https://extu.com/solutions/increase-channel-engagement/): Extu helps you motivate and engage channel partners, so you can lock in brand loyalty and increase sales.
- [Prove Channel Marketing ROI](https://extu.com/solutions/prove-channel-marketing-roi/): More revenue. Less stress. With Extu's partner experience platform, you get provable incentive and partner marketing ROI.
- [Home: Channel Marketing Solutions](https://extu.com/): Through-Channel Marketing Solutions
- [Kickstart Your Channel Success](https://extu.com/lp/kickstart-your-channel-success/): Looking for incentive program options? Ready to dive deeper and clarify the best option for your business?
- [Accolades](https://extu.com/about/awards-accolades/): Here's how we shine!
- [Narrowing Down the Best Loyalty Program for Growth](https://extu.com/lp/narrowing-down-the-best-loyalty-program-for-growth/): There are a lot of factors to consider when researching how to implement a solid loyalty program for your business. Here are some ideas and best practices that should help your research.
- [Corporate Meetings and Events ](https://extu.com/services/corporate-meetings-and-events/): Our meetings and events services put your brand in the spotlight and rally your audience behind your goals.
- [Extu Cares](https://extu.com/about/extu-cares/): We don't take our jobs lightly. We know the work we do affects the lives of people all around the world. We drive growth for companies, we build futures for individuals, and we provide rewarding new experiences for millions. How lucky are we?
- [Ethics](https://extu.com/legal/ethics/): At Extu, we are deeply committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and professionalism in all our operations. We understand that an ethical workplace is not just a requirement; it’s the foundation of trust and respect that we share with our employees, customers, and stakeholders.
- [Press Mentions](https://extu.com/about/media-room/press-mentions/): Here you’ll find contributed articles, press releases, or press mentions. If it’s out there, it’s in here. 
- [Dell Annual Partner Survey](https://extu.com/legal/partner-incentive-terms-and-conditions/): Dell and Extu want to better understand your business needs to ensure that our upcoming strategies and programs are aligned with your goals for 2024. Your feedback will help us provide the right support to make the year a success for you.
- [Subprocessors](https://extu.com/legal/subprocessors/): Last updated: June 17, 2024
- [Global Collection Statement](https://extu.com/legal/global-collection-statement/): Extu* may collect, use and disclose your personal information for the purpose of: providing our services; managing our business operations; carrying out direct marketing activities; sending marketing materials and carrying out email campaigns on behalf of our clients; lead generation; and analytics.  We will carry out these activities either with your consent, to comply with a contract or where necessary in our legitimate interests.  If we provide services on behalf of our clients, they will be responsible for obtaining your prior consent (where necessary) to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.  You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link.  We may, in connection with the above purposes, disclose your information to third parties, such as our partners and sponsors (e.g. so we can understand the effectiveness of a campaign), and/or to our service providers (e.g. to assist us with the operation or administration of our business).  These third parties may be located in countries outside your home country which may have different standards of data protection – we will, however, make sure measures are in place to safeguard your data when we make transfers.  Please see our Privacy Notice for more details on how your personal information is collected, used and disclosed, including details of your privacy rights (e.g. your right to access, correct or erase your information) and how to contact us if you have any questions or complaints.
- [General Terms of Service](https://extu.com/legal/general-terms-of-service/): Effective: August 23, 2023
- [Partner Contact us](https://extu.com/partner-contact/): Looking for more information? Have a question you can’t find the answer to? No problem. We’re happy to help.
- [Debunking Channel Marketing Myths Thank You](https://extu.com/resources/guides/debunking-channel-marketing-myths-thank-you/): Thanks for downloading The Channel Challenger: Debunking Channel Marketing Myths. Congratulations on taking your first steps toward channel marketing success! Your book is available below and we’re going to email it to you so you don’t have to remember this link. We also want to give you some additional content that will help you along on your next steps!
- [GDPR Trust Center](https://extu.com/legal/gdpr-trust-center/): As a provider of digital marketing services, Extu is committed to working closely with our partners to help them comply with their requirements under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and local implementing legislation. We have developed this guide to help you understand your GDPR responsibilities and explain how Extu is supporting you through its own GDPR compliance efforts.
- [GDPR Explained](https://extu.com/legal/gdpr-explained/): The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a legal framework designed to protect the privacy of individuals in the European Union (EU) and give them greater control over how their personal data is collected, processed and used.
- [GDPR and Partners](https://extu.com/legal/gdpr-and-partners/): What partners need to know about GDPR compliance in our Channel Marketing Solution.
- [GDPR and Extu](https://extu.com/legal/gdpr-and-extu/): At Extu, we value our users' privacy.
- [Cookie Policy](https://extu.com/legal/cookie-policy/): Effective: 23 December 2022
- [Incentive Solution ROI Calculator](https://extu.com/resources/cim-roi-calculator/): See clearly, all the way through the channel. Our Incentive Solution ROI calculator will help you predict the return you could be receiving on one of our incentive programs.
- [Incentive Program FAQ](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/incentive-program-faq/): What is an incentive program?
- [Through Channel Marketing FAQ](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/through-channel-marketing-faq/): Curious about through channel marketing? We've got you.
- [Incentive Management ](https://extu.com/services/incentive-management-services/): Make your incentive program better while getting back time, resources, and results.  
- [Channel Sales FAQs](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/channel-sales-faqs/): Got a question about channel sales? We have answers.
- [Webinars](https://extu.com/resources/webinars/): Webinars for Growth
- [Program > Travel Rewards Program](https://extu.com/programs/travel-rewards-program/): No reward makes a motivational impact like travel rewards. 
- [Get more channel partner loyalty](https://extu.com/get-more-channel-partner-loyalty/): We don't settle for standard. Our staff and software are dedicated to creating a loyalty program that gets you more.
- [Programs >> Online Rewards & Incentives Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/online-merchandise-reward-programs/): The best thing about an online rewards program is that it simply works: offering flexibility, ease of use, and copious options that appeal to everyone. Whether you want to improve sales performance, increase product knowledge, or build loyalty, online points programs are a quick and easy way for you to celebrate accomplishments and establish relationships.
- [Multi-language Capabilities](https://extu.com/solutions/multi-language-capabilities/): Working on improving your channel results in a new region? No problem. You can launch a Through Channel Marketing program in local languages at scale with minimal work for you. 
- [Programs >> Rebate Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/rebate-incentive-programs/): Capture valuable customer data and build loyalty with a compelling channel partner and customer rebate program. Rebate incentives reward buyers by returning a portion of their purchase back to them—whether it’s based on purchase volume or for buying specific products. 
- [Programs >> SPIFF Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/spiff-programs/): Our support team is dedicated to helping you quickly launch a personalized SPIFF program.
- [Thank You!](https://extu.com/contact/thank-you/): We can’t wait to put you on the path to exponential channel growth!
- [Careers](https://extu.com/about/careers/): View Open Positions
- [Our Executive Leadership Team](https://extu.com/about/leadership/): In the whirlwind of channel marketing, strong leadership guides the way, uniting partners, smashing goals, and making magic happen.
- [Programs >> Reward Catalog](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/reward-catalog/): The Extu rewards catalog includes something to motivate everyone, from merchandise to event tickets. 
- [Sales Incentives FAQ](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/sales-incentives-faq/): What is a sales incentives plan?
- [Corporate Incentive Travel Programs](https://extu.com/services/incentive-travel-services/): With our incentive travel services, we offer more than just free site selection; we provide a tailored destination experience that aligns with your company's culture and goals. Our experts meticulously research and propose destinations that not only fit your budget but also resonate with the theme and purpose of your event. We negotiate contracts with an eye for detail, ensuring all your requirements are met, from state-of-the-art facilities to unique local experiences. This personalized approach in our incentive travel services guarantees that your chosen destination adds an extra layer of excitement and engagement to your event, making it truly memorable.
- [Programs >> Debit Card Rewards](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/debit-card-reward-programs/): Get more out of your channel partners with an easy and effective prepaid debit card reward program. Debit cards are the fastest way to motivate any audience, giving channel partners the freedom to choose what they spend their debit card rewards on. Offer partners endless possibilities and earn bona fide brand loyalty.
- [Destination: Revenue](https://extu.com/destination-revenue/): Incentive travel rewards are an effective way to boost revenue, increase loyalty, and build lasting relationships in your sales channel. Along with the trip itself, long-lasting positivity associated with your brand comes from anticipation leading up to the trip, shared activities, and social media posts. This makes for a powerful and popular tool – but don’t just take our word for it. 
- [Thanks Again!](https://extu.com/contact/thanks-again/): Thanks. This additional information will help us develop the best program for your needs. 
- [Programs >> Channel Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/channel-incentive-programs/): Get in front of your channel partners and stand out in the market. Channel incentive programs motivate partners, like resellers and distributors, to sell more, promote your brand, and build product expertise through meaningful rewards. With Extu, you’ll deliver a rewarding experience that keeps your brand top of mind and drives long-term growth. 
- [Energy](https://extu.com/industries/energy/): From electrical companies to gas, wind, and solar energy providers, we help brands in the energy industry engage their channel and retain top performers.
- [Security](https://extu.com/legal/dpa/security/): Extu has implemented and will maintain appropriate technical and organization measures, internal controls and information security practices that are designed to safeguard data Processed by Extu under the Agreement, against accidental loss, destruction, or alteration; unauthorized disclosure or access; or unlawful destruction as follows:
- [Channel Incentive Playbook Thank You](https://extu.com/resources/guides/channel-incentive-playbook-thank-you/): Thanks for downloading The Channel Incentive Playbook. You're on your way toward incentive program success! Your book is available below and we’re going to email it to you so you don’t have to remember this link. We also want to give you some additional content that will help you along on your next steps!
- [Solutions > Incentive Technology](https://extu.com/solutions/incentive-technology/): By using our channel incentive technology, we can help you see who’s buying your products all the way through your channel, identify opportunities for increasing mind and wallet share by gathering sales data, supply reporting and analytics of your channel behavior for no added charge, and keep your incentive program participants engaged and active with our standard and custom communications plans. 
- [Incentive Rewards FAQ](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/incentive-rewards-faq/): What's the big deal about incentives? We've got answers.
- [Employee Incentives FAQ](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/employee-incentives-faq/): Answers to the most popular employee incentive questions.
- [Customer Loyalty FAQ](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/customer-loyalty-faq/): Answers to the most frequently asked customer loyalty questions.
- [Sales Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/sales-incentive-programs/): Run smarter sales incentive programs powered by the right technology, services, and rewards. From launch to long-term growth, we help your reps stay focused, motivated, and revenue-driven.
- [Programs >> Employee Recognition Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/employee-recognition-programs/): Create an employee recognition program that encourages a culture of performance, growth and accountability. With ever-volatile job markets, employees have been taught to anticipate bad outcomes. Rewards and recognition programs help to ease tensions and create positive environments by reminding employees of their value—and keeping them engaged.
- [Channel Partner Engagement](https://extu.com/channel-partner-engagement/): Skyrocket your revenue and foster partner loyalty.  
- [Programs >> Customer Loyalty Programs](https://extu.com/programs/incentive-programs/customer-loyalty-programs/): B2B loyalty shouldn’t feel one-size-fits-all. Extu helps you build a loyalty strategy that deepens channel partnerships anddrives revenue. With rewards tailored to your audience and insights powered by our Partner Experience Platform, you can incentivize sales and better understand customer behavior, giving you the power to make smart, data-backed decisions.
- [FAQs](https://extu.com/resources/faqs/): Step into a world where courage meets pragmatism, and gain confidence to work with us.  
- [Whitepapers](https://extu.com/resources/whitepapers/): Looking for data-backed insights and expert analysis? Our whitepapers dive deep into the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping today’s channel landscape. Whether you’re proving ROI, planning next steps, or pitching a new strategy, these resources give you the evidence and clarity to back your decisions. Get the knowledge you need to lead with confidence.
- [Testimonials](https://extu.com/resources/testimonials/): Our customers are more than customers – we're extensions of their teams. As their strategic partners, we have their back. The result: happy, successful partnerships. See for yourself from their testimonials. 
- [Hospitality](https://extu.com/industries/hospitality/): Motivate hospitality agents and advisors to book with you using personalized hospitality sales incentive programs. 
- [Insurance](https://extu.com/industries/insurance/): Not sure if your B2B marketing is getting results? Team up with us. Your channel growth is our goal. 
- [Building](https://extu.com/industries/building/): Take it from pros in the building material industry who worked closely with us. 
- [Medical](https://extu.com/industries/medical/): These brands trusted our medical industry channel marketing, and it paid off. 
- [Channel Marketing Services](https://extu.com/services/channel-marketing-services/): Close gaps between you and your B2B customers with a channel partner program that makes you memorable. 
- [Tech](https://extu.com/industries/tech/): Our incentive programs and partner marketing for tech are proven to grow revenue and engagement.
- [Automotive](https://extu.com/industries/automotive/): Whether it’s driving sales motivation with auto dealer incentive programs, getting customer data from increased warranty registrations, or engaging partners with fine-tuned channel marketing, we help automotive businesses thrive.
- [eBooks](https://extu.com/resources/guides/): Ready to level up your channel strategy? Our in-depth guides and eBooks give you the playbooks, best practices, and proven frameworks to make it happen. Whether you’re building a new partner program or optimizing an existing one, these resources help you cut through complexity and take confident next steps. Explore topics like partner engagement, incentive strategy, and through-channel marketing, all designed to help you deliver results that matter.
- [TCM ROI Calculator](https://extu.com/resources/tcm-roi-calculator/): See clearly, all the way through the channel. Our ROI calculator will help you predict the return you could be receiving on our through-channel marketing program.
- [Categories List](https://extu.com/blog/category/): Categories List
- [Videos & Webinars](https://extu.com/resources/videos/): Prefer to learn by watching? These expert-led videos and webinars break down the tactics, trends, and tools shaping modern channel strategy. From quick tips to deep dives, you'll find actionable insights to help you engage partners, prove ROI, and scale your program with confidence. Whether you're catching up on demand or tuning in live, this library keeps you informed and inspired.
- [Contributed Articles](https://extu.com/about/media-room/contributed-articles/)
- [Channel Marketing Success Stories](https://extu.com/resources/success-stories/): Curious how leading brands are solving real channel challenges? You’re in the right spot. These success stories spotlight how companies across industries are using smarter partner strategies to drive engagement, loyalty, and measurable growth. Dive into case studies and partner testimonials that show what’s possible when experience meets execution and take away ideas you can put to work in your own channel today.
- [Infographics](https://extu.com/resources/infographics/): Need fast insights without the fluff? These infographics break down complex channel topics into clear, visual takeaways. From partner engagement trends to incentive performance data, you’ll get the highlights, stats, and strategies that matter, all in a format that’s easy to share and act on. Scan, learn, and lead smarter.
- [Press Releases](https://extu.com/about/media-room/press-releases/)
- [Media Room](https://extu.com/about/media-room/): Here you’ll find contributed articles, press releases, or press mentions. If it’s out there, it’s in here. 
- [Blog](https://extu.com/blog/)
- [Channel Partner Marketing Support](https://extu.com/solutions/channel-partner-marketing/): Get hands-off digital marketing and B2B lead generation tools that are free of charge, easy to use, and smart for your business.
- [Contact us](https://extu.com/contact/): Have a question about pricing, launch time, or program fit? Fill out the form and our team will reach out right away.
- [Resources](https://extu.com/resources/): Looking for ways to boost partner engagement, loyalty, and ROI? You’re in the right place. Explore case studies, ebooks, videos, templates, whitepapers, webinars, and infographics which are all built to help you drive channel growth and deliver real results. When you’re ready for even more insights, strategies, and fresh ideas, head over to our blog for ongoing education and inspiration.
- [About](https://extu.com/about/): It's simple: Extu helps companies sell things. Our sales, marketing, incentive, and events solutions maximize marketing spend and exponentially grow revenue for distribution channels.
- [Services](https://extu.com/services/): Real, live humans learn to think like you to deliver B2B marketing services that help you reach your goals. 
- [Industries](https://extu.com/industries/): We help companies grow because we understand their industries. We know what makes the channel tick.
- [Solutions](https://extu.com/solutions/): See every piece of the channel clearly with smart solutions backed by powerful technology.
- [Privacy Policy](https://extu.com/legal/privacy/): Last Updated: 6 April 2026
- [(Current) Digital Marketing for IT Channel Partners](https://extu.com/solutions/channel-partner-marketing/it-registration/): Generate leads in less than 5 minutes a month with professional, hands-off digital marketing campaigns paid for by your favorite brands and distributors.
- [Digital Marketing for Finance Brokers](https://extu.com/solutions/channel-partner-marketing/finance-brokers/): Extu makes financial marketing easy.
- [Solutions for Insurance Brokers](https://extu.com/solutions/channel-partner-marketing/insurance-brokers/): Upgrade your digital insurance marketing with Extu.

## Resources
- [Unmute the Program: Monthly Campaigns Transform Dealer Engagement for Marine Manufacturer](https://extu.com/resource/monthly-campaigns-transform-dealer-engagement-for-marine-manufacturer/): Case Study
- [New Report from Extu: The Channel’s Billion Dollar Blind Spot](https://extu.com/resource/new-report-the-channels-billion-dollar-blind-spot/): Backed by data from 200+ channel programs, Extu's Billion-Dollar Blind Spot report identifies channel intelligence as the fix for the B2B attribution crisis.
- [The Channel’s Billion Dollar Blind Spot](https://extu.com/resource/the-channels-billion-dollar-blind-spot/): The State of Channel Attribution 2026
- [Ken Szpindor Named New Director of Marketing and Creative Services at Extu](https://extu.com/resource/ken-szpindor-named-new-director-of-marketing-and-creative-services-at-extu/): Extu has promoted Ken Szpindor from Art Director to Director of Marketing and Creative Services, part of a broader effort by CEO Nichole Gunn to build a marketing team capable of bringing Extu's channel marketing technology to professionals under increasing pressure to prove revenue impact.
- [Alli Smith in Modern Marketing Today: How Marketers Demonstrate Value Executives Can’t Ignore](https://extu.com/resource/alli-smith-in-modern-marketing-today-marketers-demonstrate-value-executives-cant-ignore/): In a contributed article for Modern Marketing Today, Extu VP of Operations Alli Smith draws on her experience leading marketing teams and transitioning into operations. She argues that marketing's value to the executive suite isn't proven through activity reports, but demonstrated through judgment, accountability, and alignment with how the business actually operates. Smith makes the case that the most trusted marketing functions earn their seat at the table by framing results in terms leadership already uses: pipeline contribution, efficiency, scalability, and long-term impact.
- [Nichole Gunn in ACHR News: How Data & Incentives Protect HVAC Margins Amid Rising Costs](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-in-achr-news-how-data-incentives-protect-hvac-margins/): In a contributed column for ACHR NEWS, Extu CEO Nichole Gunn examines how rising input costs on aluminum, steel, and diesel fuel are squeezing HVAC contractor margins and threatening project pipelines heading into the second half of 2026. Rather than defaulting to reactive pricing strategies, Gunn argues that the HVAC ecosystem—manufacturers, distributors, and contractors—should use data-driven engagement and behavior-based incentive programs to maintain partner loyalty and protect momentum.
- [Driving Momentum: A Global Tire Brand Accelerates Rebate Performance Period After Period ](https://extu.com/resource/driving-momentum-a-global-tire-brand-accelerates-rebate-performance-period-after-period/): Case Study
- [5 Ways to Engage Contractors](https://extu.com/resource/5-ways-to-engage-contractors/): For distributors and suppliers, contractors are one of the most valuable audiences you have, but one of the hardest to reach. You often don't know the people behind the customer ID, which means you have little insight into who's buying, installing, and recommending your products. Without that visibility, influencing their choices becomes guesswork.
- [How to Educate and Engage Contractors](https://extu.com/resource/how-to-educate-and-engage-contractors/): eBook
- [Extu CEO Nichole Gunn Named Georgia Titan 100 Honoree for Second Consecutive Year](https://extu.com/resource/extu-ceo-nichole-gunn-named-georgia-titan-100-honoree-second-consecutive-year/): Nichole Gunn, Chief Executive Officer of Extu, has been named a 2026 Georgia Titan 100 honoree, marking her second consecutive year receiving the distinction. The 2026 Georgia Titan 100 honorees and their companies collectively generate more than $91.7 billion in annual revenue and employ over 534,000 people. Titan 100 Gunn was first recognized as a Titan 100 honoree in 2025 while serving as Extu's Global Chief Marketing Officer, and has since been elevated to CEO.
- [Extu President & COO William Shida Named 2026 Georgia Titan 100 Honoree](https://extu.com/resource/extu-president-coo-william-shida-named-georgia-titan-100-honoree/): William Shida, President and Chief Operating Officer of Extu, has been named a 2026 Georgia Titan 100 honoree.
- [What Are Channel Partner Programs and How Do You Use Them?](https://extu.com/resource/what-are-channel-partner-programs-and-how-do-you-use-them/): This video explains what channel partner programs are and how to use them to create a structured, measurable way to engage partners and drive revenue.
- [The No-Nonsense Guide to Incentive Programs for Automotive Manufacturers](https://extu.com/resource/the-no-nonsense-guide-to-incentive-programs-for-automotive-manufacturers/): eBook
- [Smart Channel Rebates, Built-in ](https://extu.com/resource/channel-rebates-built-in/): Channel rebates don’t have to be clumsy. Smart, built-in rebates can provide your partners with a simple, rewarding experience that folds easily into their day-to-day tasks. See what it looks like when rebate rules are clear, claims are painless, and results are visible in real time:
- [3 Customers, 3 Big Wins: How Extu Incentive Programs Increased Clients’ Revenue](https://extu.com/resource/3-customers-3-big-wins-how-extu-incentive-programs-increased-clients-revenue/): How does Extu help companies increase revenue from their channel partners? Let's look at three case studies in which Extu incentive programs unlocked real, measurable channel growth.
- [Nichole Gunn Appears on Marketing in the Age of AI](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-appears-on-marketing-in-the-age-of-ai/): Extu CEO Nichole Gunn joined host Emanuel Rose on the Marketing in the Age of AI podcast to discuss how generative and predictive AI are reshaping content marketing and channel strategy. The conversation covers how AI accelerates content creation while preserving brand authenticity, how predictive analytics can optimize marketing ROI, and how co-branded partner marketing programs drive measurable sales lift. Nichole also shares a look at what's ahead for Extu's Partner Experience Platform, including the role of agentic AI in channel marketing.
- [What Is the Partner Experience Platform?](https://extu.com/resource/what-is-the-partner-experience-platform/): Managing your channel shouldn’t mean juggling multiple tools, chasing data, or guessing which programs are paying off. Extu’s Partner Experience Platform brings everything—marketing, incentives, and analytics—into one connected system that gives you total visibility across the partner journey.
- [The Partner Marketing Playbook](https://extu.com/resource/the-partner-marketing-playbook/): Your partners can’t market your products effectively if they don’t know where to start—or how their efforts connect to sales. The Partner Marketing Playbook gives you a step-by-step framework to build, launch, and measure a partner marketing plan that actually delivers ROI.
- [The Partner Experience Platform vs. Patchwork Channel Tools](https://extu.com/resource/the-partner-experience-platform-vs-patchwork-channel-tools/): When your channel runs on too many disconnected systems, results get lost in the gaps. This infographic breaks down the difference between a comprehensive system such as Extu’s Partner Experience Platform and the “patchwork” of separate marketing, CRM, and incentive tools that many B2B brands still rely on.
- [The No-Nonsense Guide to Insurance Sales Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/resource/the-no-nonsense-guide-to-insurance-sales-incentive-programs/): eBook
- [A Guide to Self-Funding B2B Reward Programs](https://extu.com/resource/a-guide-to-self-funding-b2b-reward-programs/): eBook
- [The Manufacturer’s Playbook for Through Channel Marketing](https://extu.com/resource/the-manufacturers-playbook-for-through-channel-marketing/): eBook
- [Building a Fully Controlled Channel: Unleash Your Superpowers](https://extu.com/resource/building-a-fully-controlled-channel-unleash-your-superpowers/): B2B e-commerce in the U.S. is expected to reach $3 trillion by 2027. Yet too many sales and marketing leaders are leaving money on the table—stuck battling data silos, limited channel insights, and inefficient campaigns.
- [Extu Appoints Nichole Gunn as CEO and William Shida as President & COO](https://extu.com/resource/extu-appoints-nichole-gunn-as-ceo-and-william-shida-as-president-coo/): Extu has announced the promotion of longtime executive Nichole Gunn to Chief Executive Officer. Gunn, who previously served as Chief Marketing & Sales Officer, brings 17 years of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving growth, product innovation, and cultural transformation at Extu.
- [Enemies of Channel Marketing Exposed](https://extu.com/resource/enemies-of-channel-marketing-exposed/): Extu releases new e-book of latest marketing insights
- [Extu and Onbe Expand Strategic Partnership to Power the Next Generation of Incentive Payments](https://extu.com/resource/extu-and-onbe-expand-strategic-partnership-to-power-the-next-generation-of-incentive-payments/): https://www.einpresswire.com/article/845370049/extu-and-onbe-expand-strategic-partnership-to-power-the-next-generation-of-incentive-payments
- [The Power of Control: Rescue Your Channel from Data Chaos](https://extu.com/resource/rescue-your-channel-from-data-chaos/): How can channel leaders move from overwhelmed to empowered? By transforming scattered, incomplete data into reliable insights.
- [How Retailers Can Win More Customers with Through-Channel Marketing to Win More Customers](https://extu.com/resource/retailers-can-win-customers-with-through-channel-marketing/): In today’s retail world, attention is gold...and hard to get. Through-channel marketing (TCM) offers a way for retailers to rise above the noise by teaming up with suppliers and manufacturers to access ready-made marketing materials, powerful data insights, and new growth opportunities.
- [How Energy Manufacturers Can Offset Market Shifts With Smarter Incentives](https://extu.com/resource/how-energy-manufacturers-can-offset-market-shifts-with-smarter-incentives/): In renewable energy, the only constant is change. Regulations shift, subsidies expire, and customer demand can turn overnight. With the phase-out of key federal and state incentives like the solar Investment Tax Credit, solar and energy manufacturers are being forced to rethink how they keep contractors, dealers, and distributors in their corner.
- [Personalization That Performs in B2B Loyalty](https://extu.com/resource/personalization-that-performs-in-b2b-loyalty/): B2B incentive programs have always been a staple for manufacturers and distributors, but today’s buyers expect more than blanket rewards. Competition is fierce, expectations are higher, and the old-school “one-size-fits-all” approach just doesn’t deliver like it used to.
- [Non-Cash Incentives Help Meet Market Challenges](https://extu.com/resource/non-cash-incentives-help-meet-market-challenges/): In a new article published in Sales & Marketing Management, Extu’s Global CMO Nichole Gunn shows how non-cash incentives are becoming a go-to strategy for sales and marketing leaders facing labor shortages, shifting policies, and budget pressure. With 20+ years of B2B marketing expertise, Nichole explains why these programs deliver big impact without ballooning costs.
- [Offset Slowing Home Sales with Smarter Incentives](https://extu.com/resource/offset-slowing-home-sales-with-smarter-incentives/): In a recent Industry Today article, Extu’s Global CMO Nichole Gunn cuts through the noise on how building product brands can protect market share when home sales stall. With 20+ years in B2B marketing, Nichole explains why now is the time to double down on incentives, not scale back.
- [5 Tools to Transform Your B2B Marketing Into Its Final Form](https://extu.com/resource/tools-to-transform-your-b2b-marketing/): Is your marketing team buried under bad data, clunky platforms, and low partner engagement? This infographic reveals the five essential tools every B2B marketing superhero needs to unlock clarity, control, and unstoppable growth.
- [Every Tool You Need to Be a Channel Marketing Superhero](https://extu.com/resource/every-tool-to-be-channel-marketing-superhero/): eBook
- [Master the Mid-Market with Nichole Gunn — Featured on the Channel Journeys Podcast](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-featured-on-the-channel-journeys-podcast/): “Everything is shifting—from consumer expectations to policy frameworks, even the way we define and attribute success in B2B channels,” says Nichole Gunn, CMO of Extu. “Leaders are being asked to make smarter decisions with less clarity... We're passionate about solving that. We're not just another ecosystem play with aligned systems that can break all the time—we're creating a true operating system for partner-led growth.”
- [The No-Nonsense Guide to a High ROI Loyalty Program for Contractors](https://extu.com/resource/guide-high-roi-loyalty-program-for-contractors/): eBook
- [The Hero’s Toolkit: Must-Have Tools for a Channel Marketing Superhero](https://extu.com/resource/the-heros-toolkit-must-have-tools-for-a-channel-marketing-superhero/): Today’s channel leaders face formidable foes—data gaps, tech silos, and the ever-looming pressure to prove ROI. But with the right tools, any overwhelmed marketer can transform into a confident, data-powered superhero.
- [Introducing the Channel Superhero’s Toolkit](https://extu.com/resource/channel-superheros-toolkit/): Today’s channel marketers face some fierce foes: disjointed data, siloed systems, disengaged partners, and the relentless demand to prove ROI. In this fast-paced, comic book-style video, we introduce The Channel Superhero’s Toolkit—your ultimate solution for transforming chaos into control.
- [Data Superpowers – Powering Up Your Channel for Maximum Growth](https://extu.com/resource/data-superpowers-powering-up-your-channel/): Bad data is kryptonite to your sales, marketing, and finance teams—and it’s holding your channel back. In this superhero-themed infographic, we explore how inaccurate, incomplete, or unstructured data sabotages your performance and drains revenue.
- [X-Ray Vision for Your Channel: How to See End-User Data](https://extu.com/resource/x-ray-vision-for-your-channel-see-end-user-data/): Are you making decisions in the dark? Selling through a distribution channel expands your reach, but it also creates a major challenge—data blindness. Without clear insights into end-user behavior, partner performance, and product engagement, you're left guessing instead of strategizing.
- [Nichole Gunn in Building Products Digest: How Incentive Programs Pay Off in Tough Times](https://extu.com/resource/building-products-digest-incentive-programs-pay-off/): In a new article published in Building Products Digest, Extu CMO Nichole Gunn explores why incentive programs work and how companies can use them to motivate teams, increase efficiency, and maximize ROI. She shares a real-world success story of an HVAC company that boosted sales by 45% through a well-structured incentive initiative.
- [B2B Customer Data Acquisition Plan Worksheet](https://extu.com/resource/b2b-customer-data-acquisition-plan-worksheet/): Acquiring and managing accurate customer data is one of the biggest challenges for B2B companies. Without clear insights into end-user behavior, purchase trends, and partner engagement, businesses struggle to optimize marketing campaigns, improve sales strategies, and measure ROI. This worksheet provides a step-by-step framework to help businesses identify data gaps, collect valuable customer insights, and put that data to work for better business outcomes.
- [B2B Data Rescue Mission: 5 Ways to Retrieve the Insights You Need](https://extu.com/resource/b2b-data-rescue-mission-retrieve-insights-you-need/): Missing or incomplete B2B data is one of the biggest obstacles in distribution channel marketing. When businesses lack accurate customer and partner insights, they risk losing revenue, misallocating resources, and failing to personalize outreach. This infographic provides five actionable strategies to help businesses rescue lost data, improve engagement, and drive better decision-making.
- [Sales & Marketing Management Features Extu’s Expert Guidance on Sales Incentive Programs for 2025](https://extu.com/resource/sales-marketing-management-features-extu-guidance-on-sales-incentive-programs-2025/): A recent Sales & Marketing Management article by Nichole Gunn, Extu’s CMO, explores the critical role of sales incentive programs in driving business growth. The article, "Choosing the Right Sales Incentive Program for 2025," provides a roadmap for companies looking to increase sales volume, profitability, and engagement through strategically designed rewards programs.
- [Extu Featured in MarketingSherpa: How Bold Branding Drove a 450% Increase in New Clients](https://extu.com/resource/extu-featured-in-marketingsherpa-450-increase-in-new-clients-2/): A recent MarketingSherpa case study, Breaking Norms to Drive Growth, highlights how innovative marketing strategies across industries challenged conventions to achieve remarkable results. Extu was prominently featured alongside Cadbury Pakistan and Pickle Rooms for its bold rebrand, which defied B2B design norms and led to a 450% increase in new clients.
- [Get X-Ray Vision to See Your Most Crucial B2B Marketing Data](https://extu.com/resource/x-ray-vision-to-see-b2b-marketing-data/): Ready to be a marketing superhero? This guide will help you develop x-ray superpowers to see important B2B marketing data.
- [Power Up Your Profits: A Guide to Self-Funding Reward Programs for Electrical Distributors](https://extu.com/resource/power-up-your-profits-guide-to-self-funding-reward-programs-for-electrical-distributors/): Electrical distributors looking to power up sales with a solution that doesn't zap your budget: this guide is for you.
- [Extu’s CMO, Nichole Gunn, Named to Georgia Titan 100 List](https://extu.com/resource/extu-cmo-nichole-gunn-named-georgia-titan-100/): Extu proudly announces that Nichole Gunn, its Global Chief Marketing Officer, has been recognized among Georgia’s top business leaders as part of the 2025 Titan 100. This prestigious program honors the most accomplished CEOs and C-level executives in Georgia, highlighting their exceptional leadership, vision, and industry impact.
- [Extu CMO Nichole Gunn Ranked Among Top 100 Georgia Business Leaders](https://extu.com/resource/extu-cmo-nichole-gunn-ranked-georgia-titan-100/): Extu's Global Chief Marketing Officer, Nichole Gunn, has been inducted into Georgia's 2025 Titan 100 list.
- [Choosing the Right Rewards in 2025: Nichole Gunn Featured in Modern Marketing Today](https://extu.com/resource/choosing-the-right-rewards-modern-marketing-today/): This article explores how strategic sales incentive programs can drive sustained growth and profitability in 2025. Nichole Gunn emphasizes that well-designed programs align with long-term business objectives and motivate sales teams, distributors, and partners to achieve key goals. Key insights include:
- [3 Incentive Strategies that Crank Up HVAC Sales](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-strategies-crank-up-hvac-sales/): Struggling to boost HVAC sales in today’s competitive market? Discover how incentive strategies can drive real results. In this video, Extu shares three powerful approaches proven to help HVAC businesses increase revenue, improve customer engagement, and gain a competitive edge.
- [Nichole Gunn’s Guide to Through-Channel Marketing Published in Digital Commerce 360](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-guide-to-through-channel-marketing-digital-commerce-360/): Published in Digital Commerce 360, Nichole Gunn, Extu's Global Chief Marketing Officer, explores how brands can maximize growth and collaboration through strategic through-channel marketing (TCM). Her article emphasizes the importance of leveraging through-channel marketing automation (TCMA) alongside strategic insights and personalized content to empower channel partners and enhance customer engagement.
- [Nichole Gunn in Industry Today: AI Strategies for Manufacturing and Construction](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-industry-today-ai-strategies-for-manufacturing-and-construction/): In her latest article for Industry Today, Nichole Gunn shares actionable insights for leaders in manufacturing and construction on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth in sales, marketing, and operational efficiency. With AI transforming industries facing labor shortages and high demands for efficiency, the piece highlights five key strategies to stay competitive:
- [Authority Magazine Features Nichole Gunn’s  Insights on Audience Engagement](https://extu.com/resource/authority-magazine-features-nichole-gunns-insights-on-audience-engagement/): In a new interview with Authority Magazine, Nichole Gunn, Global Chief Marketing Officer at Extu, shared her expertise on redefining marketing strategies to engage audiences in unprecedented ways. Titled "Breaking the Marketing Mold: Nichole Gunn of Extu on 5 Innovative & Non-Traditional Marketing Strategies That Can Engage Audiences Like Never Before," the feature highlights the transformative ideas she’s implemented at Extu. 
- [Through-Channel Marketing Growth Strategy for Contractors Featured in For Construction Pros](https://extu.com/resource/through-channel-marketing-growth-strategy-for-contractors/): In her recent article for For Construction Pros, Nichole Gunn, Extu’s Global CMO, explores the transformative potential of through-channel marketing (TCM) for contractors. Managing day-to-day operations often leaves contractors with little time for marketing, but TCM offers a practical solution. By leveraging marketing materials provided by suppliers, contractors can enhance visibility, attract new customers, and grow their businesses more efficiently.
- [Nichole Gunn on Construction Genius Podcast: A Marketing Blueprint for Construction Leaders](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-construction-genius-marketing-blueprint-for-construction/): In a recent episode of Construction Genius hosted by Eric Anderton, Nichole Gunn, Global Chief Marketing & Sales Officer at Extu, shared her insights on growth marketing and its transformative impact on the construction industry. With over 20 years of B2B marketing expertise, Nichole offered a comprehensive perspective on driving growth through innovative, data-driven strategies.
- [Nichole Gunn on jobTopia Podcast: Channel Partner Marketing and Incentive Strategies](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-on-jobtopia-podcast-partner-marketing-incentive-strategies/): Extu’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Nichole Gunn, was featured on the jobTopia Podcast, hosted by Tony Moore. This engaging podcast is known for exploring innovative strategies in marketing, workforce solutions, and operational excellence. In this episode, Nichole dives into the complexities and opportunities of channel partner marketing and incentive programs, offering key insights for manufacturers and automotive OEMs.
- [From Rewards to Results: The Ultimate Incentives Guide](https://extu.com/resource/from-rewards-to-results-ultimate-incentives-guide/): eBook
- [Nichole Gunn in ACHR News: Channel Marketing for HVAC Contractors](https://extu.com/resource/nichole-gunn-achr-news-channel-marketing-hvac-contractors/): Enter through-channel marketing (TCM)—a game-changer for HVAC contractors, as outlined in a recent article by Extu’s Chief Marketing Officer, Nichole Gunn, published in ACHR News. Gunn dives deep into how TCM programs, provided by the HVAC brands you already work with, can equip contractors with professional, easy-to-use marketing resources that save time, build credibility, and drive results.
- [4 Ways to Improve HVAC Sales Efficiency](https://extu.com/resource/4-ways-to-improve-hvac-sales-efficiency/): Maximizing sales efficiency in the HVAC industry can be challenging, especially when working with channel partners. Extu’s Partner Experience Platform (PXP) offers a solution to streamline the process and drive growth. Let's look at four powerful ways Extu helps HVAC companies improve sales efficiency in a video.
- [Lock in B2B Loyalty: Proven Strategies for Customer Growth](https://extu.com/resource/b2b-loyalty-proven-strategies-for-customer-growth/): This infographic showcases four real-life examples of successful B2B loyalty programs that have delivered impressive results:
- [Extu Wins Gold at the 2024 MarCom Awards for Strategic Communications](https://extu.com/resource/extu-wins-gold-marcom-award/): The MarCom Awards, a prestigious global competition, honored our efforts to create a vibrant and impactful identity that reflects our mission of driving strategic growth for clients and their resellers.
- [Extu Wins Content Marketing Awards for Infographics](https://extu.com/resource/extu-wins-content-marketing-awards-for-infographics/): Extu is making waves with our content marketing! We're excited to announce that we took home the Best Infographic award at the Content Marketing Awards for our piece, "6 Tech Myths Fact-Checked by IT Pros".
- [Extu Achieves SOC 2 Type 2 Compliance](https://extu.com/resource/extu-soc-2-type-2-compliance/): We’re excited to share that Extu has successfully achieved SOC 2 Type 2 certification for our channel incentive management (CIM) and through-channel marketing (TCM) solutions. This certification highlights our unwavering commitment to safeguarding our clients' data and ensuring privacy and security remain top priorities.
- [Los Angeles Lighting’s Made-in-the-USA Solutions Shine at Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/los-angeles-lightings-made-in-the-usa-solutions-shine-at-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to providing high-quality, American-made lighting solutions, Los Angeles Lighting has been a trusted partner for commercial, industrial, and institutional projects since 1988. At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we had the opportunity to speak with Andy Firchau, Marketing Director at Los Angeles Lighting, who shared how their company’s dedication to quality, flexibility, and customer satisfaction continues to set them apart in the lighting industry.
- [Lonseal Flooring Showcases Green Technology at Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/lonseal-flooring-showcases-green-technology-at-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to flooring, why choose between style and sustainability when you can have both? At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we caught up with Dottie Greaney, Western U.S. Sales Manager for Lonseal Flooring, to explore how their innovative GreenVinyl Program is redefining what eco-friendly flooring can look like. Combining durable, high-performance materials with a commitment to reducing environmental impact, Lonseal is leading the way in sustainable flooring solutions.
- [Heating Solutions that Combine Style and Technology: Infratech at Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/heating-solutions-that-combine-style-and-technology-infratech-at-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to creating a warm and inviting environment, Infratech has been a pioneer in offering innovative heating systems that blend function, style, and cutting-edge technology. At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we sat down with David Arnold, Director of Sales for Infratech Heaters, to learn more about how their award-winning products are heating up spaces across the country.
- [Opening Doors to Quality and Service: R&S Overhead Doors at Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/opening-doors-to-quality-and-service-rs-overhead-doors-at-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to upgrading your home or business with stylish, durable, and secure garage doors and gates, R&S Overhead Doors is a name that stands out. At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we had the opportunity to speak with Alex Van De Linde, Marketing Director for R&S Overhead Doors’ six Southern California locations, to learn more about how the company continues to deliver exceptional products and services that keep customers coming back.
- [Revolutionizing Construction with Stack Modular at Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/revolutionizing-construction-with-stack-modular-at-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): In a rapidly evolving construction industry, efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability are key. At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we had the opportunity to speak with Konstantin Daskalov, VP of US Operations at Stack Modular, to learn how their innovative steel volumetric modular solutions are redefining the way buildings are designed and constructed.
- [Vantage LED: Brightening the Future of Digital Signage | Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/vantage-led-brightening-the-future-of-digital-signage-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): Digital signage is more than just a display—it’s a platform for communicating powerful messages in vibrant, eye-catching ways. At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we caught up with Josie Salitrero, National Sales Manager at Vantage LED, to discuss how their cutting-edge LED technology is transforming the industry. From energy-efficient displays to modular designs that are as customizable as they are brilliant, Vantage LED is leading the way in digital signage innovation.
- [The Trimfinity Advantage: Sustainable Moulding Solutions | Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/the-trimfinity-advantage-sustainable-moulding-solutions-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): Moulding doesn’t have to be a headache—it can be beautiful, durable, and sustainable all at once. At the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, we spoke with Kerry Middleton, Director of Category Insights at Trimfinity, about their innovative approach to creating high-performance mouldings that meet the needs of both contractors and homeowners.
- [Elevating Spaces with Ultimate Floors: High-Quality Solutions for Every Project | Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/elevating-spaces-with-ultimate-floors-high-quality-solutions-for-every-project-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to flooring, quality and durability are key—whether you’re upgrading a residential home or transforming a commercial space. That’s why we were excited to speak with Ron Dardashti, Managing Partner of Ultimate Floors, at the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024. Ron walked us through their impressive lineup of flooring products and shared why Ultimate Floors has become a trusted name in the industry.
- [Sharp Equipment Unveils the World’s First Electric Hydro Excavator at Los Angeles Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/sharp-equipment-unveils-the-worlds-first-electric-hydro-excavator-at-los-angeles-build-expo-2024/): The construction industry is seeing a monumental shift toward sustainable technology, and at the Los Angeles Build Expo 2024, Sharp Equipment demonstrated that the future is here. We had the opportunity to sit down with Todd Farrell, Underground Division Manager at Haaker Equipment/Total Clean, to learn more about the world’s first electric hydro excavator—the EV-4.
- [Go Hire Virtual Showcases Transformative Services at South Florida Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/go-hire-virtual-showcases-transformative-services-at-south-florida-build-expo-2024/): In a fast-paced business world, finding the right support can be a game-changer. That’s why we were thrilled to catch up with Brian Powell and Brendan Deshields from Go Hire Virtual at the South Florida Build Expo 2024. They shared how their company is revolutionizing the way businesses scale and operate with their top-tier virtual assistant services.
- [Everroof Takes Center Stage at South Florida Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/everroof-takes-center-stage-at-south-florida-build-expo-2024/): WhWhen it comes to roofing, durability and weather resistance are non-negotiable. That’s why we were excited to catch up with Todd Farr, National Sales Manager at Everroof, at the South Florida Build Expo 2024. Todd gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how Everroof’s innovative coatings are changing the game for building protection and performance.
- [Disston Tools Showcases Cutting-Edge Technology at South Florida Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/disston-tools-showcases-cutting-edge-technology-at-south-florida-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to innovative tools that deliver both precision and durability, Disston Tools has been a trusted name for over 175 years. At the South Florida Build Expo 2024, we had the chance to meet with Gene Kulig, Senior Director of Product Development, to get an inside look at their latest advancements in hole saw technology.
- [Custom Trusses Showcases Precision Engineering at South Florida Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/custom-trusses-showcases-precision-engineering-at-south-florida-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to construction, the backbone of any building is its structural integrity. At the South Florida Build Expo 2024, we caught up with Martín de la Vega from Custom Trusses to discuss how their expertly engineered trusses are raising the bar for strength, precision, and durability in the industry.
- [The Stacker Company: Eco-Friendly Electric Forklifts at South Florida Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/the-stacker-company-eco-friendly-electric-forklifts-at-south-florida-build-expo-2024/): It’s no secret that the material handling industry is moving towards sustainability. But what does that look like in practice? At the South Florida Build Expo 2024, we caught up with Sebastian Proto and Andres Ellmann from The Stacker Company to find out how they’re leading the charge with their fully electric, zero-emission Mina forklifts.
- [Surgically Clean Air: Revolutionizing Wellness at South Florida Build Expo 2024](https://extu.com/resource/surgically-clean-air-revolutionizing-wellness-at-south-florida-build-expo-2024/): When it comes to creating a healthier indoor environment, it’s time to think beyond just opening a window or turning on a fan. At the South Florida Build Expo 2024, we had the pleasure of speaking with John Kryspin from Surgically Clean Air, a company that’s setting a new standard for air purification systems.
- [Proven Sales Techniques with Extu Solutions](https://extu.com/resource/proven-sales-techniques-with-extu-solutions/): In today’s competitive market, driving sales and increasing customer loyalty requires more than just good products—it demands a strategic approach to rewards and incentives. That’s where Extu comes in. Our channel solutions have helped businesses across industries supercharge their sales techniques with incentive programs that motivate dealers, distributors, and customers to engage more actively with their brand.
- [The 4 Most Surprising Things That Influence Brand Loyalty](https://extu.com/resource/the-4-most-surprising-things-that-influence-brand-loyalty/): When it comes to B2B customer loyalty, most companies think they know what matters. But the reality may surprise you. In this video, we break down four unexpected factors that influence customer buying decisions and brand loyalty.
- [HVAC Market Trends Mid-Year Update](https://extu.com/resource/hvac-market-trends-mid-year-update/): In Extu's comprehensive HVAC Market Trends Mid-Year Update for 2024, we explore the significant shifts and opportunities shaping the HVAC industry. This video is essential viewing for professionals looking to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving market.
- [Using Rewards to Sustain, Train, and Retain Employees](https://extu.com/resource/using-rewards-to-sustain-train-and-retain-employees/): Whether you want to retain employees, your internal sales reps, your channel partners – you have to make people feel long-term value to achieve that retention. Here’s how rewards can help you do that. 
- [Loyalty Program Budget Tips: Do More with Less](https://extu.com/resource/loyalty-program-budget-tips/): Next, consider budget sharing options to maximize your resources. You may be able to share your loyalty program budget, either between your Sales & Marketing departments, among your channel partners, or both.
- [The No-Nonsense Guide to a High ROI Loyalty Program for Distributors](https://extu.com/resource/guide-high-roi-loyalty-program-for-distributors/): A loyalty program is one of the best ways to improve your distributor relationships. In this free guide, you'll learn how to create and manage a high ROI loyalty program for distributors.
- [Manufacturers, STOP Cutting Prices to Compete!](https://extu.com/resource/manufacturers-stop-cutting-prices-to-compete/): Discover the secrets behind remarkable sales growth with Extu’s platform. In this video, we delve into real-world strategies that have driven exceptional results for mid-market companies in the construction, automotive, and IT industries.
- [Stop Failing Your Construction Channel Partners!](https://extu.com/resource/stop-failing-your-construction-channel-partners/): In this insightful video, Extu addresses the frequent challenges faced by companies in effectively engaging their construction channel partners.
- [Jeff Cagle in Sales & Marketing Management: Co-Sponsorship Incentive Budgets](https://extu.com/resource/sales-marketing-management-co-sponsorship-incentive-budgets/): We are excited to share key insights from Jeff Cagle's recent article, "Stretch Your Incentive Budget with Channel Partner Co-Sponsorship," featured in Sales & Marketing Management magazine. Jeff, our incentive program expert at Extu, provides a clear roadmap for creating impactful incentive campaigns without stretching your budget.
- [Extu Releases “Step on It: SMB & Mid-Market Sales Acceleration” eBook](https://extu.com/resource/extu-releases-step-on-it-smb-mid-market-sales-acceleration-ebook/): PRNewswire
- [The HVAC Labor Shortage: A Quick Survival Guide](https://extu.com/resource/hvac-labor-shortage/): The HVAC industry is facing a big challenge: there's an HVAC labor shortage of 110,000 technicians, with 25,000 leaving their companies each year. With many skilled HVAC technicians aging out faster than new ones can replace them, it's time to think differently.
- [Industry Today – Extu Launches GoTu Grow For The Building Industry ](https://extu.com/resource/industry-today-extu-launches-gotu-grow-for-the-building-industry/): https://industrytoday.com/extu-launches-gotu-grow-for-the-building-industry-inbox
- [Step on It! SMB & Mid-Market Sales Acceleration](https://extu.com/resource/step-on-it-smb-mid-market-sales-acceleration/): Step on It! SMB & Mid-Market Sales Acceleration is a must-read guide for businesses aiming to supercharge their sales strategies. It delves into how to optimize sales teams, improve customer acquisition processes, and effectively leverage data analytics for enhanced growth. With actionable tips and practical examples, this eBook offers essential strategies to help you streamline operations and close more deals.
- [Tara Yukawa in Sales & Marketing Management: How to Boost B2B Sales Using AI](https://extu.com/resource/boost-b2b-sales-using-ai-sales-marketing-management/): Welcome to the cutting-edge intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and B2B sales strategies. In a new article published in Sales & Marketing Management, Extu's Vice President of Global Operations, Tara Yukawa, explores how AI is transforming the B2B sales landscape. AI can help companies boost B2B sales and turn their mundane, routine sales processes into efficient and dynamic operations. Tara explores how AI aids in crafting personalized customer profiles, automates content creation, and even serves as an on-demand sales coach and customer service agent.
- [Extu Launches GoTu Grow for the Building Industry](https://extu.com/resource/extu-launches-gotu-grow-for-the-building-industry/): Effective, Affordable New Solution Designed to Drive Growth for SMB Building Companies
- [We’re Expanding with a New Extu Dallas Office](https://extu.com/resource/announcement-extu-dallas-office/): We're thrilled to announce the opening of a new Extu Dallas office! Spanning 2489 square feet, this new space marks an exciting expansion in the dynamic Dallas market, known for its robust economy, diverse talent, and bustling tech scene.
- [Instant Rewards, Zero Hassle: Grow Your Business with GoTu Rewards](https://extu.com/resource/instant-rewards-zero-hassle-grow-your-business-with-gotu-rewards/): What if you could reward customers, employees, or salespeople instantly without all the hassle of having a corporate incentive program?
- [Extu 2024 Women’s Empowerment Panel](https://extu.com/resource/extu-2024-womens-empowerment-panel/): Join us for an insightful and empowering panel discussion featuring remarkable women who are shaping the future through their leadership and resilience. The panel includes:
- [Using AI to Boost Sales in Trades Industries](https://extu.com/resource/using-ai-to-boost-sales-in-trades-industries/): First, use AI to improve time management and anticipate problems. Remote monitoring and diagnostic devices are rapidly changing how businesses in the trades industry can interact with customers. Using these devices, you can: Utilize predictive analytics for software and equipment, Pro-actively solve problems, and, Efficiently plan service calls to avoid peak times.
- [B2B Sales Enablement Strategies that Will Get You More Revenue in 2024](https://extu.com/resource/b2b-sales-enablement-strategies/): Hey everybody, my name is Scott Fristachi, I’m the Vice President of Sales at Extu. I’m excited to speak with you all today about B2B sales enablement strategies that will help you get more revenue in 2024. 
- [What Everyone Gets Wrong About Channel Sales](https://extu.com/resource/what-everyone-gets-wrong-about-channel-sales/): Hey everyone, I’m Nichole Gunn, CMO here at Extu. I want to talk to you about the thing everyone gets wrong about channel sales. Any guesses?  
- [Which New Tech Can Your HVAC Business Afford?](https://extu.com/resource/which-new-tech-can-your-hvac-business-afford/): New tech is making a big splash in the HVAC industry. How much of this tech can afford to incorporate into your HVAC business? We analyzed HVAC tech trends according to high, moderate, and low accessibility. 
- [Extu Cares Delivers Support to Ronald McDonald House Charities](https://extu.com/resource/extu-cares-delivers-support-to-ronald-mcdonald-house-charities/): In March 2024, Extu’s Atlanta office was pleased to host Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) and have Alissa Scherb, Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations, in attendance. Together, we created kits for families containing activities, hygiene essentials, laundry items, and snacks, and brought them to RMHC locations in Austin and Atlanta.
- [4 Ways to Crank Up Your HVAC Sales](https://extu.com/resource/4-ways-to-crank-up-your-hvac-sales/): The HVAC industry is booming! With a projected 6.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) until 2030. Additionally, 3 in 5 consumers are willing to pay more for eco-friendly equipment, highlighting the growing demand for sustainable solutions. Now is the perfect time to capitalize on this flourishing market and try new HVAC sales strategies. This infographic unveils key strategies to unlock your full sales potential and position your HVAC business for success in the years to come.
- [Construction Sales Tactics to Ditch in 2024](https://extu.com/resource/construction-sales-tactics-to-ditch-in-2024/): In the rapidly evolving, constantly growing construction industry, outdated sales tactics can hold you back. Are you stuck in the past with methods that no longer resonate with builders? Time to ditch stale construction sales tactics and embrace innovative solutions for 2024 and beyond. 
- [Get 30-40% More Channel Sales in 2024](https://extu.com/resource/get-30-40-percent-more-channel-sales/): On-Demand Webinar:
- [3 Ways Data Helps You Accelerate Channel Sales in HVAC](https://extu.com/resource/accelerate-channel-sales-in-hvac/): Remember the days of relying on hunches and charm in HVAC sales? Gone are those misty memories. Today, data reigns supreme. It's the fuel that propels your business forward, leaving stress and guesswork in the dust.
- [3 Proven Ways to Boost Channel Sales 30-40%](https://extu.com/resource/3-proven-ways-to-boost-channel-sales-30-40/): Feeling stuck in a sales rut? You're not the only one. Many businesses struggle to boost channel sales, facing rising costs and rapidly evolving customer demands. In this video, you can learn about three sales strategies that helped real businesses achieve 30-40% sales increases.
- [Extu Has a New Head Office in Atlanta!](https://extu.com/resource/extu-new-office-atlanta/): Extu's got brand new digs in Atlanta! Ditching the cubicle farm, they've traded in for a bright, open workspace in Ashford Greens. Why the move? To fuel collaboration, innovation, and employee happiness, of course.
- [Jeff Cagle in Contractor Supply Magazine: How Distributors Can Budget for an Incentive Program](https://extu.com/resource/contractor-supply-budget-for-incentive-program/): Struggling to motivate your sales team and drive customer engagement? A well-designed incentive program can be your secret weapon, but budgeting for it can be tricky. In a new Contractor Supply article, incentive expert Jeff Cagle reveals essential tips to effectively budgeting incentive programs and maximizing your their impact.
- [The Ultimate Incentive Plan Template](https://extu.com/resource/the-ultimate-incentive-plan-template/): Start cultivating your best incentive program strategy yet. Download the Ultimate Incentive Plan Template today!
- [IRR Market Report 2024: Big Potential, With Some Headwinds and Growing ROI Questions](https://extu.com/resource/irr-market-report-2024-big-potential-with-some-headwinds-and-growing-roi-questions/): Here’s a report on the incentive, rewards, and recognition market based on the insights of executives from 14 companies focused on recognition, incentive programs, or both. Achievers, Jeff CatesAppreciation at Work, Dr. Paul WhiteAugeo Marketing, Juli GilbertCreative Group Inc., Melissa Van DykeEGR International, Jenni SmithExtu, Alli CampofrancoRichard Garlick & Associates, Rick GarlickHMI, a 360insights company, Lincoln SmithIncentco, Gerry WiatrowskiInspirus, Tatiana FriersonLuxe Incentives, Jacque BusbyNext Level Performance, Susan AdamsOne10, Richelle SuverPartners for Incentives, Mary Anne ComottoWorktango, Rob Catalano
- [Building Supply Company Sees 11:1 ROI on Revenue](https://extu.com/resource/building-supply-company-sees-11-1-roi/): Case Study
- [2x Revenue Growth](https://extu.com/resource/2x-revenue-growth/): Case Study
- [Extu Leads IRR Industry on Mid-Market Focus](https://extu.com/resource/extu-leads-irr-industry-on-mid-market-focus/): Discover how Extu is revolutionizing the IRR industry with its innovative focus on mid-market businesses! Featured on the prestigious Rewards Recognition Network (RRN), our latest article showcases Extu's journey from its inception in 1994 by Steve Damerow to its current pioneering status under the leadership of Nichole Gunn, Global Chief Marketing Officer, and William Lupo, Chief Revenue Officer. Learn about our groundbreaking GoTu Grow and GoTu Rewards offerings – affordable, powerful tools designed to empower small to mid-sized businesses with top-tier channel marketing automation and enticing rewards. Starting at just $399 per month, these solutions offer high ROI and are a game-changer for businesses seeking robust content, CRM, and consistent campaigns without the hefty price tag. Dive into the article to explore how Extu is not just meeting but exceeding the needs of its clients in today's dynamic market. Click here to read more and join us in shaping the future of channel engagement!
- [The Building Blocks of Better Channel Partnerships ](https://extu.com/resource/building-blocks-of-better-channel-partnerships/): eBook
- [Extu Announces GoTu Grow: A Fast & Affordable Solution Designed to Drive Channel Growth & Loyalty](https://extu.com/resource/extu-announces-gotu-grow-a-fast-affordable-solution-designed-to-drive-channel-growth-loyalty/): Introducing GoTu Grow – Extu's game-changing channel marketing solution that's affordable, fast, and ridiculously easy. Designed for small and midmarket companies hungry for growth, GoTu Grow flips the script on traditional marketing headaches. Picture this: relevant content to empower partners to unleash killer omnichannel campaigns that reel in and keep customers.
- [MarketWatch – Extu Launches GoTu Rewards, a Flexible, Affordable Incentive Platform to Drive Loyalty](https://extu.com/resource/marketwatch-extu-launches-gotu-rewards-a-flexible-affordable-incentive-platform-to-drive-loyalty/): GoTu Rewards is Extu's new incentive industry game-changer. Fast to launch, flexible, and budget-friendly, this platform is the go-to solution for companies of all sizes to kickstart a killer loyalty program without burning through their budget. GoTu Rewards stands out for its simplicity and a reward catalog with millions of exciting options.
- [Debit Card Rewards Slash Expenses by 13%](https://extu.com/resource/debit-card-rewards-slash-expenses-by-13/): Case Study
- [We’re Now Extu. What Does That Mean for You?](https://extu.com/resource/were-now-extu/): Our animated infographic, “The Top 10 Tech Trends Expected in 2023” earned us an award from The B2B Exchange's Killer Content Awards!
- [MOHAWK](https://extu.com/resource/mohawk/): 20 years of the best service I could ask for. 
- [Heritage Wholesalers Inc.](https://extu.com/resource/heritage-wholesalers-inc/): I have nothing but good things to say about Extu and their ability to offer a truly unique program based solely on our incentive goals and budget. Not only does their rewards site offer almost everything under the sun, but internally, their staff is extremely knowledgeable, incredibly helpful and prompt in responding to all matters.
- [Toyo ](https://extu.com/resource/toyo/): Brooke Metcalf and Patrick O'Brien and the Extu team are awesome to work with. 
- [Siemens](https://extu.com/resource/siemens/): "Siemens went out to bid to all the major national incentive companies and we chose Extu. They impressed us – they listen, they were the most responsive, and they have the best customer experience, the latest technology and they had the best price.  This is a very complicated program with many subsets. Most companies did not have the hierarchical technical capabilities we need, or the flexibility of the promotion set-up. To further complicate the issue, we had a short, 30-day setup goal.  Extu has walked with us step by step and we have succeeded all of our goals. They are honest, hardworking people that sincerely care about us reaching our goal and I recommend them heartedly."
- [Neopost](https://extu.com/resource/neopost/): “From sales to support, the team has been fantastic. I would recommend your company and product to all organizations. From the onset, the team ensured that I met my launch goals and then followed through to ensure that participants had a good experience. I was able to significantly lower administrative time and costs while improving the customer (our field sales reps) experience. I would give this company an A+!”
- [Mitsubishi Electric Heating and Cooling ](https://extu.com/resource/mitsubishi-electric-heating-and-cooling/): Incentive programs, such as rebates and rewards for purchases, helps keep our products top of mind with contractors. We are the top preferred brand of ductless, but ductless itself requires additional push through the channel since it is largely still considered niche. Incentives help us strengthen the contractors consideration in ductless and our brand. We also experiencing more frequent product innovations, and subsequently may find a need to drive a reduction of current stock. Incentives are a great win-win marketing tool for us and the channel. — Mike Smith, Sr. Marketing Manager, Residential 
- [Milwaukee Electric Tools  ](https://extu.com/resource/milwaukee-electric-tool/): We exceeded our sales target by over 127% and developed, managed, and maintained relationships with the top 30 accounts on the East Coast. Our loyalty program drives over $10M in new business annually and helped us create $3.3M in incremental business over 18 Months. It also helped us negotiate and secure long-term agreements with 8 of the ENR Top 500 largest construction companies in the world.
- [Lexmark ](https://extu.com/resource/lexmark/): We’ve been an Extu client for four years now and we’ve found their technology very helpful in motivating and rewarding our workforce. We reward our employees base on their achievement for particular behaviors. Once others in the organization see the success, they can model behaviors after the winners. So there’s a dual benefit of rewarding particular short-term behaviors, and over time encouraging and motivating others to follow along with that same kind of behavior.
- [Solar Gard ](https://extu.com/resource/solar-gard/): “True partner in creating solid loyalty programs that deliver!” 
- [Goodman ](https://extu.com/resource/goodman/): Extu does a great job of managing the dealer reward programs for the Goodman and Amana brands. The account executives are always quick to respond and provide recommendations of how to structure a program / campaign, in addition to being great partners to brainstorm new approaches to rewarding the target behavior we are looking for. Strong company with excellent people that will help you manage your internal / external incentive programs with ease!
- [Mr. Steam](https://extu.com/resource/mr-steam/): A good company to create an environment that incentivizes our key dealers to sell more of our products and get rewarded for it. -- Dan Reinert 
- [BraunAbility  ](https://extu.com/resource/braunability/): We chose Extu because of their expertise in technology. Technology is changing so fast. Extu has it figured out very well. They were able to integrate with complex ERP systems and CRM systems and make it very easy, seamless.  -- Joe Garnett 
- [8x Increase In Annual Sales](https://extu.com/resource/8x-increase-in-annual-sales/): Case Study
- [Global IT Brand Succeeds With Tier 2 Channel Partners](https://extu.com/resource/texas-based-it-vendor/): Case Study
- [Online Reward Program Increases ROI for Data Distributor](https://extu.com/resource/increase-roi/): Case Study
- [Electric Distributor’s Sales Incentive Program Reduces Costs 80%](https://extu.com/resource/electric-distributor-sales-incentive-program-reduces-costs-80/): Case Study
- [Customer Reward Program Increases PVC Pipe Sales 40%](https://extu.com/resource/customer-reward-program-increases-sales-40/): Case Study
- [Insurance Company Increases Policy Quotes 21%](https://extu.com/resource/insurance-company-increases-policy-quotes-21/): Case Study
- [Energy Supplier Achieves 32% Sales Increase and 20% Margin Growth](https://extu.com/resource/energy-supplier-32-sales-increase-20-margin-growth/): Margin growth from participating distributors
- [Construction Supplier Increases Sales 40%](https://extu.com/resource/construction-supplier-increases-sales-40/): Case Study
- [HVAC Manufacturer’s Incentive Program Earns 307% ROI](https://extu.com/resource/hvac-manufacturers-incentive-program-earns-307-roi/): We built a manufacturer incentive program that targeted HVAC dealers and contractors, with two main goals:
- [Commercial Bank Achieves 25-30% Loan Growth](https://extu.com/resource/commercial-bank-achieves-25-30-loan-growth/): We crafted a point-based incentive program that awarded high-value merchandise and travel packages for new loan contracts. This helped the bank build stronger and more productive relationships with dealer finance managers.
- [Tire Distributor Increases Online Sales 10x](https://extu.com/resource/tire-distributor-online-sales-10x/): One of the U.S.'s largest independent tire distributors wanted to increase their brandawareness and adoption of their online services and ordering tools, driving inbound traffic and e-commerce sales.
- [Dealer Reward Program Increases Warranty Registrations from 37% to 92%](https://extu.com/resource/warranty-registrations-37-to-92/): Extu helped the manufacturer offer branded, reloadable debit card rewards. Whenever participants in the dealer reward program met the manufacturer’s goal, they earned funds on their reloadable card. The amount ​of rewards earned depending on two things:
- [Manufacturer Gets 246% More Product Registrations and 40% Sales Growth](https://extu.com/resource/product-registrations-246-sales-40/): More product registrations
- [Incentive Program Boosts Mobile App Usage by 206%](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-based-marketing/): Case Study
- [Expansion Into the Enterprise Market with 32:1 ROI](https://extu.com/resource/expansion-into-the-enterprise-market/): Case Study
- [Client Expands to New Industries with $15M Attributable Sales](https://extu.com/resource/expanding-business-into-new-industries/): Case Study
- [Vendor Pilot Program Drives $9.1M Attributable Closed Sales](https://extu.com/resource/vendor-pilot-program-focuses-on-mid-market-space/): Case Study
- [Manufacturer Boosts Loyalty with 39% More Enrollment](https://extu.com/resource/boost-customer-loyalty/): Case Study
- [9x Partner Participation Improvement](https://extu.com/resource/9x-partner-participation-improvement/): Case Study
- [$8M Sales Increase In One Year](https://extu.com/resource/8m-sales-increase-in-over-one-year/): Case Study
- [2020 Business IT Trends | Annual Report ](https://extu.com/resource/2020-business-it-trends-report/): Our 2019 Business IT Trends Report is here. Discover where small to medium businesses are planning to invest their techn budgets. Do your plans stack up?
- [$75M Pipeline Growth in 8 Months](https://extu.com/resource/75m-pipeline-growth-in-8-months/): Case Study
- [Contractor Loyalty Boosts Orders 319%](https://extu.com/resource/contractor-loyalty-program/): Case Study
- [Supercharge your through-channel marketing with a service-led approach](https://extu.com/resource/supercharge-tcm-with-service-study/): Whitepaper
- [The Benefits of Incentive Travel](https://extu.com/resource/the-benefits-of-incentive-travel/): Is incentive travel worth the time and investment? If planned and executed correctly, absolutely! Incentive trips have an average 4:1 return on investment, making them the most effective incentive reward of all. This free guide will detail all the benefits of incentive travel, such as relationship-building and networking, as well as best practices. Learn about:
- [Get More Sales in a Recession Using Channel Incentives](https://extu.com/resource/more-sales-recession-channel-incentives/): eBook
- [Key Strategies to Increase Channel Partner Loyalty](https://extu.com/resource/key-strategies-increase-channel-partner-loyalty/): Developing a channel partner loyalty strategy helps brands create consistency and financial security in disrupted B2B markets and supply chains. With this free guide, you can learn how to offer channel partners a memorable, positive experience that creates lasting brand loyalty.
- [Incentive Strategies to Improve Sales Channel Visibility](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-strategies-improve-sales-channel-visibility/): Channel partnerships are one of the strongest advantages to selling through a distribution channel. But, when selling through a channel, suppliers typically have to give up direct end-user connection and influence. This guide will walk you through five strategies to improve sales channel visibility and get a clearer picture of both the channel partners you sell through, and the end-users that ultimately use your products.
- [Best Practices for a Successful Distributor Incentive Program](https://extu.com/resource/distributor-incentives-ebook/): A distributor incentive program, or revamping the one you already have, can make a big impact on your sales and marketing goals.
- [How to Launch the Best Incentive Program](https://extu.com/resource/how-to-launch-the-best-incentive-program/): Twenty-five years of experience and the latest in incentive strategy all crammed into this free incentive program e-book. Whether you’re looking to increase channel sales, build B2B loyalty, motivate sales teams, or reward employees, The BthruB Incentive Program Playbook is a must read.
- [How to Increase Distributor Sales: The Ultimate Guide](https://extu.com/resource/how-to-increase-distributor-sales-the-ultimate-guide/): This free guide shows manufacturers how to increase distributor sales, improve their distributor experience, and build distributor loyalty using channel management technology and strategic channel marketing. You'll learn:
- [Get More from Your Through Channel Marketing Program](https://extu.com/resource/get-more-from-tcm-program/): eBook
- [Debunking Channel Marketing Myths](https://extu.com/resource/debunking-channel-marketing-myths/): eBook
- [The Channel Incentive Playbook](https://extu.com/resource/channel-incentive-playbook/): No two distribution channels are the same, which means the incentive strategies that work for one company won’t necessarily work for another. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rely on vetted, real-world data and incentive plan examples to guide you in developing a successful channel incentive program.
- [7 best-kept secrets from partners](https://extu.com/resource/7-best-kept-secrets-from-partners/): After years of experience creating through-partner marketing programs with the world’s largest companies, we’ve identified seven little known secrets for building a wildly successful channel marketing program.
- [B2B Sales Strategy: Personalization, Data, and Incentives](https://extu.com/resource/b2b-sales-strategy-ebook/): Gone are the days of B2B sales strategy where a quality product and trade show advertising were sufficient in achieving differentiation. Digital marketing and data collection capabilities have become the keys to B2B marketing and sales success. Couple this with the shift in B2B buyer’s digital demands and expectations, and businesses without an online presence will soon be unable to compete.
- [Actionable Moves for a Better Partner Program](https://extu.com/resource/actionable-moves-for-a-better-partner-program/): The incentive program strategy manufacturers need to succeed in today’s channel. Being a manufacturer today is tough. There’s cheap offshore competition, an influx of non-traditional partners, and changing customer expectations. But change is an opportunity for growth.
- [Incentive Program Secrets for Manufacturers](https://extu.com/resource/manufacturer-incentive-programs-playbook/): And that’s just scratching the surface. Download your free copy of Incentive Program Secrets for Manufacturers before your competition.
- [Why Use Incentive Services?](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-services-ebook/): Incentive programs are a great way to drive growth, motivation, and positivity in your company or distribution channel. But, like any business tool, they work best when implemented and managed strategically. This guide leads you through several incentive services and management tools/techniques that make incentive programs more successful, more streamlined, and easier to operate.
- [A Beginner’s Guide to Incentive Program ROI](https://extu.com/resource/beginners-guide-to-incentive-programs-roi/): eBook
- [Benchmarks of a Successful Channel Incentive Program](https://extu.com/resource/channel-incentive-benchmarks/): Whitepaper
- [Jeff Cagle in Contractor Supply Magazine: How Through Channel Marketing Benefits Distributors](https://extu.com/resource/contractor-supply-through-channel-marketing-benefits-distributors/): Jeff Cagle, recently named Director of Global Accounts at Incentive Solutions and Extu, contributed insights to Contractor Supply magazine on how through channel marketing benefits distributors.
- [Jeff Cagle in Manufacturing.net: Using Incentive Programs to Proof Your Channel Against Economic Stress](https://extu.com/resource/manufacturing-net-incentive-programs-proof-channel-against-economic-stress/): In a new article featured in Manufacturing.net, Jeff Cagle (Director of Global Accounts at Incentive Solutions and Extu) shares insights on how channel incentive programs can help B2B brands build incremental revenue and customer loyalty. By using best practices, manufacturers can develop a "low-cost, high return" incentive strategy that benefits the brand, even in times of economic stress. Some of these recommendations include:
- [OneAffiniti Wins National Content Marketing Award. Again!](https://extu.com/resource/killer-content-award-2023/): Our animated infographic, “The Top 10 Tech Trends Expected in 2023” earned us an award from The B2B Exchange's Killer Content Awards!
- [MarketingDive Covers Incentive Solutions’ New Ebook Release on Increasing Sales During a Recession](https://extu.com/resource/marketing-dive-ebook-increasing-sales-during-recession/): MarketingDive recently covered the release of Incentive Solutions' newest ebook, Get More Sales in a Recession Using Channel Incentives. The ebook, which is free to download, highlights the importance for business-to-business (B2B) brands to implement a strong incentive program for in preparation for an economic downturn. With a well-planned incentive program, brands can even increase sales during a recession.
- [New Chief Product Officer Brings Greater Data Expertise to Incentive Solutions/Extu Technology](https://extu.com/resource/chief-product-officer-data-expertise/): There's a new face in town! At Incentive Solutions and Extu, we recently welcomed aboard our new Chief Product Officer (CPO), Omid Reza Sedaghatian!
- [Smart Distributor Incentive Ideas in Mechanical Hub Magazine](https://extu.com/resource/distributor-incentive-ideas/): Are you looking for distributor incentive ideas to maximize profitability in your channel? Distributor incentive programs can be a powerful tool to increase sales, build channel partner loyalty, and accomplish business objectives. But distribution channels can be complicated, with a lot of moving parts. Many manufacturers and distributors are plagued by poor communication, incomplete data, and a lack of personalization with their channel partners. Let's look into some of the ways you can avoid the pitfalls of planning a distributor incentive program.
- [Nichole Gunn in Modern Distribution Management: How to Use Reporting and Data in Your Channel Incentive Program](https://extu.com/resource/modern-distribution-management-use-reporting-data-channel-incentive-program/): For many business-to-business (B2B) brands, the biggest obstacles of an incentive program are the time and resources required to manage it. A properly managed incentive program, however, can yield the kind of sales and customer data that helps brands dramatically improve their sales and marketing efforts. Not only that, but a combination of incentive technology and services can reduce time and resources spent on incentive planning and channel marketing strategies in general. In an article published in Modern Distribution Management, Nichole Gunn explores the ways channel incentive programs can return game-changing data:
- [Jeff Cagle on Manufacturing.net: Best Practices for Manufacturing Industry Incentive Programs](https://extu.com/resource/manufacturing-net-best-practices-manufacturing-industry-incentive-programs/): When implemented correctly, incentive programs can boost sales performance by up to 20%. How can manufacturers "correctly" implement sales incentive programs? Jeff Cagle shares insights on this in a new article published on Manufacturing.net. He recommends the following best practices:
- [Jeff Cagle in Tire Business Magazine: How to Engage Tire Dealers Amid Recession](https://extu.com/resource/tire-business-engage-tire-dealers-amid-recession/): Current sales and projections for the tire industry are optimistic, but the chance of a recession is looming in economic forecasts. This could lead to a future of consumers putting off routine maintenance and upgrades, as well as spending a lot less time on the road in general. What can tire brands and dealers do to prepare? In Tire Business magazine, Incentive Solutions' Director of Global Accounts offers this advice:
- [Featured in Modern Distribution Management: Using Incentives to Increase the Bottom Line](https://extu.com/resource/modern-distribution-management-incentives-increase-bottom-line/): How can distributors and manufacturers develop more cost-effective channel marketing? By using incentive programs strategically. Extu's Chief Marketing Officer, Nichole Gunn, contributed an article to Modern Distribution Management magazine on this topic. As Gunn says, these four tactics can help business-to-business (B2B) brands increase incremental and bottom-line sales:
- [Featured in Industry Today: How Incentive Programs Help with Recession Preparation](https://extu.com/resource/industry-incentive-programs-help-with-recession/): Like many industries, HVAC is facing a future of uncertainty and the potential of an economic downturn. Can incentive programs help HVAC brands brace for this future? Jeff Cagle tackles this question in Industry Today magazine.
- [The Incentive Insider | February 2022](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-insider-february-2022/): By the end of 2021, people were itching for a change of scenery, and travel incentive program managers heeded the call! The Incentive Solutions travel team has been very busy booking incentive trips for over 1,300 attendees in six different programs. This is our biggest quarter for incentive travel in two years, another marker of progress toward a post-quarantine travel landscape.
- [Extu Employees and Clients Donate Reward Points to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA)](https://extu.com/resource/choa-distinguished-clown-corps/): What feels even better than spending reward points on yourself? Spending them on an important cause! This year, Incentive Solutions (Extu) employees and clients did just that. By making a charitable donation option available in our online rewards catalog, we allowed points program participants to spend points on Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA)'s annual Distinguished Clown Corps fundraiser.
- [Published in Tire Business Magazine: Incentives Move Tire Sales Through the Distribution Chain](https://extu.com/resource/tire-distribution-chain-incentives/): Are you looking for ways to drive tire sales (no pun intended) through the distribution chain? Sales incentives can serve as a powerful tool to enhance sales performance, gain market share, and widen profit margins. You’re probably familiar with the basic concept of distribution chain incentives: your sales reps do something that helps promote your company’s growth and you reward them for it. But how about using them strategically in specific ways at key points in your distribution channel to move more product?
- [OneAffiniti is joining forces with Incentive Solutions](https://extu.com/resource/joining-forces-with-incentive-solutions/): Extu has been acquired by Incentive Solutions. Together, we will create a formidable channel management technology program.
- [Bad Incentives Don’t Work: Never Do Incentives Alone!](https://extu.com/resource/bad-incentives-dont-work-video/): Never do incentives alone.
- [Extu Wins Best Channel Incentive Program in the 2020 Motivation Masters Awards](https://extu.com/resource/extu-wins-best-channel-incentive-program-in-the-2020-motivation-masters-awards/): Time to get excited! Your favorite incentive company Extu (at the time, known as "Incentive Solutions") was recognized for four of its channel incentive programs in the 11th annual Motivation Masters Awards, winning the award for “Best Channel Program!”
- [Director of Travel Services Deven Crane on the Future of Incentive Travel](https://extu.com/resource/future-of-incentive-travel/): Here at Extu, our Incentive Travel team has been hard at work since the onset of the pandemic. Check out our Director of Travel Services Deven Crane as he talks about the current state of travel, provides tips on how to make the best of travel restrictions, and offers some hope for your incentive travel future.
- [Motivating Millennials in the Workplace to Maximize Growth: Nichole Gunn Featured in Workspan](https://extu.com/resource/motivating-millennials-employees/): Motivating Millennials in the workplace is a hot topic – and one that leaves many employers scratching their heads. Luckily, Nichole Gunn’s article, “Motivating Millennials: How to Recognize and Reward Millennial Employees,” published in Workspan, provides actionable advice.
- [Customer Loyalty Program Best Practices: Nichole Gunn Featured in Independent Retailer Magazine](https://extu.com/resource/retail-customer-loyalty-programs/): Interested in learning more about the best practices for customer loyalty programs in retail? Independent Retailer recently asked Incentive Solutions VP of Marketing and Creative Services Nichole Gunn to share how retailers can create effective customer loyalty programs.
- [Atlanta Top Workplaces 2020: Incentive Solutions Recognized by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution!](https://extu.com/resource/top-workplaces-2020/): Exciting news! In case you missed it in the Sunday paper, your favorite incentive company made the Atlanta Top Workplaces 2020 in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution! Not only that, we made the Top 150 list!
- [Mark Herbert Celebrates 15 Years as a Member of the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence [SITE]](https://extu.com/resource/society-for-incentive-travel-excellence/): The Society for Incentive Travel Excellence, known as SITE for short, is a professional association of incentive travel companies, agencies, airlines, cruise companies, and other travel vendors. SITE is dedicated to research, education, and advocacy on behalf of the incentive travel industry.
- [Designing Incentives for the Craft Beer Distribution Channel: Nichole Gunn Featured in Beverage Master](https://extu.com/resource/beer-distribution-channel-incentives/): Like most manufacturers, craft beer producers sell through a distribution channel. Before ever filling the glasses of end-consumers, craft beer manufacturers first have to successfully market their brew to distributors, wholesalers, and other partners in their supply chain.
- [8 Loyalty Program Trends for 2020](https://extu.com/resource/loyalty-program-trends-2020/): Interested in learning more about the loyalty program trends that will be driving customer loyalty in 2020? Recently, Incentive Solutions President and CEO Mark Herbert sat down with Performance Incentive Products Magazine to discuss the trends business leaders should consider when designing their customer loyalty programs.
- [Benefits of Using Incentive Travel Companies to Manage Your Trip](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-travel-companies-benefits/): Thinking of managing your incentive travel trip internally? While that might be feasible for smaller companies, you might actually be spending more than you would have by enlisting the help of an incentive travel company.
- [Giving Back: An Inside Look at the 2019 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Christmas Parade](https://extu.com/resource/childrens-healthcare-atlanta-christmas-parade/): It’s that time of the year! This past Saturday, Incentive Solutions had the chance to support our favorite clown. Every year, our President and CEO, Mark Herbert, teams up with other Atlanta business executives and community leaders in the Distinguished Clowns to give back to Atlanta’s children.
- [Motivating Millennials to Increase B2B Sales: Nichole Gunn Featured in Marketing Dive](https://extu.com/resource/market-to-millennial-b2b-buyers/): Our very own Nichole Gunn recently sat down with Marketing Dive to discuss how more companies are using B2B incentive programs to create brand differentiation and appeal to millennial B2B buyers.
- [Extu and Michelin Receive 2019 IMA Circle of Excellence Award for All-Star Incentive Marketing and Dealer Incentives](https://extu.com/resource/circle-of-excellence-award-2019/): We’re proud to announce that Extu was given the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA) 2019 Circle of Excellence Award for our work with Michelin. We’re hugely honored by the award, which recognizes the most outstanding and innovative incentive programs each year.
- [Looking to Learn More About Insurance Incentive Programs? Incentive Solutions Appears in ThinkAdvisor](https://extu.com/resource/insurance-incentive-programs-thinkadvisor/): Earlier this month, a second article by Incentive Solutions’ President and CEO, Mark Herbert, was published in ThinkAdvisor. While our first article in the series provides an overview of how insurance brokerages can use incentive travel to advance their goals, this article is a deep dive into exactly what KPIs insurance incentive programs should incentivize in order to create sustainable results.
- [Using KPI Based Incentives: Mark Herbert Published in National Underwriter Property & Casualty 360](https://extu.com/resource/kpi-based-incentives-insurance/): In industries like property and casualty insurance, ethics and compliance play a huge role in how companies want to set up their incentive programs. Mark Herbert’s most recent article, exclusive to National Underwriter Property & Casualty 360, explores how insurance brokerages can structure KPI based incentives to drive sales, while building trust with clients.
- [Announcing Incentive Solutions’ New CEO – Mark Herbert!](https://extu.com/resource/announcing-incentive-solutions-new-ceo-mark-herbert-2/): We’ve got an exciting announcement! Mark Herbert, president and Chief Operations Officer here at Incentive Solutions, became our new CEO in June. He will lead Incentive Solutions as our president and CEO.
- [Sales Employee Incentive Programs for Wood Flooring Sales Reps](https://extu.com/resource/sales-incentive-programs-wood-flooring-sales-reps/): How do you motivate sales reps in the wood flooring industry? Wood Floor Business recently published some of our specific tactics designed to get the most out of a wood floor sales employee incentive program. Incentive Solutions CEO Steve Damerow recommends these five strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of sales employee incentives:
- [Award-Winning Contractor Loyalty Program Created By Ferguson and Incentive Solutions](https://extu.com/resource/award-winning-contractor-loyalty-program-created-by-ferguson-and-incentive-solutions/): The Incentive Marketing Association’s (IMA) annual Circle of Excellence awards recognize the year’s most outstanding sales, employee and customer loyalty programs. Among the 2017 Circle of Excellence award-winners are Atlanta-based Incentive Solutions. Incentive Solutions won the Dealer Distributor Incentive Award for the contractor loyalty program they created collaboratively with Ferguson, the largest wholesale supplier of commercial and residential plumbing supplies in the U.S.
- [Engaged In Education With WOW Rewards](https://extu.com/resource/engaged-in-education-with-wow-rewards/): iN Education, Inc. recently revealed WOW Education Rewards, which is an incentive program that rewards and recognizes students for their hard work in school, and for their volunteer work and community service. WOW Education Rewards recently published a piece outlining the objectives and goals of this new incentive program, and how it will help engage students in strengthening their academic futures. Incentive Solutions is proud to announce that we were selected as the incentive program provider for this important initiative.
- [Memorial Sloan-Kettering Wellness Program Receives Prestigious Award](https://extu.com/resource/memorial-sloan-kettering-wellness-program-receives-prestigious-award/): The world’s largest and oldest private medical establishment is Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and with devotion to research, education, patient care, and cancer prevention it was recently recognized with the CEO Cancer Gold Standard accreditation, according to a press release published by MarketWatch.com.
- [Quest Software Initiates New Unified Global Channel Partner Program](https://extu.com/resource/quest-software-initiates-new-unified-global-channel-partner-program/): Recognizing that global channel partners and supporting solution market strategies are now a fundamental element in the information technology (IT) arena, Quest Software recently announced the implementation of a new globally unified partner program, Quest Partner Circle.
- [Incentive Solutions Acquires OneAffiniti to Streamline Channel Marketing Landscape](https://extu.com/resource/incentive-solutions-acquires-oneaffiniti-to-streamline-channel-marketing-landscape/): ATLANTA, Ga. (May 11, 2021) — Incentive Solutions, a frontrunner in channel marketing technology, announced today its acquisition of OneAffiniti , bringing together a comprehensive suite of B2B solutions and solidifying the company’s position as one of the leaders in the industry. The acquisition will provide customers with a seamless experience across major product categories.
- [Extu Launches Platform Addition that Delivers Intent Data, Lead Scoring, Insights and Recommended Actions for Channel Partners](https://extu.com/resource/oneaffiniti-launches-platform-addition-that-delivers-intent-data-lead-scoring-insights-and-recommended-actions-for-channel-partners/): AUSTIN, Texas, March 25, 2021 -- Extu, a leader in through-channel marketing solutions for global IT partners and brands, announced the launch of its Insights Hub with the Account Profiling dashboard, an addition to the company's through-channel marketing platform. Account Profiling gives partner companies data and insights to quickly identify their customers and prospects that are in-market in order to prioritize buyers that are exhibiting intent signals.
- [Tech Bites – How To Keep Your Business Successful Through The Coronavirus Crisis](https://extu.com/resource/tech-bites-how-to-keep-your-business-successful-through-the-coronavirus-crisis/): This insightful article from Extu highlights the critical role of marketing during economic uncertainties, like the COVID-19 crisis. Despite the pandemic's severe impact on the economy, Extu demonstrates how consistent engagement in marketing programs can sustain partner and customer relationships. The article emphasizes the importance of investing in marketing during tough times, drawing parallels with post-9/11 strategies and citing expert opinions on how marketing drives commerce and prepares businesses for eventual economic rebounds.
- [Only 12% of IT channel partners use brand-provided marketing platforms](https://extu.com/resource/only-12-of-it-channel-partners-use-brand-provided-marketing-platforms/): AUSTIN, Texas (March 5, 2019) — Extu, a leader in through-channel marketing solutions for global IT partners and brands, today announced the release of Empower Your Channel Partners With A Service-Led Approach to Through-Channel Marketing, a February 2019 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Extu that shows IT brands are still failing to engage a large percentage of channel partners in brand-provided marketing programs.
- [Average Cyberattack Cost Tops $1 Million: What It Means for MSPs](https://extu.com/resource/average-cyberattack-cost-tops-1-million-what-it-means-for-msps/): Cyberattacks are getting nastier and more expensive, with the average cost now topping a whopping $1 million. This is bad news for businesses of all sizes, but especially for MSPs who have to be the shield for their customers.
- [Report Finds Channel Partners Are Marketing Challenged](https://extu.com/resource/report-finds-channel-partners-are-marketing-challenged/): A survey of 507 North American IT channel partners finds less than a quarter of partners are accessing a marketing platform provided by an IT vendor on a monthly basis in the past year.
- [Less Than a quarter of IT Channel Partners use Brand-Funded Marketing Platform](https://extu.com/resource/less-than-a-quarter-of-it-channel-partners-use-brand-funded-marketing-platform/): Extu, a leader in through-channel marketing solutions for global IT partners and brands, today announced the result of its 2018 Pulse of the Channel survey (three surveys collected information from 507 North American IT channel partners). Above all else, the data highlights the fact that only 23 percent of partners report accessing a brand-provided marketing platform on a monthly basis in the past year, with many partners saying they simply don’t have enough time to engage with a marketing platform. Nevertheless, the survey also shows that many channel partners are interested in receiving more marketing support from brands, particularly as an incentive. The results suggest there is plenty of room for brands to help partners use marketing platforms more effectively and efficiently.
- [Extu Names Simon Hjorth New VP of Client Sales](https://extu.com/resource/oneaffiniti-names-simon-hjorth-new-vp-of-client-sales/): Austin, October 23 - Extu, a leader in channel marketing solutions for IT partners and global IT brands, today announces that is has named Simon Hjorth, a global marketing executive with more than 25 years of experience in international marketing and sales with a proven record of driving growth, as Vice President of Client Sales. Extu has grown rapidly since opening an office in the U.S. in 2015. Recently the company added Microsoft and Samsung to an already-robust portfolio of clients that includes Lenovo, Dell and HPE, among other major IT brands. Hjorth will help Extu to drive growth in existing markets and prepare for future growth in new markets around the world.  
- [Selling AI to SMBs: It’s About the Story, Not the Tech](https://extu.com/resource/selling-ai-to-smbs-its-about-the-story-not-the-tech/): SMBs are hesitant about AI, but it's not the technology, it's the marketing! Here's how to win them over:
- [Mid-year market update: 52 percent of channel partners see increase in IT spending in 2018](https://extu.com/resource/mid-year-market-update-52-percent-of-channel-partners-see-increase-in-it-spending-in-2018/): AI and VR / AR sales in North America fall short of expectations
- [Extu hires Gilroy Associates to further develop offering for global IT vendors and tier 2 channel partners](https://extu.com/resource/oneaffiniti-hires-gilroy-associates-to-further-develop-offering-for-global-it-vendors-and-tier-2-channel-partners/): Sales in the North American market account today for two thirds of global revenues.
- [Extu Democratizes Channel Marketing With New Services for All IT Partners](https://extu.com/resource/oneaffiniti-democratizes-channel-marketing-with-new-services-for-all-it-partners/): The company is also rolling out a fresh new look to kickoff its next chapter of growth.
- [Extu: IT resellers look back at solid 2017](https://extu.com/resource/it-resellers-look-back-at-solid-2017/): Security and cloud services offer opportunities
- [Extu set to double workforce](https://extu.com/resource/oneaffiniti-set-to-double-workforce/): Austin, Texas (August 24, 2017) ​– Two years after opening its U.S. headquarters in Austin, Texas, direct marketing company Extu now serves more than 2,500 IT reseller partners. The company expects to see 70% year-on-year growth from 2017 to 2018 and plans on moving into new, bigger offices in the coming weeks to accommodate an increased staff, which will expand from 15 to 30 employees in their Austin office over the next 12 months.