The last quarter is when the market gets loud. Budgets close, stock clears, and everyone’s chasing the same customers. For B2B brands in trade, automotive, IT, and agriculture, this is the time to drive sales, build loyalty, and keep your name front of mind as the year wraps up. That’s why we’ve crafted a simple and effective EOY incentive program checklist, to ensure that your program is closing out the year with a bang!
According to the Incentive Research Foundation, programs that combine short-term sales goals with longer-term engagement strategies consistently outperform ad-hoc promotions.
A strong incentive program can turn the chaos into opportunity. Done right, it lifts performance now and keeps momentum rolling into the new year.
Let’s make sure yours hits every mark.
Every program needs a target. Decide exactly what success looks like before you turn up the volume. Keep it tight: one core KPI and two supporting goals. That could be increasing sales on key SKUs, moving aged stock, or lifting share of wallet in your top accounts.
Each goal should connect to a behaviour you can influence—repeat purchases, premium mix, or cross-category buying. Make it measurable, make it winnable, and if it can’t be tracked weekly, it’s out.
There’s no point doubling down on a strategy that’s already gone quiet. Check your engagement data. Who’s logging in? What’s being redeemed? Which campaigns are driving the numbers you actually care about?
Real-time reporting will show you where the energy is and where you’re losing it. Adjust quickly. Drop what’s stale. Refresh rewards. Reframe targets. A good EOY push isn’t about adding noise—it’s about sharpening focus.
Nobody gets motivated by targets that feel out of reach. Keep your goals short, sharp, and close enough to hit.
Introduce fast wins: bonus points for incremental growth, push weeks for focus products, and tiered rewards that keep everyone in play. Mid-tier participants respond best to stretch goals when they can actually see the finish line.
Urgency fuels engagement. Keep it visible, keep it moving.
Your incentive program shouldn’t be running on its own frequency. If your marketing team is already promoting specific products or campaigns, plug in and amplify. When the message matches across sales, marketing, and incentives, it lands harder.
Make sure timelines align, visuals connect, and every touchpoint tells the same story. It’s how you turn a campaign into a movement instead of just another promotion.
The best rewards hit the right note for the season. December isn’t the time for long wait times or corporate merchandise nobody wants. It’s the time for digital gift cards, fast-delivery gear, and experiences that fit the summer break.
Reward bundles also perform well. Think ready-made gift packs—instant gratification that connects your brand to moments of celebration. When a participant uses their points to buy a Christmas present for someone they care about, you’ve built a memory that outlasts the campaign.
Participants are busy, so make it easy for them. Weekly updates, SMS reminders, and platform notifications all help keep attention where it needs to be.
Show progress. Countdown timers, leaderboards, and personal updates build urgency without needing to shout. Keep messages short and consistent across every channel so participants instantly know what action to take.
For best practice, review how your program platform supports automated communication and visibility.
EOY can stretch budgets fast. Track your reward liability and make sure it still fits your performance targets.
A self-funded model can help. It ties rewards directly to incremental sales and keeps the program profitable as performance grows. Decide early what happens to unused balances or unclaimed points so everyone knows the rules.
Your internal teams and partners make or break engagement. Make sure they know how the program works and what the rewards look like for their customers.
Give them quick tools—one-pagers, FAQs, clear talking points—and recognise their effort when they deliver. The more ownership they have, the harder they’ll push it.
Not every participant needs the same message. Use your program data to tailor how you communicate.
The recent Salesforce State of Marketing Report offers strong support for data-driven decision-making and engagement tracking, something that every effective incentive program should be doing year-round.
Top performers deserve recognition. Mid-tier participants need a clear path to the next level. Inactive users just need a reason to log back in. Speak to each group differently and you’ll get far more return from every interaction.
The calendar might turn over, but engagement doesn’t have to. Plan your January communication now. Remind participants about unredeemed rewards or introduce new reward options that match the summer break.
Tease what’s next. Keeping the conversation alive sets you up for a strong start to the year ahead.
People remember recognition. Call out the high performers, share results, and thank everyone who helped drive the year’s success.
Keep it authentic. Whether it’s a personal message or a program-wide announcement, closing the year with genuine appreciation reinforces loyalty and excitement for what’s next.
EOY is the moment to sharpen your program, not just close it out. The right strategy builds loyalty, drives measurable growth, and sets your brand up for a bigger year ahead.
If your program could be performing better, we can help you get there.
Talk to us about building an incentive program that delivers when it matters most.
