Can you name the top 10 store level performers in your company? I don't mean 'Store #15', or the 'xyz market"...do you know their names? If not, why not? If it takes you more than 5 minutes to find out, you have a system problem that must be addressed. Every department, from purchasing to fleet maintenance, should have the list at their fingertips.

Much effort has been put into building complicated reward systems for the Rent to Own industry. We track everything from BOR, to Saturday close and Monday open. All in a effort to Bonus our way to success.

Reward without recognition is empty praise
We all like to be rewarded for our accomplishments. But, more important than the reward, is the recognition. The damage done by a lack of recognition can far outweigh the benefits of any reward.

A $1,000 bonus check at the end of the month is worth $1,000, and may motivate a manager for the next 30 days. A personal phone call from the CEO is priceless and can motivate a manager for an entire career.

"I have more important things to do"
Do you really? Name one thing that is more important than store level performance?.....Nothing is more important. No amount of committee meetings, team building exercises, or corporate restructuring can take the place of a single motivated Store Manager or Account manager. Every one of us that sit in the boardroom should hang a sign on the door that reads "Store personnel make money...I, on the other hand, am an expense".

Tip of the spear
In the Army, every person has one mission, to support the frontline troops. From the cook, to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, there is a laser like focus on what is called 'the tip of the spear'. Every person in the Pentagon is required to justify their job based on a single question..."Does my work help to advance the troops one more yard".

How about you? What did you do yesterday? Did it advance the troops one more yard? Has your work raised the customer count? Has your performance had a direct impact on deliveries or card close?

An exercise: How many agreements do you cost?
Let's say your salary is $75,000 including benefits. If your company averages $90 per month per agreement, a 20% margin, and an average length of 4 months; It requires over 1000 deliveries per year, or 3.3 per business day to produce enough profit to pay your salary. That is 1,000 greetings, 1,000 sales, 1,000 times loading, delivering, setting up, picking up. At just 1 hour per delivery, that's the equivalent of 1 person working 25 consecutive weeks (not counting service calls, collection efforts, etc.) Are you worth it?

Challenge
Regardless of your position within the company, get your hands on a list of stores, ranked by performance. Call the top performers and recognize their accomplishment. Let them know that you're aware of how hard they work. Ask what you can do to make their job more efficient.

No need to make a company wide announcement. Word will spread faster over the grapevine than by any memo.

The work you do is doubtless key to the company's success. But a simple 5 minute phone call may have a more direct impact on the 'tip of the spear' than anything else you do.