Organized incentive programs that run for a specified time are proven motivators. However, if you only work at motivating your employees (and especially if you only run incentive programs for salespeople) once a year, you may be falling short of maximizing your employees' productivity.

According to the experts, employees only want three things: 1) they want to be treated fairly; 2) they want to feel that they are accomplishing something; 3) they want to get along well with their co-workers and feel like a team.

Meeting these needs will boost morale and keep employees enthusiastic about their work. How you meet the first need is by making sure that your things are equitable when it comes to salaries, benefits and job security. After that, key factors are having a feedback system that informs employees of how they are doing. Have supervisors and managers use thank-you cards and small gifts to acknowledge when an employees goes beyond what is reasonably expected. These can be a variety small imprinted gifts that managers can choose from to suit the accomplishment and the employee.

Such rewards and recognitions will keep employees reaching for an even higher mark.

Be sure, however, that there is also some type of disciplinary system to address problems. Experts point out that a great demoralizer is imposing rules and maintaining close supervision or reprimanding everyone, when the problems stem from just a few.

If you want employees to be interested in the whole of your business and to grow beyond themselves, you need to treat them as valued contributors. If employees feel they are disposable, they respond in kind. Mark their milestones and use recognition programs to express the company's appreciation for their loyalty and dedication.