When you do something well, people start to tell you, “You should write a book about that!” Not many people act on that, but David Ashe, director of sales development at Allego, did. His new book, Get Your Team into G.E.A.R: A Tactical Approach to SDR Leadership, breaks down four essential components of successful SDR leadership: Gamification, Enablement, Accountability, and Reassurance. In it, he taps into his years of experience leading sales development representative (SDR) teams to show you how to use his framework to transform your SDR team from good to great. Below we have an excerpt from Ashe’s book. Continue reading to learn how you can use sales gamification to motivate your team and inject energy and purpose into daily activities.

Sales Gamification: Transform Daily Activities into Engaging Challenges

Early in my leadership journey, I noticed a common challenge: SDRs often struggle with motivation, particularly when facing repeated rejection or slower periods. The daily grind of cold calling and prospecting could become monotonous, decreasing activity and engagement. 

During the hiring process, one of the key traits we look for in SDRs is their competitive spirit. We seek out athletes and individuals who demonstrate a natural drive to excel and win. This competitive nature is a powerful force that, when properly channeled through, can transform ordinary tasks into engaging challenges that drive extraordinary results.

Having competitive people on your team isn’t enough — you need to consistently feed that competitive spirit.

However, having competitive people on your team isn’t enough — you need to consistently feed that competitive spirit. Creative sales gamification becomes your tool for igniting their natural desire to win and pushing them to go above and beyond their standard goals. Whether it’s designing unique competition formats or creating engaging reward systems, the key is to keep the challenges fresh and exciting.

Before implementing these competitions, it’s crucial to secure proper funding for rewards and SPIFFs [sales performance incentive funds]. As an SDR leader, one of your key responsibilities is advocating for your team’s resources. Schedule time with your CRO [chief revenue officer] to discuss establishing a monthly sales gamification budget. Come prepared with a business case that demonstrates the ROI of structured competition programs — include metrics from other organizations showing increased performance through gamification, or use your own team’s data from periods where you’ve run successful competitions. 

If you meet initial resistance, start small and document the results. Show how even modest investments in rewards drive significant performance improvements. Share specific examples of how other companies in your space use SPIFFs and competitions to motivate their teams. Once you secure even a small budget, you can begin demonstrating the direct correlation between structured competitions and improved performance. This data becomes powerful ammunition for requesting increased investment in your sales gamification programs.

Sales Gamification: 6 Types of Competitions That Drive Motivation

With funding secured and a clear vision for motivation, we developed various competition formats to combat these motivation challenges that injected energy and purpose into daily activities. When we saw SDRs struggling with rejection or hitting afternoon slumps, these competitive frameworks consistently reinvigorated their drive and focus. What we discovered was that different competition formats solved different motivation challenges, leading us to develop a comprehensive approach:

Head-to-Head Competitions 

These competitions tap into individual competitive drives. When SDRs see their teammates pulling ahead, it ignites their creative problem-solving skills. They’ll push themselves to find innovative ways to surpass the leader, often discovering new best practices. The visibility of performance creates natural motivation and raises the bar for everyone.

Head-to-head battles can be particularly effective during slower periods or when individual motivation needs a boost. The direct competition format creates immediate stakes and personal investment in the outcome. By matching different SDRs against each other, whether for a day or a week, you create focused energy and drive while allowing them to learn from each other’s strengths and approaches.

For example, one of our most popular head-to-head competitions is SDR Mario Kart. In this race to the finish line, SDRs compete by booking and completing meetings. Each meeting scheduled moves them one space forward, while a completed meeting advances them two spaces. To add an extra layer of strategy and excitement, we incorporate “power-ups”: when a player books a meeting, they earn a “banana” they can throw at an opponent to knock them back one space (while moving forward one space themselves). Completing a meeting earns a “turtle shell” that knocks an opponent back two spaces (while moving forward two spaces themselves). This gamification of daily activities not only drives performance but creates an engaging, competitive atmosphere that makes prospecting more exciting.

Team-Based Competitions 

Strategically pairing top performers with those still developing creates powerful mentorship opportunities. The top performers often step up as informal leaders, sharing their successful strategies while helping their teammates improve. This format drives performance and helps identify future leadership potential within your organization. 

The beauty of team competitions lies in their ability to build camaraderie while driving results. When structuring teams, consider mixing experience levels and skill sets to create balanced groups that can learn from each other while maintaining competitive equity.

One of our most successful team competitions is SDR Football. With 24 SDRs, we created six teams of four, setting up a season that mimicked the NFL format. Each “game” lasted two days, creating a weekly cadence similar to professional football. Teams faced different opponents each week during the six-week regular season, followed by playoffs where lower seeds battled higher seeds in single-elimination matches, culminating in the SDR Super Bowl.

The unique twist came in team role assignments. Each team member had to play a different position: Quarterback (2.5x point multiplier), Running Back (2x), Wide Receiver (1.5x), or Tight End (1x). Points were earned through scheduling qualified meetings (3 points), completing meetings (6 points), and hitting all daily KPIs (1 point).

To keep things dynamic and ensure everyone contributed, players couldn’t play the same position in consecutive weeks. This structure forced teams to strategize together, considering each member’s strengths and current performance while creating opportunities for everyone to be the star player. The rotating positions also helped develop well-rounded SDRs who could perform under different types of pressure.

Monthly Tournament-Style Contests 

These bracketed competitions force SDRs to think strategically about their work. Facing different opponents throughout the month requires adaptability and consistent performance. It reveals who has the drive to succeed — who will put in extra effort to advance to the next round, and who maintains their motivation even when facing tough competition.

The elimination format adds an extra layer of excitement and urgency to each matchup. SDRs learn to perform under pressure and develop resilience, knowing that each day could be the difference between advancing or being eliminated from the tournament.

Monthly tournament-style contests reveal who has the drive to succeed — who will put in extra effort to advance to the next round, and who maintains their motivation even when facing tough competition.

One of our most engaging tournament formats is SDR March Madness, which transforms the entire sales floor into a competitive arena. SDRs are seeded based on the previous month’s SAO [sales accepted opportunity] performance, with the top producer claiming the #1 seed. Using a classic bracket format, SDRs compete head to head, earning points through their daily activities: meeting completions count as 3-pointers, scheduled meetings as 2-pointers, and exceeding daily KPI targets as free throws (1 point). The SDR with the highest point total advances to the next round, while the runner-up enters a consolation bracket, ensuring everyone stays engaged throughout the tournament.

What makes this competition particularly special is the involvement of the broader sales organization. Every member of the sales team fills out their own bracket, predicting which SDR will emerge victorious. Using a tournament tracking website, both competitors and spectators can follow the action in real-time. This added visibility creates extra motivation for SDRs while strengthening bonds across the sales organization. While substantial prizes can add excitement, even without them, the title of “SDR March Madness Champion” becomes a valuable addition to a resume and a source of pride within the organization.

Quarterly Championship Events 

These high-stakes competitions help drive strong quarter closes while allowing SDRs to build their professional brand. Winning a quarterly championship becomes a powerful addition to their resume, demonstrating their ability to perform under pressure and maintain excellence over an extended period. 

The prestige associated with these events often drives performance beyond normal expectations. Consider creating special recognition for quarterly champions, such as trophies, wall of fame photos, or exclusive privileges that last throughout the following quarter.

Maintaining visibility throughout the quarter is crucial for driving sustained performance. Create and share a quarterly all-star tracker that shows who’s leading the pack. Make sure to highlight the standings at the end of both the first and second months. This transparency creates natural competition and gives SDRs clear targets to chase. Those trailing the leaders often find extra motivation to close the gap, while the frontrunners push harder to maintain their position.

The culmination of these quarterly competitions should be memorable. I strongly recommend investing in a high-quality trophy that features your company name, the winner’s name, and their specific achievement. While your company may not cover this expense, personally investing in these trophies is worth every penny. These physical symbols of success become powerful motivators — SDRs proudly display them at their desks, creating both a personal sense of achievement and inspiring their teammates to strive for similar recognition. It’s not just about the trophy itself; it’s about creating lasting symbols of excellence that contribute to your team’s culture of achievement.

Sprint-Based Competitions 

These intense, short-duration contests (typically a few days to a week) provide opportunities for rapid performance improvement or recovery. With substantial rewards at stake, SDRs often discover they’re capable of much more than they realized. The key is ensuring the prize matches the effort required — consider larger monetary rewards for these high-intensity sprints.

The compressed timeframe of sprint competitions creates a sense of urgency that can break through performance plateaus. Use these strategically when you need to generate quick momentum or help the team push through the final stretch of a challenging period.

On-the-Spot Competitions 

These spontaneous challenges inject immediate energy and excitement into the day. During call blitzes, offering a cash prize for the first meeting booked creates instant motivation. Monday morning competitions like “leader buys lunch for the first meeting booked” help kickstart the week with momentum. Friday afternoon challenges such as “first two meetings booked earn a coffee or happy hour drink” (sent via Venmo) provide that final push to end the week strong.

The key to on-the-spot competitions is their unpredictability and immediacy. By randomly introducing these quick-hit challenges, you create bursts of energy that can transform a slow period into hours of heightened activity. The rewards don’t need to be large. It’s the immediate gratification and recognition that drives participation. Use these sparingly and strategically; their power lies in their spontaneity and ability to create instant excitement when the team needs it most.

Putting Competition Formats into Action 

Building on these foundational competition structures, we’ve developed and implemented several successful competition programs that incorporate these various formats. Each has helped drive engagement while promoting both individual excellence and team collaboration:

We’ve implemented several engaging competitions that have driven significant results, including SDR Mario Kart, SDR Football, SDR Knockout, SDR Battleship, SDR March Madness, SDR Jeopardy, SDR Kentucky Derby, and SDR Monopoly. Don’t be afraid to get creative and have fun with your competition formats. Not every idea will be a massive hit, but even a moderately successful competition is better than no competition at all. Sometimes, the competitions that seem quirky at first become team favorites, while ones you thought would be home runs might fall flat. The key is to keep experimenting and maintain a willingness to try new approaches.

Through this process of experimentation and refinement, each of these competitions creates an environment that rewards both individual excellence and team collaboration while making the daily grind more engaging. Remember, the goal isn’t just to drive numbers but to create memorable experiences that build team culture and make the challenging work of sales development more enjoyable. Your team will appreciate the effort to make their daily work more engaging, even if every competition isn’t perfect.

Key Takeaway 

The power of sales gamification lies in its ability to transform routine tasks into engaging challenges that drive performance. Success starts with hiring naturally competitive individuals, but the true impact comes from how you strategically channel that competitive spirit. Effective gamification relies on understanding and implementing different competition formats:

Core Competition Formats 

• Head-to-Head: Creates personal investment and drives innovation 
• Team-Based: Builds mentorship and collaboration 
• Monthly Tournaments: Develop strategic thinking and resilience 
• Quarterly Championships: Drives sustained excellence 
• Sprint Competitions: Breaks through performance plateaus 
• On-the-Spot Challenges: Injects immediate energy 

Keys to Successful Sales Gamification

• Secure proper funding and resources upfront
• Maintain variety to prevent competition fatigue 
• Space out major events strategically 
• Scale rewards to match the effort required 
• Document and track results for ROI validation 

Strategic implementation is crucial. Each competition format serves a distinct purpose and should be deployed thoughtfully. Head-to-head battles create focused energy and personal investment, while team competitions build mentorship and camaraderie. Monthly tournaments develop strategic thinking and resilience, and quarterly championships drive sustained excellence. Sprint competitions break through plateaus, while on-the-spot challenges inject immediate excitement when needed.

The most successful sales gamification programs create an environment where: 

• Daily tasks become engaging challenges 
• Individual and team achievements are celebrated 
• Learning happens through friendly competition 
• Performance improvements feel natural and motivated 
• Team culture strengthens through shared experiences 

Timing and variety are essential to maintaining impact. Avoid competition fatigue by spacing out major events and using different formats strategically. When a month-long tournament ends, let the team reset before launching another extended competition. Fill gaps with shorter sprints or spontaneous challenges to maintain momentum without overwhelming your team.

Most importantly, successful sales gamification requires genuine leadership investment. Your enthusiasm and commitment to making competitions meaningful — whether through thoughtful tracking, creative prizes, or daily engagement — sets the tone for your team. When SDRs see their leader fully invested in making these initiatives exciting and worthwhile, it not only drives performance but strengthens team culture and trust. 

Remember that these frameworks are starting points, not rigid rules. The key is adapting these competition structures to fit your team’s unique personality while maintaining the core principles that make gamification effective:

Variety in competition formats 

• Strategic timing of events 
• Authentic leadership engagement 
• Meaningful rewards and recognition 
• Clear connection to business outcomes 

Through thoughtful implementation of these principles, sales gamification becomes more than just a motivation tool. It becomes a cornerstone of your sales culture, driving both individual excellence and team success. When done right, it creates an environment where SDRs eagerly push themselves and each other to new levels of achievement, turning the daily grind of sales development into an engaging journey of continuous improvement and shared success.

Take Your SDR Leadership to the Next Level

Sales gamification is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to building a high-performing sales team. If you’re ready to dive deeper into proven strategies for motivating, coaching, and leading your SDRs to success, check out Get Your Team into G.E.A.R: A Tactical Approach to SDR Leadership. In it, David Ashe provides actionable insights, real-world examples, and leadership strategies to help you create a culture of excellence. Get the book on Amazon.

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About the author: David Ashe is author of the book Get Your Team into G.E.A.R: A Tactical Approach to SDR Leadership. He is also director of sales development at Allego. In that role, he oversees a sales team responsible for growing the company’s customer base, revenue, and profitability within the United States.

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