HEY, I RECOGNIZE YOU!

Incentive minded sales managers are a lot like shopaholic handymen — they’re always on the lookout for any new tools that can help them do the job better. Now thanks to American Express Incentive Services (AEIS), sales managers have even greater flexibility in their reward options with the release of two new products, KUDOkits and Recognition eCards.

Unveiled at this year’s Motivation Show in Chicago, both products are designed to help managers add a personal touch to their corporate gift-giving. The KUDOkits contain AmEx gift cards, each of which is enclosed in a yellow case that features a built-in voice recording chip. Upon opening the case the recipient — as well as anyone in the vicinity — hears the manager’s prerecorded message, which can be anything from “Thank you” or “Congratulations” to “Help, I’m an AmEx gift card trapped in a yellow case!” Recording the message is a breeze and allows for re-recording in case you fumble your lines the first time or two. Each KUDOkit packet comes with ten plastic cases ready for you to pop in a gift card and start recording. And if you need more than ten, AEIS will gladly prerecord your message and build a custom package.

The Recognition eCards, as the name suggests, are online greeting cards developed exclusively for AEIS that allow visitors to send messages with one of nine different themes (such as “teamwork,” “leadership,” “thank you,” “customer service” and “congratulations”) to the recipients of their choice. Senders personalize the cards with their own message, and then the cards go out via email. And the best part? They’re available for free at the AEIS website. But that little piece of information can be just between you and American Express — if you don’t tell the recipients, they won’t either.

For more information about either KUDOkits or Recognition eCards, visit American Express Incentives Services online at www.aeis.com.