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The bottom line

In addition to generating revenue through increased memberships, A la Carte Marketing helped cut payroll expenses. Caparas says LifeQuest has saved half of the marketing director’s salary since August, with the other half being distributed to marketing staff in the form of bonus incentives. Cash bonuses are attached to projects based on the level of responsibility required to complete each task. And while money serves as a motivator for staff, Caparas says employees are also encouraged by the opportunity to excel in new areas. “There’s a lot of talent here, and now everybody has the ability to showcase their potential,” agrees Smith. It also gives management a chance to see new futures for certain employees within the company.”

Learning to succeed

A la Carte Marketing has served as a learning process for employees in more ways than one. While many have gained valuable hands-on experience, Caparas says a few employees have admitted they initially took on bigger responsibilities than they could handle. Still, he says, learning one’s limitations is just as valuable as honing one’s skills. “Our prior marketing director was famous for handling all of the projects herself and not properly delegating to staff,” he says. “That’s when you get overwhelmed and can’t perform at the level you are capable of.” As a whole, Caparas says staff was careful not to jump into projects unprepared. “The unexpected by-product of this program was a certain level of conservatism in our marketing,” he explains.

“Before, there was a tendency of trying something new for the sake of doing something different, without researching the consequences. Because our staff wanted so much to succeed, it carefully researched all possibilities before jumping into anything — and it worked for us.”

Although LifeQuest hopes to hire a permanent marketing director by the end of the month, Caparas says the A la Carte Marketing approach is here to stay. “No matter who the new marketing director is, we will keep the marketing menu,” he says. “In this position, people always try to come in and succeed at every little thing. This system will keep them from getting burned-out.”