Tropical Recognition for EXCELLENT Employees

183 LPi guests made their way to the Henderson Beach Resort in Destin, Florida in April of 2023 to celebrate outstanding accomplishments made by the sales team.

73 employees were recognized for their work at the annual “Circle of Excellence” trip. The location varies annually, this year the guests were greeted by Florida’s turquoise waters full of dolphins as they met, shared, and relaxed on sunny shores.

Organizer Jon Becker, Area Sales Director for LPi, shared that the Circle of Excellence trip is an opportunity to recognize salespeople who have successfully earned qualifying criteria. Becker says that the criteria and goals vary by department. While all the goals pose a level of challenge, they are also intentionally planned to be attainable with some effort.

Says Becker, “And we don’t cap attendance — anybody can earn the trip based off the criteria! We want as many as we can!”

To further encourage newcomers, first-year sales people are provided with a separate, simpler set of criteria. Becker shared that a modified version makes the Circle of Excellence more attainable, and the salesperson can then interact and be encouraged by more seasoned employees.

Besides the warm weather and beach, Matt Inkmann, Senior Director for Ad Sales, relates that a highlight of the Circle of Excellence is the Awards Banquet, a formal event where each salesperson is recognized. LPi CEO, Joe Luedtke, takes the time to announce each earner, who is greeted with support and applause. 

“I took a brief pause during our awards banquet to look around the room and take in the scene,” said Inkmann, “in that moment I saw a room full of Circle of Excellence winners not focused on receiving their own award but genuinely thrilled and cheering for all their colleagues that were being recognized. That is the spirit of this team and the Circle of Excellence experience.”

And for nex year? The team is already excited for the next location — in Cancun, Mexico!

It sounds like there may be more than 73 attendees at that location, according to Becker, “After just one quarter in 2023, we are trending higher for COE attendees then we were last year at this point!”

The future of sales is bright, just like the Mexican sun!

Interested in learning more about sales opportunities and how you can land a spot at next year’s Circle of Excellence? We’re expanding our team! Learn more: https://www.4lpi.com/careers

Updated on 06-17-2025