Categories: Sales Kickoff
Check out all our great virtual sales kickoff resources and tools in the Ultimate Sales Kickoff Resource Guide.
How effective a sales kickoff event is will depend on the sales organization, the structure of the event and the commitment of leadership to ensure that it's an event that actually helps to move the needle. Your virtual sales kickoff needs to create lasting impact because — what your salespeople do with the topics covered plays the largest role in achieving the results you're looking for long after the SKO event is over.
One of the most critical factors of the event's success comes down to a leader’s role in championing and enabling the sales team. As a leader, you may not be responsible for the event's execution, but you are responsible for equipping your people to execute successfully. So, how can your team ensure your virtual SKO or sales transformation initiative makes a lasting impact on your sales team's performance?
Plan your SKO around a broader sales strategy
Use your virtual sales kickoff event to invest in sales initiatives and training aimed at improving your sales team's ability to hit their numbers next year. Given the current economic environment best-in-class companies are considering new opportunities to recover and drive revenue, and the elite ones are aiming to launch new sales transformation initiatives as a substitution for their SKO event.
Regardless of current environment, an SKO should never be treated as just an event to start the sales year. Rather, it's a key moment in time that should be directly linked to the strategic priorities of the company. This connection ensures that the activities and outcomes are connected to your organization's important initiatives.
The SKO should be part of a broader operational cadence in how you communicate and enable your sales teams. That's why it's important to plan your SKO early and draft the event into the larger strategy. As a sales leader, you can shift the mindset of your teams around the SKO event, ensuring that they stay focused on its role in the broader sales strategy.
If you're still determining the right sales initiatives and strategies to meet your growth needs, take our rapid sales assessment to uncover gaps and opportunities within your sales processes. Define and align what's next for your sales team so you can plan accordingly for your upcoming virtual SKO.
Execute your SKO with a focus on getting results
Ensure you are executing your virtual sales training initiative in a way that is focused on results. Here are a few suggestions:
- Make sure the content is relevant to the roles of the event participants and their day-to-day job responsibilities.
- The content should be consumable. It needs to be practical. Think one-sheets, short CRM fields and virtual, breakout group exercises.
- Set measurable objectives for the event itself and stick to them throughout the planning.
- Consider how the delivery of content and training compares to an in-person sales initiative and make the necessary changes.
- Spend time on setting realistic calls-to-action for everyone participating.
- What responsibilities do your managers and sales leaders have during the event?
- Who will give speeches on topics?
- Consider how you can work in live opportunities during any training moments during the event. Working with real deals provides an easy way to ensure your virtual SKO is more than just another training event.
An effective SKO takes the right planning and leadership backing in order to make it a success. If it's a must-do in your organization, do your part as a leader to ensure it gets the attention it deserves.
