Alon Alroy
We’ve been living in a world required to pivot from business-as-usual in person to Zoom meetings, and now to a mix of both. Many companies are continuing to consider various strategies to plan and host an effective, engaging sales kickoff.
According to a recent event participation survey conducted by MarTech, respondents rated the likelihood of attending an in-person event in the first half of 2022 a five out of ten. About 27% expressed interest in attending events in-person only, 34% preferred to attend virtually, and 39% wanted to participate in hybrid events with both in-person and virtual components.
Regardless of their location, sales teams need the right talking points — and an infusion of morale and excitement — for a successful start to 2022.
What’s a sales kickoff?
Companies hold sales kickoffs (SKO) internally at the start of each year. Intended to offer business growth strategies and have everyone on the same page, SKOs also educate, inspire and motivate sales teams.
Before the pandemic, companies hosted SKOs in person. These experiential events included opportunities for:
- Networking
- Sharing best practices
- Updating sales strategies
- Boosting sales teams’ enthusiasm for the new year
- Learning about new products and updates
Since then, SKOs — like many other business operations — have gone virtual. Sales leaders now seek to elevate their virtual venues to platforms that have the power to inform, inspire and connect teams in preparation for hitting and exceeding 2022’s sales goals.
A playbook for virtual SKOs
Zoom fatigue is real, and working remotely can often result in too many meetings. According to a study by Korn Ferry, 67% of employees feel they spend too much time in meetings, and the time demand hampers their productivity.
Sales professionals also continue to struggle with engagement — 36% of respondents in the State of the Event Industry Report: Third Quarter 2021 listed it as their top challenge.
While socializing won’t quite be the same and skipping 2022’s SKO isn’t always an option, companies can still deliver a high-impact virtual or hybrid SKO that engages, entertains and motivates their sales teams.
Virtual or hybrid SKOs offer other benefits, too. Firstly, they’re cost-effective. Thanks to technology that allows distributed teams to connect virtually, companies can save money by not flying everyone to a central location. Organizations will save thousands on venue, hotel, transportation and catering costs.
They also lend a degree of flexibility that we previously didn’t care for. Hosting hybrid or virtual events allows organizers to record high-quality videos for future on-demand viewing. Anyone across time zones, job titles and departments can access the SKO on their own time.
Finally, virtual or hybrid setups are better for the planet. As more companies strive to elevate their environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies, hosting a hybrid or virtual SKO leads to a smaller carbon footprint. This approach helps organizations show their employees and customers they’re prioritizing their events’ environmental impact.
The true key to hosting a successful SKO, however, is the ability to create an event experience that engages everyone attending. Is it essential to share the company’s vision and strategy? Yes, indeed. But ultimately, an SKO should offer sales teams a memorable, positive experience that motivates them to up their own sales game.
Building a successful SKO agenda
Before the pandemic, SKOs lasted a day or longer, but with today’s virtual and hybrid SKOs relying on Zoom or Skype meetings, planners must remain cognizant of attendee — and presenter — fatigue.
First off, here’s what NOT to do: convert a multi-day, in-person SKO to a completely virtual format while changing absolutely nothing.
What should you do? Here are some recommendations:
Firstly, design shorter, virtual SKOs scheduled by region, especially if your teams are distributed across geographies. Break each SKO into half-day sessions that run over several shorter days. You should also consider going hybrid, hosting the speakers and a small number of in-person attendees while having the remaining team members participate virtually.
To keep it interesting, offer optional or supplemental sessions such as Q&As, executive drop-ins, and manager-led or small group discussions. Pre-record non-interactive sessions like product announcements or overviews of new annual goals, and then host a live Q&A after the video.
Regardless of the SKO’s format, include other elements such as having your CEO, or an executive who inspires confidence, extend a warm welcome and introduce the meeting’s overarching theme. A good idea is to do a short recap of the past year’s successes and lessons learned. This can be a good point to segue into a quick preview of the new year’s goals.
It’s important to have your sales folk ready for the changing market, so organize training sessions on new products or services, updated features or new sales processes, and leave plenty of time for Q&A.
Set aside time for lunch and networking, because people need time to refuel and process information. If your SKO includes virtual attendees, send UberEats, DoorDash or other gift cards so those team members can order in. Consider incorporating a meditation or short yoga session into the day to give everyone a chance to slow down, reflect and breathe.
Then, have marketing, product, customer success and any other teams that work closely with sales give presentations about their departments to provide a holistic picture of the business.
Another good idea is a pitchfest that incorporates your SKO’s messaging. Have fun with the pitch-off, challenging teams to pitch impossible-to-sell products or funny themes.
It’s important to recognize individual and team accomplishments and an SKO provides a good opportunity. Organize an awards presentation for individuals and teams who outperformed. For entirely virtual events, work with a partner tech company offering interactive elements — like emojis or a clapping feature — that everyone can use to celebrate the honorees.
Finally, wrap up on a high note. Host a Jeopardy-style event with prizes or send each participant a mixologist kit with alcoholic and non-alcoholic options to share a toast.
SKO theme ideas
A well-designed SKO reinforces positive sales cultures by prioritizing the well-being of the sales teams. This is an annual event, so don’t discount the importance of choosing a theme.
Choose a theme that’s practical and reflects the company’s culture and goals. Look to the organization’s slogans, pop culture — like movies or tv shows — or concepts reflecting new goals like ESG, technology or customer-centricity.
Here are a few ideas:
Celebration: Who doesn’t love a celebration? SKOs — whether virtual or hybrid — bring people together to have fun. As long as the theme complements your messaging, have fun being creative.
Education: What if education’s part of the strategy for next year? Why not incorporate an element or two that’s central to the message you want to convey. Is the goal to increase customer engagement or retention, for example? If so, weave that thread throughout each element of your SKO.
Motivation: The most effective SKOs get sales teams excited about the products and services they’re selling. Try leveraging one concept, connecting it to the new year’s vision, to encourage action. Consider developing a one-word theme if the primary goal of your SKO is to motivate your personnel.
Vision: How does your organization define itself? Do all employees view the company through the same lens, or does it mean something different to each person? Incorporating a theme centered around vision offers a unique opportunity to uncover sentiment around the brand’s purpose and strength. By molding an SKO around brand identity, you’re bringing teams closer to the mission and securing buy-in.
Hosting a smooth, successful SKO
More than 90% of event marketers plan to investing heavily in digital experiences in the future. As 2022 approaches with additional COVID variants forcing companies to rethink plans to resume fully in-person meetings, next year’s digital experiences will likely include virtual or hybrid SKOs.
If you’re already planning ahead and considering unconventional approaches to your next SKO, the right strategies and event software partner will help elevate the experience for planners, organizations and attendees alike.
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