We are at a time of the year when you should start planning your annual Sales Kickoff. People usually wait until the last minute to build their SKO agenda and they end up running out of time and ideas.
Most of the Sales Kickoff meetings are something like this:
- Introduction
- CEO: speech
- VP of sales: speech about the SKO
- Previous Year Review
- Marketing: New programs, upcoming campaigns, click throughs.
- Product Marketing: new product release and demonstration.
- Sales Tema: best deal closing stories
- Evening activity and awards ceremony.
If you don’t want to miss this golden opportunity to improve your Sales Team’s skills, continue reading and learn the four visions you need for a kick ass sales kickoff.
Most of the time, leaders have wonderful sales training ideas but they vanish along the way since they forget what sales kickoff are meant for. So here is the most important secret to produce a successful sales kickoff meeting:
Define the skills and behaviors you want to improve
Before starting your Sales Kickoff agenda, define the behaviors you want your sales team to change and the skills you need them to improve. Click To TweetAvoid the mistake of boring your audience by choosing the wrong topics to discuss around sales performance and improvement. . Before planning your sales kickoff agenda, set the four strategic visions.
60,000’ View
Establish your strategy and desired outcomes you expect from the sales team for the following months and quarters. Then, share this with the speakers from marketing, engineering, sales ops and other content providers involved in the SKO.
This will help you align the content and focus of every stage of the meeting. In case you are not sure how to figure out this points, fill in the following statement:
“After the kickoff meeting the sales team should be able to __________, __________ and _____________ better.”
One effective SKO will make the sales team being able to:
- Increase quality volume into the funnel (prospecting).
- Increase velocity through the funnel (qualifying & closing)
If you take a second, you will discover that these outcomes do not match up with the original sales kickoff agenda.
30,000’ View
At this point you should take the first two goals and break them down and focus on specific skills you want to change in your sales team.
- Increase quality volume into the funnel
1.1 Improve prospecting skills around need and access to authority
1.2 Improve listening skills
1.3 Improve Live Cold Calling Skills
1.4 Improve Best Email Subject Line Creation
1.5 Improve Best Calls To Action in an Email
1.6 Improve LinkedIn Social Selling Skills
- Increase velocity through the funnel
2.1 Improve Discovery Skills around Need, Economic Impact, Access to Authority, or Timeline
2.2 Improve negotiations and stop discounting
2.3 Improve closing skills
10,000’ View
Once you have identified your main goals of the sales kickoff meeting and the skills and behavior you want to improve in your sales team, it is time to build the training sessions. At this stage it is highly important to create engaging sessions led by a good facilitator and not make this step just a boring lecture or death by powerpoint.
Probably, most people would stop here and finish their sales kickoff, my suggestion is to go a little further.
500 Foot View
After a productive training session, it’s essential to continue the momentum by incorporating a variety of engaging exercises and role play activities. By doing so, you can reinforce the newly acquired knowledge and skills, and foster a deeper understanding among the participants.
One effective exercise to consider is a group brainstorming session, where participants can openly share their ideas and insights related to the training topic. This encourages collaboration and allows everyone to contribute their unique perspectives.
Additionally, this exercise promotes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, as participants work together to generate innovative solutions. This type of activity not only enhances their analytical skills but also encourages them to apply the acquired knowledge in practical situations.
During role play activities, participants can develop their communication, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills, which are crucial for effective sales strategies.
Conclusion
Role play is an engaging activity that allows participants to develop their soft skills and put their knowledge into practice. Click To TweetBy incorporating the aforementioned views into your sales kickoff planning, you set the stage for transforming an ordinary meeting into a kickass one. Remember: a successful sales kickoff meeting goes beyond just providing information and inspiration; it aims to instill a strong sales culture within your team.
This involves creating an environment that nurtures a growth mindset, reinforces the importance of continuous learning, and encourages the adoption of best practices. Include interactive workshops, training sessions, and motivational talks in your SKO agenda and empower your team to embrace new challenges, refine their skills, and strive for excellence.
A well-planned and executed sales kickoff is more than about setting the tone for the company. It’s about setting the tone for the culture and community of your team. When done properly everyone wins.
Planning your sales kickoff meeting can be a complex overwhelming task. And the good news is you don’t have to do it alone. If you find yourself in need of brainstorming ideas or require additional assistance to organize your sales kickoff, don’t hesitate to reach me. And yes, this would be a free “Can I pick your brain” conversation.
So, why wait? Start planning your kickass sales kickoff meeting today!
