While annual sales kickoff events (SKOs) used to be predominantly in-person affairs, they have evolved in recent years to include a mix of event formats, from virtual to hybrid.
If you're responsible for planning your organization's SKO event this year, read on for the essential elements you need for a successful sales kickoff!
Marketing and Communication
Usually, we look at marketing and communications through the lens of an external event to generate engagement. But this is just as important for internal events like sales kickoff. Create a personalized experience for your sales reps and make them feel that their success is a priority for your organization.
Venue Partnerships
Your venue sets the tone of the entire event, so you must ensure your venue's goals align with your own, consider ease of access for employees traveling in, ensure any accessibility needs are met, evaluate the A/V capabilities of the venue, and so much more.
Leverage a venue sourcing tool to search for venues with helpful filters, visuals, and comparisons.
Content
Here are a few ideas to help you keep your content engaging:
- Host skills-focused training sessions and panel discussions
- Include live Q&A in each session
- Host breakout working sessions that allow for discussion and collaboration
- Provide on-demand recordings of content
- Offer an event app to help attendees know where to go, make agendas readily available, and send push notifications during your event.
- Build a custom SKO website that promotes the event, includes all the details your attendees need, works as a point of reference for any questions, and hosts your on-demand recordings of event content.
- Keep attendees engaged with polls and surveys during and after your event.
Community
Building a sense of belonging and community, especially for these newer employees, is one of the strongest pillars of a successful SKO. Ensure your sales kickoff promotes a culture where your sales team feels connected and motivated in the upcoming year and is armed with the tools and strategies they need to succeed.
Suppliers and Partners
This might not apply to every sales kickoff, but many internal events include suppliers, resellers, and partners, where SKO is the major event of the year to drive awareness around partner programs.
Event Insights
At a sales kickoff, you may not be looking for the same ROI as an external event, as your KPIs will look very different. That said, don't forget to set clear goals for what you want to get out of your SKO and be sure you have the tools you need to measure your success.
Questions for you:
- Have you attended a sales kickoff event? If so, what was your experience?
- What factors do you believe contribute to a successful sales kickoff event?
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Megha Jetley
Manager
Cvent Marketing Department
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