Planning and executing your sales kick-off meeting in 2023
Organizations have their annual sales kick-off meeting at the start of each fiscal year to align the sales, marketing, and customer success teams. It’s crucial to plan these sessions with attention to even the smallest aspects.
- agenda,
- previous year performance reports,
- awards & rewards,
- top performers,
- new strategies and the plan to carry out those strategies
6 Essentials for a Successful Sales Kickoff in 2023
Every effective SKO must include all of the aforementioned components since you must add value compared to the attendees’ time investment in this meeting.
- Define the goals and objectives: Determine the purpose of the sales kickoff meeting and what you hope to achieve. This could include setting sales targets, introducing new products or services, or providing training on new sales techniques.
- Choose a venue: Consider the size of your team, budget, and location when selecting a venue for the sales kickoff meeting. It should be large enough to accommodate your team and any necessary equipment, and located in an easily accessible location.
- Invite key speakers: Identify industry experts or successful sales professionals to speak at the sales kickoff meeting. These individuals can provide valuable insights and motivation to your sales team.
- Plan the agenda: Create an agenda that includes a mix of presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities. This will help keep attendees engaged and ensure that all of the goals and objectives of the meeting are met.
- Promote the event: Create excitement and anticipation for the sales kickoff meeting by promoting it to your team through email, social media, and other internal communication channels.
- Follow up: After the sales kickoff meeting, follow up with attendees to ensure that they have the necessary resources and support to achieve their sales goals. Consider hosting ongoing training sessions or providing access to online resources to help them stay motivated and on track.
By following this blueprint, you can ensure that your sales kickoff meeting is successful and helps your team start the year off on the right foot.
What Is a Sales Kickoff?
Your internal events account for a sizable portion of your overall meetings and activities. One of your internal marquee events is sales kickoff (SKO). Fundamentally, this is the occasion where sales executives discuss forthcoming strategy, inspire their staff, recognize current wins, commend teams for a job well done, and establish agreement on yearly objectives.
Here are some statistics demonstrating the significance of internal events, taken from EventMB’s earlier research The Business of Internal Events:
- 90% of event planners say they plan both internal and external events for their organizations
- 64% of respondents say internal events are vital for employee retention
- 55% of respondents say managing internal events is more difficult than managing external events
