How To Build A Sales Kickoff Agenda To Engage Your Sales Team

Build A Successful Sales Kickoff Meeting

A sales kickoff meeting (SKO) is one of the most important events for your sales team because it brings individual sales reps together to learn about the upcoming year and engage in team-building activities. 

A successful sales kickoff event will motivate and educate your salespeople while also defining the vision of your sales organization in the coming year. 

You need to make sure that your meeting helps to develop your sales professionals and define sales activities for the coming months. 

A sales kickoff event requires the attention of your sales reps throughout multiple days, and it's easy for salespeople to lose focus. A sales kickoff agenda creates cohesion throughout the event, so your sales team knows what to expect throughout the meeting. 

Plus, a clear sales kickoff agenda also informs your salespeople about relevant breakout sessions, guest speakers, and other information that they should attend. 

Let's take a look at a few elements to include in your plan for your next in-person or virtual sales kickoff event. 

What To Schedule In A Sales Kickoff Agenda

As we discussed above, an annual sales kickoff meeting is an essential part of your sales organization. Since it typically occurs once a year, you need to do everything you can to give your sales teams the information and support they need to succeed in the new year. 

Here are sales kickoff meeting ideas that you can include in your next meeting agenda to ensure you get the most out of your meeting.

1. Team Building Activities

If you want your salespeople to work together, you need to include some team-building activities and icebreakers in your annual sales kickoff. These events should be built around your sales kickoff theme and focus on building cooperation and a shared goal among your sales reps. 

This type of activity is essential for a virtual event. You can use specialized events like dance-offs and role-playing exercises to get sales reps out of their comfort zone and interact with one another.

2. State Of Leadership Presentation

Your sales team is a highly motivated group of sales professionals who want to improve their sales figures throughout the year. Your sales kickoff meeting is an excellent opportunity for your corporate leaders to provide an overview of where your organization stands in sales and where the company needs to be next year. 

​Your sales leaders can use this time to introduce initiatives throughout different departments like sales, marketing, and customer support. This type of presentation is essential during a virtual event since your sales reps won't have the ability to meet each other face-to-face.

3. Product Updates

You want to ensure your sales force has all the information they need about the products and services your company offers customers. Be sure to allocate time to discuss product updates, new product information, and offer product training, so your sales reps are equipped with the information they need to talk with customers.

If you host a virtual sales kickoff, you can use a special breakout session to inform specific reps about relevant products or integrate this aspect into a more comprehensive event to motivate and educate your entire sales team.

4. Define Your New Sales Strategy

Is your company realigning your strategic vision and goals for the coming year? If so, be sure to outline these changes, so your sales team understands their goal for the new year.  

Your team members may not welcome a new sales strategy with open arms, so it's important to outline how the changes can benefit them and why those changes are taking place. Many companies will ask sales managers and other sales leaders to present this information since those leaders have a personal connection with many sales reps. 

5. Keynote Speakers

​Every sales kickoff event needs to have a keynote speaker with clout and knowledge of your industry. These speakers can provide a fresh perspective about the sales process or other aspects of your industry to enhance your team's knowledge moving forward. 

Be sure to include the keynote speaker at the top of your sales kickoff agenda to ensure as many people as possible can attend. You can also schedule guest speakers throughout the day in various breakout sessions to supplement the message provided by the keynote speaker.

6. Top Performer Success Stories

One of the best ways to motivate the entire sales team is to highlight success stories from the past year. These stories should encourage sales reps who might have missed their goals, plus top performers can provide tips to help the entire team in the next year. 

7. Training Sessions & Skill Development

If you want to hit your company goals, then you need to equip your sales team with everything they need to succeed in the coming year. It would help if you had your sales managers and other sales leaders involved in these sessions to present the correct information. 

If you choose to host a virtual sales kickoff, you can use breakout sessions to present specific information to various team members. This approach can reduce wasted time and encourage sales reps to attend the training sessions that will benefit them the most. 

A sales kickoff agenda plays a critical role in the overall success and experience of your sales team. Be sure to schedule lots of breaks into the schedule to prevent burnout. Be sure to use a comprehensive agenda to bring your entire team together for your next sales kickoff meeting!

Make The Most Of Your Sales Kickoff Meeting

If you want your business to flourish in the coming year, then you need to plan a great sales kickoff event for your sales team. This event should provide lots of education about your products, motivate cooperation and team-building among your reps, and introduce the team to your company's goals. 

Many companies have turned to virtual sales kickoff events to reduce wasted time and improve the experience for their entire sales team. 

Talk with our team today if you want to learn more about the best virtual sales kickoff platform. We work with organizations like yours to ensure their sales team comes together with a common goal with our industry-leading sales kickoff platform.