Planning an Effective Virtual Sales Kickoff
Planning a virtual sales kickoff event? Great idea! This kind of get-together has been proven to boost team morale, build a stronger company culture, and help sales departments hit goals.
The question is, how do you plan an effective kickoff for your organization? That’s what we’ll discuss in this short article. Keep reading to learn what a virtual sales kickoff is and three tips to host one successfully.
What is a Virtual Sales Kickoff?
According to Markletic, a virtual sales kickoff is an:
“Annual event that’s used by the sales leadership team to celebrate success, motivate the sales organization, and to align on strategy. During the sales kickoff, the new go-to-market strategy is presented and teams participate in team-building activities.”
In other words, a virtual sales kickoff is an online get-together that helps sales teams get ready for the year ahead. This is why they’re often held in January or February.
3 Tips For Your Virtual Sales Kickoff
Now that you know what a virtual sales kickoff is, you’re probably wondering how to host one. Here are three tips to help ensure you next kickoff is successful:
1. Know Your Objective
Why are you hosting a virtual sales kickoff? Are you hoping to “rally the troops,” so to speak, and get them excited for the coming year? Do you want to reward your top sellers for their amazing performance over the past 12 months? Maybe you’re looking to train your team with top educational content related to a new suite of products.
Whatever your goals are, make sure you define them at the beginning of the event planning process. Then keep them in mind as you create content.
2. Create Grade-A Content
The content you create for your virtual sales kickoff will play a major role in whether it’s successful or not. Your content needs to be informative, of course. But it also needs to be engaging. That way it ropes attendees in and sticks in their minds.
Here are a few content creation recommendations:
- Bring in Guest Speakers: Boost your team’s knowledge base by booking an amazing guest speaker. The best part? Because your event will be virtual, you’ll have access to a wider variety of speakers at lower rates!
- Encourage Participation: Active participation is the best way to engage your employees in your virtual kickoff and ensure they retain the information shared. Live polls and knowledge checks are great tools in this regard.
- Keep Your Sessions Short: Zoom fatigue is a real phenomenon. To fight against it, make sure your sessions are short and sweet. We also suggest planning breaks in between sessions. Or, better yet, plan professional entertainment!
3. Hire Professional Entertainment
The best virtual sales kickoff events are educational and entertaining. So don’t forget to hire professional entertainment for your get-together. For example, you could:
- Bring in a Virtual Comedian: Who doesn’t like to laugh? Hire a professional comic to deliver jokes via Zoom in between and/or after your educational sessions. Doing so will lighten the mood and make sure your attendees have a great time.
- Host a Virtual Trivia Night: Looking for something a little more hands-on? Connect with a professional host and schedule a virtual trivia night for your team to participate in. Trust us, they’ll love the chance for a little friendly competition.
- Enjoy a Virtual Mixology Class: Help your team kickback after your sales kickoff event with a virtual mixology class. Hire a professional mixologist to teach your employees how to make their favorite cocktails from the comfort of their own kitchens.
Partner With Funny Business For Your Virtual Sales Kickoff
Your virtual sales kickoff is an important event. Host it correctly and you’ll be able to boost team morale, build an amazing company culture, and achieve bigger goals in the new year.
If professional entertainment is going to be a part of your kickoff — an, honestly, why wouldn’t it be? — make sure you partner with Funny Business Agency. We have 25+ years of experience booking the best acts in the world. We’d love to book a comedian, trivia night, and/or mixology class for your kickoff, too.
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