Whether this is your first virtual event or not, there are always new hurdles to overcome when putting on a successful virtual event. And sales kickoffs are undoubtedly one of the most significant events for any firm, whether virtual or not (no pressure).
First and foremost, what exactly is an SKO?
A sales kickoff meeting’s goal is to encourage your salespeople, sales managers, and other revenue-generating stakeholders for the following year. Consider it a pep rally before a major game (as in, your next fiscal year). You want your revenue teams to be pumped up about representing your brand and bringing home the gold.
A typical sales launch program includes time for your team to reflect on prior sales techniques, celebrate last year’s triumphs, and energize them to push the boundaries even farther this year.
A successful sales launch, on the other hand, should be more than simply a chance to get all of your salespeople in the same (virtual) room. To represent the audience of a full go-to-market team: customer success, marketing, and sales, many organizations now use the word RKO (that stands for Revenue Kickoff, in case the business world didn’t already have enough acronyms) instead of SKO.
When it comes to preparing a virtual SKO (or RKO, if you want to get fancy), you’ll need to think about your company’s overall goals, pivot where necessary, and include all important stakeholders — even if they haven’t attended before.
But how do you hold a successful sales kickoff event that is all virtual?
Your SKO will take on a new design and feel
There is no way around it. Virtual events just do not have the same enthusiasm as live events. It’s true, we said it. You’re ready to get started once you’ve accepted the reality that your virtual kickoff will most likely not look or feel like the in-person SKOs of the past.
Please don’t misunderstand us. It is still possible to execute a fantastic virtual SKO that maintains involvement and morale. A virtual launch event, when done correctly, will leave your staff energized and ready to achieve their new objectives.
Make an announcement about your event, then make another announcement about it
We’ll lead you through three phases to help you create and execute an engaging and memorable virtual SKO.
One of the most critical aspects of getting the entire organization excited and ready for your launch is your SKO announcement. The first stage is to ensure that every team is informed of the event. This necessitates… an enticing internal email!
We’re well aware of the situation. How “enthralling” can an email possibly be? This is where your marketing and content teams come in handy. Allow the creative juices to flow by hosting a virtual brainstorming session.
A One-and-Done email blast is what your SKO announcement should not be. It’s all too easy for one email to be lost in the shuffle, and it’s tedious. Use a sequence of compelling content that grows on itself and gets your team HYPED instead. Prepare a series of emails to send to teams in the months preceding your SKO, reminding them of how to prepare, which sessions will be most relevant to them, and (most importantly), why they should be eager for the big day!
Ask your marketing and content teams the following questions as you go through your strategy.