National sales meeting time comes every year, yet somehow it always seems to sneak up on us.
If you want your annual sales meeting or sales kickoff to be a success, it’s never too early to start planning. You’ve got to develop the agenda, book the venue, set a meeting theme, plan sales training and workshops, and choose a keynote speaker—plus entertainment, catering, AV … the to-do list is long.
You’ve got this. Here are six tips to help you deliver an event that keeps your sales team engaged and ready to hit the ground running.
Tip #1: Pick an Inspiring Meeting Theme
You won’t get much buy-in or enthusiasm from your sales team if your meeting is based on a cheesy, generic theme like “Anything Is Possible.” Instead, consider a message that aligns with the growth strategy of your sales organization.
What do you want your sales team to achieve next year? How do you want them to get there? Think, “Winning with Customer Focus,” “Pipeline Trailblazers,” or “We Are The [New Business] Champions.”
Once you’ve determined your kickoff meeting’s main focus, you can fill the schedule with sales training, sales workshops, and other activities that support your purpose.
Tip #2: Select a Memorable Keynote Speaker
If you have a keynote speaker at your annual sales meeting (and no meeting is complete without one), you want someone who will entertain, inform, and make an impact on your attendees.
Does that mean the presenter needs to be a famous name? Absolutely not. But they need to be dynamic and relevant. Whoever you choose, you want them to present on a topic your sales team finds valuable and motivating.
A successful keynote presentation is one-third entertainment, one-third inspiration, and one-third information. Make sure your keynote imparts a meaningful message that gives your sales professionals actionable advice that will help them improve their outlook and their performance.
Tip #3: Incorporate Company Messaging
Be intentional about incorporating your company’s core values and mission into the meeting itself. Yes, you want your speaker decks to use the meeting theme, but we’re not just talking about having your company logo appear in multiple locations around the venue.
One excellent way to do this is a presentation from the CEO or Vice President of Sales in which they share company highlights of the previous year and a roadmap for what’s ahead. Or you could have a session that highlights team members who have displayed your company values over the previous 12 months.
Your sales professionals should leave the meeting feeling inspired and proud to be a part of your organization. When sales leadership talks about your company mission and the value of each person’s role in serving your customer, your sales professionals will understand how they contribute and why it’s important.
Tip #4: Streamline Your Agenda
Keep your national sales meeting agenda focused. Try to resist the urge to cram a year’s worth of information into one event. Your sales team may be full of heavy hitters, but there’s a limit to how much information they can retain in one meeting.
A good rule of thumb? If a topic can be covered effectively during a weekly sales team meeting or conference call, leave it out of your national sales meeting. Keep in mind the “less is more” principle, and focus on the most important topics to make the biggest impact.
Also, be mindful of the time slots you’re filling with necessary (but possibly less engaging) content. For example, don’t schedule your CRM training right after lunch. Go for something more interactive and engaging to fight the food coma.
Tip #5: Promote Your National Sales Meeting
One way to ensure a ridiculously productive sales meeting is to start promoting it ahead of time. Don’t wait until the week before. Promote your meeting early and often with “sneak-peek” looks at the agenda, speakers, entertainment, and other highlights.
You can even send your meeting attendees an event guide to drum up excitement around the event and “sell” it to those who may not be looking forward to their time away from work.
This will also help your sales team (and any other employees attending) know what to expect and what is expected of them. For example, if you’re planning an interactive training component, your sellers may need to prepare or be ready with client examples to get the most out of it.
Our clients who book a Strategic Account Management workshop during their national sales meetings let their sales professionals know that they need to bring information from a target account and a growth account. They arrive prepared and ready to work “on” their business, instead of “in” it.
Tip #6: Invite Other Teams to Your Sales Kickoff Meeting
If you want your sales organization to be successful, you need to make sure you’re aligned with other departments. Alignment is especially important between customer success and sales and marketing and sales.
When your sales, marketing, and customer service teams all use the same language and understand each other’s goals and processes, they can collaborate more effectively, reduce misunderstandings, and avoid working at cross-purposes. Ultimately, this is better for your customers.
Your national sales meeting is a great opportunity to align your team members. Your entire organization can achieve even more when sales, marketing, and customer service cooperate.
Make the Most of Your National Sales Meeting
Your national sales meeting or sales kickoff is a rare opportunity to get your entire sales organization together to learn, network, and have some fun. So when you do, be sure to make the most of it. Keep this list in mind to make your annual sales kickoff as worthwhile and productive as possible.
Find out more about The Brooks Group’s high-impact sales keynotes, sales workshops, and sales training for your next national sales meeting.
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