SKO Planning Tips That Will Fire Up Your Revenue Team for 2023 (+ Agenda Template)

Sales kickoff season is officially here. SKOs are for motivating your team to achieve company goals while introducing new initiatives for the coming year. This year in particular will require you to give your team a realistic overview of challenges ahead and equip them with skills and tools they need to overcome those obstacles.

SKOs are an investment. They result in higher sales when done correctly. But when done wrong, they’re an expensive party with little impact on business. Here's how to adjust your SKO to re-energize sales reps as they enter what’s sure to be another challenging year.

What is a sales kickoff (SKO)?

A sales kickoff is an annual event that brings revenue-critical teams together (in person or remotely) to reflect on wins and learnings from the year prior and focus on the upcoming year's goals. SKOs are typically held in early Q1 to recognize wins, develop critical skills, and enable go-to-market teams.

A successful SKO lays the foundation for the upcoming year. Attending an SKO is easy. But planning one? Not so much. Avoid these three common pitfalls if you want to hold an event that motivates your team to achieve its goals:

Pitfall #1: Bringing in motivational but irrelevant speakers

Before you book Barbara Corcoran, ensure that the speaker has had success in an industry similar to yours. Inspiration comes from people who have "been there and done that," so the more relevant their experiences and stories are, the more your team will be inspired to action.

Pitfall #2: Turning your SKO into a glorified all-hands

Your SKO is not the time to "talk at" your team. Stories from leadership are necessary, but prioritize hearing from the sales team. Have your sales leaders select two or three top-producing reps to share their strategies with the team. Unexpected recognition is a huge morale boost.

Pitfall #3: Making your SKO one big PowerPoint presentation

Avoid cramming your SKO sessions with product and feature updates. Instead of sharing features and functionality, focus on specific pain points your company is uniquely positioned to solve. Stories stick, so share how your product solved your customer’s biggest problems.

"From a sales perspective, a recession is actually an ideal time to stand out as a leader in the crowded marketplace and tell the story of why your brand matters. Historically, recessions make winners and losers out of businesses. And the winners are not the companies that sat back and hoped they would continue being purchased." - Jennifer Bett Meyer, Adweek

Planning your SKO during economic uncertainty

This year's SKO will challenge all sales organizations to acknowledge the economic downturn without bumming them out or spreading fear. Make sure you strike the right balance between realism and optimism this year.

"Being a good leader in a bad economy has always been challenging. This time around is even more so because the usual burden of a bad economy may be compounded by the emotional disruptions of the pandemic. This means that leaders must turn the pages of the standard crisis playbook with care and moderation." - Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg, Harvard Business Review

How to adjust your sales kickoff in a downturn

Happy hours and keynotes motivate and bond, but SKOs are ultimately about improving performance. To make your sales more successful, here are some tips tailored to weathering the downturn rollercoaster.

Tip #1: Pick an inspiring theme

Start SKO planning by choosing a theme. Selecting an uplifting SKO theme ensures your event feels cohesive and sets a strong, positive tone for a successful year.

Example: Winning together
Isolation has been the theme of the past few years, so themes representing teamwork and relationship-building are the right move for 2023. You can still emphasize working collaboratively and how a win for one is a win for all.

Example: All-in
Themes around commitment and dedication can help your team bounce back if morale has taken a hit. All-in represents renewed energy, commitment, and doing hard things even when obstacles feel insurmountable.

Think back over the past year and consider your goals for 2023—what theme captures how you feel and inspires where you're going?

Tip #2: Spark interactivity with breakout sessions

Breakout sessions give your SKO the right balance of learning and interacting. Not only do they allow for brainstorming, but they also allow team members to interact with and meet new people. Breakout sessions are especially important if your SKO is virtual because they keep remote attendees included and engaged.

Tip #3: Create your SKO reinforcement plan

As soon as your team learns something, you want them to put it into practice. Make sure your team comes away from the event with action items. Try to limit these takeaways to three to avoid overwhelming your team. Remember: If everything is important, nothing is important.

To hold teams accountable, management should create a reinforcement plan so that when everyone gets back to business, they are properly supported and understand what is expected. This will make sure your key SKO learnings are implemented and your team feels empowered.

"The most important question to ask before 2023 planning is not, 'Will there be a recession?' Or, 'How do we improve productivity?' Or even, 'Will we hit our revenue targets?' The most important question will be, 'Do we have a single source of truth for our data?' Without knowing that, you can't make informed decisions."
- Brad Rosen, President of Sales Assembly

Use this template for your 2023 sales kickoff agenda

Whether your SKO is in-person or virtual, the main challenge will be keeping attendees engaged. Proper pacing and diversified events are key.

Pro tip: Get creative by sending gift cards for delivered lunches to virtual attendees. Remember to keep each session concise and to provide enough breaks.