What are everyone's thoughts on sales kickoff meetings? Do you think they are needed, how can we improve them, etc.?
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Thoughts on sales kickoff meetings
14
are they needed? NOPE.
do I LOVE a chance to go on a free trip to a cool place and hang out with cool ppl and get free food? YEP!
im also a sucker for positive energy so the whole like "we are awesome we are gunna kill it lets goo!" thing is fun
do I LOVE a chance to go on a free trip to a cool place and hang out with cool ppl and get free food? YEP!
im also a sucker for positive energy so the whole like "we are awesome we are gunna kill it lets goo!" thing is fun
It sounds like I'm in the minority opinion, but I still love and look forward to SKO. Maybe it's because my company does it right (IMO):
- 3.5 days (including travel)...not too long, not too short.
- 45-minute sessions with 15 minutes breaks in-between...enough time to be substantive, but not information overload. Also, most sessions are interactive, not Death by PowerPoint.
- 33% rewards & recognition (prior year performance), 33% training/learning, 33% strategy/roadmap/new initiatives (new year).
- Ample time in the evenings for networking and fun.
- 3.5 days (including travel)...not too long, not too short.
- 45-minute sessions with 15 minutes breaks in-between...enough time to be substantive, but not information overload. Also, most sessions are interactive, not Death by PowerPoint.
- 33% rewards & recognition (prior year performance), 33% training/learning, 33% strategy/roadmap/new initiatives (new year).
- Ample time in the evenings for networking and fun.
I don't know that they are necessary, but here's a thread with some funny stories:
https://bravado.co/war-room/posts/sko-thread
https://bravado.co/war-room/posts/sko-thread
I have a love/hate relationship with them. They are fun, but sometimes I can only drink so much Kool-Aide
Not to be a pessimist, but when I was new in my career I would absolutely love them. Now that I am more established itโs a pain in the ass to travel for anything other than personal trips. Also read a crazy stat about the amount of money companies saved in 2020/2021 by cancelling them. Millions!
I agree. There have been a few in my career I have found valuable. Most have seemed like a waste and just an excuse to throw around company funds to party.
Iโve worked at companies where it was really meant to make the Sales team better, they have you do workshops, intense role plays etc. no one liked it, but it was effective. Now my current company all the big wigs get on stage, no workshops & just 48-72 hours of partying. I was shocked at my first one.
Not needed, but nice.
What Iโd expect:
Some sales training/enablement
Comp plan discussion
New product discussion
Something fun
What Iโd expect:
Some sales training/enablement
Comp plan discussion
New product discussion
Something fun
Itโs not needed but I like it as we are 100% remote. Itโs a good networking and meet and great for me along with another fun activities.
I had a good time at our last SKO. I got to meet my colleagues, we had some great content and presentations, and it wasn't a bad experience at all.
If it's in the same vein this year, I have no complaints.
If it's in the same vein this year, I have no complaints.
I haven't had a chance to participate in a SKO.
I think my view on them changed so much. All you see there is married people acting like pigs, people getting too drunk and surely a few people looking for work for some bad actions made lol
They're used at my company to bring in guest speakers and get the team together to drive camaraderie. Not bad, but many years feels like a waste of time.
Hate them and find them to be a huge waste of time where the objective was to energize the sales team and usually I walk out of them angry that they wasted 48-72 hours of my time.
Like going to the In laws for the long holidays, when you could have just made it a weekend thing.
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