Sales kickoff (SKO) is a significant event in every company’s calendar.
Typically held annually, SKOs serve as a platform for businesses to review their previous year’s revenue income and set the following year’s sales targets. Company executives can also align their marketing strategies through the meeting and motivate the sales team members.
Inviting a powerful keynote speaker is one way to charge up a sales kickoff event. In this guide, we’ll highlight the role of a sales kickoff speaker and how to pick the right one.
Introducing a Sales Kickoff Speaker
A sales kickoff speaker is a keynote speaker who provides a pep talk to sales teams during SKO events.
Sales kickoff speakers can make a significant difference in your sales and marketing campaigns. Being the lead presenters, these professionals help set the right cadence for the entire SKO seminar.
Engaging a kickoff speaker for sales keynote can imbue your sales force with fresh marketing ideas. The speaker’s core objective is to impart to your sales team members the handy information they need to realize the following financial year’s sales goals.
To achieve that, SKO speakers must share practical tips your sales force can deploy while pitching your offerings to potential clients.
Many sales kickoff speakers possess exceptional leadership skills, too. Their presentations can help develop leadership skills in your sales and marketing teams.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Sales Kickoff Speaker
1. Choose Someone Who Understands Sales Dynamics
This is arguably the most critical factor for a sales kickoff speaker.
You need an SKO presenter with practical knowledge and experience in sales and marketing. This should preferably be someone who is (or has been) an active sales force member.
Before engaging the keynote speaker, be sure also to assess their understanding of niche-specific challenges and opportunities. The SKO should reflect on your industry’s emerging trends and best practices.
Avoid people who talk in the abstract about boosting sales without highlighting actionable pointers.
2. Pick Someone With a Proven Track Record
Choosing a sales kickoff speaker with real-world experience isn’t enough. Insist on one with a proven track record as well.
Inquire about the speaker’s previous clients. Then, contact a few references to establish the presenter’s knowledge and credibility.
It’s also best to consider an SKO speaker who is a successful salesperson rather than one who has simply inspired third-party companies to grow their revenues.
As hinted, a salesperson will understand the actual psychology of sales and marketing. They’ll be happy to share the common challenges sales leaders face while highlighting practical solutions for each scenario.
3. Look Out For a Multi-Faceted Speaker
A sales kickoff isn’t 100% about sharing marketing tips. It also encompasses other equally significant aspects, such as nurturing leadership skills and boosting the audience’s morale.
Therefore, it’s essential to look for an all-rounded presenter.
Besides engaging an SKO speaker with practical knowledge of industry dynamics, pick someone with proven leadership skills. The person must have served in top managerial positions and impacted several people directly.
The SKO speaker must also demonstrate impeccable persuasive speaking skills. This way, they can instantly connect with their audiences and succinctly pass their messages across.
4. Seek Out Eloquent and Engaging Speakers
Two sales kickoff speakers can say the same statement but produce different impressions on their audiences. It all depends on their levels of eloquence and articulation.
Find someone with polished grammar and excellent mastery of the delivery language. More importantly, pick an SKO speaker who deploys several engagement skills like storytelling and dramatization. These techniques can be instrumental in capturing the audience’s attention.
It’s even better if the speaker utilizes interactive audiovisual elements like PowerPoint presentations and 3D models.
Below are other strategies that a sales kickoff speaker may use to engage their audience;
- Infusing humour into the presentations
- Allowing Q&A sessions
- Providing room to practice the learned skills for immediate feedback briefly
- Making provisions for mid-speech workouts
5. Select a Speaker Who Provides Tailored Solutions
No two companies are identical. Therefore, a sales kickoff speaker must customize their recommendations to suit your business needs.
To do that, speakers must acquaint themselves with your company’s specific sales challenges.
For instance, does your business struggle with lead generation or client retention? Are you facing immense barriers penetrating new markets or maintaining a competitive edge?
The answers to these questions can help a sales kickoff speaker adapt solutions that address your company’s pain points.
6. Insist On Practical Takeaways
Although we’ve mentioned this several times, it warrants repeating that a sales kickoff speaker must provide actionable sales techniques.
Take some time to listen to the speaker’s previous presentations for any recycled or generic content.
Note that sales and marketing is one of the most dynamic corporate sectors. The landscape constantly shifts due to emerging economic, legal, and policy trends. So, pointers that were relevant a decade ago may no longer apply.
Moreover, choose an SKO speaker who’s happy to assist your company rolling out the shared sales strategies. This lets you gauge the speaker’s efficiency and determine if they’re worth a second invite.
Final Word
Engaging the right sales kickoff keynote speaker can boost your sales force’s morale and imbue them with practical marketing skills, contributing significantly to increased revenue generation and brand awareness.
Hopefully, you can implement the above-mentioned tips to find an SKO speaker that guarantees results.
