With the new year fast approaching, companies are looking to energize and motivate their sales teams by bringing their in-person sales kick-off (SKO) events to the virtual environment. Rest easy, because this can be done and we’re here to guide you through it. The most important thing to remember is that you can’t duplicate your previously live SKO, so don’t try. Instead, create something new tailored for virtual and focused on capturing the desired attendee reaction. We’re offering our solutions to knock your biggest challenges out of the way.
Solution: This starts with the pre-event communications. Without the bells and whistles of a live experience, the digital communications need to be intentional, tightly anchored to the theme, and designed to build anticipation. Show how this virtual event will “transport” people out and away from their day-to-day by creating value and excitement.
Shower the audience with treats. Before the event, send event-in-a-box kits and tangible experience enhancers. From cocktail kits for the awards ceremony to books from the keynote speaker, each day could have a surprise-and-delight moment. This is their day, so use these elements to really bridge the virtual event with physical elements.
Solution: Design programming to hone your sales teams’ competitive, high-energy nature. Incentivize them by creating a currency around engagement: attendees can earn points through participating and use them to shop at the swag store after the event. The more you participate, the more points you will earn.
Make it fun. Break up the formal presentations with elements that they can really connect with like employee highlight reels and big-name talent. While the event is all about cultivating stronger sales numbers and competitive positions in the coming year, don’t forget about the human experience and show them that the company cares. From world-famous musicians to keynote speakers, the computer screen gives attendees a front row seat to the celebrities you bring in and the new “work-from-home” normal gives a unique view inside their world.
Provide a strong presence from executives and leadership - it shows your teams that the company is showing up for them. Create a narrative that says “we are proud of our team”, and are going to work harder for you, build new business opportunities, and grow through these difficult times. Create fun and silly moments that humanize leadership and find ways where they can connect directly with the individuals face-to-face.
Solution: Don’t skip networking opportunities or the awards ceremonies. While producing in the virtual space can make this feel difficult, these moments are critical to teams feeling energized, inspired, and motivated for the coming year. Show off your top players and reward them with something they can use in the current climate; since traveling is off the table for the foreseeable future, invest in their health with a Peloton or create a reward store so they can explore and choose their own gift.
Create intimacy by providing moments of networking and togetherness between employees - this builds connection and reinforces engagement with the company. Prioritize the individual and start each day with a wellness activity that focuses on the individual and the human experience. Before getting down to business, create a feeling that attendees are being taken care of.
Solution: Stay focused on the theme and keep content relevant. Present the topic highlights then offer more in-depth presentations for later reviewing. Also, tap into what holds attendees’ interest to keep them engaged. These are sales teams that are born competitive, and virtual platforms are very good at streamlining gamification. Follow up presentations with quizzes and polls where employees can earn points if they were paying attention. Leverage chat boards to interact with attendees and keep them engaged with the content. This will not just be a passive experience, but rather one they are encouraged to participate in. And finally, make sure you have selected a platform that supports your activation strategies, and test, test, test. These virtual engagement tools are only as successful at keeping attendees focused as they are functional.
DPEM is here to help. Our job in all this, is to focus attention, help set clear goals, keep everyone on track, build anticipation, grow engagement, and captivate participants. We are your virtual experience master planners and are here to make your virtual event planning experience easier. Let’s create an SKO so exhilarating that you are motivated and able to indulge in a keynote or game yourself, knowing DPEM has got it handled!
