Company/Sales Kickoff Checklist

This is a planning checklist for those planning Quarterly Business Reviews (QBR), Sales Kickoffs (SKO), or Company Kickoffs (CKO).

Before the Event

Determine theme, objectives, participants:

• Determine theme

  • What theme will set a foundation for the quarter/year?

• Get leadership alignment on overall objectives

  • To do this, ask yourself and other leaders "What does your team need to be able to do at the end of the event?"

  • One consistent objective should be team bonding and celebration

  • Stick to no more than three objectives

• Determine participants

  • Does this event include teams other than sales? This can change the shape of your objectives and agenda

• Send Save-the-Date to the team(s)

• Invite customer or external speaker(s) depending on objectives

Formalize your agenda

• Empower managers and functional leaders to facilitate their own breakout sessions

  • Ensure objectives and learnings in breakouts are in-service of your overall event objectives

• Send survey to attendees

  • Captures a baseline metric that aligns with objectives

  • Informs topics you’ll address

• Potential sessions:

  • Review of successes

  • Awards and recognition

  • Cross-functional team bonding

  • Breakout sessions (lead by functional lead)

  • Q & A with sales reps

  • Q & A with customer

  • Group work (can be in breakouts)

  • GTM (Go-to-Market):

  • Product innovation and roadmap

  • SWOT analysis

  • Skill development

  • Don't forget to include planned break time

Prep post-event survey

• Align survey questions to objectives so you can measure against the objectives. Was the team about to do what you wanted them to do?

Logistics to make your life easier

• Establish teams and workgroups

• Hold pre-brief, expectations setting, and or hype sessions

• Order swag, prizes, branded items to make the event shine

• Require rehearsals for speakers or anything logistically complex

• Require presentations, facilitation instructions, content be ready two weeks in advance of the event:

  • Distribute any pre-work (knowledge that will benefit attendees on-site) at least one week in advance

• Delegate dining, transportation, and AV logistics to the subject matter experts on your team

At Event

• Set expectations around computer and screen use. Most sessions should be no computers

• Test AV with speakers ahead of their respective sessions

• Start and end sessions on time

• Drink more water than you think is humanly possible

• Used mixed media (videos, Slack screenshots, customer testimonials) to share stories in compelling ways

• Play music to create “atmosphere”

• Provide surprise snacks

Post-Event:

Gather feedback

• Immediately after the event

  • Send survey

  • Send customers or guests thank you notes

• One month after event:

  • Ask for success stories based on learnings

  • Share these success stories with larger org

Evaluate

• Review new opportunities and pipeline

• Use your methodology or tools (conversational listening tool, LMS, CMS) to capture progress against objectives

Other Guidance

• Getting early leadership alignment on objectives (what the team(s) should be able to do post-event) is essential to the success of the event

• Don’t try and cram too much into your event; humans can only retain so much information at a given time

• Avoid “talk-at” sessions (people talking to a slide deck) when possible

  • Proper lead time and planning will allow you to be creative and will make the experience better for learners