4 Keys to a Virtual Sales Kickoff Event That Captures Attention

The clinking glasses and shared champagne of yesteryear’s sales kickoff event may be a thing of the past, but adding excitement and connection to these key company virtual events is crucial for the present.

As work and home life continue to evolve to meet the times, sales kickoffs (SKO) must also take on a new shape to stay relevant. Information once shared in conference venues and hotel ballrooms now needs to be translated to impact both in-person audiences and attendees joining from computer and mobile screens. 

How can you keep up? The simple answer is to create content worth watching; up the ante, and make something that holds a candle to the myriad of distractions that come with online life. 

Here are some elements that make the modern sales kickoff event extraordinary: 

• Inspirational guest speakers
• Interactivity and real-time demonstrations of new products
• Connection with colleagues around the globe
• Accessibility across time zones and through language barriers

In addition to hosting relevant speakers and layering in interactive content, we’ve compiled the four keys to ensure your hybrid audiences get the most out of your company’s next SKO. 

A Virtual Sales Kickoff Event to Connect More Deeply with Your Hybrid Audience

Creating engaging content for your SKO is all in the details. Follow these fundamentals to turn  your company’s next hybrid SKO into something worth looking forward to! 

1) Highlight your main speaker. 

Whether it’s a comedy show or a concert, the main act draws the crowd. Today’s hybrid SKOs typically have a speaker or two on stage, plus a live and remote audience tuning in from around the world (or watching after the fact).

Consider working with your speakers around how to engage with a hybrid audience. Encourage genuine eye contact with physical attendees and ‘the camera,’ as if this proxy for online attendees was also a person. Ignoring either audience is sure to lose engagement. 

As you think about how to best showcase your talent in-person and virtually, look for a digital platform that offers a customizable layout for each presentation. Feature your speakers on screen, right next to their visual presentation – rather than only seeing one or the other. These tweaks make all the difference in keeping your remote audience tuned in during your meaningful keynotes.

2) Spice it up with interactivity.

The secret sauce of creating memorable virtual sales kickoff events is keeping attendees alert with moments of engagement; this way, they’ll retain the most information. During your next SKO use platform features like chat, breakout sessions, fireside chats, and live Q&A. This will ensure you create an experience your audience can’t help but stick around for.

3) Recap each sales kickoff event with digital swag.

A day after your event, follow up via email with a recap of virtual event highlights or video clips from the day’s sales kickoff event (and maybe even a prize for a contest held for live attendees). This gives you the opportunity to share more detailed spec sheets, white papers, surveys, and more. 

Providing this information as a recap will encourage attendees to be more present during the kickoff – and better able to participate in important moments of connection – and less worried about missing specifics. 

4) Inclusivity for the win!

Fear not if your global team isn’t available at the same time or if they don’t speak the same native language. Some platforms today automatically translate your show (and the platform features) into common international dialects to serve today’s work-from-anywhere audience. With a heavy priority on diversity and inclusion, Brandlive is proud to offer 100+ language options built right into our software. 

The Best Results Come From the Best Streaming Platforms

Especially in today’s world, it’s crucial to offer professional, accessible, and robust streaming options to ensure your team stays connected and excited about the future of your brand. For your next virtual sales kickoff event, consider the value of using a clean and intuitive platform that encourages audience engagement, provides on-demand capabilities, and opens your team up to a greater variety of hybrid team-building experiences.