Revamp Your Sales Kickoff:
From Boring to Brilliant
A poorly executed Sales Kickoff (SKO) can feel like a long, presentation-heavy marathon with an overstuffed agenda that demotivates and disengages. But it doesn’t have to be this way!
Join us for an insightful webinar where experts from Smith + Nephew and Allego reveal how to transform your SKO into a dynamic, engaging experience that aligns your sales team for success. Learn how Smith + Nephew uses Allego to create a sales kickoff that’s more than just a meeting—it’s a launchpad for achieving revenue targets throughout the year.
We’ll dive into strategies for strategic planning and dynamic content development, and show you how to leverage the latest technology for seamless execution. Plus, discover how pre-work and post-event activities can keep your team motivated and aligned long after the kickoff.
You’ll hear from:
– Gina Kamler, Commercial Communications and Sales Enablement at Smith & Nephew
– Danielle Leaf, Sales Engagement Lead at Smith & Nephew
– Bryan Cox, Sr. Director of Commercial Training & Education at Smith & Nephew
– Peter Kyranakis, VP of Solution Consulting and Sales Enablement at Allego
This session will equip you with everything you need to make your next SKO a success.
Watch On-demand!
Speakers:
Gina Kamler, Commercial Communications and Sales Enablement at Smith & Nephew
Gina Kamler has over 25 years of experience leading internal and external communications across Medical Technology, Pharmaceutical and Franchise-based service industries. Since 2015, she has directed commercial communications for the Orthopaedics division of Smith+Nephew, a $5.5B global medical device company.
Her team is responsible for driving and executing sales engagement, social media, PR, crisis management and web content creation to elevate the company’s brand, culture, reputation, and products. Gina was on the project team that selected Allego as the enterprise-wide Sales Enablement platform for Smith+Nephew in 2022 and since that time, she has been a project team lead for the Marketing+Digital Selling and Sales Communication implementation of the platform.
Peter Kyranakis, VP of Solution Consulting and Sales Enablement at Allego
Peter is an enablement leader with experience in building and scaling functions such as sales, project management, technical consulting, customer care, technical support, enablement, and technical account management in the technology industry. He has success building and maintaining client relationships at all levels, as well as managing and delivering on client expectations from business development through solution delivery.
Peter takes great pride in building teams and helping people achieve their career goals. Working as a team allows us to accomplish so much more than any individual effort.
More information about this session:
In this webinar, “Revamp Your Sales Kickoff from Boring to Brilliant,” industry leaders discussed innovative strategies for making a sales kickoff (SKOs) highly engaging, productive, and aligned with long-term business goals. This session, featuring insights from Smith & Nephew’s use of Allego’s platform, explored practical solutions for sales enablement professionals tasked with designing impactful SKOs. Here’s a breakdown of the key topics covered in the session, designed to help companies transform routine sales kickoffs into energizing experiences that motivate teams, reinforce goals, and create lasting impact.
Setting the Tone: Why the Sales Kickoff Matters
As a powerful alignment tool, a sales kickoff plays a critical role in preparing sales teams for the upcoming year by setting a cohesive direction, highlighting key objectives, and providing the sales training and motivation necessary for success. The sales kickoff should serve as a rallying point for the entire organization, aligning everyone on priorities while ensuring individual reps feel motivated and supported.
According to the speakers, an effective sales kickoff establishes clear connections between each team’s role and the company’s larger goals. Collaboration across departments—whether it’s sales, product, marketing, or enablement—is key to delivering a unified message that each team member can carry into their daily work. Smith & Nephew’s experience with Allego was highlighted as a case in point, where the company used Allego’s versatile tools to create an engaging and coherent SKO experience that unified all contributors under a common vision for the year.
Key Strategies for a Successful Sales Kickoff
The webinar detailed several practical approaches for designing an engaging sales kickoff. From pre-event preparations to dynamic in-session activities and essential post-kickoff follow-ups, these tactics are essential for companies aiming to maximize the impact of their SKOs.
1. Pre-Kickoff Training: Setting Up for Success
Pre-kickoff preparation is essential for maximizing the productivity and effectiveness of a sales kickoff. Without sufficient pre-training, sales reps may arrive at the event unprepared and overwhelmed by the volume of information, leading to lower engagement and limited retention of critical content. A powerful statistic from the webinar highlighted that 84% of companies do not provide any form of pre-SKO training. This lack of preparation often results in a “firehose” effect during the sales kickoff, with reps struggling to absorb vast amounts of information in a condensed timeframe. By implementing structured pre-kickoff training, companies can eliminate this overwhelm, ensuring teams arrive with a foundational understanding of key topics. This, in turn, allows the event itself to focus more on hands-on, practical applications of learning.
Smith & Nephew’s Approach: Weekly Enablement Modules with Allego
At Smith & Nephew, the sales enablement team effectively uses pre-kickoff preparation by assigning weekly training modules to sales reps in the weeks leading up to the SKO. Leveraging Allego’s platform, these modules cover essential content areas, including product updates, strategic company priorities, and advanced sales techniques designed to address current market challenges. This incremental approach to learning allows reps to absorb information gradually, keeping them engaged and informed without causing cognitive overload.
Each week’s module includes interactive components such as quizzes, video assignments, and peer-to-peer assessments. These elements not only reinforce learning but also encourage reps to actively apply what they’ve learned. By using quizzes, the team can gauge knowledge retention and quickly address any gaps prior to the sales kickoff. Video assignments also provide a chance for reps to practice new messaging or techniques on camera, with the added benefit of feedback from enablement leaders or colleagues. For example, Allego’s video feature allows sales reps to record themselves presenting a new product or handling a challenging sales scenario. These videos are then shared within the team, fostering a collaborative learning environment that encourages constructive feedback.
This preparatory work enables the sales kickoff to shift from a lecture-heavy, information-dense experience into an interactive workshop. Instead of passively receiving information, sales reps engage in hands-on applications of knowledge through practical role-playing sessions, product demonstrations, and scenario-based exercises. This approach allows the sales kickoff to be a truly immersive event, where reps can actively participate in real-world simulations, ask targeted questions, and refine their skills in a collaborative setting.
Creating a Strong Foundation with Key Learning Areas
Smith & Nephew strategically selects three to four key learning areas for the pre-kickoff modules, focusing on topics most relevant to the sales team’s success in the coming year. For instance, if the company plans to launch a new product, the pre-kickoff modules might include a detailed breakdown of product features, positioning statements, and competitive advantages. Reps might also receive training on new digital sales techniques, reflecting the increasing importance of virtual interactions in today’s market.
Through these focused learning modules, sales reps are prepared with a foundational understanding that they can build upon at the sales kickoff. This method not only enhances engagement during the SKO but also improves long-term knowledge retention. As reps arrive with a solid grasp of foundational content, they can spend their time during the event on higher-order skills, such as refining messaging for complex client scenarios or practicing competitive objection handling.
Enhancing Manager and Leader Involvement in Pre-Kickoff Training
An essential aspect of Smith & Nephew’s pre-kickoff strategy involves actively engaging managers and sales leaders in the preparation process. Leaders are encouraged to participate in the Allego modules alongside their teams, reviewing content, providing insights, and offering targeted feedback. Allego’s platform enables sales managers to assess rep submissions, watch videos, and leave feedback directly within the tool, creating a cohesive feedback loop that keeps managers in close contact with their teams’ progress.
The enablement team also uses Allego to conduct “train-the-trainer” sessions with managers, providing them with the tools and guidelines they need to effectively coach their teams. For example, managers might review simulated sales calls or product pitches submitted by their team members, using Allego’s interactive features to provide real-time feedback on critical aspects like tone, positioning, and objection handling. This additional layer of leadership involvement not only reinforces learning but also sets expectations for sales managers, helping them prepare for a more active role in the sales kickoff itself.
Through Allego’s scoring and assessment tools, managers can gauge their teams’ understanding and skills on specific topics, allowing them to tailor additional support where needed before the SKO. As a result, the sales kickoff becomes a smoother, more engaging event, as leaders can better facilitate workshops, role-playing, and breakout sessions, all while ensuring that their teams are prepared for the interactive, hands-on aspects of the SKO.
Building a Collaborative, Data-Driven Pre-Kickoff Experience
By gathering data on completion rates, quiz scores, and video submission reviews, Smith & Nephew can identify which content areas may require further reinforcement before the sales kickoff. For example, if reps perform below expectations in a particular module, the enablement team can schedule a refresher session or create supplemental content to address specific challenges. Allego’s analytics provide granular insights into which learning modules are most effective and where additional support may be necessary, allowing for a highly tailored approach to pre-kickoff preparation.
Additionally, this data-driven strategy fosters a sense of accountability and ownership among the sales reps, who can see their progress and receive constructive feedback as they complete each module. Sales reps arrive at the sales kickoff not only prepared with the foundational knowledge they need but also motivated to actively participate, knowing they are well-prepared and ready to dive deeper into the topics that matter most for their success.
The Benefits of Pre-Kickoff Training for Long-Term Success
The result of Smith & Nephew’s comprehensive pre-kickoff strategy is a highly engaged, well-prepared salesforce that is ready to make the most of the SKO experience. Instead of overwhelming reps with information during the event, the sales kickoff serves as an opportunity for practical application, reinforcing concepts learned through weeks of preparation. This approach ultimately supports long-term retention and improved performance, as reps can refer back to Allego’s on-demand modules anytime they need a refresher, turning pre-kickoff preparation into a continuous learning process.
In conclusion, a strategic approach to pre-kickoff training allows sales teams to arrive at the sales kickoff ready to engage, collaborate, and apply their knowledge. By providing pre-event modules and interactive learning opportunities through Allego, companies can transform their SKO into an empowering, hands-on experience that sets reps up for long-term success.
2. Setting a Dynamic Agenda to Keep Engagement High
The agenda is a cornerstone of any sales kickoff, and creating an engaging, well-structured schedule is essential to keep energy levels up and prevent information overload. Allego’s webinar speakers stressed the importance of blending motivational content with actionable learning sessions. While leadership addresses and strategic presentations are valuable, a continuous series of lecture-style sessions can lead to burnout and disengagement. Instead, an interactive approach to agenda planning can make a major difference.
For example, incorporating a keynote speaker early in the event—such as a high-performing sales team member or an inspirational industry leader—can set an enthusiastic tone for the SKO. The speakers also highlighted the value of utilizing Allego’s video submission feature to allow sales leaders and top performers to pre-record messages. These videos can introduce key themes, share success stories, and outline important goals, helping to motivate and inform the team even before the event begins.
The webinar also discussed breaking up presentations with frequent interactive segments, such as small group workshops, breakout discussions, and role-playing exercises. By keeping these sessions focused and practical, attendees stay engaged and are encouraged to apply what they’ve learned immediately, fostering real-world understanding of the content.
3. Gamification: Adding Fun and Engagement to Learning
Gamification can be a game-changer for sales kickoffs, transforming training into a lively and engaging experience. Adding game-like elements—such as quizzes, leaderboards, and scavenger hunts—keeps energy levels high and encourages active participation. Allego’s platform makes it easy to integrate these features, allowing reps to earn points, track progress, and see where they rank on a leaderboard throughout the sales kickoff.
During the SKO, Smith & Nephew implemented a QR code scavenger hunt, where sales reps could scan codes from various leaders’ badges for points, encouraging interaction with executives. This “leadership scavenger hunt” not only added a fun dimension to the event but also fostered connections between different levels of the organization. In addition, the company had success encouraging reps to create and submit product commercials, with submissions involving creative ideas, family participation, and even regional team collaboration, all contributing to points and leaderboard rankings.
Gamification can also extend to the pre-kickoff training phase. For instance, Allego allows companies to assign quizzes or video assignments before the event, rewarding reps for completing these tasks and engaging with the material. This not only prepares teams for the sales kickoff but adds an element of friendly competition that increases motivation and learning retention.
4. Recognition and Celebration of Achievements
Recognizing top performers during the sales kickoff is a powerful motivator that sets the stage for continued success throughout the year. During the event, sales leaders can celebrate reps who have achieved exceptional results, whether through awards for top performers, achievements on major accounts, or notable leadership qualities.
Smith & Nephew has developed a multi-level award structure for their SKOs, including an elite trip announcement that builds anticipation and excitement. This approach rewards reps for their hard work and sets the tone for the year by reinforcing the behaviors and outcomes the company values most. By acknowledging top performers publicly, companies strengthen morale and create a culture of healthy competition, while also providing role models for new team members.
5. Creating Opportunities for Networking and Collaboration
Networking is a vital component of a successful sales kickoff. The speakers emphasized the importance of dedicated networking opportunities throughout the event, allowing reps to connect, share experiences, and exchange best practices. Allego’s platform enables effective peer-to-peer interaction, even in remote or hybrid settings, by hosting discussions, Q&A panels, and virtual meet-and-greets.
For Smith & Nephew, the sales kickoff often marks the only time that reps from different regions meet in person, making it crucial to build networking sessions into the agenda. In breakout groups and team-building exercises, reps can collaborate with colleagues from other areas, discuss challenges and solutions, and create a sense of community. These sessions are not only beneficial for morale but also enhance productivity, as reps return to their regions with fresh insights and proven techniques shared by peers.
6. Data-Driven Assessment and Post-Kickoff Follow-Up
The value of a sales kickoff lies not only in the event itself but in how its lessons are reinforced and expanded afterward. As the speakers highlighted, gathering data and feedback post-kickoff is essential for identifying areas for improvement and ensuring continuous progress. Allego’s survey tools allow enablement teams to capture attendee feedback on session effectiveness, engagement levels, and suggestions for future events, providing actionable insights that shape subsequent SKOs.
Sales enablement teams at Smith & Nephew have successfully used Allego to archive SKO materials, making presentations, product demos, and role-playing exercises available for on-demand access. This means the SKO’s lessons are readily available for review or onboarding new hires. Sales leaders can also turn these archived materials into training modules that reinforce key SKO messages throughout the year.
Using data from post-SKO surveys, enablement teams can refine their approach to future events, ensuring each sales kickoff is an improvement over the last. This iterative process, supported by Allego’s tools, ensures the company continues to meet the evolving needs of its salesforce while strengthening its competitive advantage.
Leveraging Allego for a High-Impact Sales Kickoff
Throughout the webinar, Allego’s role as a sales enablement platform was highlighted as central to driving the success of sales kickoffs. Allego’s functionalities, such as video libraries, interactive assessments, gamification features, and on-demand training modules, support each stage of the SKO process. From pre-kickoff preparation to post-event reinforcement, Allego equips enablement teams with the tools to transform SKOs into powerful learning and motivational events.
Allego’s video submission and interactive features allow sales leaders to pre-record key messages, create interactive modules, and assign quizzes that reps can engage with before and after the event. By consolidating these elements within one platform, Allego helps organizations streamline the process of planning, executing, and optimizing sales kickoffs, ensuring each event aligns with company goals and equips teams for success.
Final Thoughts: Building a Brighter Future Through Transformative Sales Kickoffs
This webinar provided a comprehensive guide for transforming sales kickoffs into impactful, high-energy events that motivate teams and align their efforts with organizational objectives. The strategies discussed, from pre-work assignments and gamification to recognition and post-event follow-ups, highlight how enablement professionals can drive tangible outcomes from each SKO. With Allego’s robust platform, companies can bring these best practices to life, creating sales kickoffs that not only inspire but also prepare sales teams to tackle challenges, embrace goals, and thrive throughout the year.
By implementing these techniques and leveraging tools like Allego, enablement teams can turn routine SKOs into standout events that drive measurable success, setting the tone for a productive and goal-driven year in sales.
