6Connex | The Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook by 6CONNEX

The Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Table of Contents 1.

What’s a virtual SKO?

What makes physical sales kickoffs a thing of the past?

Advantages of virtual SKO

Managing potential hurdles

Continuing education and onboarding new hires after virtual KO

Reasons why you should move SKO to online

Employee reactions

The value of sales enablement programs is without question; prepared, motivated sales reps are much more likely to be high-performers. In fact, according to the Sirius Decisions 2017 Sales Enablement Report, high-performing sales organizations are 80% more likely to spend at least 25% of the overall sales budget on sales enablement. The traditional sales kick off meeting is a cornerstone of many sales enablement programs, bringing hundreds, or even thousands of sales reps together in one physical location. Sales kickoffs are critical to accomplish sales and marketing objectives. There are few things more important to a company’s bottom line than bringing salespeople together to share information, set goals for the coming year, and provide motivation to drive sales performance and profitability. At these kickoffs, sales professionals receive new and updated product information, discuss best practices for securing leads and clinching customers, hear success stories, and celebrate great performances. The importance of SKOs is universally understood.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

A company is potentially losing an entire month of productivity for every 10 sales professionals attending a physical SKO. However, the time and costs spent on planning and executing an SKO puts enormous strains on productivity and profitabili-

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

ty. Even after extensive and careful planning, an SKO can turn into a high-stress, high-chaos event, where everyone has to be herded into one room or to one event center. If two days of travel and the event itself take three days away from sales teams, a company is potentially losing an entire month of productivity for every 10 sales professionals. With those losses, it’s not hard to see why many organizations are looking for new ways to educate and motivate their sales teams. A company is potentially losing an entire month of productivity for every 10 sales professionals attending a physical SKO. With workforces increasingly moving away from centralized offices and into the home or on the road, it’s becoming less and less workable to put together the kind of traditional SKOs that a certain highly visible and popular, sleek technological manufacturer has brought into the collective awareness. Instead, SKOs are moving into the digital realm, or utilizing a digital component. Experienced sales managers are finding that the digital experience enhances the kickoff, with a lot less overhead and money spent to get it done. With the landscape changes over the last few years, the platform for put-

ting on a successful SKO is changing. The short answer: it’s all going virtual. The reasons are simple and many, and it may change the heart of your sales strategy to move your SKOs to a virtual, or even hybrid-style, presentation.

The result of staging a virtual sales kickoff is that the company benefits from substantial cost savings without eliminating the fundamental need to communicate, educate, and motivate its sales professionals.

Throughout this e-book, we’ll be referring to SonicWall, a global cyber security company that designs and develops firewall, enterprise-class, secure wireless, cloud security, and performance appliances. SonicWall leveraged the highly-configurable 6Connex virtual event platform for their sales kickoff event, where they were able to conduct product training quickly and easily, while generating the same excitement as a physical event.

A virtual SKO resembles a traditional face-to-face event in look and feel, but with added technology features that change the game for the better -- all without the need to download any proprietary software. Sales professionals can watch the sales kickoff live, while on the go, and from anywhere in the world. They also have the opportunity to review the presentations on-demand, after the live event has ended. Sales kickoffs are also seeing success in the hybrid fashion, where organizations are utilizing a virtual component for their in-person sales kickoffs, to not only expand their reach, but also provide the option to access the presentation from any place at any time, or attend in-person if necessary.

SKOs are moving into the digital realm, and experienced sales managers are finding the experience enhances the kickoff.

What is a virtual SKO? A “virtual” sales kickoff gives an organization’s global sales force easy access to annual or quarterly SKOs from their office, in the field, or at home, from any computer or handheld device.

Each virtual experience can be as big or small as needed for each company/sales team, with rooms and spaces that speak to the goals for that program. The company benefits from substantial cost savings without eliminating the fundamental need to communicate, educate, and motivate its sales professionals.

SKOs are moving into the digital realm, and experienced sales managers are finding the experience enhances the kickoff.

What makes physical sales pickoffs a thing of the past? Historically, sales kickoffs have been held once a year to create a culture of team building, recognize top performers, and communicate the company’s sales vision. However, the world (and your competitors) are evolving, and a singular 2-3 day in-person event per year, one that only accommodates a quarter of your international salesforce, just doesn’t cut it anymore. Aside from the fact that your sales force is completely inundated with information 24/7/365, sales enablement technology and AI is changing at an unprecedented rate. When AI is used correctly, it should save your sales and marketing team tons of time and generate more qualified leads. However, if your team is not trained throughout the year on how to make the most out of these resources, your ROI will suffer as a consequence. The proof is in the pudding.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Increase productivity

Include more employees When travel costs are out of the equation, it’s easier to include far more employees who touch the sales process and customers, ensuring more consistent knowledge across teams and more consistent messaging to prospects and customers.

Using a virtual SKO, salespeople stay where they can have the most impact on the business, and that’s in the field, where they are most accessible to prospects and customers.

Reduce costs This may seem obvious, but it’s important all the same. Travel expenses alone can skyrocket sales training budgets. A virtual or hybrid sales kickoff can help organizations put the dollars towards content, not hotels.

Create more connections By virtue of including more employees, new opportunities are created for teams to connect. The design of the organization’s virtual environment can include incentives for cross-team connection and learning, especially with innovations like AI Matchmaking for personalized networking options.

ADVANTAGES OF

VIRTUAL SKOs There are surprising benefits of making the switch to virtual sales training.

Enable access to executives Not all salespeople have the opportunity to chat directly with the executive team or sales leadership. A virtual sales meeting enables unique ways to give all salespeople access and connection.

Design more learning opportunities A virtual environment provides many ways to include training, like a virtual exhibit hall for product knowledge or a mentoring room for employee development. If available, you can offer personalized content and networking options for attendees with AI Matchmaking. The possibilities are almost endless.

Onboard with ease Virtual and hybrid events offer the unique benefit of helping organizations create a content library perfect for onboarding new team members. New employees can catch up quickly by viewing recorded keynotes and breakouts and browsing training materials.

Track learning and ROI Everything sales teams do within a virtual environment can be tracked, unlike at a physical event. Gain access to deep metrics in real-time to understand employee engagement, assess learning and inform future programs.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Research shows that salespeople lose 80-90% of what they learn after just one month, diminishing the long-term value of an expensive event down to virtually nothing. And Brainshark tells us that 7 out of 10 companies do not deliver post-work follow-up or training. Yikes! The common question here is: how can companies increase their ROI and employee engagement from a sales kickoff? The answer is simple: going virtual or hybrid with your SKO.

Maximize your available time It’s been fairly well established that our modern, computer-trained brains have an attention span that maxes out quickly -- after about an hour. Let’s face it: no matter how good the free coffee or lunch is, there are minimal ways to make sitting in a room listening to speakers for hours and hours engaging. Your sales department depends on retaining all the new information in order to bring up the bottom line, and arming them with the best training should be the top priority. The traditional SKO is about learning, networking, and socializing. However, networking and socializing don’t always mix well with learning. While it’s always important to network, in the age of instant communication and collaboration tools, paring your SKO down to a virtual environment keeps the focus on the information at hand. SonicWall took their first SKO to the virtual world, and with the 6Connex virtual and hybrid environment platform, we were able to facilitate live sessions, Q&A “hot topic” sessions, and a robust library of informational resources. Their sales force was able to log into the virtual SKO from their home offices and get right to analyzing the latest security trends and threats while gaining the latest security solution updates from the product management team. “We were able to use the momentum we created when we became an independent company, and keep it going with these ‘hot topic’ and live executive sessions during our virtual SKO. We could get our message out quickly, easily, and create the same excitement we would as if we hosted an event, without the stress and high dependency on our OPEX budget,” said Steve Pataky, SonicWall Vice President Worldwide Sales. During a traditional two-day SKO, a sales team has to scribble down as many notes as they can during the sessions, then stay up all night networking with their colleagues.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Instead, companies can leverage the benefits of a virtual and hybrid conference platform to help keep sales staff focused and engaged in an environment where they work most efficiently. Just like you don’t need to wait six months to introduce yourself to a new business connection anymore, you shouldn’t have to wait six months to make this information available to your salespeople; and you shouldn’t have to burden them with flights and travel to get it. When your SKO is virtual, you can use it as a resource library that’s available 24/7/365, anywhere in the world. Your sales team gets better exposure to the information; thus, they are able to hit every value prop every time they meet with clients. When your SKO is virtual, you can use it as a resource library that’s available 24/7/365, anywhere in the world.

Maximize your money Too many sales departments miss out on key information and presentations because it’s simply not worth the expense of putting on a two- or three-day event. With location rentals, food, travel, and hotel costs, it’s not a mystery why a company might skip an SKO or a traditional in-person event altogether. With the potential of live video, there’s no longer a need to cancel an SKO that has ballooned beyond its budget. Instead, you can expand your reach, and your employees have no excuse not to sell with the best information available. You can also provide your employees with the opportunity to attend in-person, should they please, with the hybrid functionality of a virtual component. Not to mention, any salesperson who isn’t out in the field is not producing. The virtual environment maximizes those opportunities by simply not requiring the same kind of travel. While SonicWall still hosts in-person sales meetings, their virtual environment allows them to make the most of those in-person meetings to focus on education. Their goal was to put on a sales kickoff that could maintain the expectation of a dazzling environment, but one that was available in every time zone, anytime it’s needed. While SonicWall still hosts in-person sales meetings, their virtual environment allows them to make the most of those in-person meetings to focus on education. Their goal was to put on a sales kickoff that could maintain the expectation of a dazzling environment, but one that was available in every time zone, anytime it’s needed.

Maintain a conversation A virtual SKO has the capability to break off into smaller discussion “breakouts” where attendees can collaborate on all the information they’ve gathered and learned. It also keeps the social element of the SKO alive while maintaining a professional environment of idea exchange - especially if the organization is hosting both an in-person and virtual SKO simultaneously. The most successful launches will find sales managers taking full advantage of this feature, pulling together small groups of people to focus on a single message or metric on a regular basis. SonicWall wanted to be able to keep their own internal conversation going, tailoring it to the changing goals of the company. A virtual SKO allowed them to create an interactive

and visually-rich environment on a shorter turnaround, creating a higher level of engagement among the sales staff. Virtual SKOs are highly beneficial from a cost saving and learning perspective, but you can’t forget the networking and social part that everyone looks forward to during the traditional SKO event. Gone are the days where a company needed to allocate a budget for regional networking events, or host a couple days of virtual learning ending with a series of regional happy hours. SKO events in the virtual form, focused on learning, can be a cost-effective and productive series of events. With a little creativity, networking and socializing can be a reward at the end. On the other hand, companies can invest in a virtual conference as its own standalone event series, where the focus is on networking and socializing.

THE TYPICAL VIRTUAL SKO INCLUDES FIVE MAIN AREAS:

The virtual ballroom or auditorium provides a spot for webcasts of keynotes and presentations by guest speakers and company executives.

The breakout rooms are where the sales staff can watch product demonstrations and training sessions specific to their individual roles. Webcam technology can be used for peer-to-peer interaction, and quizzes can be used for learning assessment.

The exhibit hall can house booths arranged by product or topic, and can also be an area to invite partners to showcase complementary products and

The executive club or recognition wall celebrates the achievements of top sales professionals.

The lounge is where attendees can mingle and network with their peers during breaks. Scheduled executive or topic chats can also be included.

STEPS TO SET UP YOUR SKO

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Managing potential hurdles When considering making a switch from fully-physical events to virtual events, or adding a virtual training element to in-person programs, it’s important to consider potential new hurdles, and how best to overcome them. Difference in face-to-face opportunities: don’t forget about the face-time. A 100% virtual sales kickoff can’t offer the same face-to-face opportunities as a physical event, and that element can be very important to keeping sales teams connected. With that in mind, it’s recommended to go hybrid, adding small group viewing, happy hours, or other in-person time when geography and budget allow. Worry about maintaining engagement: manage participation with detailed reporting. It’s normal to be concerned that employees accessing a virtual keynote session from a home office can simply walk away after hitting “launch.” However, even at a physical event where everyone can see the salespeople in the room, it’s never a certainty that they’re engaged with the presentation. Virtual sales training environments offer many ways to drive engagement along with highly-detailed reporting. In the end, it’s easier to know who truly participated through a virtual SKO than an in-person SKO. Lack of in-person team building: keep it social and fun. “Off-the-clock” time with teammates can be critical to building and maintaining a cohesive, high-performing sales team. Creating small moments of in-person connection, tied to the overall sales program and leveraging the fun and personal elements of a virtual environment, can help keep the social elements included in the program. Balancing work and play: don’t settle for all work and no play. Virtual training can be seen as more practical, less fun. When moving to a virtual training model, it’s important to make it as fun and personal for employees as the company’s culture allows. Virtual sales kickoffs can include fun elements to engage employees, such as background designs, employee-submitted content, and gamification. Less travel opportunities: be clear about travel costs and overall budget. For some employees -- especially those who rarely travel -- the chance to get out of the office and visit a new city is a big reward. This is tough to overcome, but transparency about the corporate budget, coupled with different incentives and rewards, can go a long way towards overcoming disappointment. Remember: travel can also be a burden; the option to skip the travel hassles may be very welcome to some. However, it can also be beneficial for organizations to provide the in-person option, leveraging the technological advances in events to create a hybrid experience. The benefits to going virtual with sales training programs can provide a real boost to sales enablement. Keeping in mind the potential challenges from the start is the best way to make the transition with the greatest, positive impact on your team.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Continuing education & onboarding new hires after a virtual sales kickoff There is a limited window to capture any audience’s attention, and your sales department is the fuel that fires the pistons of the rest of the company. Operating within a virtual environment frees up your workforce to get to the drier information when they can absorb it, where you spend your presentation getting them fired up about the future. In the short term, a good SKO is an opportunity to really inspire and electrify your sales force. This way, you can invest them in the forward direction of your brand and turn them into advocates, instead of just sales people. Once your workforce is inspired and invested, they’ll be much more enthusiastic about digging into the details, and naturally become more adept at selling the product. With the ongoing availability of sales resources, you can rest assured that they’ll have correct, updated information available all the time. This is especially important when onboarding new hires. Instead of having to compile several onboarding materials, the virtual environment allows your new hires to jump right into the latest version of a product, even if they’re hired after the launch. The ability to reference these presentations results in faster onboarding, and better information retention for new hires.

Top 5 reasons why you should move your sales enablement events online We reached out to Chad Burmeister, CEO of ScaleX.ai, a sales acceleration service, to learn from his experience successfully running a virtual SKO and how he managed to provide 4X the value and 4X the reach by going virtual. Besides the apparent tangible convenience, here are the top value-driven reasons you should take your SKO virtual or incorporate a hybrid element into your training.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

1. You can get 4X more value out of virtual sales kickoffs. You can’t argue with the numbers. Chad estimates that the budget for just one event in Las Vegas with 1,000 salespeople can rack up $1,000,000; whereas one virtual event for your entire sales force with great speakers and great content (if planned correctly) might add up to $62,500 - $125,000. This means that you could potentially host quarterly virtual events for a fraction of the budget, reaching a grand total of $250,000 $500,000. More money for your bottom line means more resources. The sales department can then reallocate that budget to invest in other sales enablement programs, like SalesHood for example.

1 million$

budget for one Las Vegas event

125,000$ budget for one virtual event

You can reach 4X more employees with virtual sales kickoffs Allow your employees to make the choice of gathering in-person, or virtually. Instead of making your entire global salesforce fly half-way across the world for a conference, you can bring the conference to them. Chris Szarlacki, director of Channel Marketing from SonicWall, said in his testimony with 6Connex that taking his SKO virtual was a “fast, entertaining and effective way to connect all internal teams at once.” He was able to provide a new portfolio of enablement tools to their entire global sales team from anywhere they could access the internet. Virtual SKOs allow executive sales teams to mingle with the engineering department and product development team, quickly answering questions in real time and making communication seamless. By incorporating a hybrid element, local employees can gather in person, those who are willing to travel can attend the physical event, and all others can still attend in your virtual environment. Team discussions have never been so inclusive.

2. You can afford more (and better) speakers for the same budget. Forward-thinking sales enablement coaches are on the rise. Good coaches that resonate with your team are invaluable to their progress. Lucky for us, it turns out that good coaches charge a fraction of the price to speak on a virtual platform than at an in-person event. Chad mentions influential speakers like Keenan, Mario Martinez, or Jamie Shanks charge around $25,000 - $100,000 for a physical sales kick-off, depending on different factors (the number of attendees, days, etc).

100,000$

speaker fees for physical kickoff

15,000$

speaker fees for a virtual event

For a virtual event where speakers just need to log in for a few hours, they often charge $5,000 - $15,000. Whether employees attend your SKO virtually or in-person, they’re still able to receive the education and inspiration they need while you spend a fraction of the price on speakers who attend virtually.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

“Consider a Vegas SKO with one keynote, or a Virtual SKO with four keynotes, I’ll take the four keynotes all day!” comments Chad. Additionally, if you make the switch to virtual and decide to transition to quarterly sales events, great speakers will be even more willing to negotiate a reasonable price and commit to a regular quarterly cadence of meetings with the sales team.

3. You can gamify the experience to increase engagement. Engaged employees are the highest performing employees. Unfortunately, too many companies throw millions of dollars into physical sales kickoffs that are monotonous and impersonal. Cue the virtual sales kickoff, where entertainment and engagement meet. The key is to gamify. Chad mentions that creating a competitive environment increases engagement. You can do this by having your CEO and VP of Sales send out invitations several weeks in advance, building up the importance of 100% attendance at 100% of the event. Then comes the fun part. You can create a dashboard where attendance stats are transparent. Make it a competition! Halfway through the day, you can show all attendees each of the attendance and participation of the sales reps, leaders, and teams. You can give them a scorecard reading of red, yellow, and green. Let teams know that they will be called out for missing or rewarded for perfect attendance. Additionally, you can incorporate funny trivia questions about leadership, polling employees for answers and providing comedic relief. The possibilities for gaming and engagement at virtual SKO are endless!

4. You can recognize top sellers with creativity and flare. One of the most important aspects of a sales kickoff is the recognition of top performers. Chad tells us that getting recognition right in the virtual world is key and can be even more impactful because it reaches the entire global sales force. You can creatively incorporate videos of award winners paired with the latest motivational hits, announce the next President’s Club destination or other monetary rewards, or have your CEO pre-record a personalized congratulatory video to roll out in real time. Quarterly sales enablement events also increase friendly competition between top performers who want to see their name in lights!

The new strategy for sales enablement is here ... and it’s virtual Growing global workforces require flexible solutions, and all signs are pointing to going virtual and hybrid. A virtual event can quite literally incorporate the entire salesforce for a quarter of the price, while presentations can be recorded and utilized as resources all year-long. Additionally, Chad Burmeister points out that instead of having just one sales event per year (that only one-quarter of your global sales team can attend), a company can host four events a year that can accommodate the entire global sales team for the same price.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Important things to look for when choosing a virtual or hybrid event platform and provider: 1.

Service

Device & Browser CompatibilityI

Innovation

Managing potential hurdles

Configurability and Branding

Security and Privacy

Performance, Scale, and Reliability

Reporting and Analytic

Webinar and Content Agnosticism

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Moving from annual to quarterly events increases employee engagement, integrates AI training, and boosts the ROI of your SKO investment, while still improving your bottom line. A company can host 4 virtual events a year that can accommodate the entire global sales team for the same price.

How to evaluate and choose a virtual event & environment platform With a half dozen virtual and hybrid event software platforms on the market, how do you know which platform is the right one to go with? In the absence of third-party virtual event platform reviews, this playbook will help you do your own homework and choose a provider wisely -- considering more than just price and what’s in their brochure. Imagine choosing a hotel as a venue for hosting an on-site tradeshow or conference. You wouldn’t think of selecting a hotel without a site visit to observe firsthand how easy it is for attendees to get to the hotel, the quality of the hotel infrastructure, the level of staffing dedicated to helping you and your guests, amenities, and more. The same attention to detail, if not greater attention to detail, is required when selecting a virtual and hybrid event platform provider.

There are now many virtual event and environment vendors on the market. The vast majority are new, small start-ups with very limited investment in technology and staff. Since the service is fully hosted by the vendors, provided as “software as a service” (SaaS), the following criteria will help you dig into the behind-the-scenes details that can make a big impact on functionality and user experience. It’s easy to compare prices, but you really want to make sure that the business is viable and reputable, the technology is reliable, flexible, and easy to use. You also want to make sure that there is sufficient staff available to help you after the sale, and ensure there are no technical issues when your event goes live. Here we’ll delve into how to investigate eight specific categories when choosing a virtual event or hybrid event platform and provider:

1. Service As with all service contracts, your relationship with a hosted virtual and hybrid vendor should be ongoing. You should expect much more than mere access to technological tools. When choosing a virtual conference platform and provider, you need a vendor who is fully engaged throughout the life of your relationship. Your provider should be able to help with defining your business problems, training, implementation, problem solving, and other tasks that are vital to the success of your virtual program. While it is important that the platform you choose allows you to manage it yourself, support throughout and after launch is critical to the success of any virtual event program. Implementation Choose a vendor that will work with you to implement and onboard your program. Virtual event platforms are complex and feature-rich; partnering with your vendor will not only save you time in setup, but also ensure you’re making best use of all the features the platform has to offer. Find out whether a vendor offers training, and if so, whether training is included in your package, or if it’s available for an additional fee. Program Consulting Reputable vendors should have launched thousands of virtual and hybrid events, and will have broad experience in what works, and what does not work well. Choose a vendor that will objectively assess the program you’re considering, align your business strategies and goals, and build a comprehensive roadmap to help take your virtual event to the next level. Again, find out whether this service is included with your virtual environment or event package and if not, find out what types of additional costs are involved. Customization Modern virtual and hybrid event providers will elevate your brand, as well as engage your audience with professionally designed templates or a 100% configurable virtual environment experience. They should provide in-house creative services teams that can design and develop visually attractive virtual designs that reflect your brand and image.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Self Support Find out if the vendor offers extensive support documentation and an automated self-help engine that allows you to easily resolve issues. Because SaaS solutions evolve very quickly, it’s important that all help documentation is kept up to date with the latest changes and bugs. Customer Support Discover whether the vendor offers live support. If so, look into how and when you can access that support, the expected response and resolution times, and the systems for processing support requests. As with the other aspects of service, it’s important to understand whether support is included or available at an additional cost.

2. Device and browser compatibility HTML5 Look for a platform that’s built using HTML5. As a result, attendees will not have to rely on applications like Adobe Flash Player to join your event. While Flash has played an important role in enhancing the functionality of the web, HTML5 is making the plugin obsolete. Many users experience problems with Flash on their browsers, and it’s completely unavailable to mobile users. In fact, Adobe is no longer supporting Flash Player as of January 2021. For example, 6Connex virtual and hybrid environments are built using current coding best practices, so your attendees will be able to join easily, without additional plugins, and from any connected device they choose. Cross-Platform Capability One of the touted benefits of virtual trade shows and virtual conferences is that they’re fully functional in the diverse technology environments that might exist for your attendees and sponsors. Various traveling attendees might have a Microsoft XP with Firefox browser, or a Mac with Chrome browser. You want a trade show platform that is fully functional across operating systems and on all major web browsers.

3. Innovation AI-Powered An innovative virtual and hybrid event platform will incorporate the latest technology in artificial intelligence. A platform provider that offers AI Matchmaking is extremely beneficial, especially when it comes to content and networking. A reputable vendor will incorporate AI capabilities to help narrow down personalized content options for your sales team, as well as match-

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

making for networking purposes. Whether employees attend in-person or virtually, they will have access to chat with other like-minded employees within the virtual environment. Integrations Avoid any vendor with limited integration capabilities, as well as those who require expensive and time-consuming custom coding to achieve those connections. Ideally, you’ll want a hosted solution that uses open, standards-based APIs to link to your on-site systems. This will make integrations simple, fast, and cost effective. Upgrades As discussed above, one of the main benefits of a hosted solution is that it gives you ongoing access to innovation and new features rather than having to integrate new versions of the software on premise. Make sure that your virtual trade show platform vendor regularly upgrades their products, and that you’ll have free access to those upgrades. Roadmap Find out what plans are on the vendor’s roadmap. This will not only give you an idea of what’s coming up in the pipeline, but also a sense of the vendor’s level of commitment to innovation. To get a good idea of what’s on your virtual event provider’s road map, inquire about the following information: X

Are they pre-built hybrid-ready?

What do their three month, six month, and 12-month roadmaps include?

Do they allow custom feedback to determine new features, and is there a charge associated with submitting this feedback?

What are some of the key upgrades delivered in the last three months?

4. Configurability and branding Modern virtual event platforms are highly configurable to meet specific program requirements. They offer the ability not only to add any type of virtual space, but also to configure the name and image to navigate throughout the program. Permission-based entitlement is also necessary if you plan to run a program that will offer access to different rooms and spaces by user level. Any modern provider will offer the ability to enable or restrict access to rooms, as well as pieces of content via email or domain. Leading online event platforms allow you to brand the solution according to your corporate guidelines, as well as the look and feel of your program. Good platforms will have a variety of templates that can be easily configured to reflect the look and feel of your brand, department, and solution. Non-IT employees should be able to easily make these configurations with pointand-click tools, so content owners and booth administrators can mold the solution according to their branding and virtual conference requirements.

5. Security and privacy Because you’ll be dealing with personal information of attendees, you’ll want to choose a virtual conference solution that has proper security in place and is able to comply with state, federal, and international security and privacy laws. This should include no less than the following:

Network and infrastructure security

On-site physical security

Application security

24/7 security monitoring

Firewalls

Third-party certifications for security practices

Intrusion detection

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

6. Performance, scale, and reliability Using a virtual conference vendor means relinquishing control over the service and environment. Make sure you choose a vendor that has invested in technology and staff to ensure fast response and 99.9% uptime, with no delays in navigation, video streaming, or other functionality. While platforms hosted on homegrown data centers worked well in 2015, modern platforms have moved to the cloud to offer better scale, reliability, and security. If your event is running 24/7/365, or if you’re using the platform for a hybrid event, you want continuous monitoring, rather than only having your event fully monitored during normal business hours in your provider’s location, and perhaps limited monitoring during their night shift.

7. Reporting and analytics To measure the ROI of your program, it’s important not to overlook reporting and analytics when choosing a provider. You’ll want to capture key demographics at registration and develop a picture of your audience over time. You’ll also want to know how hybrid attendees engaged with your venue. The right analytics can give you insight into user behavior and content preferences and help you to capture quality leads. Modern reporting and analytics provide real-time data with real-time access via a secure program dashboard. They will generate program reports in 5-10 seconds, as opposed to 5-10 minutes. A good virtual or hybrid platform provider will have the ability to prepare high-level show analysis in real-time, as well as detailed user behavior data. 6Connex Reporting 6Connex platform reporting is robust and automated, providing reports that can be tailored to each stakeholder’s needs. You can track user behavior and performance of content across areas of the virtual site. Reporting access includes:

Control Panel Admin Reports

Booth Builder Reports

Virtual Environment Reports

Master Activity Report

All Location Entries

Public Chats

Attendance

All Content Views

Click Actions by Location

Webinar Views*

Content Sharing

1:1 Transcript from Reps to Attendees (available ONLY for event admins)

Auditorium Entries

Watch List Details

Content Views by Location

Booth Entries

Attendee Profile Notes

Doorway Clicks by Location

Average Duration

Attendees Report

Master Content by Location

X X

Doorway Clicks by Location

Rep to Attendee Chat

Chat

Webinar Views

Badge Swipes by Location

Master Content by Location

Content Views by Location

Content Sharing

All Location Entries

Click Actions by Location

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Additional webinar metrics include: Webinar Views Details – An individual report per webinar noting each attendee who viewed that webinar. Each report includes all details captured during registration with a summary of activity across the environment. Webinar Views Summary – A summary report of number of views per webinar. Report includes total number of views, unique views, and location of each webinar. Please note that detailed webinar activity (duration, polls, Q&A) is available via a separate link. Note: Webinar measurement may be subject to vendor utilized during the event. Metrics and reporting can vary. You’ll want to utilize a virtual and hybrid event platform where reporting is available 24/7. Sales and marketing professionals can act on live data to drastically reduce lead turnaround time. 6Connex offers these types of functionalities, as well as the option to export the data. Not to mention, users can take advantage of the 6Connex Open Universe. By using prebuilt or sometimes custom (low code) integrations to your preferred system for reporting and execution ensures your team can act on the key data they need without having to traverse between systems.

gram. Look beyond a product feature and price comparison by considering the factors discussed above. You’ll be much better equipped to make an informed choice that serves all of your virtual event and environment needs.

Employee Reactions Once the decision has been made to move forward with a virtual sales kickoff or a virtual enablement program, how will your employees react? Will they feel short changed and unmotivated? Will they really learn anything in this new model? SonicWall, a global cyber security company, had their first SKO on the 6Connex virtual event platform, which had exceeded the expectations of employees across the board. The great news is many enterprise organizations have taken the leap before you, and are already seeing great results. SonicWall made the shift from physical to virtual and realized specific quantitative results. Over 15,000 content items were viewed, with an average of six hours viewing time and an 80% cost-savings over hosting a physical event. Was it successful in training and motivating the sales team?

8. Webinar and webcast agnostic When running an online event, your webinars and content will be among the main reasons people will show up. It’s important to ensure the virtual event vendor you choose does not force you to use their webcast platform. You’ll want a vendor that can integrate with any webinar provider; this will not only ensure that you are using the right platform for your program, but it can also save you a lot of money. A typical webinar won’t cut it if you want to have collaborative video breakouts. Any modern platform should be built hybrid-ready, as well as integrate with solutions like Zoom and BlueJeans. Use a webcast for your keynote presentations, and a more collaborative online presentation tool for your breakouts and hybrid attendees. If you already have access to a webinar, webcast, or collaboration platform, choose a virtual events vendor that allows you to integrate with those platforms. Organizations face a daunting task when selecting a virtual or hybrid platform provider they can trust with their pro-

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

“I really enjoyed the leaderboard, watching my points go up throughout the event.”

“I was able to connect with more of my colleagues in the virtual event than at a physical event.”

“I felt really spoiled because friends in other parts of the company saw what we had and couldn’t believe how cool it was. I loved it.”

Maximize your available time

Maximize your money With location rentals, food, travel, and hotel costs, it’s not a mystery why a company might skip an SKO or a traditional in-person event altogether. With the potential of live video, there’s no longer a need to cancel an SKO that has ballooned beyond its budget.

Paring your SKO down to a virtual environment keeps the focus on the information at hand. When your SKO is virtual, you can use it as a resource library that’s available 24/7/365, anywhere in the world.

4 M’s of an SKO Managing expectations Put on a sales kickoff that could maintain the expectation of a dazzling environment, available in every time zone, anytime it’s needed.

“The return on our investment on the virtual platform far exceeded our initial expectations,” says Chris Szarlacki, Director of North America Channel Marketing for SonicWall. “We received a much richer, more dynamic experience well beyond what most were expecting from a standard webinar. It felt like we were all there.” Building on that experience, SonicWall has expanded their use of the virtual platform, truly leveraging the technology to reach and engage more employees.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

Salesforce sees overwhelmingly positive employee feedback Another great example is Salesforce, who used the 6Connex virtual event platform for several virtual kickoff events. They moved from an entirely physical training event to an entirely virtual experience, and were admittedly nervous about the reactions from employees. During, and after, the first live virtual kickoff week, they captured direct comments from attendees who had overwhelmingly positive feedback:

343% increase in adoption of sales enablement over the last 5 years.

6Connex customers who switch to virtual SKOs continually hear directly from their employees that virtual sales kickoffs and training programs engage and motivate. Relying on the experience of enterprise clients who’ve already made the leap, our team can provide the expert guidance to build up a virtual or hybrid sales enablement program.

Conclusion If an old-fashioned, physical SKO has made it harder to reach sales objectives due to event costs, time involved, and lost productivity, now is the time to take a leap and stage your next SKO with a virtual or hybrid event. As of January 2021, sales enablement has recently surged in popularity, experiencing a 343% increase in adoption over the last 5 years. 74% of organizations are growing their sales enablement programs, according to Sirius Decisions, and the investment is paying off, which means a sales kickoff shouldn’t be another routine company event. An SKO has the potential and the power to propel and motivate sales teams to achieve company sales goals, and should be planned as such. Whether you’re replacing in-person meetings or adding to your educational lineup, the ability to stream live presentations, archive them, and reference them anytime is an invaluable tool for any sales manager. Instead of a product launch balancing upon the hasty notes of a sleep-deprived salesperson, take back the quality control over the information and make it available to your team whenever they need it. There’s no room for error when it comes to giving the beating heart of your business the best new product information that you can, and virtual SKOs will become essential to future launches. Going virtual or taking your SKO hybrid is something that sales enablement can own. Companies can save money while simultaneously improving what the purpose of the SKO really is – to train, to learn, and to sell more.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook

About 6Connex Virtual Event Solutions Our Digital Experience 6Connex is the leading provider of virtual and hybrid event solutions. Our secure, cloud-based platform expands audience reach and drives in-depth content engagement for marketing, sales, recruitment, training, and HR communities to make for successful online events around the world. Our product portfolio includes virtual environments, learning management, and webinars. Demand more from your virtual and hybrid event solution. Request a virtual event demo with 6Connex, or contact our event software experts for more information. www.6Connex.com Have Questions? Please call 1.800.395.4702 or email us at sales@6connex.com.

Ultimate Sales Kickoff Playbook