#88: A Practical Guide to Creating a Kick-Ass SKO

Q4 will be here before you know it — and right after those three months of excitement comes the sales kickoff. And if you want to make sure your SKO brings your sellers together and sends them into 2024 with clarity and purpose, now is the time to begin planning it.

Covid continues to impact the SKO planning process, as many organizations balance the advantages of virtual and hybrid events with the community building that takes place when you bring your team together in one room. Whatever path makes the most sense for your organization, our guests today make it clear that the place to start is with a vision statement — and from there you can layer on the creative elements, education, content, speakers, and swag that makes for a standout SKO.

Sailpoint continuously goes above and beyond as they deliver top-quality SKOs that fuel growth. So it was a genuine delight to bring in Barrett Sellers, VP of global revenue enablement, and Robin Barde, associate manager of global revenue enablement to discuss the practical and replicable approaches they take to designing a kick-ass SKO, which you can emulate as you launch your team into the new year.

We discuss:

• Why you need a vision deck, a whiteboard (or two), and a t-shirt cannon to fully visualize your SKO
• How to navigate the unexpected challenges in the shift from virtual to in-person
• The importance of fun, creative elements, and networking opportunities throughout your SKO to create a sense of community
• Identifying the right speaker mix — from ensuring diversity to reinforcement and inspiration