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Planning Your Sales Kick-Off Meeting

While sales kick off meetings may be done at any time of year, many companies follow their fiscal year calendars. For companies on a calendar-fiscal year, planning for January sales kick off meetings is currently at full speed. Sales kick-off meetings are a time to provide training, energize sales teams, share company goals, forecasts for the new year and recognize top sales people from the previous year. 

National sales meetings, or any large corporate meeting, require a tremendous amount of time and planning. Pre-planning for these events helps eliminate many headaches and save a lot of money by avoiding rush fees and expedited shipping charges. Corporate meetings require an abundance of branded products starting from registration until the final awards banquet.

Upon registration or check-in, attendees are given their lanyards with attached ID windows or pin-on name badges to be worn during the duration of the conference. Lanyards are a great way to recognize a meeting’s sponsor as lanyards are worn for the duration of the event. Frequently, attendees of large corporate meetings also receive welcoming gifts. Some events have a theme or are specifically held in warm weather climates. Then the welcoming bags contain tie-in themed gifts or warm weather gifts such as personalized beach towels. An example of a business focused welcoming bag would be a branded Timbuk2 bag filled with items needed for the event. Generally, high quality laptop bags or tablet sleeves are great gifts and will be used throughout the year, showcasing your company’s name to potential clients. 

Most large company meetings are very much working events where attendees bring laptops to sessions. It’s a good idea for attendees’ bags to be filled with items such as notebooks, tech accessory cases, USB Drives, stylus pens, all branded with the company’s logo. These items will be used during the meeting but can also be used during future sales visits and given out as gifts to potential and existing customers. Whenever possible, it’s important for salespeople to use and wear their company’s branded items and apparel.  

Sales kick-off meetings and annual conferences typically feature banquets where top performers are recognized with trophies, plaques and other awards. Consider expanding this part of the meeting and offer additional awards. Awards are an integral part of meetings as they recognize top performers in front of their peers. Salespeople go to meetings to be recognized and recognition will lead to a happy, engaged and motivated team. Eco Promotional Products has a variety of eco-friendly, sustainable awards for any budget.