How to Kick Ass At Your Kickoff
Sales kickoff meetings get an unfair rap as mind-numbing time wasters. Not so. When done right, kickoffs set the tone for the rest of the year and prepare you to make some serious cash (or you could just download Spiro and make some serious cash). Here are some ways you can kick ass and take names at this year’s kickoff:
Don’t Come In Clueless
Ask your sales manager to give you the skinny on the meeting beforehand. Knowing what new products will be discussed, what the competition is up to, and if the company is staying the course or taking a new direction will give you an opportunity to ask more meaningful questions at the meeting and impress your superiors.
Remember that the unspoken purpose of sales kickoff meetings is also to see who’s got their act together and who doesn’t – don’t blow it by looking like you haven’t got a clue.
If you’re really ambitious you can ask to help organize the meeting or contribute in some way. Tell your manager you’d like to share a sales rep’s perspective beforehand and they may give you a place in guiding a portion of the meeting.
Be Very Prepared
Your sales manager might go over some tried and true sales techniques at the kickoff, wow him or her with your smartypants self by reading up on some principles of persuasion. Check out our blogs on how the authority principle, the reciprocity principle, and the commitment and consistency principle will get you the Jedi mind powers to influence your prospects.
Kickoff meetings are largely about discussing goals for the year. The company will tell you theirs, but do you know yours? It’s important to define and flesh out your goals so you can find people who can help you achieve them, and those people might not be found in the most obvious places.
Network Ruthlessly
What most sales guys don’t realize is that your internal network is just as important as your external one. According to a study in the Harvard Business Review, top sales guys had larger, better quality relationships with their network inside their company, spending an average of 10-15 hours shooting the shit (so to speak) with people both inside and outside their department.
You’ll likely see people at the kickoff meeting that you normally wouldn’t see, but who may be able to help you achieve your goals. I once got unheard of access to the VIPS at John Hancock Insurance, a client I’d always dreamed about landing, because someone I never would have thought of asking inside my company had an Uncle in the C-suite!
Sales kickoff meetings are a time to consider what worked in the past, learn what you have to work with in the present, and define what your vision will be for the future. Use this opportunity to brainstorm with your colleagues and find ways to align your goals with your companies.
By starting the New Year off with a clear plan and streamlining your sales life with Spiro, your AI-Powered app, you’re sure to become legendary.
