By

Simon Hazeldine

Sales kick-off events have long been a staple of the sales calendar. They’re intended to energise, align, and equip the salesforce to hit the ground running. But let’s be honest: too many of them fall flat.

What should be a dynamic, energising launchpad for performance often ends up as a sluggish, PowerPoint-heavy snooze-fest. If you’re still delivering sales conferences the way they were done ten years ago, you’re missing the opportunity to ignite lasting momentum.

If you want your sales kick-off to truly drive performance, transformation, and connection, it’s time to challenge the status quo. Here’s how to take your next event from average to unforgettable.

1. Ditch the Death-by-PowerPoint Format

Salespeople are action-oriented. They’re not built to sit still for hours being talked at. Yet most kick-off agendas are overloaded with internal updates, product reviews, and department showcases. The result? Fatigue, disengagement, and wasted opportunity.

Instead, adopt a design-for-action mindset:

• Use short, punchy updates.
• Focus on what reps need to do, not just what they need to know.
• Limit internal “talking heads” and prioritise high-value, energising content.

2. Make It Experiential, Not Just Informational

People remember what they experience, not just what they hear.

Embed short, sharp training sessions, live product demos, or hands-on workshops. Launching a new product? Pair reps with cross-functional colleagues and send them out on a challenge to secure orders or book real appointments.

Whether it’s a local treasure hunt, real-world customer calls, or booking meetings on the spot, this kind of activity cements learning and boosts confidence.

3. Host It Local – and Leverage the Community

Many organisations default to exotic or remote venues, but there’s a strong business case for hosting your sales event in your own town:

• Local goodwill: Hosting in your HQ town builds brand visibility and community connection.
• Recruitment benefits: Local events generate what’s known as psychic income – feel-good vibes that improve employer branding.
• Environmental impact: Fewer long-haul flights and travel miles reduce your event’s carbon footprint.

Involve the community: eat in local restaurants, collaborate with local suppliers, and run team-building activities around town. It makes your brand visible, personal, and rooted.

4. Involve the Sales Team in Selling

Salespeople sell. So let them.

Include practical sales challenges during the event:

• Set up a sales sprint: reps compete to book the most appointments within a set time.
• Cold call blitz: reps contact prospects with a new message or offer.
• Live testimonial collection: get reps calling happy clients and recording powerful quotes.

It’s amazing what a 30-minute sales push during a conference can deliver – in morale, energy, and pipeline.

5. Design for Follow-Through, Not Just Feel-Good

The energy of a great kick-off dies quickly without execution.

Build in post-event momentum:

• Encourage action planning at the event.
• Get teams booking follow-ups or mapping next steps during sessions.
• Give managers structured debrief tools and coaching agendas.

Let the final session of your kick-off be “what happens next.”

6. Use a Professional MC to Keep it on Track

Salespeople are notorious for running over time – and so are internal speakers. If your agenda is full of senior leaders, consider using a dedicated MC or facilitator.

An MC keeps the event moving, ensures speakers stay on track, and injects much-needed energy between sessions. Bonus: they can defuse awkward transitions and keep things light when the room energy dips.

7. Create Brand Presence Inside and Outside the Venue

A kick-off is an internal event – but it can double as an external brand amplifier.

• Put up branded flags and signage around the venue or in the host town.
• Dress attendees in branded gear.
• Use the event as an opportunity to boost local awareness and media coverage.

It builds pride internally and elevates your external perception.

8. Tap into Salespeople’s Competitive Spirit

Salespeople love a challenge – so give them one.

Create mini competitions and incentives throughout the day:

• Fastest to complete a product demo exercise.
• Best appointment-setting pitch.
• Most creative use of new messaging.

Recognition can be simple: a prize, a shoutout, or a badge. But the energy it creates is powerful.

9. Build Relationships Across Functions

Want to improve collaboration between sales and support, marketing, or finance? Pair them up for breakout sessions, field visits, or challenges.

This kind of cross-functional bonding is far more powerful than sitting in parallel sessions. It creates empathy, understanding and often some great laughs.

10. Keep It Real – And Keep It Practical

The best kick-offs are honest, clear, and focused on what really matters.

Yes, celebrate success. Yes, share the vision. But more than anything, give people clarity on how they contribute, what they can control, and how they can win.

Keep the content focused. Keep the energy high. Keep the actions practical.

Final Word: If Your Sales Kick-Off Isn’t Driving Sales, It’s Not Working

This isn’t just an internal celebration. It’s not just a rah-rah event. Your sales kick-off is a business-critical moment to drive behaviour, build belief, and generate momentum.

So stop planning events. Start designing outcomes.

Make it actionable. Make it energising. Make it count.

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About the author

Simon Hazeldine works internationally as a revenue growth and sales performance speaker, consultant, and coach. He empowers his clients to get more sales, more often with more margin.

He has spoken in over thirty countries and his client list includes some of the world’s largest and most successful companies.

Simon has a master’s degree in psychology, is the bestselling author of ten books that have been endorsed by a host of business leaders including multi-billionaire business legend Michael Dell and is co-founder of leading sales podcast “The Sales Chat Show”.

He is the creator of the neuroscience based “Brain Friendly Selling”® methodology.

Simon Hazeldine’s books:

• Neuro-Sell: How Neuroscience Can Power Your Sales Success
• Bare Knuckle Selling
• Bare Knuckle Negotiating
• Bare Knuckle Customer Service
• The Inner Winner
• How To Lead Your Sales Team – Virtually and in Person
• Virtual Selling Success
• How To Manage Your People’s Performance
• How To Create Effective Employee Development Plans
• Virtual Negotiation Success