So, you’re starting to plan your Sales Kickoff. You probably have a list of venues, a rough schedule, maybe a few keynote speakers in mind, and probably a theme.
But do you have, on paper, the goal of the SKO? Is what you’re trying to accomplish written down?
Before any other planning begins, the C-suite should decide exactly what they want to get out of the event.
There are two types of SKOs we see most often: the Red Bull SKO and the Protein SKO. Neither choice is wrong, both serve a purpose. But it’s common to see organizers plan a Red Bull SKO while expecting Protein SKO results.
It happens every year. Here’s how to avoid it.
The Guide to Planning an SKO Designed to Deliver Results
If your SKO doesn’t start with a defined goal, it won’t produce one. This guide walks through how to plan with purpose and drive performance after the event.
Two Types of Sales Kickoffs
Before you start designing the agenda, it helps to know what kind of SKO you’re building. Most events fall into one of two categories, each with a distinct purpose and payoff.
Red Bull
What we call the Red Bull SKO is the one you see in movies, all the rah-rah, hoopla, and big energy. It’s the stereotypical event. If the goal is morale, team bonding, and excitement, this is the event to run. People leave fired up, proud to work for the company, and inspired by leadership.
Best used in early-stage companies, after an acquisition or reorganization, or when the team needs an emotional reset.
But while these events are big and flashy, you can’t expect long-term behavior shifts or major changes to revenue metrics. These events aren’t built for that.
Protein
Protein SKOs happen when leadership has identified key areas for improvement. They’ve targeted a behavior shift, a new selling approach, or a specific skill gap. The goal is to teach, reinforce, and measure change.
A CRO might want reps to leave with a new framework or introduce a new coaching and reinforcement style. The focus is on driving measurable behavior change in the next 30–90 days. This type of SKO fits mature organizations focused on reducing skill gaps, improving specific processes, or rolling out a complete sales methodology.
But while teaching new skills is crucial, a clear, executable reinforcement plan must be established to reinforce those skills in the days, weeks, and months after the event concludes.
Why Choosing One Matters
You can absolutely aim to accomplish both. But more often than not, the budget is built for a Red Bull event while the goals sound more like Protein outcomes. That’s where things fall apart.
It’s critical to decide which style, and more importantly, which outcome, matters most before you start planning.
There are four areas where these two types of SKOs differ the most: agenda, speakers, budget, and follow-up.
Agenda: A Red Bull SKO should be fast-paced, inspirational, and energetic. A Protein SKO should be structured around learning with breakout rooms, Q&A, and practice sessions.
Speakers: Red Bull events need big names and motivational storytellers. Protein events benefit from practical enablers and teachers who can drive real skill adoption.
Budget: Red Bull budgets go toward the venue, production, and high-impact moments. Protein budgets should reserve most spending for what comes after, enablement, coaching, and reinforcement.
Follow-Up: Red Bull events only need light post-event communication, a recap, a quick check-in. Protein SKOs require a full 90-day enablement cadence to turn learning into behavior.
That’s why it’s so important to choose the outcome that matters most to the organization before any other planning begins.
Common Tension Points
There are four common mistakes we see when designing sales kickoffs.
First, as mentioned earlier, designing a motivational event but expecting transformation. Excitement does not equal change. High energy is great and has its place, but temporary motivation will fade without a plan for reinforcement. Case in point, how many New Year’s resolutions have failed over the years without a specific goal and accountability plan?
Second, and probably more common, there’s a tendency, regardless of the goal, to spend the entire budget on production and save little or nothing for reinforcement. Any ROI is going to come after the event. Allocate part of the budget for post-event enablement, even if that means scaling down production.
Third, momentum will always fade over time (see New Year’s resolutions). This shouldn’t be seen as failure, it’s natural. A 30-day structure and plan can help. Check-ins, team challenges, and predesigned coaching sessions will keep the message alive.
Lastly, if you have an enablement team, use them. That’s what they’re there for. Before the SKO, outline the behavioral changes you’re targeting and the metrics that show progress. Have enablement build plans to measure and reinforce those changes, with the goal of improving and sustaining both behavior and results.
Deciding What Kind of SKO Is Right for Your Team
Before you do anything, decide what you’re trying to accomplish. Gather your team and ask: is there a primary business problem we hope this SKO can impact? Is there a sales metric like win rate or sales cycle length we need to improve? Was it a tough year and morale is low, and we need to reinvigorate the team? Define the problem first, then plan.
Next, does this problem require an emotional lift, a behavioral change, or both? If momentum or spark is needed, plan for energy. If new or stronger habits and skills are needed, design for teaching. It’s possible to need both, but one should take priority.
Third, how will success be measured 30, 60, or 90 days later? What will prove the money was well spent? For a Red Bull event, look for engagement, buy-in, and activity lift within the first month. For a behavior-focused SKO, outline the metrics that matter and create a system to track adoption and deal impact within the first three to six months.
Lastly, are you prepared to reinforce new behaviors? Plan a post-event cadence before the SKO happens. Coaching sessions, pulse checks, enablement workshops, and leadership reviews should all be in place to track progress over time.
A smaller, focused, well-planned SKO with a clear outcome will always outperform a large event without direction. Every element should support the goal.
In Closing…
Every sales kickoff has a purpose whether the planning committee knows it or not. The difference between the most successful revenue driving events and events that look good on social media but produce little to no results is the intent, design, and follow though.
Define what success looks like, build toward it, and reinforce the message for the whole year.
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