BOSTON - s4story -- RAIN Group, a global sales training company, and Alchemist, a leadership development firm, have released new research that identifies what separates a high-impact sales kickoff (SKO) from the rest.

The report, The SKO Shakeup: Running an Impactful Sales Kickoff, outlines five key drivers and three amplifiers associated with measurable SKO success.

According to the study of over 220 sales leaders, enablement professionals, and sellers, only a portion of SKOs result in sustained adoption of new behaviors. In addition, only one in five organizations with highly effective SKO events report very strong seller behavior impact, signaling that attendees might love the event, but that doesn't mean it changes how they sell.

The report identified five elements of SKOs that most powerfully influence seller behavior:

• Strategic Alignment: High-impact SKOs are 1.8 times more likely to be tightly linked to company strategy.
• Motivation and Team Building: SKOs with strong outcomes are 2 times more likely to spend considerable time on bonding and morale activities.
• Session Interactivity: High-impact SKOs are 2.7 times more likely to be highly interactive, with sellers participating in activities and discussions.
• Motivational Guest Speakers: The most impactful SKOs are 2.8 times more likely to feature carefully curated external speakers, such as customers, industry experts, and thought leaders, who deliver inspiration and practical relevance that contribute to achieving SKO objectives.  
• Role-Playing: Sellers in high-impact SKOs are 2.8 times more likely to spend considerable time engaging in realistic role-plays, which accelerate skill adoption and builds confidence.

"Too many SKOs miss the mark. They're packed with rah-rah keynotes and executive updates but light on the real stuff like selling practice, strategy alignment, and behavior change," said Mary Flaherty, vice president of global research and thought leadership.

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The research also uncovered three amplifiers that extend the impact of SKOs beyond the event:

• Measurement: Low-performing SKOs are 3.3 times more likely not to track success. High performers use behavioral metrics and manager feedback to drive continuous improvement.  
• Reinforcement: Less than 50% of organizations have a formal reinforcement plan. High-impact SKOs are significantly more likely to include pre-work, structured coaching, artificial intelligence (AI) simulations, and gamification.  
• Rhythm: High-impact SKOs are 1.9 times more likely to be held twice per year.

The study also identified activities contributing to achieving SKO goals, with structured group activities (42%), sales training workshops (41%), awards and recognition (39%), and customer success stories (38%) leading the way.

Download the full research report: https://hubs.li/Q03MFWHM0

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