--- title: 3 Things your SKO (sales kick-off) needs | Built for This · Formula L4 description: 3 elements you need for a great SKO (sales kick off) image: https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/392dbd_d6a81e335f5547329e5050f2130f7ea1~mv2.jpg --- [![Formula L4](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/FormulaL4_Primary_WhiteLogo_Large.png)](https://www.formulal4.com) - [Home](https://www.formulal4.com/home) - [The OS](https://www.formulal4.com/os) - [The Operating System](https://www.formulal4.com/os) - [The Growth Platform](https://www.formulal4.com/growth-platform) - [How We Work](https://www.formulal4.com/how-we-work) - [About](https://www.formulal4.com/team) - [Insights](https://www.formulal4.com/insights) - [Speaking](https://www.formulal4.com/speaking) - [Client Login](https://formulal4.learnupon.com/) - [Book a Growth Momentum Review](https://www.formulal4.com/meetings/hollylaboda/growth-consult) [Home](https://www.formulal4.com/home) [The OS](https://www.formulal4.com/os) [— The Growth Platform](https://www.formulal4.com/growth-platform) [How We Work](https://www.formulal4.com/how-we-work) [About](https://www.formulal4.com/team) [Insights](https://www.formulal4.com/insights) [Speaking](https://www.formulal4.com/speaking) [Client Login](https://formulal4.learnupon.com/) [Book a Growth Momentum Review](https://www.formulal4.com/meetings/hollylaboda/growth-consult) [Insights](https://www.formulal4.com/insights) · Built for This · # 3 Things your SKO (sales kick-off) needs 3 elements you need for a great SKO (sales kick off) ![Holly LaBoda](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/cf4a8f3a-f8c3-40bc-9904-8c147672e61e.png) Holly LaBoda Founder · Formula L4 November 24, 2021 Built for This ![](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/392dbd_d6a81e335f5547329e5050f2130f7ea1~mv2.jpg) Listen to this article # 3 Things your SKO (sales kick-off) needs - ![Writer: Holly LaBoda](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/ACg8ocKjk9KWsJ6ToFMafxblpDJF-lZ5Za-avr79bfUQCDif8w=s96-c-Jan-05-2026-07-26-51-1011-PM.jpg) [Holly LaBoda](https://www.luminariesconsulting.com/profile/holly/profile) - Nov 25, 2021 - 2 min read Updated: Mar 14, 2024 It's beginning to look a lot like… sales kick-off season? We are quickly approaching the holiday season (no shame here, I've already started decorating), so 2021 will be gone in the blink of an eye. From a planning standpoint, most of us are well into thinking about next year - where we will play, how we will win. An important part of that is getting your team on board with your plan so you can all work together to achieve it. Many of our clients have annual kick-off meetings for their sales teams (SKOs) or their overall team. This is a great practice, as long as it's used effectively. If it's just a going-through-the-motions-feel-good exercise, do yourself a favor and save the T&E (or [**screentime**](https://luminariesconsulting.com/insights-%26-tools/f/youre-not-on-hold-takeaways-from-a-multi-day-virtual-event)). If you want a great kick-off meeting, here are three things that it needs to do: **Inform**: Your sales people should not be expected to be experts in your organizational strategy. That's your job. Whether your strategy has changed or not ([**that's a topic for another day**](https://luminariesconsulting.com/insights-%26-tools/f/no-offsite-required-get-your-annual-plan-set-in-8-weeks)), this is a great time to point your sales team in the right direction. Where should they be focused this year? Are there new or changing markets they should pursue? Have we added new products or services? Do we have different compelling examples of customer value? **Inspire**: These meetings can be incredibly motivating, or a major drag (there isn't a lot of in-between). If your team isn't walking out jazzed to tackle the year ahead, you've missed the mark. Think about how you can not only get them on board with your plans (compliance), but excited to put in the effort to make it happen (commitment). Consider things like pulling them into an exciting vision for the future, or reminding them of why you're selling what you're selling, [**how it provides value to your customers**](https://luminariesconsulting.com/insights-%26-tools/f/your-customer-what-have-you-done-for-me-lately) through video or in-person testimonials. This is definitely where you want to get creative. If creativity isn't your strong suit, pull in someone else! ![ree](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/392dbd_5a438682591446319504b2e9dc159339~mv2.webp) **Instruct**: Give your team the skills they need to do their jobs. Even (and often especially) experienced teams need [**regular development**](https://luminariesconsulting.com/insights-%26-tools/f/are-you-growing-or-dying), but in particular when their jobs, the market, their buyers, or their expectations are shifting (hint, this basically applies to everyone right now). What skills are most important for your team this year? Where could their performance use a boost? How have their buyers been changing, and therefore they need to adapt? If you're planning your meeting, bounce it against this mini-stress-test. Will yours accomplish all three? Of course, this is just my opinion. What's yours? Tell me about the best or worst meetings like this you've experienced. What made them good or bad? Want to bounce your plan off someone for some perspective? We are always ready to lend an ear and give some free advice. Need more help? We've got you there, too. Give us a shout. - [Account Management](https://www.luminariesconsulting.com/blog/categories/account-management) - [Sales](https://www.luminariesconsulting.com/blog/categories/sales) - [Leadership](https://www.luminariesconsulting.com/blog/categories/leadership) 30 30 views 0 0 comments Post not marked as liked [Back to Built for This](https://www.formulal4.com/insights) Share this article Built *for This.* Formula L4 Newsletter & Insights Strategy is built in the boardroom. It lives or dies in the field. Practical thinking on getting a growth strategy all the way to the front line. Published by Holly LaBoda. Written by ![Holly LaBoda](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/cf4a8f3a-f8c3-40bc-9904-8c147672e61e.png) Holly LaBoda Founder · Formula L4 Facilitator, growth strategist, and the person growth leaders call when their organization has outgrown how it operates. M.S. Performance Improvement. 18 years inside logistics, supply chain, and distribution. Take the next step See where your strategy breaks down Eight questions, about seven minutes, no email needed. See exactly where your strategy and your system pull apart. [Take the Alignment Check →](https://www.formulal4.com/alignment) Talk with Holly 30 minutes to find out if your situation is one we can help with. [Book a Growth Momentum Review](https://www.formulal4.com/meetings/hollylaboda/growth-consult) What's next ## From reading *to executing.* The thinking is free. The system that makes it real is what we build together. Start with the Sales Strategy Alignment Check — or book a Growth Momentum Review directly. [Take the Alignment Check](https://www.formulal4.com/alignment) [Book a Growth Momentum Review](https://www.formulal4.com/meetings/hollylaboda/growth-consult) No commitment required · Logistics · Supply Chain · Distribution · Professional Services [![Formula L4](https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/FormulaL4_Primary_WhiteLogo_Large.png)](https://www.formulal4.com) [Home](https://www.formulal4.com/home) [The OS](https://www.formulal4.com/os) [How We Work](https://www.formulal4.com/how-we-work) [About](https://www.formulal4.com/team) [Insights](https://www.formulal4.com/insights) [Speaking](https://www.formulal4.com/speaking) [Growth Inflection Signals](https://www.formulal4.com/growth-inflection-signals) [Client Login](https://formulal4.learnupon.com/) [holly@formulal4.com](mailto:holly@formulal4.com) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "jobTitle" : "Founder", "name" : "Holly LaBoda", "sameAs" : [ "https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollylaboda/" ], "url" : "https://www.formulal4.com" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-05", "datePublished" : "2021-11-24", "description" : "3 elements you need for a great SKO (sales kick off)", "headline" : "3 Things your SKO (sales kick-off) needs", "image" : "https://5182301.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na2.net/hubfs/5182301/Imported_Blog_Media/392dbd_d6a81e335f5547329e5050f2130f7ea1~mv2.jpg", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.formulal4.com/insights/post/3-things-your-sko-sales-kick-off-needs", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/FormulaL4_Primary_WhiteLogo_Large.png" }, "name" : "Formula L4" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Holly LaBoda", "url" : "https://www.formulal4.com/insights/author/holly-laboda" }, "dateModified" : "2026-01-05T19:27:10.151Z", "datePublished" : "2021-11-24T06:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "3 Things your SKO (sales kick-off) needs", "image" : [ "https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/392dbd_d6a81e335f5547329e5050f2130f7ea1~mv2.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.formulal4.com/insights/post/3-things-your-sko-sales-kick-off-needs", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.formulal4.com/hubfs/FormulaL4_Primary_WhiteLogo_Large.png" }, "name" : "Formula L" } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@id" : "https://www.formulal4.com/#organization", "@type" : "Organization", "alternateName" : "Formula L", "areaServed" : { "@type" : "Country", "name" : "United States" }, "description" : "Sales-system consultancy serving small-to-mid and mid-market scaling logistics, supply chain, and distribution companies. 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