Updated December 2024
Ah, the sales kickoff, or SKO, as it’s frequently referred to. For marketing teams, your organization’s SKO is one of your best opportunities to drive brand alignment and consistency. More importantly, it’s a chance to influence the content that will equip sales teams to close more deals, faster.
At its core, a successful SKO sets the stage for achieving revenue goals by aligning everyone — sales, marketing and leadership — for the year ahead. But without the right content, even the best sales strategies can fall flat. Enter content marketing. The collateral you prepare for your SKO can help your entire organization achieve improved sales enablement, more effective conversations and better ROI throughout the year.
Below, we’ll explore how to prepare for your SKO, and five types of content marketing teams can bring to maximize impact and ensure that salespeople leave with the tools they need to drive results.
Pre-SKO: Get organized
Did you know that according to HubSpot, 22.1% of salespeople said the biggest benefit of sales and marketing teams being more aligned was it helped them close more deals?
The weeks leading up to an SKO are your time to get aligned and intentional. Start by meeting with executives and sales leaders as early as possible. Ensure you understand their priorities, challenges and needs so you can provide the most valuable content to support their goals.
Pre-SKO time is the perfect opportunity to ask questions such as:
- What do sales teams need to understand about this year’s strategy?
- What gaps are they seeing in the materials currently available?
- Which audiences, value propositions or messaging points need to be reinforced?
Next, take stock of your existing content. Conducting a light content audit can help you identify what aligns with sales goals and where the gaps are. For example, do you already have updated buyer personas? Are there branded templates or decks that need a refresh? You don’t need to reinvent the wheel; rather, prioritize content creation based on what will be most impactful and relevant to sales teams.
The goal should be to enter your SKO with clear, actionable materials that reflect sales needs and maintain the brand message. By partnering closely with sales leaders early on, you’ll ensure that your content is relevant, impactful and easy for them to use in the field.
Ready to explore our top five content types to bring to your SKO?
1. Buyer personas and audiences
At your SKO, share the most up-to-date buyer personas. Buyer personas are foundational for sales — and marketing — success. These semi-fictional representations of your ideal customers outline key details, including pain points, goals, motivators and decision-making behaviors.
Pro tip: Make personas actionable by providing key insights on how salespeople can approach conversations with each audience segment. For example, if a particular persona prioritizes cost savings, highlight messaging and value props that emphasize ROI and efficiency. By reinforcing buyer persona insights at your SKO, salespeople will be better equipped to engage with prospects in a way that resonates.
If you discover that your organization lacks buyer personas or needs an update, HubSpot offers some free templates. Another great option is to enlist a content marketing agency partner to help develop strategic foundations so you can manage your internal resources and focus on other projects. And, you’ll gain the added benefit of having someone with an external perspective to keep your personas more realistic and focused!
2. Industry trends and intelligence
Sales teams must stay informed on the broader industry landscape to position your product or service effectively. We recommend providing curated resources, including:
- Industry reports and key market trends relevant to your sales strategy.
- Competitive insights to help sales reps understand how your offerings stand out.
- Slides, fact sheets or access to a central library of marketing-approved materials for year-round reference. For example, if your industry is shifting toward AI adoption, include talking points and supporting materials that connect AI trends to your offerings.
Main takeaway: Empowering your sales team with timely intelligence helps them hold credible, forward-thinking conversations with prospects. (And getting these resources from marketing helps ensure they align with other materials you create).
3. Lead nurturing content
Your SKO is the perfect time to showcase content that keeps leads engaged throughout the sales funnel. Highlight materials like:
- Email nurture sequences that guide prospects through their buying journey
- Webinar opportunities for salespeople to co-host with marketing
- eBooks and whitepapers addressing common audience challenges. For example, introduce a new eBook that addresses common challenges your target audience faces or suggest a webinar series that sales teams can co-host with marketing.
Lead nurturing content gives sales reps the tools they need to build relationships and move prospects closer to conversion.
4. Branded templates and decks
Whether it’s direct or partner selling, consistency is everything when it comes to building trust and recognition with your prospects. At your SKO, equip your sales team with marketing-approved templates and decks that ensure all communication aligns with your brand’s visual identity, tone and messaging.
We suggest:
- Pre-designed email templates for outreach emails that align with your marketing campaigns and ensure brand voice consistency.
- Modular slide decks that can be easily customized by sales reps for different audiences while staying cohesive and professional.
- Proposal templates for sharing customized solutions with potential clients.
Branded templates and decks help sales teams focus on messaging — instead of formatting — to save time while maintaining a unified front. When everyone uses the same polished, professional materials, it reinforces credibility and ensures prospects experience your brand in the best light.
5. Sales playbooks
A sales playbook brings everything together in a clear, organized resource that your sales team can rely on throughout the year. This asset should serve as a practical guide that helps salespeople confidently navigate complex buyer conversations.
Make sure your sales playbook includes the following:
- Talking points and value propositions that clearly outline the benefits of your product or service and the differentiators that set you apart from competitors. Tailor your messages to align with your key personas’ pain points and motivators.
- Pre-written responses or tips for addressing common concerns or objections prospects might raise to help sales reps stay prepared and agile in conversations.
- Direct links to other materials like buyer personas, industry intelligence, branded templates and lead nurturing content, so everything is easy to find in one place.
For added usability, structure your playbook intuitively for sales reps — such as by sales stage, persona or industry vertical — to reduce the time reps spend searching for answers and ensure they have everything they need at their fingertips.
Don’t forget to collaborate with sales leaders during the creation process to make sure the playbook is actionable, relevant and aligned with their needs. Done right, a well-structured sales playbook becomes the go-to resource for your sales team, driving consistency and helping them close deals faster.
Bonus content to consider for your SKO
If you have time to go the extra mile, consider incorporating videos and branded giveaways into your SKO strategy. These additional elements can leave a lasting impression on your sales team and drive engagement long after the event.
Video content is especially effective because it’s engaging, easy to digest and highly shareable. Create short, impactful videos that sales reps can use in their outreach efforts or internal training. For example, a quick “how-to” video demonstrating product features, customer success stories or industry trends can serve as both a refresher and a resource they can share with prospects.
Who doesn’t love swag? Thoughtful giveaways tied to your SKO theme can boost team morale and encourage adoption of the materials shared. Practical, branded items like notebooks, USB drives, or swag bags can go a long way toward reinforcing your brand identity. Better yet, include tools like branded sales kits or leave-behind collateral reps can use to make memorable impressions during meetings.
Enlist an agency to enhance your content efforts
Whether you need extra support updating your existing content or a resource to help you create new brand and objective-aligned collateral, a marketing agency partner can be a valuable asset as you prepare for your SKO. You can free up your internal marketers to work on other high-value projects while resting easy knowing the content you bring to the meeting will be professionally crafted by experts.
Need help creating content for your SKO or realizing your sales team might need new enablement materials for the new year? We can help! Our team at Content Matterz will make sure you have the right content on hand to help your sales team succeed. Contact us today for more information.