BOSTON – October 23, 2025 – RAIN Group, a global sales training company helping enterprise teams drive results through coaching, reinforcement, and tech-enabled solutions, 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. If your sales team isn’t leaving knowing exactly what to do to sell more, and with a plan to reinforce the learning, it’s a missed opportunity,” said Mary Flaherty, vice president of global research and thought leadership.
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, sales training workshops, awards and recognition, and customer success stories leading the way.
Activities Contributing to SKO Objectives
% Strongly Agree
“An SKO shouldn’t be a one-and-done event. To drive real behavior change, you need a clear plan going in, tied to the right KPIs, and a strategy to keep the momentum going after the event. That means tracking what works, using tools like AI simulations and microlearning to reinforce learning, and keeping the rhythm alive with follow-ups that turn priorities into habits,” shared Flaherty.
The study includes responses from individuals across the Americas (58%), EMEA (25%), and APAC (17%). Industries represented include professional services (24%), technology (15%), financial services (9%), manufacturing (6%), and life sciences (5%).
Flaherty continued, “RAIN Group and Alchemist work with global sales teams to turn SKOs into high-impact, strategic experiences that move the needle. Leaders need to leave flashy events behind and focus on tying SKO activities back to the central goal, creating a golden thread that drives real behavior change. Our approach is grounded in research and built around what top-performing teams do to sustain momentum and deliver results.”
Download the full research report and the SKO Impact Checklist and Planning Template: https://hubs.li/Q03MFWHM0
About RAIN Group
RAIN Group is an award-winning leader in sales transformation, with over 20 years of researching and enabling top sales performance. RAIN Group’s modular, multi-modal approach to sales training provides flexible, tech-enabled, and customizable solutions for complex global teams. Trusted by leading companies, RAIN Group partners with clients to ensure learning is adopted, creates lasting behavior change, and drives measurable results. Learn more here.
About Alchemist
Headquartered in London, Alchemist is a global leadership development company specializing in immersive, experiential, and interactive learning. Known for its client-centric approach and innovative design, Alchemist creates learning experiences that are impactful, memorable, and built to drive business outcomes through high-stakes, real-world challenges, live actors, AI-driven simulations, and immediate coaching. Learn more at thisisalchemist.com.
