All great events start by identifying your bullseyes – who is your target audience and what is the objective of your event? In the case of your annual sales meeting, in many cases, you will be catering to a primarily male audience, with high energy levels, great expectations and low tolerance for boredom. And an after party is a great way to reenergize your Sales team after they have sat through the more traditional Sales Meeting format where you have briefed them about the upcoming season’s objectives.
So how do you create a post-meeting social event which resonates with a high testosterone crowd?
Here are our 3 top tips for creating a great after-party for your sales team after your annual sales meeting:
A VERY ENTERTAINING EVENING. Most sales teams don’t want to sit around chin-wagging all night. They want to do something active which is somewhat competitive but is also entertaining and fun. Infusing some games into your post meeting party could be just the ticket. Pretty much any interactive game will do, but here are some of our top choices: gambling, ping pong challenges, video games, “life-size” board games like Plinko or Jenga or foosball. Choose a game that involves more than two players and requires minimal enough skill that it can be inclusive. Add some branded or themed prizes tied into the current year’s Sales objective and you’ve got a winning formula!
THE RIGHT COCKTAIL. Now there’s nothing wrong with innovative drink recipes but sometimes it’s best to keep things simpler. Fruity concoctions aren’t all that popular in mostly male crowds. Adding a beer flight from a microbrewery, a vodka infusion bar or a whiskey tasting experience will go over much better. And consider a cigar offering where different product sales teams get different brands.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. Remember that the boys (as well as the girls) just wanna have fun! Once these guys get going, especially the young ones, they don’t want to pull the plug early! A sales meeting is a reunion and your team will want to catchup, share stories, network, make a few deals, and do some quality after hours bonding. Make sure to make it easy for them to continue the party after the party and provide transportation vouchers so they can get back to the hotel when all the fun is over. Then giving them “Emergency Hangover” kits the next morning will get the next day’s meeting off to an amusing start as you refocus them on next season’s key objectives.
Need more tips about planning parties for your Sales Team in the Bay Area? Just call us!
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