How to Prevent Technology Issues When Hosting A Virtual Sales Kickoff Event

With the world going online, in-person events like a sales kickoff are also getting shifted to the online space. However, although hosting events online has its advantages, it also comes with a number of disadvantages. Technical issues are one of the primary difficulties and finding a way past it is crucial to making the event a success.

A sales kickoff event is one of the prime instances where the revenue-generating team comes together. Here, they discuss the profits and achievements of the last year and chalk out the goals for the coming year. It is a very crucial event and ensuring that it proceeds with minimum technical events is of the utmost importance.

This article chalks out a solid plan through which technical glitches can be kept at bay and managed if they happen.

Have a Co-Host

A sales event of a company is generally a grand affair. Participants mostly include a large team and it is common knowledge that the more the number of joiners, the more difficult it becomes to manage. A very easy way out of this is having at least one co-host.

A co-host can work with the main host by lending the right support at the right time. The tasks of managing the meeting can be divided either equally or in a way deemed convenient according to the hosts. For example, while one host manages the resources utilized in the meeting, the other can manage the requirements of the audience and cater to them.

With the division of responsibilities, A single person is not overburdened with a lot of work. Additionally, in the instance of a technical glitch in the sales event, one host can handle the technical issues while the other keeps the audience engaged.

Provide Clear Instructions to Participants

Online sales events are relatively new and it is natural for participants to be unaware of a few how-tos and methods. To avoid technical glitches altogether and to assure that every participant in the sales event has the best experience, providing a list of instructions regarding every aspect of the meeting can be helpful.

A visual guide can be made available to the users by adding useful screenshots to it. This can also be converted into a video guide that explains to the users how to troubleshoot and navigate their way around during the remote event.

Select the Correct Platform for the Event

There are plenty of options to choose from when hosting a remote event and they may range from free platforms to expensive, technically equipped ones. It becomes tricky to choose one out of so many options, especially if you are hosting the sales kickoff event for the very first time.

However, starting the selection process by listing the requirements becomes easy because this way, any platform that does not cater to your needs can be safely eliminated. For the best user experience, selecting a platform that is an all-inclusive one might be a great idea. These all-in-one platforms incorporate every tool you might need, including tools for engagement, networking, and live streaming.

Such platforms have been rigorously tested and are free of software bugs. As a result, they do not cause issues during your event. Additionally, they have technical support built into their system which means that event attendees can get help when faced with any issue during the program.

Ensure Expertise of your Technical Support

Depending on the online platform chosen to host the event, the technical support team needs to be arranged. If the platform chosen is an all-inclusive one, it will have built-in technical support. However, if your virtual platform lacks this function, keeping a tech team ready is of the utmost importance, especially if the remote event is hosting quite a number of participants.

Assembling a great technical team will ensure that the attendees or the presenters will be helped immediately if they are facing any issues. Doing this will greatly improve user experience.

Hold A Rehearsal for your Event

Practice makes perfect and rehearsing before hosting a major sales event can be the way to turning it into a success. Through a rehearsal, the speakers and presenters can get a chance to understand how the events will proceed.

It will also give them a chance to navigate their way through the platform in advance and ensure that they can maintain proper coordination among themselves. If the sales kickoff event has people presenting from their homes, they will be able to ensure that their equipment works and there will be no technical glitch during the final event.

Have a Solid Backup Plan

Just like any offline event, it is essential to be prepared in case any glitch occurs. Creating a clear protocol in the event of Wifi, audio, or video failure and sending it to all participants should be one of the primary steps to be taken. A teleconference line can be set up and slides or PDFs can be sent to the participants if a glitch occurs. The following are a few other backup plans.

Be Ready to Switch to Another Platform

Technical glitches are a common problem. However, the key to a successful kickoff event is to maintain the momentum of the meeting and keep the audience engaged. To that effect, Mentimeter can be used to continue the event outside the platform in an equally engaging way.

Ensure Audience Engagement

According to Markletic, audience engagement is the most significant challenge of remote events. To keep your audience engaged during a technical glitch, you can use polls, interesting trivia, interactive AI tools, and questions. This way, your audience will not become bored while your technicians solve the glitch. Relevant humor can also be utilized but it should not be overdone.

Conclusion

Being never underprepared is the key to a successful sales kickoff event. Not having any experience in this sphere won’t matter if the host thoroughly researches and weighs in all the possibilities of glitches. They must ensure to maintain the momentum of the meeting and be thoroughly prepared to change courses of action in the case of technical issues.