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Team building
How to plan a team-building event for a sales team, with goals tied to sales targets, pitch and negotiation exercises, and the logistics for a team that's always on the move.
Sales teams work in a fast, demanding environment that drives stress, burnout, and turnover, and they're always on the move. This post covers how to tie an event's goals to your sales targets, which activities build selling skills alongside team bonds, and how to plan and run the day.
Line the event up with what the team needs to hit. If you need more sales calls, focus on communication and networking: role-playing exercises, group discussions, and team challenges. If it's product knowledge and technique, bring in industry experts for training sessions, or run workshops where reps share best practices.
Survey the team or run a focus group before the event, asking people to name their strengths and weaknesses. Then target the results. If time management comes up, run a time management workshop or challenge on prioritizing tasks.
The day should offer more than a day out of the office. Use role-playing or challenges that need decisions and problem-solving to develop leadership skills, and give people a chance to network with other professionals in the industry.
This is the part that makes it a sales event:
Sales is a competitive industry, so balance competitive activities with collaborative ones that keep everyone included. A scavenger hunt around the city puts groups on a list of clues, then brings them back together to share stories. A group project needs everyone's skills to reach a common goal.
An escape room asks the team to solve puzzles and riddles to get out of a locked room within a set time limit. It trains the quick thinking that selling demands.
Ask the team what they'd enjoy, by survey or in a meeting. People who like physical activity might want a group hike or a game of basketball. Others might prefer a team lunch, a trivia game, or a cooking class, where the group works together to make a meal.
Choose a venue with room to move, easy to reach for anyone traveling from out of town, near public transportation or with ample parking. Pick a time that works around people's schedules and commitments.
Cover activities, the venue, and refreshments and snacks. Add transportation, accommodation, and equipment rental if you need them, and check that the total is feasible for your team.
Share the date, time, venue, and dress code by email or your team messaging app, with clear instructions on what to expect and prepare.
Give clear instructions, and make sure everyone gets to participate fully. Use icebreakers, team challenges, and group discussions to keep energy up. Have a backup plan for bad weather or equipment failure.