Sales Kickoff Speaker & Session Proposal Template

Every session at kickoff competes for the same scarce resource: attention. This form exists so that every slot is justified by a skill it builds — not by who wants to present, or what's newsworthy that quarter. A proposal with an empty Section A gets sent back, not scheduled.

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Section A — The Skill (required, answer first)

Proposed session title: _________________________________________________

Speaker name & role: _________________________________________________

THE SKILL this session builds (name one competency from our skill framework — not a topic, not a product, not a theme): _________________________________________________

Current proficiency gap this addresses (what evidence tells you reps are below the bar here — win-rate data, call reviews, manager feedback, quiz scores): _________________________________________________

Why this skill, why now (the business reason this gap matters this quarter/half): _________________________________________________

Learning objective (one sentence, written as an observable behavior a rep can do differently by the end of the session — not "understand X"): _________________________________________________

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Section B — Format & Practice

Session format: ☐ Keynote ☐ Breakout ☐ Hands-on workshop ☐ Panel ☐ Lightning talk (15 min)

Duration: _______ minutes

Teach : Practice ratio (minimum 40% of session time must be practice — state the split): Teach _____% / Practice _____%

Practice mechanism (how will reps actually rehearse the skill in the room — check all that apply): ☐ Live roleplay with peer feedback ☐ Real call/deal review ☐ Simulation exercise ☐ Case study + group decision ☐ Written drill with cold-call to a coach ☐ Other: _________

Pre-work required of attendees (what must they do/read/complete before this session, so it doesn't start cold): _________________________________________________

Materials attendees leave with (job aid, script, checklist, scorecard — name the artifact): _________________________________________________

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Section C — Measurement

How will we know this skill actually moved? (check all that apply and specify) ☐ Post-session skill quiz — module: _________ ☐ 30-day manager observation using scorecard: _________ ☐ Certification / skill check pass rate ☐ Pipeline metric to watch (e.g., stage-conversion rate, win rate) — which one: _________ ☐ Other: _________

Owner for follow-up measurement (name — someone must own checking this 30/60 days out): _________________________________________________

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Section D — Reviewer Use Only

Reviewer name: _________ Date reviewed: _________

☐ Approved as submitted ☐ Needs skill reframe — session names a topic/product, not a skill. Return with note: _________ ☐ Needs practice reframe — teach:practice ratio below 40%, or no concrete practice mechanism. Return with note: _________ ☐ Rejected — reason: _________

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Example — Completed Proposal (for reference)

Session title: "Losing Well: Turning a Late-Stage No Into Next Quarter's Yes" Speaker: Priya Shah, Regional Sales Director The skill this session builds: Negotiation — specifically, protecting the relationship and re-engagement path when a deal is lost on price or timing. Current proficiency gap: Post-mortem review of Q2 losses shows 60% of "lost to no decision" deals had zero structured next-touch plan; reps treated the loss as final rather than as a negotiation checkpoint. Why now: Q3 pipeline has 40% more late-stage deals than Q2 — the same pattern will recur at scale if this isn't addressed before kickoff. Learning objective: By the end of the session, reps can draft a specific 90-day re-engagement plan, live, for one of their own recently-lost deals. Format: Breakout workshop, 45 minutes. Teach 30% / Practice 70%. Practice mechanism: Reps bring one real lost deal; in pairs, they draft and pressure-test a re-engagement plan against a rubric; one volunteer pair role-plays the actual re-engagement call to the room. Pre-work: Each rep identifies and brings the details of one deal lost in the last 90 days. Materials: Re-engagement plan template (1-pager) + objection bank for "we already made a decision." Measurement: Manager reviews each rep's submitted re-engagement plan at the 30-day mark; win-back rate on Q2 losses tracked as the lagging indicator. Owner: Priya Shah, checks in at the 30-day regional call.