The Best Sales Kickoff Games to Energize Your Team

By | Published On: January 30, 2025 | 9.3 min read |

People in a meeting for sales kickoff games

Sales kickoff events are some of the most exciting and important gatherings for a sales team. These events typically mark the start of a new quarter or year, setting the tone for what’s ahead. They’re an opportunity to inspire, motivate, and align your salespeople with the team’s goals. It’s where you celebrate past wins, address areas for improvement, and arm your team for future success.

But here’s the thing—it’s not just about presentations and speeches. To make the event memorable, engaging, and impactful, you need something more interactive. That’s where sales kickoff games come into the picture.

Games help break the ice, set a high-energy tone, foster collaboration, and make the event enjoyable for everyone. Plus, they’re a great way to reinforce team-building and even introduce key sales strategies in a fun and approachable way.

In this blog, we’ll explore 12 fantastic sales kickoff games and their benefits. By the end, you’ll also get some practical tips on choosing the perfect games for your event. If your goal is an unforgettable event, DJ Will Gill is the perfect choice to bring high energy and great vibes. He is the top corporate event DJ with over 1,800 five-star reviews to support his remarkable reputation.

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Why Games Are Crucial for a Sales Kickoff

Before we jump into the list of games, let’s understand why they’re such a game-changer (pun intended).

  • Breaks the Ice: These events often bring together sales reps from multiple offices or departments. Games help people get to know each other quickly and get rid of that first-day awkwardness.

  • Boosts Energy and Engagement: A day full of slides and speeches can leave attendees zoning out. Games help keep the energy high and ensure people stay invested.

  • Encourages Teamwork: Sales can often feel like an individual sport, but thriving teams know that collaboration is key. Games foster a sense of unity.

  • Reinforces Learning: Some games can double as learning opportunities, strengthening new skills or strategies in a hands-on way. This makes the experience both enjoyable and professionally valuable.

  • Fun is Memorable: People remember laughs at kickoff events more than PowerPoints. Creating shared moments of humor helps build stronger team connections.

Now that you know why games are important, here’s your ultimate list of the best sales kickoff games to try at your next event.

1. Two Truths and a Lie

How It Works:
This classic game is all about getting to know each other in a fun and lighthearted way. Each team member takes turns telling two truths and one lie about themselves. The group then has to guess which statement is the lie.

Benefits:

  • It’s a great icebreaker for new teams or groups, helping ease tension and spark connections.
  • It helps participants build rapport through fun insights, open communication, and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere.

Pro Tip: Keep the pace quick so the game doesn’t drag out. A lively tempo keeps everyone engaged and the energy flowing.

2. Sales Bingo

How It Works:
Create a bingo card with fun facts, goals, or sales-related phrases relevant to your team. For example, spaces might include “Closed a deal over $10,000” or “Favorite CRM tool.” Team members mingle to find people who match each square and collect signatures.

Benefits:

  • It encourages networking and collaboration by creating opportunities for meaningful connections, fostering teamwork, and promoting the exchange of ideas in a supportive environment.
  • It gets attendees moving and talking to each other by encouraging active participation, fostering meaningful conversations, and creating opportunities for dynamic interactions and networking.

Pro Tip: Offer a small prize for the first person to complete their card. This creates extra motivation and a fun sense of achievement.

3. Elevator Pitch Challenge

How It Works:
Split the group into small teams. Each team has five minutes to develop a mock elevator pitch for a made-up product. Give them a twist, like pitching a weird product (e.g., a purple llama plushie or invisible socks). Teams then present their pitches to everyone.

Benefits:

  • It strengthens communication and presentation skills by improving clarity, boosting confidence, and enhancing the ability to engage and connect with an audience effectively.
  • It sparks creativity and laughter by inspiring imaginative ideas, encouraging playful interactions, and creating a joyful atmosphere.

Pro Tip: Appoint judges to pick the best (or funniest!) pitch. This adds a competitive edge and keeps the energy high.

4. Jeopardy-Style Quiz Game

How It Works:

Make a Jeopardy-style game with topics like company goals, product knowledge, trivia, or past successes. Divide the attendees into teams and play just like the television show.

Benefits:

  • It reinforces crucial knowledge playfully through fun activities and interactive methods.
  • It encourages problem-solving and team collaboration by fostering open communication, promoting creative thinking, and building a supportive group dynamic.

Pro Tip: Add in some silly categories to keep things lighthearted (e.g., funniest customer story or “Guess the Sales Meme”).

5. Deal or No Deal

How It Works:
Turn negotiation into a full-blown game show by reimagining “Deal or No Deal.” Each participant gets a chance to “make the deal”—with one side representing the customer and another the sales rep. They must work through fictional scenarios where things like price, add-ons, or timelines are on the table.

Benefits:

  • It sharpens negotiation skills by improving communication, confidence, and problem-solving tools.
  • It creates awareness of customer-centric strategies by showing their value and use in building better customer relationships.

Pro Tip: Use scenarios based on real challenges your team might face. This makes the exercise practical and directly applicable to their roles.

6. Roleplay Rumble

How It Works:
Create roleplay scenarios where sales reps handle fictional customer objections. Pair participants up and have them take turns acting as the salesperson and customer. Once everyone has had their turn, discuss the best approaches.

Benefits:

  • It strengthens objection-handling techniques with strategies, examples, and practice opportunities.
  • It builds confidence in tough sales conversations by providing strategies, communication skills, and tools to handle objections.

Pro Tip: Rotate teams frequently so people get to learn from multiple perspectives. This fosters collaboration and fresh ideas with every switch.

7. Sales Scavenger Hunt

How It Works:

Compile a list of sales-themed clues or tasks and send participants on a scavenger hunt. For example, a task could be “Find someone with 5+ years at the company” or “Take a selfie with a team leader.”

Benefits:

  • It promotes teamwork and problem-solving by encouraging collaboration, fostering open communication, and challenging participants to work together to find creative solutions.
  • It adds energy and excitement to the agenda with activities that engage participants and keep things lively.

Pro Tip: Make it a time-based challenge to add urgency. The ticking clock amps up excitement and focus.

8. The Blindfolded Obstacle Course

How It Works:

Set up a simple obstacle course in the event space. Split participants into pairs—with one blindfolded and the other guiding them verbally through the course.

Benefits:

  • It shows how trust and clear communication build relationships, improve teamwork, and boost collaboration.
  • It adds a unique, physical element to the event by incorporating engaging activities or interactive experiences that create a memorable and dynamic atmosphere.

Pro Tip: Relate the activity to key sales principles, like following clear guidance or overcoming challenges. This helps reinforce practical skills in a memorable way.

9. Product Mash-Up

How It Works:

Team members get two random products and create a new one by combining them. They must present their new product to the group along with a creative pitch.

Benefits:

  • It boosts creativity and innovation by encouraging fresh ideas and out-of-the-box thinking.
  • It encourages collaboration by promoting teamwork, open communication, and the exchange of ideas to achieve common goals effectively.

Pro Tip: The wackier the product combinations, the better. Unpredictable pairings spark curiosity and laughter.

10. Salesperson Trivia

How It Works:

Before the kickoff event, collect interesting tidbits about team members, like quirky hobbies or impressive accomplishments. Create trivia questions out of these and have the group guess who the fact is about.

Benefits:

  • It strengthens team connections by building trust, encouraging communication, and promoting shared goals through teamwork.
  • It creates a friendly, fun atmosphere where participants feel comfortable, engaged, and motivated to connect and collaborate.

Pro Tip: Include both serious accolades and lighthearted facts to keep things balanced. This mix ensures recognition feels meaningful yet fun.

11. The Negotiation Auction

How It Works:

Give participants fake “company dollars” to bid on items at a fun auction. The twist? Each item symbolizes a key sales concept—like “time management” or “teamwork.” Teams must strategize and bid wisely to secure the best “investments.”

Benefits:

  • It teaches strategic thinking by helping participants plan, evaluate options, and make smart decisions to reach their goals.
  • It encourages teamwork under pressure, fostering collaboration and quick problem-solving in a high-energy environment.

Pro Tip: Include some humorous items like “Lifetime Supply of Caffeine” to keep the energy up. These playful touches spark laughter and camaraderie.

12. Balloon Pop Quiz

How It Works:

Write sales-related questions (or company fun facts) and put them inside balloons. Teams take turns popping balloons and answering the questions.

Benefits:

  • It turns quizzes into something energetic and colorful, transforming a traditional learning tool into an interactive and visually engaging experience that captures attention.
  • It reinforces learning in an exciting environment, making it easier to retain information while keeping participants fully engaged and motivated.

Pro Tip: Use different colored balloons for varying difficulty levels. Assign higher points to harder colors.

Tips to Choose the Right Games for Your Sales Kickoff

Not every game will suit every team or event. Here’s how to pick the best ones for your organization:

  1. Align with Your Goals: Choose games that support the objectives of your kickoff event. If the focus is on improving teamwork, pick games that emphasize collaboration.

  2. Know Your Audience: Consider the personalities in the room. Are they more competitive? Then go for fast-paced games. For introverts, opt for less intimidating activities.

  3. Factor in Time and Space: Select games that fit the physical venue and time constraints. For example, if you’re short on space, opt for activities like trivia or roleplay.

  4. Mix It Up: Balance physical activities with mental ones to prevent fatigue. A diverse set of games keeps everyone engaged.

  5. Have a Debrief: Whatever game you choose, take a moment to reflect afterward. Connect the game’s lessons back to the event’s goals to make it meaningful.

A Sales Kickoff Games

Sales kickoff games aren’t just about having fun (though that’s a big part of it!). They create memories, foster teamwork, and energize your team for the road ahead. When done right, they’ll leave a lasting impression and set the perfect tone for your sales strategy.

There’s a game for every team and situation. With the right mix of fun and purpose, these activities can make your kickoff event the best one yet. And isn’t that what every sales leader wants? Get your team laughing, bonding, and ready to crush their targets!