Sales kickoff keynote speaker · SKOs, sales conferences and leadership meetings
Sales Kickoff Keynote Speaker for 2027
You can’t survive your way to #1.
New year. New number. New territories, new tools, and the same pressure to hit plan. Shawn Ellis gives your sales team the energy to start strong and five practical choices that keep them selling when things change in March.
What sales leaders say
97%
of 265 sales leaders at a recent kickoff rated the keynote four or five stars.
4.74 / 5
Average session rating at that kickoff.
The real challenge in 2027
Your team knows what to do.
Pressure makes them forget.
Every kickoff rolls out the plan: the new comp structure, the new territories, the AI tools, the priorities for the year. Your reps leave fired up.
Then the first deal slips. A big account goes quiet. A new tool doesn’t work the way the training promised. And under pressure, people fall back on survival mode: they stall, play it safe, avoid the hard call, and go it alone.
Shawn helps your team see those patterns and choose differently, so they can put the kickoff’s energy to work in their sales conversations and daily decisions.
2026 keynote demo reel
See Shawn energize the room.
Watch Shawn bring stories, humor, audience participation, and practical choices to the stage.
Five choices built for sales
The 5 C’s of Radical Adaptability™,
applied to the number.
Calmover Panic
Reset after the lost deal or the brutal call, before it costs you the next one.
Clarityover Confusion
Cut through a stack of priorities and focus on what actually moves revenue.
Courageover Comfort
Break the Comfort Loop. Make the call, have the hard conversation, try the new approach.
Confidenceover Doubt
Build evidence from wins you’ve already earned, so a slow month doesn’t become a slow quarter.
Communityover Isolation
High performance was never a solo sport. Ask for help, share what’s working.
And each rep leaves with one thing they’re ready to end—the habit or assumption holding their number back.
A message for your sales team
You can’t survive your way to #1.
A short excerpt on the choices that help people move beyond survival mode.
Best for
Built for your team’s next chapter.
- January and February sales kickoffsAs the opening or closing keynote.
- Mid-year sales meetingsA reset when the team needs fresh energy and focus.
- Sales leadership offsitesBefore a reorganization, new comp plan or territory change.
- Teams adopting AI and new sales toolsChange how they sell, not just what they use.
Results from Shawn’s broader 2026 programs
More equipped to respond under pressure.
19% → 87%
Fewer than 1 in 5 participants rated themselves highly equipped before the session to address the survival pattern holding them back. After a single session, nearly 9 in 10 did.
Surveyed participants across 2026 events. Self-rated, opt-in, single session. Before/after ratings collected at the close of the session. This measures immediate perceived preparedness, not long-term behavior or sales performance.
What sales leaders and reps say
A message they can use Monday morning.
“Our sales executives walked out saying, ‘Here’s what I’m going to end,’ and ‘I can use this Monday morning.’”
“If you want a speaker who entertains, there are plenty. If you want a speaker who moves culture forward and delivers tools your people will actually use—hire Shawn Ellis.”
“Choosing discomfort instead of comfort sometimes for growth.”
“A roadmap to change.”
“Inspiring, engaging, funny, great.”
Formats for your kickoff
From the main stage to the manager breakout.
Spark
The keynote · 60–75 minutes. Discovery call, content built around your year’s priorities, opt-in before/after ratings, and the Field Guide for every attendee.
Momentum
Keynote + manager breakout. A second session helps sales managers coach the five choices all year.
Immersion
Half day. Keynote, breakout and a Choose Your Ending™ workshop where every rep commits to one ending.
For sales and enablement leaders
Your sales kickoff questions, answered.
What makes Shawn Ellis a good sales kickoff speaker?
He brings the energy a kickoff needs, plus five practical choices reps use when the year gets hard: Calm, Clarity, Courage, Confidence and Community. At a recent kickoff, 97% of 265 sales leaders rated his keynote four or five stars.
Can the keynote reflect our sales priorities for the year?
Yes. A discovery call shapes the keynote around your theme, your number and what's changing, from new territories and comp plans to new tools and AI.
Should Shawn open or close our kickoff?
Either. As the opener, he sets the tone and gives the team a shared language for the year. As the closer, he turns a packed agenda into one commitment each rep takes home.
Can he work with our sales managers too?
Yes. A manager breakout helps leaders coach the five choices all year, so the kickoff doesn't fade by February.
Is a virtual kickoff keynote available?
Yes. Shawn delivers interactive virtual keynotes for distributed sales teams, in addition to in-person kickoffs.
How far ahead should we book for a January or February kickoff?
As early as possible. Kickoff dates cluster in the first weeks of the year and fill quickly. Share your date through the booking form to check availability and fees.
Let’s talk
Planning your 2027 kickoff?
Tell us your date, your theme and your priorities—even if the details aren’t final—and we’ll check availability.
Shawn or a member of his team will reply personally within one business day.