Sales Keynote Speakers for Kickoffs and Revenue Meetings: 12 Picks

Fee ranges, home cities and how to pick the right voice for your next sales meeting.

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Sales keynote speakers Barbara Corcoran, Jay Baer, Tiffani Bova and Molly Fletcher

It is the first morning of the sales kickoff. The new comp plan is in everyone’s inbox, the coffee line is long, and people have quotas on their minds before the lights go down. Whoever takes the stage next sets the tone for the next two days.

This guide covers 12 speakers who can take that slot, grouped by event type: kickoffs, customer experience and growth meetings, and sessions on resilience and prospecting. Fees and home cities sit in every entry, so budget and travel are clear from the start.

How to choose a sales keynote speaker

Settle these five points first. They turn a long list into a workable short list.

  • Decide what the team should do differently. More pipeline, better conversations and stronger customer loyalty call for different speakers. Pick the one outcome that matters most this year.
  • Respect the sellers’ time. Salespeople tune out generic pep talks. Favor speakers who have carried a number, run a revenue team or studied buyers closely.
  • Consider the slot. An opening keynote sets energy; a mid-meeting session can teach a skill; a closing talk sends people home with a single idea.
  • Bring in the customer’s view. If service or account teams are in the room, a customer experience speaker may serve everyone better than a pure sales voice.
  • Know the budget. Speakers on this page start at roughly $16,500 at the low end and $150,000 at the high end. Mention any virtual needs when you ask about dates.

Opening a sales kickoff with energy and focus

These four are built for the kickoff stage. Each pairs energy with something reps can use on their first call after the meeting.

Molly Fletcher: a sports agent’s competitive mindset

One of the first female sports agents, Molly Fletcher rose to president of her agency and earned the nickname “female Jerry Maguire” from CNN. Her deals topped $500 million in contracts, and her client list ran past 300 of the biggest names in sports, Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz among them.

Her TED Talk “Secrets of a Champion Mindset” has passed one million views, and the keynote of the same name asks audiences to compete against themselves rather than rivals. “Fearless at Work” shows what it takes to overcome fear and perform at the highest level.

Best for: Large kickoffs and President’s Club events that want a headline name with a negotiator’s credibility. Her women’s leadership talk also suits sales ERG sessions. Molly Fletcher’s speaking fee: $65K–$70K in person; $30K–$35K virtual. Travels from: Atlanta, GA. View Molly Fletcher’s profile and check availability.

Paul Epstein: momentum from the first Monday

Paul Epstein spent 15 years in professional sports, including roles as an NFL, NBA and Super Bowl chief sales officer. SUCCESS magazine named him one of its thought leaders who get results. He founded the San Francisco 49ers Leadership University, helped open a billion-dollar stadium and is now Founder and CEO of WIN MONDAY.

“Selling Hope” argues that hope is a competitive advantage rather than wishful thinking, and “Winning Customers” covers customer success when market conditions are less than perfect. His books include The Power of Playing Offense and Better Decisions Faster.

Best for: Kickoffs that want a sales leader’s view from big-league sports, and teams starting a new fiscal year who need early momentum. Paul Epstein’s speaking fee: $30K–$35K in person; $15K–$20K virtual. Travels from: Los Angeles, CA. View Paul Epstein’s profile and check availability.

Lauren Goodell: AI for modern sellers

Lauren Goodell spent nearly a decade selling complex enterprise deals at Microsoft and Salesforce before founding Sell with Goodell. JP Morgan honored her as one of its Top 100 Women to Know in the U.S., and the Charlotte Business Journal named her a Top 25 Woman in Business.

Her focus is using AI to drive revenue while strengthening the human connections that win business. “AI for Go-to-Market Teams” shows how AI is changing the way teams connect, sell and create value, and “AI 101” covers practical use in everyday work.

Best for: Kickoffs that need a hands-on AI session for reps and managers, and teams working with a modest budget. Her talk on resilience in times of change fits a closing slot. Lauren Goodell’s speaking fee: $16.5K–$18.5K in person. Travels from: Charlotte, NC. View Lauren Goodell’s profile and check availability.

Erin Hatzikostas: authenticity as a selling edge

When Erin Hatzikostas became CEO of a fledgling company in 2016, she led a turnaround that tripled earnings from $17M to $50M in three years. A former Fortune 50 executive, she wrote You Do You(ish), named best business and career book of 2023 by American Book Fest, and The 50% Rule.

“The Authenticity Advantage” shows how to turn authenticity into a measurable business advantage. “Less Polish, More Power” uses it to simplify leadership and strengthen culture, a message that suits teams tired of scripted pitches.

Best for: Kickoffs and sales leadership meetings that want a CEO’s results with a relatable message. She has spoken to organizations including CVS Health and Yale University. Erin Hatzikostas’s speaking fee: $20K–$25K in person. Travels from: CT. View Erin Hatzikostas’s profile and check availability.

Customer experience and growth meetings

Book from this group when sales, service and marketing share the room. These speakers focus on why customers buy, stay and tell others.

Jay Baer: loyalty, speed and word of mouth

A New York Times bestselling author of seven books, Jay Baer has founded five multimillion-dollar companies and co-founded the advisory firm Convince & Convert. He was inducted into the Professional Speaking Hall of Fame in 2018 and has advised more than 700 brands, including Nike, Oracle and Salesforce.

“Time IS Money” explores how responsiveness drives buying decisions, and “Clear. Kind. The 3 Unbreakable Rules of Customer Loyalty” covers what builds loyalty. His book Hug Your Haters teaches teams to turn complaints into growth.

Best for: Customer experience summits, partner conferences and multi-day events that need a host, since he also works as emcee. Service teams respond well to his material. Jay Baer’s speaking fee: $32.5K–$42.5K in person; $20K–$25K virtual. Travels from: Indianapolis, IN. View Jay Baer’s profile and check availability.

Tiffani Bova: employee experience fuels growth

Tiffani Bova spent a decade at Gartner as a VP and Distinguished Analyst, then joined Salesforce as its first Global Growth and Innovation Evangelist. She wrote two Wall Street Journal bestsellers, Growth IQ and The Experience Mindset, and is a three-time Thinkers50 honoree.

“Revolutionizing Sales: Shaping Tomorrow’s Success” lays out how sales teams can thrive in the age of AI. “The Experience Mindset: The Flywheel Of Growth” treats employee and customer experience as linked drivers of growth, so it lands with sales and service leaders alike. She has delivered more than 1,000 keynotes on six continents.

Best for: Revenue leadership meetings and growth conferences where sales and service leaders sit together. She also has a framework for leading through AI and shifting buyer behavior. Tiffani Bova’s speaking fee: $30K–$35K in person. Travels from: Los Angeles, CA. View Tiffani Bova’s profile and check availability.

Matthew Luhn: stories that buyers remember

Over three decades at Disney and Pixar, Matthew Luhn helped make films such as “Toy Story,” “Cars,” “Finding Nemo” and “Up.” His book is The Best Story Wins, and companies including Charles Schwab and Adidas have sought his advice.

In “Storytelling for Business,” he teaches how a strong story helps people connect, stay engaged and remember the point, which is the heart of a good pitch. “AI and Storytelling” looks at using AI to support creativity while keeping the story at the center.

Best for: Sales and marketing meetings where reps need a sharper pitch, and customer events that want a lighter, creative session. A third talk covers building a creative workplace culture. He has also worked with Apple, Google and Microsoft. Matthew Luhn’s speaking fee: $35K–$40K in person. Travels from: San Francisco, CA. View Matthew Luhn’s profile and check availability.

Laura Gassner Otting: selling the meaning behind the product

Laura Gassner Otting was a presidential appointee in Bill Clinton’s White House, where she helped shape AmeriCorps. She then founded and ran a fast-growing search firm, sold it in 2015 and wrote three Wall Street Journal bestsellers, including Limitless and Wonderhell.

“Limitless Sales” explains how to connect buyers to the meaning behind a product, service and brand, so the pitch is about more than features. For people who have already hit their goals, “Invitations, Not Limitations” explores why success can bring more pressure than joy.

Best for: Growth meetings and President’s Club trips for high achievers looking for their next goal. She has appeared on Good Morning America and the TODAY Show. Laura Gassner Otting’s speaking fee: $35K–$40K in person. Travels from: Boston, MA. View Laura Gassner Otting’s profile and check availability.

Resilience and prospecting for teams that hear no

Prospecting means rejection, and every year brings setbacks. These four help sellers keep going, reset quickly and ask with confidence.

Jia Jiang: turning rejection into resilience

Jia Jiang’s “100 Days of Rejection” began as a blog and became the basis for his bestselling book. He previously worked at Dell Technologies and LinkedIn, is CEO of Rejection Therapy and has won the Toastmasters Golden Gavel.

In “What I Learned From 100 Days of Rejection” he shows how to build rejection resilience and turn more no’s into yes’s. “The Art of Achieving Ambitious Things,” tied to his July 2026 Simon & Schuster book, gives tools for building lasting discipline. He has spoken for Google, Visa and Allstate.

Best for: Prospecting teams, new-hire classes and SDR groups that face rejection every day. His fee works for regional meetings as well as national ones. Jia Jiang’s speaking fee: $20K–$30K in person. Travels from: San Francisco, CA. View Jia Jiang’s profile and check availability.

Dr. Amber Selking: mental performance for sellers

Dr. Amber Selking holds a PhD in Educational and Counseling Psychology with a specialization in applied sport and performance psychology. As a mental performance coach she has worked with Notre Dame Football, the Denver Broncos and LSU, along with Fortune 500 companies such as Lippert Components.

“Optimizing Your Sales Pitch: How Energy Drives Engagement” shows how human energy shapes connection, influence and results in sales. “Reset & Refocus” teaches teams to recover after setbacks, and her book is Winning the Mental Game.

Best for: Sales meetings after a tough quarter, and teams that respond to a coach’s approach to performance. “Winning is a Mindset” suits an opening slot for the whole sales organization. Dr. Amber Selking’s speaking fee: $30K–$35K in person. Travels from: South Bend, IN. View Dr. Amber Selking’s profile and check availability.

Meridith Elliott Powell: selling through uncertain markets

A Certified Speaking Professional and award-winning author, Meridith Elliott Powell helps senior leaders build cultures where people think critically. Her books include Thrive, a roadmap for driving sales in shifting economic times, and 30 Days to Sales Success, which builds sales skills over a single month.

“Sales Redefined: Dominate, Differentiate, Deliver” argues that success now depends on how well teams adapt, stand out and build trust. “BUILT TO WIN” treats resilience as a performance advantage for teams that need to rise under pressure.

Best for: Kickoffs in a slow or volatile market, and associations or distributors with a mix of sales roles. She also speaks on leading, selling and competing as artificial intelligence changes business. Meridith Elliott Powell’s speaking fee: $30K–$35K in person. Travels from: Charlotte, NC. View Meridith Elliott Powell’s profile and check availability.

Barbara Corcoran: bouncing back and building a business

With $1,000 borrowed and her waitressing job left behind, Barbara Corcoran started her own real estate firm in New York City. A $66 million sale of The Corcoran Group followed, and she went on to star on ABC’s Shark Tank.

Her signature talk traces that rise and offers tips for tough markets, and “How to Bounce Back from Failure” treats resilience as a core leadership skill. She also offers “How to Spot and Recruit Talent” and an open fireside chat, and she wrote Shark Tales.

Best for: Flagship kickoffs and closing keynotes that need a famous name, especially for real estate and franchise audiences. No one else on this list starts higher. Barbara Corcoran’s speaking fee: $150K–$200K in person. Travels from: New York, NY. View Barbara Corcoran’s profile and check availability.

Think of these 12 as a first cut. The full list of sales speakers shows everyone on our roster, with fee ranges and the city each one travels from.

Sales speaker budgets by price band

Sales speakers on our roster start around $15,000 for a live keynote, and the ceiling sits at $300,000. The midpoint is low: half start at $30,000 or below.

  • Under $25,000: a practical band for regional meetings; Lauren Goodell, Jia Jiang and Erin Hatzikostas start here.
  • $25,000 to $39,999: the most crowded tier, where Tiffani Bova, Jay Baer and Matthew Luhn sit.
  • $60,000 to $99,999: Molly Fletcher starts in this range.
  • $100,000 and up: headline names such as Barbara Corcoran.

Date, location, format and tailoring all move the final number, and in-person travel is usually billed on top.

Fees from the Mollie Plotkin Group speaker database as of October 21, 2026.

Which sales speaker suits which meeting

  • Annual sales kickoff: Molly Fletcher or Paul Epstein can open the meeting with energy and a competitive edge.
  • AI enablement session: Lauren Goodell and Tiffani Bova both cover how sales teams can work with AI.
  • Customer experience summit: Jay Baer turns loyalty and speed into concrete practices for every customer-facing role.
  • Pitch or messaging workshop: Matthew Luhn teaches the storytelling behind a memorable pitch.
  • President’s Club or top-performer trip: Laura Gassner Otting speaks to high achievers about what comes after success.
  • New-hire or SDR training: Jia Jiang helps early-career sellers get comfortable hearing no.
  • Tough quarter or slow market: Meridith Elliott Powell and Dr. Amber Selking focus on resetting and staying resilient.
  • Flagship closing keynote: Barbara Corcoran or Erin Hatzikostas send the room home with a founder’s or CEO’s story.

How we built this sales shortlist

Our sales roster was the starting pool. We kept people whose profiles show a sales, customer or performance program and who publish a current fee for live events. Then we sorted them by meeting type instead of ranking them, since a kickoff, a customer summit and a prospecting session each call for a different voice.

Sales speaker questions from event planners

What do sales keynote speakers charge?

Expect many sales keynote speakers to quote $25,000 to $40,000 when they appear in person, with the full range running from about $15,000 to $300,000. Celebrity names sit at the top, while skills-focused speakers often start lower. Your date, location, format and tailoring all affect the final number, and travel is charged separately when the speaker comes to you.

What does a sales keynote usually cover?

Most cover how buyers decide, how sellers handle pressure and rejection, and what the team should do differently this year. Some speakers lead with stories from sports or business, others with customer research, and others with practical skills such as storytelling or using AI. Tell your agent the outcome you want, and they can narrow the list to speakers who deliver it.

Where should the keynote sit in a sales kickoff agenda?

An opening keynote sets energy and gives the team a shared theme for the sessions that follow. A closing keynote sends people back to the field with one idea to act on. If you want skills practice, a mid-meeting slot paired with a workshop works well. Book as soon as your kickoff date is set, since popular speakers book up well ahead.

Can the speaker tailor the talk to our product and buyers?

Usually, yes. Share your industry, your sales motion and the obstacles your reps face when you check availability. Many speakers can swap in examples from your market and finish with actions that fit your sales process. Ask whether a planning call is included. Jay Baer, for example, can act as emcee across a multi-day event and connect sessions as they happen.

Can a sales keynote work virtually for distributed teams?

Yes. Many of these speakers present online, which helps when your sellers are spread across regions or cannot leave their territories. Inquire about the virtual fee when you check availability. Remote sellers tend to stay with a tighter keynote plus live Q&A better than with a long lecture, so find out how each speaker keeps an online audience engaged.

Lining up your kickoff speaker before dates fill

A strong sales keynote gives the team one idea they repeat on calls for the rest of the year. Choose the event type, compare each fee with the money set aside and carry two or three favorites forward.

Your MPG agent will reply with availability, the confirmed fee and travel. To begin, open each profile, click Check Availability and add your kickoff date, location and team size. Sales meetings often reach into marketing, negotiation and growth, and our marketing speakers, negotiation speakers, growth speakers and motivational speakers cover that adjacent territory.