A successful sales kickoff event can energize your sales team, align them with your company’s goals, and equip them with the tools and strategies they need to excel. One of the most crucial aspects of these events is selecting the perfect speaker, as it can make the difference between an unforgettable, transformative experience and a lackluster event.

So, how do you find a sales kickoff speaker who will inspire, educate, and motivate your team? Put another way, how do you hire a speaker who dramatically impacts your organization’s bottom line – instead of leaving your team bored and uninspired, potentially costing your company hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost sales revenue?

Here are several critical areas to consider, along with the clear reasons that Matthew Pollard stands out as the obvious choice for your SKO.

Are they (literally) all talk, or have they actually done it?

Most professional speakers are just that – speakers. They don’t operate day-to-day in the world of sales. And if they ever did, it was a long time ago. When it comes to innovative and effective sales techniques, things move fast; look at how much everything has changed in just the last few years. Recycled, generic strategies from five or ten years ago just don’t work anymore.

Matthew works in the sales trenches each and every day, constantly honing his strategies and adapting them to rapidly-changing markets. And he’s got the results to prove it: He’s the man behind five multi-million dollar business success stories across a range of industries, and he’s helped thousands of students and clients achieve their own remarkable success as well, from solopreneurs to Fortune 500 companies.

This international success and hands-on experience also means that Matthew provides proven, actionable advice, not just theory. Attendees will leave your sales kickoff event with a host of game-changing techniques they can immediately implement for shorter cycles and supercharged results.

Credibility

It’s one thing for a speaker to say they’re the best, but can they actually back it up? By every measure, Matthew can.

Awards and Certifications

Not only does Forbes call him “the real deal,” his recent awards and certifications include:

• 2023 Sales Kickoff Speaker of the Year, Selling Power Magazine

• #13 Top Sales Professionals in the World, Global Gurus

• Top 10 Speaker, Big Speak

• Certified Speaking Professional, National Speakers’ Association (awarded to only 12% of speakers worldwide each year)

• Certified Virtual Presenter, eSpeakers

That’s a pretty impressive list. But let’s step back for a moment and consider the award most relevant to your purposes: 2023 Sales Kickoff Speaker of the Year, awarded by Selling Power Magazine.

2023 is the inaugural year for this prestigious award, which was introduced to spotlight speakers who excel not just in motivating audiences, but in delivering actionable strategies during pivotal sales kickoff events. Matthew is honored to be chosen, and thrilled that so many sales experts recognize his unmatched impact on sales teams looking for proven, innovative ways to explode their results.

Testimonials

In addition to the accolades above, Matthew has received dozens of glowing testimonials from meeting planners and attendees alike. Here’s just a snapshot:

There are too many to list here; please check out this page for many, many more.

Matthew’s written the book on sales

Further solidifying Matthew’s position as a leading authority in the sales domain, he’s also the author of the bestselling book The Introvert’s Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone.

With over 100,000 copies sold, translations into 16 languages, and rave reviews from sales luminaries like Brian Tracy, Marshall Goldsmith, Neil Patel, and many more (not to mention hundreds of 5-star reviews from salespeople all over the world), Matthew’s book lays out a comprehensive, easy-to-follow system focused on transparent, authentic and low-pressure selling.

Of course, the strategies found in this book work just as well for extroverts, too. Introverts generally prefer a structured system they can rely on time and time again, as opposed to winging it like the extroverts. But the beauty of Matthew’s proven and time-tested approach is that it benefits the entire team across the board, not just the usual standouts. More on that below!

Empower your whole team, not just the top performers

Many organizations hire a speaker who will primarily benefit the people who are already in the top 25% of sales performers. According to McKinsey, this is the status quo for most organizations – they’ve resigned themselves to focusing on their top quartile – expecting the majority of their results from that group – and take whatever the bottom 75% happens to produce.

What these companies are essentially doing is accepting sub-par performance from three quarters of the team. Why? Because they accept the status quo thinking that there can be only a few elite salespeople, and there’s not much that can be done about the rest.

Matthew finds this attitude shortsighted and flat-out wrong. Companies accept the disparity because they accept the long-held but incorrect belief that only certain kinds of people are cut out for sales – the extroverts, who are comfortable talking to just about anyone, who have the confidence to bulldoze their prospects or use bulldog techniques, or who can simply charm everyone they come across.

While Matthew is very happy for the people who can do that successfully, the reality is that organizations are missing out on a huge opportunity to see massive results from the whole team.

That’s why his book, The Introvert’s Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone, has been so well received across the board. The introverts on the sales team can immediately leverage a step-by-step process that does not rely on personality or bulldog techniques, while the extroverts and top performers can choose to either adopt Matthew’s entire system, or add the pieces that most appeal to them.

An introvert himself, Matthew shares his story of struggling to succeed in sales until landing upon and honing his system, used today by thousands. His inspiring story leads the whole team to believe that if he can do it, so can they. When you hire Matthew as your sales kickoff speaker, you can say goodbye to sub-par results!

Deep understanding of complex products and complex sales cycles

When it comes to technology and SaaS, the finance industry, or goods such as HVAC systems, the products are complex, and the sales cycles are lengthy.

What most salespeople do, even the best ones, is get stuck in technical jargon and details. After all, they need to show the prospect all the ways that their product is technically superior to the competition, right?

In Matthew’s view, this is wrong. A long list of technical features may sound impressive to people in the know, but prospects want simplicity. They want to know how this product is going to make their lives easier. They want to know how it’s going to make them the hero of their company. They do not want to spend an hour on the phone trying to decipher jargon before getting on a call with the next salesperson doing the exact same thing.

The hiccup is, it’s not always easy to make complex products sound simple. But it’s one of Matthew’s specialties. Leveraging the power of storytelling, Matthew shows audiences how one simple story, told the right way, can not only get the prospect to listen attentively, but blow past objections, close deals faster, and drastically shorten sales cycles.

To prove it, he often pulls an audience member from stage and creates a compelling customer story with them on the spot. As Jim Brull, Managing Partner for the cloud services firm Centroid attests, “Matt has an incredible ability to instantly identify and synthesize exactly what we should tell our prospects, and exactly how to do it most effectively.

Wouldn’t it be incredible if your salespeople could simply tell one compelling story that shows prospects exactly how their problem could be solved, and exactly what results to expect? Matthew makes it happen.

Help with rollout and operationalization

Have you ever had a speaker come and deliver some really useful insights and strategies that ended up going nowhere?

In many cases, especially in big companies, rollout is a challenge. Once the speaker leaves the stage, the organization is left on their own to apply the strategies across the entire company, which can take several months or even years, if it ends up being done at all. Why pay big bucks for a sales kickoff speaker and take up days of your team’s time, if nothing is going to actually come of it?

When you hire Matthew, you’re not just hiring him for the event. At no additional charge, he will work with your team to roll out your new sales techniques. This includes calls with management, story reviews, and team training. He is personally invested in the success of every client he works with.

Custom presentations, from small businesses to large corporations

Matthew has extensive experience speaking for major corporations such as Oracle, Microsoft, and Electrolux, as well as for groups such as Entrepreneurs’ Organization and numerous small business associations.

Whatever the audience or industry, Matthew is obsessive about research and personalization. He’ll connect with your stakeholders for an in-depth call prior to the event, so he fully understands your company’s challenges and goals. He’ll make sure he understands your industry inside and out.

As Oracle Senior VP Chris Gandolfino puts it, “I was impressed by how much work Matthew put into customizing his presentation, as well as understanding our marketplace and the competitive landscape… If you’re looking for an edge in sales, Matthew is the obvious choice. He will not only have a strong grasp of your industry and client needs, he will articulate the exact reasons prospects should work with you.”

Backed by an all-star team

Many speakers handle their booking, contracts, administration, travel details, and back-and-forth emailing all on their own, leaving them little time and energy for important elements like research and customization.

This means they typically hop on stage, deliver a canned presentation, and hit the road, never to be seen or heard from again.

Matthew has an incredible behind-the-scenes team handling these details, freeing him up for critical conversations with stakeholders, research, customization, and aftercare such as implementation and guidance on operationalization.

We can even help you with creating materials especially for your event, such as social media posts, event announcements, workbooks, and more.

Essentially, however we can make your experience seamless, simple, and above-and-beyond, we will!

The choice is clear

In today's rapidly evolving sales landscape, the difference between a successful sales kickoff and a forgettable one hinges on the speaker you choose. Matthew Pollard, with his unparalleled expertise, hands-on experience, and proven strategies, stands out as a beacon of transformative sales knowledge. He doesn't just talk the talk; he walks the walk, having been in the trenches of sales and emerging with techniques that are both innovative and actionable. His accolades, testimonials, and the sheer impact he has had on organizations globally are a testament to his prowess.

But beyond his credentials, what sets Matthew apart is his commitment to your success. From customizing presentations to ensuring the operationalization of strategies post-event, he and his dedicated team are invested in your sales team's triumph.

If you're looking to supercharge your sales force, to empower every member from introvert to extrovert, and to create a truly transformative sales kickoff, the choice is clear. Don't settle for the status quo. Choose excellence. Choose impact. Choose Matthew Pollard.