3-Time Winter Olympian · Original Jamaican Bobsled Team
Sales Kickoff Keynote Speaker Devon Harris
Your kickoff sets the pace for the whole sales year. Devon Harris, three-time Winter Olympian, original member of the Jamaican bobsled team and sales kickoff keynote speaker for teams at Adobe and PayPal, gives your reps a simple way to own their number, recover fast from a lost deal and push together from the first week of the year.
Keynotes delivered on six continents · Fully customized to your kickoff theme
119%
Adobe Digital Sales finished a historically slow Q3 at 119% after Devon's keynote (client-reported)
3
Winter Olympic Games: Calgary 1988, Albertville 1992 and Nagano 1998
6
Continents where Devon has delivered keynotes
20+
Years speaking to corporate, sales and association audiences
Organizations that have brought Devon to their stage
Why sales leaders book Devon
A Sales Kickoff Keynote Speaker Who Knows What a Hard Start Feels Like
In 1988, a team from a country with no snow pushed a bobsled onto Olympic ice in Calgary. The world laughed, the sled crashed, and the team walked it across the finish line. Devon Harris was on that team. He came back to compete at two more Winter Games as captain.
Sales teams live a version of that every year. The number resets to zero, deals slip in the final week, and the market does not care how last quarter went. Devon connects that pressure to the bobsled push start, where four athletes have a few seconds to get in sync, commit fully and load the sled together.
Your reps leave with a shared language for owning the start of the year. Your managers get a framework they can keep using in pipeline reviews and one-on-ones long after the kickoff ends.
Devon Harris opening a company kickoff week with Keep On Pushing.
Client-reported result · Adobe Digital Sales
“The team was in the middle of rocky transition and frankly, the morale was down across all 7 of our Digital Sales teams. Devon brought a lot of positive energy with amazing stories that the whole team could relate with. We came out of the keynote speech with a ton of positive energy, and sense of pride that WE ARE THE TEAM to take Adobe to new highs. We ended the quarter hitting 119% during a historically slow Q3.”
Adobe, Digital Sales Organization
What your sales team takes home
The 3R System, Built for Sales Teams
Every sales kickoff keynote is built around Devon's 3R System and adapted to your market, your numbers and your kickoff theme.
Step 1
Responsibility
Own the number, not the excuse. Reps learn to focus on the activity they control when the market, the territory or the product roadmap will not cooperate.
Step 2
Reframe
Turn a lost deal into information. A setback becomes the next coaching conversation instead of a reason for the pipeline to stall.
Step 3
Reset
Win the next run. Devon shows teams how to put a bad call, a bad week or a bad quarter behind them and get back to the next opportunity fast.
Every step
Push Together
Selling is a team sport. Like a four-man bobsled crew, reps, managers, sales engineers and customer success have to move in rhythm to hit the number.
Built around your kickoff
How Devon Fits Your Sales Kickoff Agenda
Choose the slot that fits your agenda. Every format starts with a discovery call with your sales leadership, so the message lands as yours.
Opening keynote
Set the theme and the energy for the whole kickoff, with your company's language and goals woven into the story.
Closing keynote
Send reps back to the field with one clear message they will repeat in the first week of the quarter.
Keynote plus MC
Devon opens with the keynote, then hosts the rest of the program so every session connects back to one message.
Keynote plus leadership seminar
Pair the keynote with a half-day session for sales managers who need to carry the message into the year.
Virtual and hybrid kickoffs
For distributed sales teams, Devon delivers live on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and similar platforms.
Sales meetings and recognition events
The same approach works for national sales meetings, users conferences and events that celebrate your top performers.
What sales leaders say
Trusted at National Sales Meetings and Kickoffs
“Thank you for speaking at our National Sales Meeting in Montreal. The theme of the meeting was Breakthrough, so that we could focus the team on overcoming obstacles in the marketplace and delivering world-class results. Your story and message was ideal for the challenges that we were facing.”
Eyetech, National Sales Meeting
“Devon brings perspective from an incredible personal journey to reaching heights of performance many aspire to but few can attain. He brings an energy that leaves us feeling anything is possible with resiliency and determination.”
PayPal, Head of North America Inside Sales
“You delivered an inspiring message to a very sophisticated group from some of the largest employee benefit organizations in the U.S. 5 stars and high recommendations for anyone that may be considering you for a speaker event.”
Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, SVP, Head of A&H Sales, North America
“His energy, humor, and powerful storytelling left us feeling motivated and ready to push forward, no matter the obstacles. We couldn’t have asked for a more engaging and uplifting speaker to start our year!”
United Benefits
See Devon on stage
Watch Devon's Speaker Reel
About Devon Harris
From Olympic Gardens to the Olympic Games
Devon Harris grew up in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica, graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England and served as an officer in the Jamaica Defence Force, retiring as a Captain. He was an original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team whose story inspired the Disney film Cool Runnings, and he captained the 1992 and 1998 teams.
In 2018 the World Olympians Association named him an Olympian for Life. He is the author of Keep On Pushing: Hot Lessons From Cool Runnings and founder of the Keep On Pushing Foundation, and he has spent more than 20 years speaking to corporate, sales and association audiences on six continents.
Planning questions
Sales Kickoff Keynote Speaker FAQ
When should we book a sales kickoff keynote speaker?
Reach out 3 to 6 months before your kickoff. January and February kickoffs fall in the busiest season of the year, so earlier is better. For events inside 60 days, email speaker@devonharris.com to check short-notice availability.
Can Devon tailor the keynote to our kickoff theme?
Yes. Every keynote starts with a discovery call and Devon's pre-program questionnaire, so your theme, your terminology and your priorities are part of the talk. Eyetech's Breakthrough sales meeting, American Golf's Playing to Win meeting and IBM's Take Back Control conference all had their themes built into Devon's keynote.
How long is the keynote?
A typical keynote runs up to an hour including Q&A, and the length can be adjusted to fit your agenda. Devon often stays afterwards for photos and conversations with your team.
Can Devon also be the MC for our sales kickoff?
Yes. Many organizations book Devon to open with the keynote and then host the rest of the program as Master of Ceremonies. It keeps one voice and one message running through the whole kickoff and saves hiring two people.
Does Devon speak at virtual or hybrid sales meetings?
Yes. Devon delivers live virtual and hybrid keynotes on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and similar platforms, which works well for distributed and global sales teams.
What does it cost to book Devon as your sales kickoff keynote speaker?
Fees depend on the date, location and format, and on whether you add the MC role or a leadership seminar. Send your event details through the form on this page and Devon's team will reply with fee and availability, usually within 24 hours.
Which sales teams has Devon worked with?
Sales organizations at Adobe, PayPal, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and Eyetech, along with national sales meetings, users conferences and recognition events across financial services, technology, pharmaceuticals and hospitality.
Check availability
Check Devon's Availability for Your 2027 Sales Kickoff
Tell us your date, location and audience. Devon's team replies within 24 hours with availability, fee and format options.
✓ Keynote, keynote plus MC, or keynote plus seminar
✓ In person worldwide, virtual or hybrid
✓ Customized to your kickoff theme
Prefer to talk? Book a 15-minute discovery call
speaker@devonharris.com · 844-853-3766
Speaking inquiry: 2027 sales kickoff