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Sales kickoff keynote · Booking 2027
Sales keynote speaker for your 2027 kickoff
Your kickoff sets the pace for the whole year. Three-time Olympian Devon Harris gives your reps a simple way to own their number, recover fast from a lost deal and push together from week one.
119%
Adobe Digital Sales finished a historically slow Q3 at 119% of target after Devon's keynote.Client-reported, Adobe Digital Sales Organization
Kickoff season
January and February kickoffs book first. Reach out 3 to 6 months before your kickoff.
Check your dateSee Devon on stage
The 90-second sales kickoff preview
What sales teams need after the applause fades: a way to respond when pressure hits. Devon explains how The Sales Reset uses his 3R System to help teams win the next deal, the next quarter and the next year.
Filmed minutes after Devon left the stage
Why sales leaders book Devon
A sales 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.
Client-reported result
“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.”
The keynote
The Sales ResetHow high performers regroup, refocus and win the next run
Built on Devon's 3R System and adapted to your market, your numbers and your kickoff theme. Each step is tied to a moment your reps will hit this year.
01
When the territory, the market or the roadmap won't cooperate
Responsibility
Own the number, not the excuse. Reps learn to focus on the activity they control.
02
When a deal you counted on is lost
Reframe
Turn a lost deal into information. A setback becomes the next coaching conversation instead of a reason for the pipeline to stall.
03
After a bad call, a bad week or a bad quarter
Reset
Win the next run. Put it behind you and get back to the next opportunity fast.
Every step
When reps, managers, sales engineers and customer success need one rhythm
Push Together
Selling is a team sport. Like a four-man bobsled crew, the whole revenue team has to move in sync to hit the number.
Your managers keep the language going after the kickoff, in pipeline reviews and one-on-ones.
Check 2027 kickoff datesBuilt around your kickoff
Your kickoff theme, built into his story
Sales leaders worry about a canned talk. Every keynote starts with Devon's pre-event survey and a prep call with your sales leadership, so your theme, your terms and your priorities are part of it.
Themes Devon has built into his keynote
- BreakthroughEyetech National Sales Meeting, Montreal
- Playing to WinAmerican Golf meeting
- Take Back ControlIBM conference
- Pre-event surveyYour audience, your theme and what you want reps to do differently. See the survey
- Prep call with DevonHe talks with your sales leadership and picks up the details the room will recognize.
- Your kickoff on stageYour theme and your goals run through the story and the 3R System.
Where Devon fits
Built into your kickoff agenda
Pick the slot that fits your program. Every format starts with a discovery call with your sales leadership.
Day one, general session
Opening keynote
Set the theme and the energy for the whole kickoff, with your company's language and goals woven into the story.
Across the program
Keynote plus MC
Devon opens with the keynote, then hosts the rest of the program so every session connects back to one message.
Manager session
Keynote plus leadership seminar
A half-day session for sales managers who need to carry the message into the year.
Final session
Closing keynote
Send reps back to the field with one clear message they will repeat in the first week of the quarter.
Virtual and hybrid kickoffs
Live on Zoom, Microsoft Teams and similar platforms, for distributed and global sales teams.
Sales meetings and recognition events
National sales meetings, users conferences and events that celebrate your top performers.
Length and fee
Up to an hour including Q&A, adjusted to your agenda. Fees are quoted for your date, location and format. Ask for Devon's fee
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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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!”
Planning questions
Sales keynote speaker FAQ
What sales leaders and event teams ask before they book. Anything else, ask Devon's team.
About Devon Harris
Raised in Olympic Gardens in Kingston, Jamaica. Graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and a former Captain in the Jamaica Defence Force. Original member of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team that inspired Cool Runnings, and captain in 1992 and 1998. Author of Keep On Pushing: Hot Lessons From Cool Runnings.
When should we book a sales keynote speaker for our kickoff?
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. See Devon as Master of Ceremonies.
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 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.
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. See the client list.
Check availability
Planning a 2027 kickoff? Check Devon's dates.
Five quick fields. Tell us your date and a little about your team, and Devon's team will come back to you with availability, fees and format options.
- Send your dateEvent date, company and anything we should know about your kickoff.
- Talk with Devon's teamA short call to confirm the format, the audience and your goals for the year.
- Get a keynote built for your kickoffThe pre-event survey and prep call shape The Sales Reset around your theme.
Prefer to talk now? Call 844-853-3766 or email speaker@devonharris.com.