Kevin Kelly
- Speaks Worldwide at Conferences Focusing on Leadership, Sales, Storytelling and Execution
- The Xceptional Sales Leader
Travels From
Ireland
Kevin Kelly Speaker Biography
Kevin Kelly is an internationally acclaimed Speaker, best-selling author and expert on Sales, Leadership, Storytelling and Execution.
His focus is on moving organisations, large and small to Do!, to execute, and to move in the direction of their dreams and vision.
Unlike speakers who communicate a message, Kevin is the message. He lives, breathes and sleeps the DO! ethos every day of his
From the age of six, Kevin was selling in his family retail environment. On graduating with a Marketing degree Kevin, consistently broke sales records in each of companies he worked for culminating in him being continuously head hunted. Finally in 1990 (after being offered a job by an Italian business man who couldn’t speak English) Kevin honoured his entrepreneurial DNA and set up his own company, Advanced Marketing. The company dedicated itself initially to increasing the sales of small and medium businesses in addition to exhaustively researching the area of personal and business potential.
In 1996 Kevin committed to writing a Best Selling book on motivation – the first of its kind on the Irish market – even though he had a poor academic record in English, had no background in writing and was written off by the self-proclaimed experts before he even began.
“How? When You Don’t Know How” sold 15,000 copies, an unparalleled feat for Ireland, and Kevin learned a very valuable lesson in terms of Doing and execution: knowledge may give you enough reasons not to act but Do! it anyway and be prepared to end up in a place you recognise and accept as better than your starting point. This book became the foundation on which he built his international speaking career.
Since then he has written four more books, including the first ever graphic novel which aims to educate the next generation on the key skills of emotional intelligence.
His most recent book is the critically acclaimed “DO! The Pursuit of Xceptional Execution”, in which he uncovers the success strategies of the Leaders of some of the most exciting start-ups on the planet. Tom Peters described it as “the book I would have loved to have written.
”Staying true to his Irish roots, Kevin is a master storyteller who has worked around the world with Fortune 500 companies and prestigious associations like the Million Dollar Round Table. He has consulted with some of the biggest brands on the planet, including Microsoft, for whom he developed a unique video series for their World Wide Partner Community.
“Working with Kevin on our Xceptional Execution Video series was a fantastic experience. He is passionate, committed, creative and cooperative. The feedback was excellent. Meanwhile his 92.5% speaker satisfaction rating at the World Partner Conference in July 2015 speaks for itself.”
Margie Gradwohl, Senior Product Marketing Manager,
Kevin’s keynotes consistently deliver an interactive conversation that engages, informs, inspires and empowers attendees with a toolbox of invaluable takeaways. His consultancy projects are built on delivering results for you. You set the agenda, and Kevin works with you and your team to address your specific challenges and reach your stated goals.
In 2016 he created the first ever Speaker Summit in Ireland where six of this colleagues from around the globe taught potential and existing speakers the A-Z of the Speaking profession. This was followed with another first in 2017 – the first conference on Storytelling and Sales.Kevin is currently researching his new book on that topic and also in consultations with VR/AR companies on how to share his knowledge in new ways.
Is it your time to DO! and work with one of the most compelling voices in the marketplace?
To book business speaker Kevin Kelly call Executive Speakers Bureau at 800-754-9404.
How an ordinary idea is the new WOW … if you execute
Aspiring entrepreneurs face many challenges before taking that vital first step, not least the intimidating myths that they must be a stand-out visionary, have a unique idea and work to a detailed, all-worked-out-in-advance business plan. Another factor, according to the Global Entrepreneurial Monitor, is that everyone deep inside has a fear of failure, cited as the number one reason why people fail to act upon their entrepreneurial dreams and ideas. In this keynote using his methodology of Xceptional Execution, Kevin Kelly highlights what makes startups and their leaders -which he dubs the “Xceptionalists” - succeed beyond all odds. Kevin uses cutting edge business cases such as Dwolla, Globant, Outfit 7 and Balsamiq to show that success doesn’t depend on the normal factors, moreover, it depends on your ability to execute with Xception.
Takeaways:
- How the Xceptionalists faced and moved with their fears to create compelling businesses and brands.
- Why self-development is the key to attracting the right team.
- Why knowledge can sometimes stand in the way of progress.
- The customer is no longer – focus on building friendships, not customer relationships.
- How to craft and deliver a winning pitch.
Lead like you live it
In the leadership vacuum that exists around the world, it’s a challenge to find an Xceptional role model. In this keynote Kevin Kelly challenges future leaders to be the message, not just to communicate one. Using his methodology of Xceptional Execution, Kevin highlights how to mirror the mindset, attitudes and success strategies of the outstanding Xceptionalists he interviewed for his book “Do: the pursuit of Xceptional Execution.” From these exclusive interviews and over two decades working with companies, Kevin distils the attributes of the modern leader and shows how to create leaders at all levels.
Takeaways:
- How the creation of an empowering culture starts with yourself? And how it is the key to developing, attracting and retaining top talent
- How to get your message across in an attention deficit society?
- How the power of friendships can help build your business?
- ROI – Return on Intuition – why you shouldn’t dismiss the entrepreneur’s language?
- Why you should see value in values and show patience in vision?
The Innovation Fairy Tale ...
When people use the word innovation in corporate circles too often it conjures up the image of a Yogi levitating or a giant apple falling on someone’s head. This myth has helped to put innovation and creativity into the margins of business – as “their job!” The reality is that innovation/creativity comes through Xceptional Execution of an ordinary idea - no AHA moment, no levitating, oftentimes no WOW. Drawing on Kevin’s research with some of the most compelling new brands on the planet, participants will see that the new innovation is no more than incremental improvement of an existing idea; and in all modern organizations, everybody can contribute.
Takeaways:
- What is Xceptional Execution?
- What made the difference in the Xceptionalist’s businesses?
- How creativity and innovation is everybody’s business?
- How culture is key to unleashing the creative juices of your organization?
- The power of communication in the creativity process.
Have no fear ... the future is no different than the past
The future tends to be positioned as a mini Armageddon - the general wisdom is that things will be different ... dramatically different. Well actually NO! The facts are two key variables critical to the success of your business remain the same. The challenges continue to be around people, how to leverage their potential, and the ever decreasing window to engage them. And secondly, the need for change to be part of the corporate culture, interwoven into the fabric of the organization.
Takeaways:
- No need to predict the future, it is now!
- The challenges and opportunities of an attention deficit society.
- DNA – the building block of customer and employee engagement.
- Lead like you live it and create an Xceptional culture.
- How to address the fear factor in the long term?
- Seeing beyond the chaos - the need for vision.
The paranoid’s guide to Xceptional Customer Service
Customer retention is the challenge for most businesses. A more informed and distracted customer requires a new approach to service if you want to build a more sustainable business. In this keynote Kevin highlights the elements behind a successful and Xceptional customer service culture.
Takeaways
- 10bn brain cells yet people are predictable - how to connect.
- The importance of building friendships, not customer relationships.
- Become a paranoid – every moment counts.
- Think consultant, not customer service rep.
- Why you should get them complaining or watch them leave!
- If you are good, guarantee it!
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