Nobody Hires a Keynote Speaker for the ROI

You know what I think is interesting. When I’m brought in to do a kickoff keynote, or even do a training program for a front-line team or revenue leadership group, the ROI is NEVER the reason.

I’m a CSP (Certified Speaking Professional) member of the National Speakers Association. I read and follow a lot of individuals on LinkedIn who write tips and techniques. However, the one thing that comes up quite often that I tend to disagree with is this: The idea that the CFO holds all the cards, to me at least, has never been the case in this world.  

Antonio Damasio’s quote from ~ 30 years ago continues to be correct in that,

“We’re not thinking machines that feel. We’re feeling machines that think.”

When I get hired for an engagement, the reason is never my “ability to shrink sales cycles, improve win rates, reduce discounting…” or whatever.

It’s usually 1-4 of the following “feelings”:

“We need someone from the outside to say what leadership has been saying” 

External validation, backed by research and evidence, that helps reinforce the philosophies the leadership team is driving.  It’s rare that I’m brought in to replace some leadership philosophy to raise results…I mean, why would a leader do that?

“Make everyone look good”

There is so much time, money, and organizational energy invested in events. The big win is when the planners and sponsors know that the person they’re bringing in won’t suck. They won’t be memorable for the wrong reasons. They’ll be part of the reason why, “That was a great event!” versus “what I’ll always remember is how awful that speaker was.”

“Challenge us without an air of superiority”

There’s a fine line between pandering to an organization versus telling an organization they suck. They are investing in order to shape behavior. They’re often trying to predict whether you’re going to say, “You suck. Here’s what you should be doing” or delivering that leads to the fix with stories, evidence, respect, and humor.

“It’s got to be useful beyond just the sales team”

These kickoffs are not just sales kickoffs, and not even just revenue kickoffs. There are partners, leaders from across the organizations, sometimes even customers in the audience. I’m finding more often that the value of bringing something that connects the dots across the organization and/or go-to-market ecosystem is the win. 

So don’t get all wound up around providing the ROI. We use that sort of data to justify a decision our brain has already made, not to make the decision itself. We are feeling machines that think!

Todd Caponi, CSP® is a multi-time C-Level sales leader, a behavioral science and sales history nerd, and has led through two companies with successful exits. He now speaks and teaches revenue organizations and their leaders on leveraging transparency and decision science to maximize their revenue capacity as Principal of Sales Melon LLC. He’s the author of two previous award-winning books, The Transparency Sale and The Transparent Sales Leader. His newly released book is Four Levers Negotiating: The Simple, Counterintuitive Way to Higher Deal Values and Lasting Trust (Matt Holt Books, Jan. 27, 2026). Learn more at toddcaponi.com.