Ted McKenna

Business Leader, Advisor & Co-Author of "The JOLT Effect"

Travels From Travels From:
Chicago, IL, USA
Speaking Fee Speaking Fee:
REQUEST BOOKING INFORMATION

Ted McKenna Biography

Ted McKenna is a master in helping organizations overcome customer indecision, a problem that plagues all lines of business. McKenna draws on a first of a kind study of over two and half millions sales calls to deliver ground breaking research on how to overcome the dreaded “I don’t know” with his signature JOLT Effect.

McKenna has held executive leadership positions in product, strategy, research, advisory, and enablement for Tethr, Russell Reynolds Associates, and CEB (now, a part of Gartner). An accomplished sales and customer experience researcher whose work has appeared in the pages of Harvard Business Review, McKenna’s most recent work focused on mining unstructured conversational data using advanced data science and leading AI/ML tools to build models, scores, and behavioral frameworks.

BOOK Ted McKenna

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 01/19/2024.

Ted McKenna Speaking Topics

  • THE JOLT EFFECT: HOW HIGH PERFORMERS OVERCOME CUSTOMER INDECISION

    From the bestselling co-author of The Challenger Sale, a paradigm-shattering approach to overcoming customer indecision and closing more sales. In sales, the worst thing you can hear from a customer isn’t “no.” It’s “I need to think about it.” When this happens, deeply entrenched business advice says to double down on your efforts to sell a buyer on all the ways they might win by choosing you and your business. But this approach backfires dramatically. Why?

    Because it completely gets wrong the primary driver behind purchasing decision-making: once purchase intent is established, customers no longer care about succeeding. What they really care about is not failing.

    For years, sales expert Ted McKenna has been busting longstanding business myths. Now in The JOLT Effect, he and co-author Matt Dixon turn their trademark analysis and latest research to the vital and growing problem of customer indecision—and offer a shocking new approach that turns conventional wisdom on its head.

    Drawing on a brand-new, first-of-its-kind study of more than two and a half million sales conversations from across industries, they reveal the surprising truth that high-performing sales reps grasp and their average-performing peers don’t: only by addressing the customer’s fear of failure can you get indecisive buyers to go from verbally committing to actually pulling the trigger. Packed with robust data, counterintuitive insights, and practical guidance, The JOLT Effect is the playbook for any salesperson or sales leader who wants to close the gap between customer intent and action—and close more sales.

  • THE RAINMAKER GENOME PROJECT: THE REVOLUTIONARY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TOP PARTNERS USE TO ENGAGE TODAY'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CLIENTS

    There is a growing problem in professional services that is often acknowledged but rarely discussed openly: clients—even long-standing ones for whom firms have delivered unquestioned value in the past—are much less loyal to firms and partners than they once were. Today’s clients are far less likely to choose a partner or firm with which they have a pre-existing relationship, even a long-standing one. For the vast majority of partners, this dramatic shift in client buying behavior spells trouble: the traditional business development approaches they’ve long relied on have not just become unproductive, they’re now counter-productive to the goal of building a healthy, sustainable book of business.

    But top performers have figured out a different, surprising approach that is redefining what it means to be a rainmaker in today’s professional services market. Based on the world’s first in-depth, quantitative study of professional services partners, The Rainmaker Genome Project identifies five statistically-defined types of partners—Experts, Confidants, Activators, Debaters and Realists—and shows how and why only one these partner profiles–Activators–are able to drive consistent growth in the modern client buying environment. The Rainmaker Genome Project provides the roadmap for any professional services partner or firm leader looking to chart a path to greater client retention, revenue growth and firm profitability in the new era of client disloyalty.

Ted McKenna Videos

  • Ted McKenna JOLT Effect Keynote Presentation Sample
  • Ted McKenna | Jolt Effect | Virtual Sample - YouTube
    Ted McKenna is an accomplished sales and customer experience researcher whose work has ...

Ted McKenna Books

  • The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision
    The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision

FAQs on booking Ted McKenna

  • How do I book Ted McKenna to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Ted McKenna for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Ted McKenna, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Ted McKenna or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Ted McKenna

    Speaking fees for Ted McKenna, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Ted McKenna are for live events and for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Ted McKenna, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Ted McKenna speak about?

    Ted McKenna is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Business, Business Coaching, Business Leadership, Consulting, Customer Experience, Sales.
  • Where does Ted McKenna travel from?

    Ted McKenna generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Ted McKenna’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Ted McKenna for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Ted McKenna for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Ted McKenna or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Ted McKenna is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as THE JOLT EFFECT: HOW HIGH PERFORMERS OVERCOME CUSTOMER INDECISION and THE RAINMAKER GENOME PROJECT: THE REVOLUTIONARY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT APPROACH TOP PARTNERS USE TO ENGAGE TODAY'S PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CLIENTS. The estimated speaking fee range to book Ted McKenna for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Ted McKenna generally travels from Chicago, IL, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Dan Gingiss, Erica Dhawan, Eric Boles, Patrick Galvin and Don Peppers. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Ted McKenna for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

TOP