Why Kelly?

Considering outside help for your business? Whether the challenge is management leadership, sales performance, or the need for strategic planning, Kelly’s track record with organizations is clear – he gets results.

Here are four reasons why Kelly may be the perfect choice for your organization:

“Kelly worked with our management team over a period of eighteen months. His 1-on-1 Management® training curriculum was a key factor in increasing the number of engaged employees at Wallace Engineering by 28% in that time frame. We heartily recommend Kelly to any company wishing to positively impact their company’s employee engagement.”
Tom Hendrick, COO, Wallace Engineering

1. An experienced coach and teacher

Being successful at something and being able to teach others how to do the same is two completely different skill sets. Kelly has documented success both as a salesperson and a sales manager; as a capable employee and as a manager and business owner. He is known as a successful teacher and coach, both in business and in sports.

It is his ability to connect with others, to teach critical skills, and to discern the barriers that prevent others from reaching their potential that sets Kelly apart as a resource for your organization.

Kelly has been working with our firm for about a year and half. Hired to work with our senior leadership, he has been working with us to improve communication and internal process efficiency through implementation of his 1-on-1 Management program. Kelly is an expert at finding the root cause of problems and developing a plan of attack to fix them. His honest, no-nonsense approach is tailored to our business. He coaches and communicates in a way that participants understand. I recommend Kelly for executive coaching for firms looking to improve communication and internal processes.”
Adam Kilbourne, CPSM, Director of Marketing at Tec, Inc.

2. A Strategic Viewpoint

Too many companies, managers, and salespeople struggle to solve organizational problems because they see only tactical solutions where systemic, organization-wide problems exist. One of Kelly’s primary strengths is a strategic perspective of organizations. This “big-picture” viewpoint, combined with the understanding of the need for standards, processes, and proper organizational structure, gives Kelly a unique vantage point from which to address systemic organizational problems.

“I have worked in companies in many industries, including Fortune 100 firms, and have never had an outside partner who could understand and unlock the inner DNA of an organization like Kelly. He cuts through the clutter, gets to the heart of the matter, and helps unlock the potential of an organization. Kelly is a refreshing change, and a partner who can help a firm be all it can be.”
M. Johnson, CMO, Lane Construction

3. A Business-Owner background

Having owned and operated several businesses, Kelly looks at any aspect of business from the perspective of the business owner: How does this issue impact the business at large? Sales trainers, for example, often teach salespeople how to be more effective in presenting a product solution, but do they teach them how to achieve higher margins, how to create plans and forecasts for future business development, and how to connect more effectively to the organization while achieving sales success? Successful business owners will appreciate Kelly’s implementation of performance standards, defined processes, and organizational alignment whether the application is at the enterprise level, in the department level, or the individual salesperson’s level.

“Kelly has been an instructor/seminar presenter for our Broken Arrow Business Institute multiple times and REPEATEDLY, attendee evaluations rank his presentations as ‘the best they have ever attended’. He has the ability to deliver information that they can understand, plans that they can take back to the office and implement, and his personality and ability to CONNECT with those attending, combined with the fact that he KNOWS what he is talking about…brings them back again and again. He also serves on our board for this education series; his ability to strategize, be objective and help us deliver a product of excellence for our business community has been invaluable. One word? AWESOME.”
Deb Marshall, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce

4. A Highly Regarded Speaker and Presenter

Kelly’s dynamic style and content-rich presentations consistently earn accolades and stellar evaluations from attendees. A veteran speaker who has presented to national and regional audiences all over the country, Kelly always inspires the audience. He uses the same approach on stage that he uses successfully in coaching individuals or groups, or training corporate management teams, or leading strategic planning initiatives.

“Kelly Riggs knows how to captivate, educate and inspire an audience in the creation of a culture of excellence in sales. I have had the pleasure of attending his presentations at small company venues, professional organizations, and large national conferences. He is a dynamic, energetic, and engaging speaker and his messages are timely and relevant to the specific audience.”
D. Birkes, VP Business Development, Flintco

Kelly's Bio

Kelly Riggs is an author, speaker, and business performance coach for executives and companies throughout the United States. He is widely recognized as a powerful speaker and dynamic trainer in the fields of leadership, sales development, and strategic planning.

He is also a former two-time national Salesperson-of-the-Year with over two decades of sales management and sales training experience, including the development of two corporate sales training programs in two different industries.

Kelly is also the founder and president of Vmax Performance Group, a business performance improvement company located in Broken Arrow, OK that develops people-focused managers and high-performance salespeople.

Kelly has written extensively for numerous industry publications, and his first book, “1-on-1 Management™: What Every Great Manager Knows That You Don’t,” was released in 2008. His second book, “Quit Whining and Start SELLING: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Hall of Fame Career in Sales” was released in May 2013.

Presentations and Affiliations

Kelly has spoken to industry and trade groups across the country, including the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS), the Associated General Contractors of America, the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), the Construction Industry Round Table (CIRT), the National Council of Structural Engineering Associations, and many other local and regional associations.

Affiliations: American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), Junior Achievement (Board Member), The Associated General Contractors of America, Tulsa Chamber of Commerce, Broken Arrow Chamber of Commerce.

Keynote Presentations

Quit Whining and Start SELLING!

Have you ever noticed that when a salesperson wins a sale, it’s because he or she is good at what they do, BUT, when they lose a sale, it’s because the economy stinks? Or the company’s marketing isn’t very good. Or, the product needs to be updated. Or some other nonsense. The reality is that most salespeople are average, and they are so because they don’t have some of the critical skills salespeople MUST possess in order to succeed. In this presentation, you will discover three critical skills every successful salesperson must have. (Audience: CEOs, Sales Managers, Sales Executives, Business Development Professionals, and Salespeople of every kind).

Coaching for Leaders: How to Transform Potential into Performance

Harold Geneen said, “Words are words…but only performance is reality.” The question is, how do you get the very best from your employees? How do you transform potential into performance? Without question, coaching skills are critical, just as they are in any sport. In this presentation, you will discover the keys to employee coaching and performance improvement, and learn how they relate to the all-important concept of employee engagement. (Audience: Executives and Managers at all levels)

“Kelly Riggs knows how to captivate, educate and inspire an audience in the creation of a culture of excellence in sales. I have had the pleasure of attending his presentations at small company venues, professional organizations and large national conferences. He is a dynamic energetic and engaging speaker and his messages are timely and relevant to the specific audience. When I served as president of a marketing organization I sought Kelly out to speak at our national convention. He has since been asked back by our organization several times and is consistently ranked by attendees as one of the best speakers on marketing and sales in the country.”

Dana Birkes, VP Business Development, Flintco

The Blame Stops Here: How to Create a Culture of Accountability

The one crippling issue common to organizations of all sizes and complexities is the unwillingness or inability to address performance issues. Organizations don’t know how to create accountability, and the evidence is typically found in failed or failing performance management systems. In this presentation, you will discover why employees don’t take ownership of their work performance and you will learn a process for creating a culture accountability in an organization of any size. (Audience: CEOs, Business Owners, Corporate Executives, HR Executives, Managers at all levels)

Winning Business in a Losing Economy: 4 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

In the current soft economy, leaders face hard choices: how to sustain or increase market share, how to create a competitive edge, how to adapt to a rapidly moving target – even how to survive. These issues demand immediate attention, but, unfortunately, the solutions are often difficult to find because the problems are systemic; i.e., they are ingrained into the leadership practices of companies that have previously relied almost exclusively on technical competence for their success.

Leadership must address four critical areas in order to create stability, unlock innovation, and provide the potential to successfully deal with the many challenges currently facing.  (Audience: CEOs, Business Owners, Corporate Executives, Executive Sales Managers)

The Top 10 Mistakes Made by Average Salespeople

An eye-opener for sales and business development people at every level, learn ten common mistakes that prevent salespeople from reaching their potential. (Audience: Sales Managers, Salespeople, Business Owners.)