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Speaking & Training

Not a motivational speech.
Real work with real teams.

Every talk Darrin delivers is built from 27 years of actually doing it — at Oracle, IBM, Demandware, Alteryx, and beyond. No theory. No frameworks invented in a conference room. Just what works, and why, delivered in a way your team can use the next morning.

25
Years at the highest level of enterprise sales
Top 1%
Sales performer across multiple organizations
5
Core talks available — keynote to full day
Award winner — VP, AE, and Manager of the Year
"I believe anyone who genuinely wants to learn can succeed in sales. My job is to show them how."
The Talks

Train Like the Top 1%

From a forty-five minute keynote to a full training day — and one-on-one mentoring for reps who need real-time help. Every engagement is customized to your team, your industry, and what you are trying to solve.

02
Full-Day Training Experience — Most Popular
The Full-Day Sales Training Experience
Built from 27 Years of Doing It, Not Theorizing About It

A complete training day built around the principles in Sell the Hole, Not the Drill — working through mindset, discovery, demos, objections, negotiation, follow-up, and closing in a format that is interactive, practical, and immediately applicable. Every participant leaves with tools they can use in their very next conversation. This is not a day of slides and lectures. It is a day of real work.

Perfect for:Sales Kickoffs, Offsites, New Team Onboarding
Length:Full day — 6 to 8 hours
Format:Workshop with exercises, role plays, and live coaching
03
Team Meeting · QBR · Onboarding
Stop Pitching. Start Educating.
How to Sell Without Selling

Buyers have been conditioned to tune out anything that feels like a pitch. This talk covers how the best reps flip the dynamic — from presenting to educating, from pushing to guiding — and why that shift is the single biggest unlock for sustained sales performance. Practical, immediately applicable, and built for teams who want to change how they show up in every conversation.

Perfect for:QBRs, Team Meetings, New Rep Onboarding
Length:30–60 minutes
Format:Keynote or lunch-and-learn
04
QBR · Sales Kickoff · IC Audiences
The President's Club Math
How to Build a System That Gets You to 150% of Plan

Most reps work hard. The ones who make President's Club work smart — with a system. This talk breaks down the exact math from quota to weekly activity targets, the daily rhythm that top performers follow, and why persistence without a system is just noise. Includes a live math exercise where every rep leaves knowing exactly what their weekly number needs to be.

Perfect for:QBRs, SKOs, Individual Contributor Audiences
Length:30–60 minutes
Format:Workshop with live math exercise
05
Enterprise Sales · Account Management · Leadership
Trust and the Real Reason Deals Stall
Why Buyers Stop Returning Your Calls

Deals rarely die because of product gaps. They die because the buyer never fully trusted the person across the table. This talk covers how trust is built — and how it is lost — and what the best reps do in every single interaction to make sure the buyer feels understood rather than managed. One of the most powerful conversations a sales team can have.

Perfect for:Enterprise Teams, Account Management, Sales Leadership
Length:45–60 minutes
Format:Keynote or workshop
06
For Individual Reps
One-on-One Mentoring Sessions
Real Advice. Real Time. For the Rep Who Wants to Break Through.

Sometimes you do not need a training day — you need a conversation. A live one-on-one session with Darrin built around your specific situation: a deal that is stalling, a prospect you cannot read, a negotiation you are walking into tomorrow, or a career move you are trying to figure out. Darrin has had hundreds of these conversations over 27 years. This is the one that could change everything for you.

Perfect for:AEs, SDRs, and Sales Managers who are stuck, in a live deal, or ready to level up
Length:45–60 minutes
Format:Live video call — one rep, one conversation, real answers
Ideal Events

The right fit for every format.

Darrin speaks at a wide range of events — from large-scale sales kickoffs to intimate team training days. Every engagement is customized to your audience and goals.

Sales Kickoffs

Set the tone for the year with a keynote that gives your team a framework they will come back to all year long. Perfect for SKOs of any size.

Quarterly Business Reviews

Bring a mid-year energy reset with practical content that connects directly to the metrics your team is being measured on right now.

Revenue Summits

A keynote that works for a mixed audience of reps, managers, and revenue leaders — everyone leaves with something actionable.

New Rep Onboarding

Give new reps the foundation they need from day one — the mindset, the habits, and the framework that separates the people who last from the ones who do not.

Sales Leadership Development

A session for managers and leaders on how to coach the behaviors that actually drive performance — not just the numbers on a dashboard.

Executive Offsites

A high-level conversation for senior leaders about building a sales culture where the best people stay, grow, and win consistently.

What Is Included

Every engagement is built for your team.

  • Pre-Engagement Discovery Call
    A call before every engagement to understand your team's specific challenges, current performance gaps, and what you are trying to solve — so the content is relevant from the first minute.
  • Customized Content
    Every talk is tailored to your industry, your audience level, and the specific outcomes you are working toward. No generic decks.
  • Signed Books for Every Attendee
    Optional add-on — a signed copy of Sell the Hole, Not the Drill for every participant. Turns a great day into something they keep and reference.
  • Post-Engagement Follow-Up
    For full-day training engagements — a thirty-minute follow-up session with leadership four to six weeks later to review what is sticking and what needs reinforcement.
Ready to Book
Let's talk about your team.

Whether you are planning a sales kickoff, a QBR, or a full training day — reach out and let's have a conversation about what your team needs and what that looks like.

Darrin responds to every inquiry personally.

What People Say

Real feedback from real teams.

"

This was the most practical sales training I've ever attended. No fluff — just real things I could use the next day. In our team survey, this session was the highest rated, and many asked how we could book more time with Darrin.

James Kelly  ·  Director of Enablement
SaaS Company
"

I became acquainted with Darrin 25+ years ago as we both cut our teeth in the depths of the IBM sales discipline. What always stood out to me about Darrin is his relentless focus to unearth the real pain the prospect is experiencing and then carefully illustrate how he can help diminish such pain. Darrin embraces every challenge like it's a new Rubik's cube, using persistent and varying techniques to drive at solutions that previously seemed elusive. He possesses a perfect blend of determination and consultative value that transforms hesitant prospects into long-term strategic partners. If you are looking for force multiplication in your life's work, I strongly urge you to find a way to get to know Darrin.

Todd Tremaglio  ·  Global Leader of Deal Solutions & Pricing
Technology Cloud Company
"

Throughout my career, I've worked alongside many successful sales professionals, each with their own style and approach. What has always set Darrin DeStasio apart is his disciplined, customer-centric methodology. Darrin's focus on thoughtful outreach, customer success, and strategic expansion has consistently driven exceptional results. During our time together as Vice Presidents at Oracle, Darrin was someone I regularly turned to for advice, fresh ideas, and guidance on developing high-performing sales teams. When we later worked together at Alteryx, I had the opportunity to see his approach in action once again as he became one of the top-performing account executives in the company. His success was never based on shortcuts, built on preparation, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to helping customers achieve their goals. As a leader, Darrin generously shared his expertise, helping build sales programs and teaching prospecting techniques that benefited teams across the organization. The principles he shares in this book are grounded in real-world success and years of proven results. If you apply Darrin's methods, you will significantly increase your chances of success in sales and leadership alike.

Derek Bates  ·  SVP of Sales, Americas
Technology Company
"

Darrin was one of the most influential mentors in my early sales career. When we worked together at Alteryx, he taught me that great sales isn't about pitching features, it's about understanding what matters to each person you're speaking with and communicating value in a way that resonates. He invested countless hours helping me refine my approach, develop executive-level conversations, and build the confidence to run my own sales cycles. Beyond the skills he taught me, Darrin consistently advocated for my growth and opened doors that accelerated my career. The success I've achieved since, including earning Presidents Club alongside him, is due in no small part to his guidance, mentorship, and friendship.

John Palardy  ·  Senior Account Executive
Enterprise Software
Common Questions

Everything you need to know before booking.

How far in advance should I book?
For keynotes and single-session talks, two to four weeks is typically enough lead time. For full-day training engagements, four to six weeks is ideal so there is sufficient time for the pre-engagement call and content customization. For Sales Kickoffs and large events, earlier is always better.
Are engagements available virtually?
Yes — Darrin is available for both in-person and virtual engagements. Virtual sessions are delivered live, not pre-recorded, and are structured to maintain the same energy and interactivity as an in-person event.
Can the content be customized for our industry?
Absolutely — every engagement is customized. The pre-engagement call covers your team's specific challenges, the industry you sell into, the personas your reps face, and what you are trying to move. The content is tailored accordingly so it lands as relevant from the first minute, not generic.
What size teams do you work with?
Darrin works with teams of all sizes — from small, focused groups of five to ten AEs all the way to company-wide sales events of several hundred people. The format adapts based on size, but the content remains practical and specific regardless of audience scale.
Do you offer a book bundle with training engagements?
Yes — signed copies of Sell the Hole, Not the Drill can be included as a leave-behind for every attendee. This is available as an add-on for any engagement. Having the book in hand after a training day dramatically increases how much sticks — participants can go back to the specific chapters most relevant to what they heard.

Ready to move the needle for your team?

Reach out to check availability, discuss your event, and talk through what the right format looks like for your team. Darrin responds to every inquiry personally.

Helping sales professionals win. Helping kids eat.
One book at a time.