Philip Hesketh

The advertising agency business is at once insanely-competitive and cruelly punishing, known more for its many crash and burn failures than inspirational success stories. Philip grew his agency from a standing start to annual billings of over £48m in just 17 years.

The UK based agency employed over 150 people and enjoyed consistent growth with clients such as the BBC, Nestle, Walt Disney, General Accident and HSBC.

Philip gets it because he’s lived it and when he exited, he did so on his  terms, and with three extraordinary things in mind. Remarkably, he’s  accomplished them all. Mostly. Number three could fairly be called a work in progress but one he never tires of.

Three Extraordinary Next Steps Followed.

First, he set out to become the best speaker on the planet. Results that are measured by well over 1,000 paid speaking engagements in 17 years in over 20 countries across the world. In an industry where many speakers aspire but only a select few thrive, he has achieved remarkable worldwide success.

Second, determined to write a best selling book, he finished up writing two. ‘How to Persuade and Influence People’ and ‘Persuade’ are both Amazon number one best sellers. Worldwide sensations and labours of love, he shares proven techniques and the lessons learned over his life and extraordinary business career.

And third, to change the weather in February.

And he has! Sadly, not for all of us, but as he says with a smile “I’ve changed it for me!” By buying a plane ticket, spending February and March in the antipodes for the past 17 years and entertaining audiences in sunny Australia and New Zealand.

Prepare to Be Entertained – and Inspired.

Positive audience and client response to Philip’s engagements can’t be overstated. Many calling it the most truly entertaining  and invaluable presentation in their memory, while countless reviews describe it as wildly-funny, thought-provoking, authentic and simply inspirational.

Participants emphasise the clear benefits they received after listening to Philip – citing a new ability to sell more, successfully establish value, hold a higher price, and to strengthen and deepen customer and personal relationships with a greater confidence and success.

Most inspiring, however, are the tangible real-world takeaways such as the introduction of proven techniques to persuade and influence, and exposure to Philip’s 50 Killer Questions arming us with the capability to more successfully control our conversations on and off the job.

Success and Recognition – On His Terms.

Business success on all levels; as Procter & Gamble Salesman of The Year and growing his advertising agency, Advertising Principles, from the ground up to billings of £48m with 17 years of continuous growth through turbulent cycles, with steady, nurturing leadership and people-centric management.

With two Amazon number one best sellers and more in the pipeline he’s committed to sharing his rare insights. Using multimedia platforms, inspiring readers and audiences with real world takeaways that increase sales, hold high prices, persuade, influence, control conversations and strengthen relationships.

An extraordinary body of work has earned Philip Hesketh rare recognition. Today he is the current holder of Vistage UK’s ‘Outstanding Performer’, ‘Most Requested Speaker’ and TEC Australia’s ‘Overseas Speaker of The year’ awards and is a Visiting Fellow of Newcastle University.’

Here are five examples of Philip’s recent Keynote talks:

The Psychology of Influence:

Through understanding our ‘Psychological Drivers’ we learn to persuade and influence people through asking Philip’s ‘Killer Questions’. Delegates from all walks of life go away from this session with a deeper understanding of how to influence people, what to do to improve all their relationships and a smile on their faces. An inspiring Keynote with real ‘Can-use-tomorrow’ tips to improve business development.

The Good-to-Great Graduation:

The only thing that’s constant is change. A challenging but highly amusing look at what happened to The Roman Empire, the floppy disk, Gerald Ratner, Poundworld and The Beatles ~ and what companies and individuals need to do to ensure they move from Good-to-Great.

How to Hold High Prices and Charge Higher Fees:

One of Philip’s increasingly popular Keynote talks on how and why people pay a premium, and how to make them feel good about paying a high price. An amusing Keynote talk with wry observations on business class travel, luxury goods and premium brands with a whole new way of looking at pricing strategy and the concept of ‘WIN-WIN’. This Keynote talk is guaranteed to leave audiences with a more purposeful and practical view on business relationships, the difference between negotiating and discounting and his famous ‘Three Question Technique’ to charge the right fee.

How to Delight Your Clients and Customers:

How do you maximise income from current clients and have them delighted at what they have bought? Through understanding the psychology behind ‘Do you want fries with that?’, the psychology of how we choose and the role of the word ‘enough’, Philip offers well-researched techniques that increase average order value and have your clients and customers not only choosing what you want them to choose, but leaving them feeling that they have chosen.

How to Get New Clients and Customers:

Philip has a first class track record in advertising in getting new clients and in this talk he gives real, can-use-today methods to gain new clients using tried and trusted tips and techniques such as “I saw this and thought of you”, “Show me you know me” and “Would you like the other half?”

“Phil’s naturally engaging style and semi comedic story telling captivated the audience for 90 minutes and delivered many highly relevant and though provoking messages. Simplifying the pseudo complex and focusing on the key issues is Phil’s skill. Would use Phil again in a heartbeat.  Essity UK

“Several weeks on I continue to receive great feedback from our Partners. A powerful and thought provoking session which delivered in spades against our objectives for the day.”  St. James's Place Wealth Management

”Absolutely first class.”  Johnsons Cleaners

“Many thanks for a great presentation – everyone has been saying that you were the best speaker we have ever had. If I can be of help nominating you for ‘best speaker in the world’ please let me know”  Conlons Opticians

“I was learning and laughing out loud at the same time. The man’s a star”  HSBC

“Insightful, thought-provoking and the ‘Killer Questions made it practical and useful. It was a lot of fun too.”  Cohort plc

“A high value message which has really helped our partners build their business and become trusted advisors. The feedback was truly outstanding and was so good we had him back for 2nd session, which was equally compelling. Because he takes the time to understand your business his message is absolutely appropriate and relevant. A very entertaining, engaging and valuable speaker.”  St. James's Place Wealth Management

“The Peter Kay of the business world”  Conwy County Borough Council

“Probably the most useful morning I have ever spent.”  Akzo Nobel

“A perfectly executed presentation to our senior management team that was not only thought provoking and strategic, it was hugely beneficial to our staff. He captivated our attention with his unique style which was humorous and very inspirational. Phil is a true professional and would recommend him to anyone.”  Covers

“That’s my boy.”  Mrs Vera Hesketh, Ashton-Under-Lyne

“Phil’s ‘Killer Questions’ were a real revelation and have helped the whole team improve client relationships, increase loyalty and gave everyone a new level of confidence.”  UAP

“Captivating, dynamic, inspirational and hilarious at the same time. Our audience was really impressed with Phil’s thought provoking and strategic approach and the session was incredibly valuable.” Crowe LLP

“In the three hour Master Class with Phil we got six conversion rate busting action points that super-charged our profits.”  LGD

“Your contribution as ever was essential and as usual – Top Class! The impact you made has been highlighted in the many communications that we have received from our partners.” Promethean

“Upon my return to work I have spent time with the team getting them to use your ‘Killer Questions’. Using the techniques learnt from your seminar together with incorporating the ‘Killer Questions’ to trigger emotional responses whilst ensuring the focus is primarily on how they feel has resulted in an increase in conversion rates from 35% to a staggering 75% in just 10 days.”  Surge Health & Fitness

“The only thing the Area Managers said they didn’t like was that the three hours were over so quickly. I am sure that given more time it would have been even more beneficial.”  Anchor Homes

“My sales force and managers absolutely loved the session. We increase our sales after every time my guys spend time with Phil”  Willowbrook

“Phil, that is – and I’m being absolutely sincere here – one of the very best, most powerful, insightful, inspirational and influential talks we’ve ever heard. I found every single word of interest. I’m currently writing up and implementing immediately. You did a great job in both keeping everyone’s attention and capturing interest.”  Jarvis King Associates Ltd

“After attending AFG’s session in Melbourne last month, I felt compelled to get in touch with you to say ‘thanks’ for making what can otherwise be a very dull day into one that was totally entertaining. Entertainment aside, what I learnt from your presentation has already helped me (and my staff) to make our processes and time in front of our clients more efficient.”  Palmer Financial

“You have a unique ability to communicate the relevant gems in an engaging way. I have had nothing but excellent praise from both clients and colleagues.”  Quilter Cheviot

“What an inspirational talk! The whole team found it to be not only captivating and dynamic but also hilarious and hugely enjoyable. It was extremely worthwhile and provided valuable and thought provoking content. Thank you!”  Barratt & David Wilson Homes

“Phil captivated the audience for the full duration of his talk, which is such a difficult thing to do when orthodontists have sat through a day and a half of lectures. Fantastic!”  British Orthodontic Society

“Witty, entertaining, thought provoking and highly relevant to today’s business world.”  Arla Foods

“Absolutely excellent. A great blend of education and entertainment. I'm looking forward to reading the book now.”  Professional Golfers Association

“Thought provoking, entertaining, relevant, highly instructive and plenty of ‘nuggets’ to take away.” Redrow Homes
“WOW! That’s probably the best way of summing up the feedback I’ve had after your speech. It went down a storm! Given the queue of people waiting to talk to you afterwards, it might have been Ralph McTell on stage. Thank you so much for your contribution to a very successful day.” Hoseasons Holidays

“His gentle yet powerful delivery captivated the whole audience and his use of humour was both hilarious and at the same time thought-provoking.  It was extremely worthwhile and beneficial and the whole team left feeling highly motivated – just what I ordered!” The Arlington Group

“Phil was engaging from the start, with audiences amused and enlightened in equal measure during the session. Lots of great take homes for the audience – particularly his ‘Killer Questions’ – on perception, motivation and what makes a sale. Phil is an expert speaker, great at keeping a large audience engaged and he makes it look effortless. We loved having him, he was a true gent and a very engaging speaker who had great audience feedback.”  MAC PR, Northern Ireland

Phil's Showreel – https://vimeo.com/388237967