The Sales Lion
The Sales Lion (Marcus Sheridan International) is a private keynote speaking and training firm that monetizes the founder's 'They Ask, You Answer' trust-based communication framework through four paid keynote programs, workshops, bestselling books, and a content ecosystem serving enterprise marketing, sales, and leadership audiences globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The Sales Lion does
The Sales Lion, operating as Marcus Sheridan International, is a private U.S.-based professional services firm founded in 2008 that monetizes a body of trust-based communication intellectual property developed by founder and keynote speaker Marcus Sheridan. The company's core offering is a portfolio of four paid keynote programs — Endless Customers, Breakthrough Conversations, Conversations that Close, and Will AI Recommend You? — delivered to enterprise audiences at corporate events, conferences, and summits, complemented by in-person and virtual workshops, two published books (They Ask, You Answer and Endless Customers), a weekly newsletter, and a Learning Center with videos and articles. Underlying all offerings is the 'They Ask, You Answer' philosophy, a radical-transparency framework claimed to have been adopted by over 100,000 businesses and credited with over $1 billion in documented client revenue impact across 750+ keynotes and 250+ workshops delivered in 20+ countries. The go-to-market is event-driven: direct enterprise bookings for keynotes and workshops, with pricing disclosed through an instant online fee estimator as an explicit trust signal — a tactic Marcus uses to differentiate from an estimated 95% of professional speakers who do not publish fees. The customer base spans marquee enterprise logos (Microsoft, HubSpot, Cisco, FedEx, GE, Whirlpool, McKesson, Discover, James Hardie, Marvin, GreatAmerica Financial Services) across technology, financial services, logistics, healthcare, and manufacturing, with horizontal segmentation across business leaders, marketing teams, sales teams, and managers. Revenue streams are professional services fees from keynotes and workshops, supplemented by book royalties and subscription-based content (newsletter, Learning Center), all delivered through a lean 1-10 person organization.
The Sales Lion firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Sales Lion
- Legal name
- Marcus Sheridan International
- Website
- http://www.thesaleslion.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Sales Lion (Marcus Sheridan International) is a private keynote speaking and training firm that monetizes the founder's 'They Ask, You Answer' trust-based communication framework through four paid keynote programs, workshops, bestselling books, and a content ecosystem serving enterprise marketing, sales, and leadership audiences globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Sales Lion industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Speaking & Training Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Speaker, Entertainment & Talent Booking (Corporate) (HSACADAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits (THAHAMAH), Sales Kickoffs (SKOs) & Revenue Summits (THAHAMAB), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA), Corporate Conferences & Sales Kickoffs (MPAGAGAC)
Keywords
The Sales Lion business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Keynote Speaking Engagements: Marcus Sheridan delivers paid keynote presentations at corporate events, conferences, and summits worldwide. Fees are determined by an instant online estimate tool based on event type, audience size, and requirements.
- Workshops and Training: In-person and virtual workshop sessions providing deeper interactive training on communication frameworks. 250+ workshops delivered globally.
- Book Sales: Sale of published books including 'They Ask, You Answer' and 'Endless Customers'. Books have become the global standard for trust-based digital sales and marketing.
- Virtual Events: Virtual speaking engagements and event participation, expanding reach beyond in-person events.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Keynote speaking fees based on event specifications |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Sales Lion product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sales Lion delivers paid keynote speaking engagements, corporate workshops, and training programs built around the proprietary 'They Ask, You Answer' trust-based communication framework. Offerings are packaged as four branded keynote programs (Endless Customers, Breakthrough Conversations, Conversations that Close, and Will AI Recommend You), complemented by in-person/virtual workshops, and supported by bestselling published books. The audience is enterprise business leaders, marketing teams, and sales professionals.
Product overview
Marcus Sheridan's business operates as a keynote speaking and training company offering multiple transformational communication programs. The core offering includes four main keynote programs (Endless Customers, Breakthrough Conversations, Conversations that Close, and Will AI Recommend You) delivered as speaking engagements, supplemented by workshops and training sessions. Published resources include the bestselling books 'They Ask, You Answer' and 'Endless Customers'. The portfolio also includes a weekly newsletter and a learning center with videos and articles. All offerings are unified under the 'They Ask, You Answer' philosophy—a trust-based communication framework that has been adopted by over 100,000 businesses worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Keynote Speaking Engagements Paid keynote presentations delivered by Marcus Sheridan at corporate events, conferences, and summits worldwide, covering transformational communication, trust-based selling, and AI visibility for enterprise audiences.
- Endless Customers Keynote Keynote program built on the Endless Customers framework, teaching organizations to earn trust, attract qualified customers, and scale business in the digital age through the They Ask, You Answer philosophy. Targets business leaders, marketing teams, and sales teams.
- Breakthrough Conversations Keynote Keynote program teaching leaders how to ask better questions, connect deeper, and build cultures of growth through honest conversation. Targets business leaders and managers.
- Conversations that Close Keynote Sales-focused keynote program teaching teams to create masterful sales conversations that build trust and win more deals through radical transparency. Targets sales professionals, leaders and managers, and business leaders.
- Will AI Recommend You Keynote Keynote program covering the 21 Trust Signals that determine whether AI algorithms recommend a business, addressing the future of AI-driven discovery. Targets founders, C-suite leaders, and revenue owners.
- Workshops & Training In-person and virtual workshop sessions and training programs providing deeper interactive training on the They Ask, You Answer and other communication frameworks. 250+ workshops delivered globally.
- They Ask, You Answer (Book) Bestselling book by Marcus Sheridan rated #1 Marketing Book to Read by Mashable and listed in the Top 5 Marketing Books of All Time by The Book Authority; the foundational text of the They Ask, You Answer methodology.
- Endless Customers (Book) Published book by Marcus Sheridan accompanying the Endless Customers keynote framework, extending the They Ask, You Answer methodology for the digital age.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $1 billion in documented revenue impact across client implementations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Sales Lion
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Sales Lion technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
The Sales Lion partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Sales Lion competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jay Baer: Digital marketing and customer experience keynote speaker, bestselling author, and advisor. Directly comparable to The Sales Lion in business model (solo-speaker keynotes, books, advisory) and customer base (mid-market to enterprise marketing leaders).
- Donald Miller: StoryBrand framework keynote speaker, bestselling author, and coach targeting marketing and sales leaders. Highly comparable to The Sales Lion's They Ask, You Answer positioning — a proprietary branded framework monetized through keynotes, books, and training.
- Sally Hogshead: Branding and persuasion keynote speaker and bestselling author serving marketing and sales audiences. Comparable solo-speaker model with proprietary frameworks (Fascination Advantage) delivered via keynotes, workshops, and certification programs.
- Ryan Holiday: Marketing and strategy author/speaker with multiple bestselling books and a media-driven personal brand. Comparable thought-leadership keynote business targeting business leaders and marketers.
- Jon Acuff: Sales leadership and career-development keynote speaker and bestselling author. Comparable model targeting sales professionals and leaders via keynotes, books, and corporate workshops.
Broad incumbents
- Seth Godin: Long-tenured marketing thought leader, bestselling author, and high-profile speaker. Broad incumbent in the same marketing-thought-leadership category with a much larger body of work and broader audience reach.
- Simon Sinek: Leadership and communication keynote speaker with a global personal brand (Start With Why). Comparable audience and topic overlap with The Sales Lion's leadership and communication keynotes, but at a significantly larger scale.
- Brené Brown: Leadership and communication researcher, bestselling author, and high-fee keynote speaker. Comparable keynote-led business targeting C-suite and leadership audiences, but at substantially broader scale.
- Tony Robbins: Premier business and performance keynote speaker at the very top of the speaking fee market. Comparable enterprise keynote business model but with vastly larger scale, productized programs, and diversified event IP.
- Gary Vaynerchuk: Marketing and business keynote speaker, bestselling author, and media entrepreneur (VaynerMedia). Comparable marketing/communications keynote audience, with a much larger media and agency ecosystem around the personal brand.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Sales Lion social profiles
Digital presenceThe Sales Lion financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Sales Lion leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Sales Lion funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Sales Lion M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Sales Lion
What does The Sales Lion do?
The Sales Lion delivers paid keynote speaking engagements, corporate workshops, and training programs built around the proprietary 'They Ask, You Answer' trust-based communication framework. Offerings are packaged as four branded keynote programs (Endless Customers, Breakthrough Conversations, Conversations that Close, and Will AI Recommend You), complemented by in-person/virtual workshops, and supported by bestselling published books. The audience is enterprise business leaders, marketing teams, and sales professionals.
Is The Sales Lion a public or private company?
The Sales Lion is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Sales Lion founded?
The Sales Lion was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does The Sales Lion make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Keynote Speaking Engagements are the primary driver. The others are workshops and Training, book Sales and virtual Events.
Who are The Sales Lion's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jay Baer, Donald Miller, Sally Hogshead, Ryan Holiday and Jon Acuff. Broad incumbents are Seth Godin, Simon Sinek, Brené Brown, Tony Robbins and Gary Vaynerchuk.
Does The Sales Lion have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Sales Lion.
What industry is The Sales Lion in?
The Sales Lion's product category is Professional Speaking & Training Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSACADAK, Speaker, Entertainment & Talent Booking (Corporate), with a secondary code of THAHAMAH, Training, Enablement & Talent Development Summits.