Shelley Walters is a South African keynote speaker, sales evangelist, and business strategist based in Johannesburg. She is the founder of The Sales Counsel and is recognized as one of the country’s top recommended sales speakers. 

Background and expertise

• Sales and strategy: With over 23 years of experience in B2B sales, Walters is a sales expert who provides enablement, training, and strategic consulting for sales teams. She specializes in buyer psychology, sales process design, and remote selling.
• Entrepreneurship: Walters is the CEO and founder of The Sales Counsel, which created Africa’s first digitally delivered Remote Selling school. Earlier in her career, she also served as the first Business Development Officer for one of South Africa’s first black-owned finance houses.
• Radio experience: From 2007 to 2011, Walters was the co-host of the breakfast show on Kingfisher FM, a radio station in Port Elizabeth. This experience taught her how to engage and entertain a live audience.
• Personal style: She is known for her direct, energetic, and practical approach. She aims to deliver actionable ideas and relevant insights rather than simply being a motivational speaker. 

Awards and recognition

• PWC Gender Mainstreaming Award: Walters won the award in 2019 for the “Most Inclusive Leader: Entrepreneur”.
• South Africa’s Top Recommended Sales Speaker: She has been rated among top global speakers like Simon Sinek, Michelle Obama, and Adam Grant by the Entrepreneur Organization.
• PSASA’s Educator Hall of Fame: She was inducted into the Professional Speakers Association of Southern Africa’s Educator Hall of Fame in 2023