High-Stakes Communication Keynote Speaker

Every conversation
has stakes. Make yours count.

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Drawing on 20 years in law enforcement, former SWAT hostage negotiator and keynote speaker Scott Tillema teaches audiences how to communicate, connect, and influence when the stakes are high.

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FBI
TRAINED

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Fortune 500 TRUSTED

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Harvard PON EDUCATED

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1.3M+ Views
TED x Talk

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99.8% found Scott’s talk VALUABLE

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The hardest conversations are usually the ones we need to have most.

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Giving honest feedback. Addressing conflict. Asking the hard question. Negotiating the deal.

These are the conversations that can change relationships, performance, and outcomes, yet they’re often the ones we hesitate to have. But avoiding the conversation doesn’t make it go away. And the goal isn’t to get every word right. It’s knowing how to move forward when the pressure is on.

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YOUR SOLUTION

Scott helps you get comfortable with uncomfortable conversations.

For 20 years, Scott Tillema handled conversations where the stakes were as high as they get. As a SWAT hostage negotiator trained by the FBI, he learned how to listen under pressure, build trust quickly, and influence without force. Now, he brings those lessons to the stage, giving audiences a practical framework for the conversations they face every day. Because you don’t need the perfect words. You need to be ready to have the conversation.

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High-stakes communication keynote speaker with 20 years of experience in law enforcement and former SWAT hostage negotiator.
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Lessons forged under pressure and built for real life.

Real stories. High-stakes experience. Practical takeaways your audience can use long after they leave the room.

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WATCH SCOTT SPEAK

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Scott Tillema is a keynote speaker who talks about communication and influence when the stakes are high.

KEYNOTE TOPICS

The conversations may change, but the principles don’t.

Scott’s core message stays the same, but no two rooms do. From leaders navigating tough feedback to sales teams negotiating the next big deal, Scott works with each organization to understand the conversations that matter most to their people, then shapes his keynote around them.

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He didn’t just study human behavior.
He put it to the test.

Scott Tillema spent 20 years in law enforcement, rising to become a lead negotiator on one of the country’s largest SWAT teams. His work put his understanding of communication and human behavior to the test in life-and-death situations where every word mattered.

With degrees in behavioral science and forensic psychology, plus advanced negotiation training at Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation, Scott brings both lived experience and deep expertise to the stage. Today, he brings that rare combination of lived experience and deep expertise to audiences around the world.

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  • “I expected great stories, which I got. What I hadn’t quite expected was Scott’s ability to translate his wealth of knowledge and experience into practical and applicable models we can use in business and in life.”

    – GORDAN STODDART

  • “I know Scott’s life-saving processes that work under the gun also work in boardrooms, car lots and classrooms. Scott brings real world processes and techniques that produce results.”

    – THE ASPEN PROJECT

  • “Meaningful and engaging. Scott had our audience’s attention within the first minute.”

    – LIGHTNING PROTECTION INSTITUTE

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7 negotiation tactics to use

in your next conversation.

Get Scott’s free guide to seven practical negotiation techniques drawn from his experience as a SWAT hostage negotiator and designed for the conversations you navigate every day.

GET THE GUIDE
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You can’t script every conversation. But you can be ready for it.

Give your audience the tools to communicate, connect, and influence when it matters most.

Planner Resources

WATCH SCOTT SPEAK

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