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Ross Shafer

Customer Empathy, Personal Motivation, Leadership and Business Relevance

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Fee Range: Contact Speaker Exchange Agency

  • Hilarious Change Expert
  • Emmy winning TV host
  • Author of 10 business books & 14 human resource training films

*Fee ranges are presented as a guideline only. Speaker fees are subject to change without notice. For an exact quote, please contact your Speaker Exchange Agency representative.

Six-Time Emmy Award-Winning Comedian, Network TV Host and Best-Selling Business Author of 10 Books on Reinvention and Resilience.

With more than 35 years of experience in show business and media, the six-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, and former network TV host Ross Shafer is also a man who simultaneously began his business career at the age of 21. He subsequently rescued 23 different companies from bankruptcy and resold them.

Ross’s peculiar combination of experience led to his writing (10) popular business books (Nobody Moved Your CheeseThe Customer Shouts BackGrab More Market ShareCustomer EmpathyAre You Relevant? Absolutely Necessary, Behave Like a StartupSuccess: Its on You, No More Customer Friction, and his latest (2021) book on resilience, titled RATTLED).

Ross has spoken and consulted for 3,000+ clients including Apple, Microsoft, Chrysler, Adobe, MetLife, Hyundai, Hilton Worldwide, AT&T, Marriott, FedEx, and Toyota to name a few. His unique insights on raising customer scores became a game changer when he dismissed the notion of “WOW-ing the Customer.” Instead, he blamed low scores on the devastating impact of the POW moments (customer gut-punches by your failures). According to Ross’s research and client case studies, POWs can erase the WOW effect and cause customers to abandon a business forever. Ross believes, “The pandemic taught us we dont have to over-delight everyone. We just need to make fewer blunders. Don’t disappoint customers and your customer scores will soar.” Ross Shafer offers entertaining and eye-opening perspectives for individuals and organizations to achieve resilience by paying attention to the evolving influences around them.

HOW TO BUILD A RELEVANT CULTURE IN 2024

In this wildly entertaining keynote your attendees will benefit from these takeaways:

(1) ACT WITH SPEED:

Staying innovative is an admirable goal; but one that requires diligence because “relevance” is an ever-evolving target. An exciting culture for your team is one that is nimble enough not to wait for perfection. Launching new ideas, new services, and new products (before it’s too late) is invigorating for your culture.

(2) DON’T JUST ACT LIKE EXPERTS. PROVE IT:

Relevant leaders who earn the highest level of confidence deliver World-Class expertise through their own successes and temporary failures. That kind of transparency inspires your team members to exceed their goals by curating collaboration and celebration with each other. Ross shares how to become World-Class.

(3) LEARN WHAT MATTERS TO YOUR TEAMS:

Your people want to know they matter to you. Extreme curiosity shows your people you honor frequent encouragement. Team members want to know you acknowledge their contribution to the organization. People feel more engaged when the organization strives for an ‘emotionally connected’ brand.

(4) ADAPT (TODAY) TO YOUR CUSTOMER’s SHIFTING EXPECTATIONS:

The buried treasure, for sustainable growth, is how well you respond to your customer’s newest expectations. The WOW vs POW discipline does that by eliminating friction from every process and transaction. It prevents surprise gut-punches, reckless disappointment, and inexcusable blunders.

ARE YOUR CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS BEING IGNORED?

(1) WOWING THE CUSTOMER/CLIENT/MEMBER DOESN’T WORK ANYMORE

Our research shows that customer loyalty scores go up by eliminating the POW MOMENTS from every transaction. (POWS are the gut punches the customer experiences when we fail or disappoint them). All the work we invested to create WOWS can be detailed by a single POW.

(2) CUSTOMERS ARE ON A SURVIVAL MISSION (this can be either a Keynote or a separate Breakout Session)

As the author of (14) Human Resource films and (4) books on the Customer Experience, Ross’s personal case studies will take you inside the organizations that succeeded, those that failed, and why either outcome happened.

(3) FINAL MOMENTS TRIGGER THE STICKIEST LOYALTY

It’s not your product or service. It’s not your brand. Loyalty is tied to the emotional story you tell in the last seconds of the transaction. Beware of your follow up evaluations. They can destroy the perfect engagement. Ross will explain how this works.

HOW WILL YOU STAY RELEVANT?

In this wildly entertaining keynote that benefits from Ross’s experiences in Comedy, Television, and owning (23) businesses, you will learn how to future-proof your company while energizing your team members. Ross has written (10) books and studies (18) different industries so he is able to share current success stories re: hiring, retaining, motivating, customer expectations, innovation, creativity, market share growth, and sustaining business relationships. Since we all know that relevance is a moving target, Ross unveils inspiring case studies that span the landscape of retail, manufacturing, B2B, HVAC, construction, technology, and healthcare.

CUSTOMER LOYALTY - Cracking the code in a revolutionary way

After writing four books and 12 HR training films on this subject, Ross has determined that “WOW-ing” the customer does NOT create loyalty. It is reducing the “POW” moments that makes customers “sticky.” Customers want to buy from companies that don’t disappoint them…and from people who don’t make mistakes. In this highly entertaining and inspiring presentation, Ross will share the simple, yet powerful system he developed to help his clients quickly improve their customer experience scores. (EXAMPLE: one of his larger clients raised their JD Power scores 21 points in 90 days). The On-Demand Economy has caused customer expectations to change. Do you know what they want now?

POW vs. WOW - Cracking the Code on Customer Loyalty

The On-Demand Economy has caused customer expectations to change. “WOW-ing” the customer does NOT create loyalty anymore. It is reducing the “POW” moments that makes customers “sticky.” Customers want to buy from companies that don’t disappoint them…and from people who don’t make mistakes. In this highly entertaining and inspiring presentation, Ross will share the simple, yet powerful system he developed to help his clients quickly improve their customer experience scores. (EXAMPLE: one of his larger clients raised their JD Power scores 21 points in 90 days).

STAYING UNSHAKABLE

How can we remain innovative, even when our creativity and energy seem exhausted. What you probably don’t know is when Ross was suffering from extreme relationship failures and financial collapse, Ross has had four different careers (flipping 23 businesses, Headlining Standup Comedian, Network Talk & Game Show host, Business Author and Consultant). All four of Ross’s careers went through stages of wild success and crushing defeat. But it was his ability to bounce back that drove him to develop the confidence and resilience to succeed beyond his previous heights. Ross has collected fun case studies that demonstrate how to find inspiration; even within chaos.

(1) Serving Others…and Each Other

How we treat one another has changed dramatically since the pandemic. The paradigm has shifted from trying to temporarily over-impress people (WOW) to learning how to consistently eliminate silly errors, correcting missteps, and reducing communication blunders (POWS). Ross will show how organizations like Amazon, Netflix, Uber, and others have changed their constituents’ expectations re: “being well served.”

(2) Culture & Collegiality

These two ideas are emboldened by securing the trust of our friends, communities, and stakeholders. Ross will talk about the collaborative powers of Extreme Curiosity, Instant Rapport, and Understanding (all from the perspective of a Network Talk and Game show host/producer). Profound and Fun.

(3) Transparency – Doing the Right Thing

Besides his own rags to riches story, Ross has some amazing true tales of individuals (from humble backgrounds) who have gone on to influence worldwide leaders with their simple methods. EXAMPLE: Maria Garcia (a hotel maid from Havana, Cuba who became the VP of a software company). Funny and insightful.

(4) Instilling Confidence and Security

Regardless of your job or position, developing World Class Expertise, in any profession, builds confidence in yourself and others. Ross will talk about Bill Nye, The Science Guy (whom he invented), his father, Chuck Shafer, and Dave Hopla – the World’s Greatest Basketball shooter. Funny and insightful, this discussion will assure everyone that greatness is accessible and ensures collaboration, respect, and influence.

AN INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL KEYNOTE

Think about this twist on virtual meetings…

(Part A) You choose your own meeting Host/Emcee from within your organization.

(Part B) You decide upon the 4 or 5 specific initiatives you want to be the focus of the session.

(Part C) Ross studies those initiatives (ahead of time) and gives your “host/emcee” a list of questions to ask Ross. He will deliver funny stories and enlightening case studies specifically related to achieving your teaching/coaching goals. Your host can also open the questions up to the audience. Ross is very witty on the fly.

CLEAN CORPORATE COMEDY (After dinner entertainment)

Can we just laugh again? Ross Shafer’s material is non-political, non-controversial, and completely HR safe! If you want your attendees to leave your meeting in high spirits and energized, Ross’s style is the perfect blend of animation and approachability. Your attendees will experience his misadventures and his successes…all delivered in his friendly, quick-witted style. Ross has an outrageous life story of selling fireworks on Indian Reservations (Ross is Blackfoot Indian) – to touring the world as a standup comedian – to hosting the hit TV show Match Game on ABC-TV – to speaking to over 3,000 corporate clients. Your audience will not only howl at Ross’s jokes & tales…but they’ll go home wishing Ross was their next door neighbor.

ROSS IS YOUR ULTIMATE EMCEE

As a network talk & game show host, Ross Shafer is frequently asked to be the interactive “traffic cop” for a multi-day convention. He has interviewed world leaders and celebrities and is extremely comfortable hosting an executive roundtable or expert panel. His style is to engage the audience to set the tone of your event, review what they’ve learned, and get everyone excited for what’s coming next. He often likes to present “from the floor” so that he can thread the dialogue throughout your conference for better retention.

INSIDER STORIES FROM HOLLYWOOD & BEYOND (With business related takeaways): (Add-on)

Hollywood is famous for being a hot bed of crazy and unpredictable antics. The same is true for performing Stand-Up Comedy around the world. From his years as a Talk and Game Show Host – and a Stand-Up Comic who has graced thousands of stages from Las Vegas to Atlantic City to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Ross has an endless catalog of fascinating stories and revealing anecdotes that will drop the jaws of your audience. Each one of his tales have a moral, a lesson, and a celebrity faux pas. Ross can stand alone and deliver…or…he will set up your favorite EMCEE with the perfect lead-in questions for Ross to be your funniest talk show interview guest.

MEET-N-GREET (Add-on)

No other keynote speaker has the unique “celebrity” background of Stand-up Comedy, TV Hosting, and Business entrepreneurship as Ross Shafer. When he attends receptions before (or after) a Keynote, Ross is swarmed for selfies, autographs, and conversation.

“Ross stayed for an additional two hours to satisfy the scores of our agents who wanted to take selfies and chat with Ross.” August 2022 – San Diego, CA Home Services of America, CEO Gino Blefari.

Hilton Worldwide Inc
“The audience response from the conference has been off the charts positive… clearly demonstrated your research into our company and industry and your absolute grasp of our company vision. This comment truly captures the sentiment shared by all…Ross Shafer was a tremendous moderator and had a positive impact on the overall flow and perception of the conference.”
OrangeTheory Fitness
“Ross, you did an awesome job with your Orangetheory Fitness presentation! Your Father's story was so impressive. He was obviously a great person, and I bet you are too. Bought your book: No More Customer Friction. Will probably use it as a training tool for my Team. If you ever in the East Bay come by for a workout on me and I guarantee you will have a much better OTF experience. Thank you for a great talk I will be using it to make myself and my Team better.”
Carpet One Floor & Home
“You were the hit of our convention. I had many of our members approach me after your presentation saying that you were the best speaker they had ever seen at a Carpet One event. After 33 conventions and dozens of world class speakers, that is quite a compliment. We thoroughly enjoyed having you and are extremely appreciative of your insight and your contributions to our members.”
Ace Hardware
“Ross, what a pleasure for our owners. You added very important dimensions to the success of our conference. BTW, Joe Theismann has thrown out a ton of accolades to you and has quoted and spring boarded off lot of your speech soundbites.”
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