Ross Shafer
Are You Relevant?
Ross Shafer is a 6-time Emmy® award winning network talk show host and comedy writer who has turned that same discipline to excellence toward the corporate marketplace. As a lifelong student of human behavior, Ross has written and produced (14) Human Resource training films on customer service, motivation, and leadership. His ability as a master performer quickly propelled him as a highly demanded corporate and association Keynote speaker.
With a fearless perspective, Ross challenges audiences to be wary, “You can’t solve unconventional problems with conventional wisdom.”
To that end, Ross has authored Nobody Moved Your Cheese!, The Customer Shouts Back!, Customer Empathy, Are You Relevant? (12 Reasons Smart Organizations Thrive in Any Economy) and Grab More Market Share (How to Wrangle Business Away from Your Lazy Competitors). But, he is most proud of his bestselling cookbook… Cook Like A Stud; 38 recipes men can prepare in the garage… using their own tools! No wonder his friend, Jay Leno says, “Finally, a motivational speaker without the speech!”
The Urgent Company (Customer Urgency/Change)
Short attention spans, ubiquitous broadband and over 1-billion smart devices have not only changed the pace of disseminating information, but it has allowed our time-starved society to expect their every desire to be within grasp, “On-Demand.”
Clients, customers, and suppliers expect on-demand answers, same day delivery, and overnight results.
Stakeholders want executives who can respond to shifting market conditions at the speed of text.
Team members yearn for their achievements to be recognized more quickly…and more often. Or, as you know, they have no compunction about bolting to an empathetic competitor.
Social media can marshal a virtual army of friends (or foes) who can either enhance (or destroy) your company’s reputation; sometimes within minutes.
competitor.
The Take-Aways
1. Decide Now…or be Irrelevant Later. Today’s Urgent Company will benefit from executives who can quickly assess reality and counterattack with sound tactics. By contrast, overly cautious leaders who languish through data will wake up to find the competition has buried them. You’ll hear about companies who waited too long and lost their market share. Then, you’ll see examples of brilliant leaders who are able to “jump on timely opportunities” and transform their organizations.
competitor.
2. Be the Company of Choice. On-Demand customers, clients, & suppliers are accustomed to getting whatever they want…whenever they want. So, if you don’t exhibit the same sense of urgency toward their concerns, they may not give you another chance before moving on to a competitor. In a time-starved world they come to you at the last minute (often via a mobile device) and expect you to have a solution ASAP. You will learn how to retain these vital allies; while taking share from your less-prepared competition.
competitor.
3. How to Wrangle the Mobile Workforce. Nearly everyone depends upon their smart phone to stay connected 24/7. With the proliferation of broadband internet, your workforce can be free to work from home, on vacation, the corner coffee shop, and anywhere outside of “the office.” You’ll learn what smart companies are doing to attract top talent – and to continually leverage their high desire for mobile flexibility.
4. Don’t Let a Crisis Derail You. Even the best companies may have to deal with a public crisis at some point. “Public” doesn’t just mean broadcast news. An unmanaged social media reaction can literally disable a brand more than the 10:00pm news. How you handle such unpredictability can either rescue or derail your company. Carnival Cruises, United Airlines, Firestone, Exxon, and BP didn’t expect catastrophic media firestorms. But when disaster struck, a lingering attitude undermined their brands. By contrast, quick transparency can regain the public’s trust. Ross will talk about how to get ahead of a crisis.
Grab More Market Share: How To Wrangle Market Share From Lazy Competitors
The only way to grow your organization in a sputtering economy is to take market share away from your lazy competitors. This is especially important when the world’s best economists are predicting a mere 1-2% global organic growth. Ross can show you how progressive companies are getting 10-20% growth; even when your available market is stagnant or declining.
Are You Still Relevant? (Innovation and Change Management)
We all saw globally-recognized brands shrink or die during the recession. Conversely, we witnessed young, nimble companies swoop in to dominate market share.
Could that happen to you? Ross dissects the reasons for the staggering success stories-and he pinpoints the warning signs that were ignored by those who failed.
Remaining Relevant (to your customers and team members) is the ONLY way to substantially grow your organization during a recovery. If you’re relevant, you can take market share away from your competition. But it won’t be easy. You will have to accelerate your “A” Game to earn that market share. And, you will have to re-double your efforts to retain the base you already have. Ross unveils inspiring case studies that span the landscape of retail, manufacturing, B2B, construction, and healthcare. He describes what it will take for your organization to reap incredible rewards during “The Recovery.”
Nobody Moved Your Cheese! (Motivating Personal Accountability & Responsibility)
A high energy and hilarious keynote – perfect for setting the opening tone or as the closing message for your conference. From small town pet shop manager…to Emmy award winning TV host…to renowned business author and speaker, Ross is a fierce proponent of taking personal responsibility (and being accountable) for what happens in your professional and personal life. He shows you how to create an unlimited roadmap for yourself and your organization competitor.
The Customer Empathy Solution (Customer service now needs to be Customer EMPATHY)
While this is a high energy Keynote on its own, many of our clients often want to expand this topic into a Break Out. There is plenty of great material to accomplish that.
The evidence is clear. “If you want lifetime loyalty, stop training customer ‘service’…and start coaching customer EMPATHY.” This dramatic attitude shift goes straight to the heart of the customer experience. Ross defines Customer Empathy as “the ability to identify, interpret and appropriately respond to the customer’s emotional state – before, during, and after the transaction.”
After 14 years of writing, researching, and producing Human Resource training films, Ross unveils frightening case studies of organizations that ignored the customer because they were blinded by fantasy sales goals, outdated operational procedures, and frozen mission statements. Then, he reveals the smart (yet humble) teams who gobbled up market share by responding to their customers’ evolving emotional state.
The Ultimate Emcee
Ross hosts a select number of multi-day events for his high-end clients each year. Because Ross is a trained talk and game show host (helmed over 1,000 network broadcasts) he is the perfect choice for moderating your executive panel discussions and complex award banquets. Ross will keep the programs lively and on task; drawing on his vast experience and lightening wit to navigate (and rescue) even the most unpredictable situations.
Corporate “Talk” Shows
Ross is adept at handling back-to-back breakout sessions that may feature a myriad of presenters. He has hosted such luminaries as President George Herbert Walker Bush, Jack Welch, Colin Powell, Bob Dole, James Carville, Tom Peters, Marcus Buckingham, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to name a few. Since many high profile presenters are more comfortable being interviewed by a “pro,” Ross is able to show the utmost respect from the opening introduction throughout the Q & A – yet he doesn’t shy away from the probing questions your people want answered.
Corporate “Game” Shows
Ross is a favorite for hosting custom game shows. Not only do these formats lend themselves to imparting important training information about your company (in a fun way), they also encourage participation from the entire audience. Ask us how Ross and his game partners at Game Show America can create a custom “TV” show for you.