Television Celebrity and Corporate Comedian
Ross Shafer grew up in the Pacific Northwest and graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington where he studied business management and played varsity football (linebacker). After college, he took a job as a training manager for a department store (Yard Birds) and was able to save $10,000. He took that money and launched his life as an entrepreneur. His first venture was as the owner/manager of America`s only Stereo and Pet Shop in the small town of Puyallup, Washington (population 5,000 at the time).
Cleaning pet cages wasn`t as appealing as it sounded to Ross, so after 3 years he closed the store and took a job as an advertising manager for the 28 store Squire Shops retail clothing chain in Seattle, Washington. Writing ad copy and concocting radio and TV campaigns paid the bills, but at night Ross haunted local comedy clubs in search of a career in joke telling. After years of slogging around the comedy circuit, he won the Seattle International Comedy Competition and immediately became an opening act for performers like Crystal Gayle, Eddie Rabbitt, Nel Carter, Neil Sedaka, and Dionne Warwick.
In l985, Ross pitched a TV show idea to the NBC affiliate in Seattle (KING). Serendipitously, KING-TV had a hole in their broadcast schedule. So, ALMOST LIVE was born and for the next 5 seasons Ross hosted the comedy talk show while he and his team collected 36 Emmys. ALMOST LIVE even won the Esquire Magazine dubious Achievement Award one year for attempting to change the Washington State song to "Louie, Louie. " During those years Ross also hosted an afternoon drive radio show on the 50,000 watt KJR-AM.
In 1988, Ross was wooed by the Fox network to take over The Late Show. The Late Show was a nightly talk show that competed with The Tonight Show and David Letterman. The show lasted a year and Ross next found himself in New York co-hosting Days End on the ABC network. It was here that he sat beside Matt Lauer and Spencer Christian as they interviewed the movers and shakers of New York and the world. Dick Clark told Ross, "Always have a backup plan, my boy, TV is terminal" and predictably Days End was finally cancelled. Ross always wondered what happened to Matt Lauer.
The next stop for Ross was hosting the revised Match Game on the ABC network. Another game show (this time on the USA network) Love Me, Love Me Not and numerous TV pilot projects followed.
By this time, Ross was headlining all of the leading night clubs and casinos in North America. He produced a highly acclaimed comedy album about the Clinton administration titled Inside the First Family. He also wrote a comedy cookbook that became a best seller; Cook Like A Stud - 38 recipes men can prepare in the garage with their own tools.
In 1994, Ross heard Bill Gates give a speech where he said, "Someday you will all be watching television on your telephones." Ross took that message to heart and he made the decision to leave TV and get back to his corporate training roots. Human nature and the human condition were always fascinating to Ross because that`s what comedians do. They study the laughter and tears business. To date Ross has produced (14) Human Resource training films on Customer Service, Motivation, Leadership, and Peer Pressure. He has authored the business books, Nobody Moved Your Cheese, Customer Empathy, The Customer Shouts Back, Are You Relevant? 12 Reasons Smart Organizations Thrive in Any Economy and the recently released Grab More Market Share: How to Wrangle Business Away from Lazy Competitors.
Today, Ross is one of the most sought after keynote speakers and seminar leaders on the subjects of Customer Urgency and Empathy, Personal Motivation, Reinvention, and Market Relevance. The father of two grown sons, Adam and Ryan, Ross lives in Denver, Colorado with his wife Leah and their daughter Lauren.
Demo Video 1
Talk Titles:
Grab More Market Share
How To Wrangle Market Share From Lazy Competitors
Culture shifts are accelerating - and causing faster upheavals in your target market`s "buying mood." If you notice these shifting trends (while your competitors ignore them) you will be in the best position to win the extra business. Organizations that dominate an industry pay obsessive attention to the ongoing evolution of humanity (as well as how quickly technology either leads or follows).
Are You Still Relevant?
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."
Customer Urgency and Empathy
While this program is a high energy Keynote on its own, many of our clients often expand this topic into a Break Out session.
Due to accelerating technology, your customers` expectations have changed. They can get their TV, music, shopping, and friends all "on demand" 24/7/365. They expect customer "service" to mean customer "Urgency!" They want what they want - when they want it - and how they want it. So, if you don`t deliver at (nearly) Internet Speed, they will consider you substandard, lazy, or that you don`t need the business.
On top of that, they want you to empathize with their busy schedules, their lack of education (re: your products/services) as well as their personal vulnerabilities and frustrations. Ross will show you how to make sure you are consistently aware, empathetic, and urgent so you can retain your current customer base...while you are wrangling customers away from your competitors.
Nobody Moved Your Cheese
High energy and hilarious keynote - perfect for setting the opening tone or 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.
Ross Shafer is the Ultimate EMCEE
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.
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, Larry Bossidy, 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.
GAME SHOWS: Finally, Ross is a popular 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 of the entire audience. Ask us how Ross and his game partners at (Game Show America) can create a custom "TV" show for you.
Similar Speakers:
Larry Winget | Frank Miles | Steve Rizzo | Giovanni Livera | Mike Staver | The Water Coolers | Steve Gilliland | Scott Christopher | Mark Scharenbroich
Speaking Topics:
Comedy, Humor, Entertainment, Emcee, Event Host, Master of Ceremonies, Moderator, Media, Author, Leadership, Customer Service
