Ross Shafer

This fun and engaging keynote was born from Ross’s bestselling book, "Are You Relevant?" But his content has been updated to address the technology and talent revolution we are currently navigating.

Takeaways:

• Relevance Is a Moving Target – A relevant culture must be constantly curated. AI can provide granular data and keep you current with new efficiencies, but only humans keep you relevant through empathy, judgment, and showmanship. Ross will inspire your teams to realize their human value in the Age of AI.
• Customer Expectations Have Evolved – Taking from his book, "No More Customer Friction," Ross shows why his WOW vs. POW coaching escalates satisfaction scores. Preventing “customer gut punches” matters more than delivering surprise gestures.
• The Relationship Secret that Builds Instant Rapport – Ross shares the talk-show interviewing technique he used on ABC, NBC, USA, and FOX to create instant rapport and trust. This tactic is crucial in our new “deepfake” world. People are suspicious about what they see, hear, and read. AI can tell people the words and videos are real. But only personal engagement and genuine curiosity can read the room for reality.
• The Final Moment Determines Loyalty – Customers may forget the first touch, but they’ll never forget the last. Ross shows how to design final moments that cement loyalty for life.