Ross Shafer

Ross Shafer is a six-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, television host, and business author who combines entertainment with sharp insights on innovation, customer loyalty, and what makes organizations remarkable. He speaks on customer retention, competitive differentiation, and using humor strategically in business, bringing a performer’s energy to serious business content. Ross’s unique blend of comedy credentials and business research makes his presentations both memorable and immediately actionable.

From Network Television to Business Strategy
Ross hosted The Match Game on ABC, The Late Show on Fox, and Day’s End on ABC. After being cancelled from five network shows, he started studying the cultural influences that cause some businesses to thrive while others become forgettable. That research transformed his career from entertainer to sought-after business speaker and author, giving him a perspective on reinvention that resonates with audiences navigating their own market disruptions.

Entertainment With a Business Edge
Ross’s presentations deliver laughs while sharing research-based insights on what makes customers choose one company over another and keep coming back. His books extend his message on finding your unique value proposition and building the kind of customer relationships that make you irreplaceable. His keynotes deliver an engaging combination of Emmy-winning humor and actionable strategies for customer loyalty, competitive innovation, and building the kind of remarkable organizations that stand out in a marketplace where being forgettable means being finished.

The Relevant Culture: How Will Humanity Co-Exist With Ai?
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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

How To Tell Stories That Sell Your Brand And Humanize Your Sales Stories
A funny and unforgettable keynote by six-time Emmy Award-winning comedian, TV host, and business author, Ross Shafer.

Takeaways:

1. Authentic, Emotional Storytelling – While AI can write copy, AI can’t make people feel confident in their purchase. Ross will teach your teams why verifiable, human stories differentiate your organization over your competitors.
2. Weaving Your Sales Stories into Your Personal Brand Story – Audiences crave real human journeys. Ross uses his own life story (including coaching and launching Bill Nye, the Science Guy) as a blueprint for leaders to establish trust among your customers and your team.
3. Why Do Some Stories Go Viral? – Ross shows you how to create compelling stories your customers and fans can’t wait to share. In a world of AI-generated noise and deepfakes, human word-of-mouth engagement can go viral just as fast.
4. Create an Endless Inventory of Authentic Stories – Ross teaches a reliable way to harvest fresh, ethical stories from outside your industry. With this secret, you’ll have an endless supply of emotional tales that make your brand unforgettable.

Wow-Ing Customers Doesn’t Guarantee Loyalty
Ross explains why loyalty is won in the battle of WOW vs. POW. WOW moments are nice gestures, but quickly forgotten. By eliminating the POW moments, you can raise satisfaction scores because reliability reduces customer friction and frustration.

Takeaways:

1. Proven Thought Leadership – Author of five best-selling customer experience books and 16 training films on the customer experience, customer effort, and reducing friction, Ross shares research-based strategies that blend beautifully in the AI era.
2. AI Can Help—but NOT Replace Humans – AI can track orders and automate refunds. But even ChatGPT admits it makes mistakes. It can actually hallucinate! Your organization cannot afford to make unforced errors, gaslight customers through chatbots, or generate misrouted deliveries. Ross simplifies loyalty by showing how to remove the pain points and blend AI efficiency with human empathy.
3. Engaging Style – Ross’s energetic style—fueled by humor, storytelling, and real-world examples—makes complex strategies simple and funny.
    

Ross Is Your Ultimate Emcee

Ross brings polish, humor, and energy to multi-day events. A seasoned talk-show/game-show host, he effortlessly:

• Moderates executive panels
• Interviews celebrities
• Recaps sessions with humor and clarity
• Keeps audiences energized between sessions
  (Bonus: Ross weaves in topical AI/business humor so your event feels timely and future-focused.)