“Ross was so good and perfect for our group. We appreciated how customized he made his presentation for us. I really can’t imagine how we could have found someone better!”
– Henry Wilcox, Marketing Programs Manager
THE CLIENT: Tire Centers, LLC. Formed in January 1986, TCi®) is one of America’s premier wholesale tire distributors. Operating 86 strategically located distribution centers, TCi’s Distribution division services all 50 states. Total tire sales exceed $1 billion. The company staffs approximately 2,500 associates and administers several highly successful national sales and marketing programs from its headquarters in Duncan, South Carolina.
THE CLIENT’S OBJECTIVES: Each year 150+ of TCi’s best independent tire dealers and their guests earn a ‘top performer awards trip’ to meet, learn, and compare best practices. TCi®) so much liked Ross’s focus of Becoming More Relevant that they titled the business portion of their meeting, “Time 2B Relevant.” Onsite, attendees even received a gift wristwatch to serve as a reminder that now is the time to be more relevant. The company was looking for Ross to provide practical ways to inspire all attendees; sending them back home with 4-5 new ideas for remaining relevant in their individual markets.
TCi®) also asked that Ross make humor a consistent flavor throughout his keynote.
DELIVERABLES: Ross Shafer was selected to give the 60-minute opening keynote as part of a 5-day conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. In a pre-planning video conference call, the management team informed Ross they would be showing short video clips of top dealers talking about what they had done to become more relevant.
ROSS’S KEYNOTE: Ross not only provided new ideas for remaining relevant, he kept the energy high, the tone fun, and was able to organically champion the dealer videos and celebrate several attendees’ efforts. Ross discussed how to find revenue and cost saving ideas that were hiding in plain sight (i.e. customer-driven ideas your competitors typically miss). Regarding brand differentiation, he gave examples of how negotiating on price alone is not a value proposition. Instead, “The dealer with the most emotional story wins the business and the margin.” Ross showed the group the significance of Customer Journey Mapping and how they should understand (and improve) each customer touch point. Finally Ross talked about the short & long term benefits of performing at a World-Class level…and then provided a roadmap for how to do it…and how to train others to follow suit.