Meeting Planners – Keynote Speaker Online Press Kit
Keynote Conference Speaker, Retailer, Entrepreneur and Author – A Breed all his own!
Dave Ratner treats his audience to first hand “Big Dog” business success secrets that leave attendees begging for more. As one of the leading independent retailers in the United States, professional speaker, and pet product developer, Dave Ratner connects with customers on a daily basis. With common-sense, forehead-slapping insights on management, sales, marketing, customer service and customer loyalty his engaging and laughter-filled keynotes and trainings pack in the crowds. Businesses across the country have used his strategies to increase revenues and compete with their own “Big Dogs” in the marketplace.
Dave is a unique breed in the speaking industry because he’s still out in the field running along side where his audiences are. Dave’s business leadership has earned him credibility as a successful entrepreneur and he is recognized by the Young President’s Organization (YPL). He supports the little dog nationally as one of the few independent retailers on the National Federation of Retail Associations.
Come, sit, stay, and enjoy a treat of laughter-packed tricks that help all small businesses be the best of show.
Premium Speaking Topics
CUSTOMER SERVICE – ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Creating Customer Love
How to Get and Keep LOYAL Customers
Don’t dig a hole with your customers. Creating rich customer experience and cultivating fierce customer loyalty. Based on Dave’s critically acclaimed book, Customer Love: Make Your Customers Love You So Much They’ll Never Go Anyplace Else!
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Dave has captured the essence of being a successful entrepreneur in a captivating and humorous style that is both fascinating and inspiring.
Julie Gardner, Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer
Kohl’s Department Stores
ADVERTISING, SALES AND MARKETING
Lead the Pack in Sales
Bad to the bone marketing tips that won’t break the bank
Increasing small business and retail sales through creative marketing. You can’t “out advertise” the big guys but you can “out market” them! This interactive and fun seminar is chock full of creative and cost effective ways to advertise and market your business. Bring your note pad as Dave fires off rounds of ideas customized for your audiences market. Find Out More
…to take our store to the next level the first step is to fill the gaps (you pointed out) in the management style… Thank you again, for giving us a starting point to launch from.
Cheryl High, Retail Manager
Just 4 K-9s and Kitty 2
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP | ENTREPRENEURSHIP
How to Beat the Snot Out of the Big Dogs
10 Things to Do as Soon as You Get Back to the Store
This session is filled with easy-to-implement “musts” that all businesses should already be doing. Dave apologizes if this “duh” filled session hits a nerve. It’s time to stop yipping about best practices and get dirty. Audience members will leave with a list of simple things that every business owner/manager must do to compete with national chains and own their local market.
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Just like David and Goliath, Dave uses customer relationships as his ‘slingshot’ to bring down the retail goliaths.
John R. Goodman, President
Pareto Marketing Inc., formerly Senior VP Marketing and Customer service Helzberg Diamonds, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Lessons Learned From The Big Dogs
Trade secrets from the titans of the business world
Audience members gain business insights they can put into practice tomorrow. Dave shares first-hand tips from lead dogs in business that give attendees a leg up. Guess what? Wag more and bark less and you’ll make friends for life – with customers, vendors, contacts and employees. Find Out More
At the recent eTail West conference, Dave Ratner gave a terrific presentation on how small retailers can win against big chains — real world examples from somebody who worked his way up from the bottom.
Al McClain
Retailwire
HUMAN RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT
Let the Dogs Out!
You Are Who You Hire!
Dave manages over 150 employees in his 8 retail stores. In this program you will learn how to stay out of court. No bones about it, every manager has made a bad hire. Dave comes to the rescue and lays it on the line, advancing retail and small business management to build excellent teams. Dave receives more emails following this session than any speech or workshop he gives. Small business owners and managers thank Dave for giving them the kick they needed to lick their wounds and move on with a more loyal and dependable crew. Find Out More
Should you hire Dave to speak to your group? All I can say is we have asked him to present at the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York for an unprecedented 4th consecutive year. Audiences love him!
William “Mac” McDonald, Marketing & Brand Management Coordinator
NRF
High Resolution Photo & Video
Clients and Testimonials
They are RAVING about your seminars; saying they wrote down almost every single thing you said.Thank you for making my job easier.
Kyle Whalen, Public Relations Manager
International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association
How to beat the snot out of the big guys’ was so well received at eTail West that we had him speak again at the eTail East conference. His session received some of the the loudest and longest applause I’ve ever seen (PLUS the most amount of laughs)!
Lori Hawthorne, Events Director
Worldwide Business Research
Al McClain
Retailwire
The fact that you practice what you preach by running a successful, customer-service-driven retail chain made your presentation that much more effective. So often, we hear from the textbook-type consultants that it was refreshing to hear from someone like yourself who has the trial-and-error knowledge of building a business from scratch, and running it successfully.
Eric Suher, President
E-S Sports Apparel
Julie Gardner, Retired Executive VP and Chief Marketing Officer
Kohl’s Department Stores
Should you hire Dave to speak to your group? All I can say is we have asked him to present at the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York for an unprecedented 4th consecutive year. Audiences love him!
William “Mac” McDonald, Marketing & Brand Management Coordinator
NRF
Dave spoke at the chamber annual meeting last year. They loved him. He is funny, inspiring and full of common sense ideas that every can use. It just dawned on me… he got a rousing standing ovation. I can’t remember the last time that happened.
Jeff Ciuffreda, President
Affiliated Chambers of Commerce of Greater Springfield
Dave Ratner is one of the most entertaining and informative speakers I have ever heard. His no-nonsense, no-notes, extemporaneous delivery made his message very believable and sincere. Dave’s marketing ideas hit home through his humor and honesty. His lecture commanded the largest audience with the most post questions and answers. You don’t fall asleep with this guy!
Earl H. Mayer, Vice President
Mayer Bros Apple Products, Inc.
Your topics are spot on. Part of what makes you such an effective presenter is that you live what you discuss. Plus the mustache—at least half the audience shows up just to see if it’s really a hamster.
Steven T. King, CAE, President
Pet Industry Distributors Association
John R. Goodman, President
Pareto Marketing Inc., formerly Senior VP Marketing and Customer service Helzberg Diamonds, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway
Cheryl High, Retail Manager
Just 4 K-9s and Kitty 2
There’s no doubt in my mind that large retail companies can learn a lot from Dave Ratner’s ingenuity, enthusiasm, and ability to connect with customers. His innovative ideas and passion for retail makes him a perfect fit to serve as one of our industry’s greatest advocates: a distinguished member of NRF’s Board of Directors.
Matthew Shay
National Retail Federation President and CEO
Dave’s humorous delivery of what works, what doesn’t and why in business is simply inspirational!
I wanted to thank you for the excellent job you did as a keynote speaker at Ernex’s Customer Loyalty and Electronic Marketing seminar. Although there were a few injuries in the audience from people slapping their foreheads when they recognized a little bit of their business in the painfully amusing customer service examples you highlighted, everyone is OK now. On a serious note, your presentation really drove home the point that good, solid marketing and loyalty focus on not only rewarding customers, but servicing them the way we all would like to be serviced.
Peter Allemang, Vice President Sales
Ernex Marketing Technologies, Inc.
Your ‘top ten list’ is a ‘must have’ for any company interested in delivering top-notch customer service, and becoming a valuable contributor to their customers’ success. I would highly recommend you to any people interested in taking their customer relationships to another level.
Blake Barry, National Sales Manager
Prevue Pet Products
Dave is one of few ‘one-man cult brands.’ His demeanor is disarming leaving one defenseless as soon as he says ‘hello.’
BJ Bueno
Author of The Power of Cult Branding
Press and Media
