Ken Schmidt

Customer Loyalty Expert | Reputation and Brand-building Authority | Senior Role in Harley-Davidson Turnaround | Author, Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance

Business Strategy, Communication, Customer Experience, Management Strategy, Marketing, Motivation & Inspiration, Workforce + HR
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About This Speaker

Ken Schmidt is a keynote speaker, author, and leadership strategist known for helping drive the against-all-odds turnaround of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. In a marketplace where customers see many products and services as interchangeable, Ken shows organizations how to stand out. He teaches leaders how to become memorable, not for what they sell, but for who they are.

Ken began his Harley-Davidson career in 1985. He worked in corporate positioning and media relations while the company still struggled. In the years that followed, Harley-Davidson’s sales surged. The brand regained its place as one of the most respected and profitable companies in the world. In 1990, Ken became Director of Corporate and Financial Communications. He worked directly with Harley’s CEO and CFO. Together, they helped shift the company from a product-first mindset to its now-famous people-first approach. Ken also served as Harley’s primary spokesperson. He spoke to mainstream media and financial communities. He became known for turning human behavioural insights into strategies that build customer loyalty and advocacy.

Today, Ken has delivered more than 1,000 keynotes worldwide. His high-energy style pushes teams to create customer experiences that spark preference and “tattoo-worthy” loyalty. He wrote Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. He also hosts the Tailgating with Geniuses podcast. Ken co-founded Torque Sessions Leadership Training. His personal credo guides everything he does: never do what’s expected, be noticeably different, and have more fun than you’re supposed to.

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Speaking Topics: Ken Schmidt

Make Some Noise: Change Directions, Open The Throttle and Dominate Your Marketplace
“Being known for what you do – no matter how well you do it – makes you a replaceable commodity,” says Ken Schmidt. “Competitive dominance comes when your market knows you for who you are, associates you with positive human attributes and rewards you with their loyalty.” This talk is rooted in the highly unconventional ideas that drove Harley-Davidson’s transformation and unlikely return to dominance, as Ken and his team shifted the company away from its commoditized “product-first” mindset to a fiercely committed “people-first” mindset that takes advantage of key drivers of human behavior. Ken’s high energy, humor, amazing visuals and actionable take-aways abound as he shows businesses of every size and scope how to tap into the behavioral drivers that ignite employee and customer passion, build marketplace preference and fuel tattoo-worthy levels of customer loyalty.

Audience Takeaways

• Discover the three questions that most directly impact your reputation and competitiveness
• Transform your company mindset toward being known for who you are vs. what you do
• Master how to harness drivers of human behavior to create preference and loyalty
• Uncover the secret to being memorable so customers refer you to others
• Learn the true meaning of misunderstood terms like “customer experience” and “loyalty”
Rev Up Your Reputation: Be Memorable, Preferred and Talked About
What does it take to get your customers to share compelling stories about your business and recommend it to others? Specifically, what would you want them to say? Engaging stories, paired with distinct and unexpected language, are highly memorable and help shape perceptions, boost advocacy, and drive demand. Ken Schmidt knows that powerful stories are essential for distancing your business from competitors and building a rock-solid reputation. In this presentation, Schmidt outlines simple, actionable strategies for companies to develop their own distinctive voice and create stories that resonate, leading to lasting differentiation and loyal, vocal customers. What are your customers saying about you right now?

Audience Takeaways

• Elevate the likeability of your business by crafting stories that delight customers
• Uncover the three core elements behind every memorable story that’s ever been told
• Learn how to craft vocabulary that breathes new life into the seemingly familiar or mundane
• Find your three most memorable and distinguishing storylines
• Discover simple tools that encourage employees to become storytellers
Thrive Among Thorns: Untapped Growth Opportunities for Financial Services
A startling presentation designed specifically for insurance, wealth advisory, banking and credit union professionals that is now Ken Schmidt’s second-most requested topic. Little differentiation among competitors and product offerings in a marketplace increasingly inclined to compare brands and self-manage via faceless digital platforms, means attracting, engaging and keeping clients has become a top priority.

Where others see futility and commoditization, Schmidt sees unprecedented opportunities for growth. He’ll show you simple techniques to make your business -- and the people who work with you -- stand out and be memorable, preferred and referred. And he'll share how easy it is to delight clients and foster loyalty. The same techniques Ken pioneered to make Harley-Davidson the premiere brand in a commoditized industry and attract investors during its most challenging era are powerful, instantly applicable take-aways.

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