Sam Geist

Sam Geist's business roots were first established in a small sporting goods store in Toronto, Canada. With his belief that at start-up, business operation is 90% hard work, 10% know-how, he gradually grew The Outdoor Stores into a 15-store national sporting goods chain. In 1980, he sold his multi-million dollar organization to his largest competitor. That experience was invaluable in clarifying his understanding of sales and marketing, the marketplace and its customers.

Capitalizing on this extensive experience, Sam opened his own advertising, marketing and consulting firm. His 14 years of agency experience taught him well about the rigors of marketplace demands--and marketplace unpredictability. He was able to hone his marketing skills, while he developed a valuable double-edge perspective--that of client and marketer.

He closed the agency in 1994 to concentrate on lecturing, presenting seminars and consulting. For the last 13 years, he has worked as a professional speaker, consultant, and facilitator to companies and associations across the globe. He has extensive experience consulting to companies involved in restructuring and is the author of Why Should Someone Do Business With You Rather Than Someone Else?, Would You Work for You? and Execute or Be Executed.

His customized programs focus on business strategy, leadership, customer service, the changing marketplace and maximizing staff productivity. Before each session, Geist conducts industry-related and company-specific research. Utilizing his years of experience he prepares and presents a variety of specialized actionable programs.

While he has, over the years, spoken to organizations in a great many industries, recently he has stood in front of clients in the automotive, finance, insurance, banking, construction, manufacturing, government, retail, franchising and service sectors.

His most requested programs include: "Why Should Someone Do Business With You Rather Than Someone Else?" (strategies to get and keep customers); "Doing More With What You've Got" (strategies for tough times strategies for all times); "Execute or Be Executed" (implementing specific actions) "Look Out! Here Comes Tomorrow" (managing change actively); "Would You Work For You?" (preparing for leadership); "If I Hear Customer Service One More Time, I'll . . . "(customer service); and "Differentiate . . . or Die" (marketing to maximize competitive advantages).

As a facilitator during hands-on, interactive discussions and brainstorming workshops, Sam uses the Socratic method to encourage participants to question themselves, to think about their business in new ways in order to change, improve, and grow. He insists that asking tough questions--and answering them honestly--is crucial to the well being of every organization. He shows participants how to capitalize on their resources, and how to turn their knowledge into action.

By each program's end, participants have so much more than "just stuff" to think about. They have the ammunition, know-how, and incentive to turn their strategic thinking into strategic doing.