$800 Million Man – The Amazing Success Story of Zappos.com, and
What you can Learn & Profit From It
Tony Hsieh, is a 35 year old who went from owning a single pair of shoes to running the Vegas-based footwear giant Zappos.com, with a staggering 200,000 styles… and… nearly a billion in sales this year alone!
Yet when you discover how he took a “commodity” business (i.e. the Shoe Business) and built an empire from it with just ONE core marketing strategy, you will see how exciting things will be when applied to your business.
What ever business you have if you apply this ONE core strategy to this business – the Wow Experience – we can turn a “boring” ordinary business into a cash flow generating machine, guaranteed.
That’s what Zaapos.com did and they are selling billions.
Let’s take a look at Zappos.com Wow Experience:
- At Zappos they provide Free Overnight Shipping
- They pay for return shipping
- Female customers can order 10 pairs of shoes at a time, to try on at home with their favourite outfits
- They can return all that don’t fit or they don’t like
- Patrons have 365 days to return merchandise!
In the retail shoe industry, where there are negative industry growth rate, Zappos.com is blowing away its competitors… using nothing more than the Wow Experience.
Why does the wow experience work to generate such incredible cash flow in a business?
- People trust you more, which leads to more purchasers
- The wow experience eliminates (or reduces) fee-resistance
- It makes people more likely to refer others
- It generates word of mouth, which is paramount in a smaller community
- And most important of all…
And get this.
If they don’t have a particular shoe in stock, they train their order takers to search competitor websites and direct the customer to that competitor.
So here’s this guy who built a billion dollar a year business, who’s 35 years old, who has basically applied the exact same strategy that I’ve been urging my clients to implement for years.
The Wow Experience.
The wow experience is not just something “cool” you do for clients. It is marketing, and it’s just as important as running that yellow page ad or newspaper advertisement.
A typical experience of a client in a Nail Salon:
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They’re often greeted from any where they are in the salon, even if they are working with a client
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Handed a pile of magazines, and told rudely to “take a seat, and wait for the next available beautician
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Clients are often made to wait longer than
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Client are often hard sold
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Impersonal experience, lack of client care
A Wow Experience I created for a client of mine – Nail Salon
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When new client calls in, and their appointment is a new day ahead she sends out a “Welcome to my salon” gift bag, with map directions, and hand written thank you card…
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Clients are great from behind the desk, by a receptionist
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Clients are offered fruits, muffin, a healthy granola bar and a drink, while they wait, at no additional charge
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The wow items are delivered on silver trays…
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Clients are told exactly how long they are going to wait.
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Clients are told about the office 10 minute wait guarantee: If a client waits longer than 10 minutes for a scheduled appointment, that appointment will be free.
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While all this is going on, clients are sitting in a deluxe massage chair that relaxed and soothes her
Action Plan for Implementing the Wow Experience:
Nothing will change unless you take action on this whole “wow experience” idea. Just being “nice” when client come or call in won’t cut it.
Having a wow experience will completely differentiate you, raising you above the Commoditization of your business while placing your business in a whole other realm.
Finally, referrals, word of mouth, and new clients will literally “explode”. I have thousands of clients who can attest to the success of using this strategy.
Action steps:
Here is a list of Wow Experience Checklist that I use in my business, these might get your creative juices flowing.
Pre-Appointment:
Mini Gift Basket
Thank you card
Mappy.com personalized directions with map
The Arrival
International clients- Limo pick
How they’re greeted
Music
Smell
How I’m dressed
Fresh cut roses, flowers around office
Checking In
Thank you note at check in
A small welcome gift
The Wait
What would you like to drink?
Physical Changes to the Office
Relaxing office environment (desk/no desk, paint colour selection, music, smell(s), layout, etc.)
Post Appointment
Checking in call
LET ME ASK YOU THIS…
What Wow Experiences are your clients experiencing in your business today?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the FREE Report called, “19 Secrets to Exponentially GROW Your Business,” Check out www.beawealthyentrepreneur
* * *
Joyce Oladipo
The Go To Gal to GROWING YOUR BUSINESS
Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
www.BeAWealthyEntrepreneur.com
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