I heard Tony Shieh tell the Zappos company story. How does a company sell shoes online at a premium price when you can go down to the store and try them on and pay less? Here's how:
They have their 800 number on every page of their website. They want you to call. No call times, no scripts, their customer service people do not try to upsell you. They offer free shipping both ways and a 365 day return policy. They do not drop ship; they warehouse everything they sell. They do not optimize the warehouse for efficiency; it is optimized for speed of shipping.
They hire slowly and fire quickly. If you don't fit the company culture, you don't get a job. In fact, at the end of orientation and training, they offer you $2,000 to QUIT! They know that new hires that take the money and leave are a good deal for the company. Because those who don't quit really buy in to the culture. The Zappos brand is their culture.
Tony says that is important is that having employees' values in line with company values is more important than the company values themselves. How to establish a brand and a culture:
1. Decide that you want to
2. Figure out what they are and hire/fire based on these
3. Transparency- be real and you have no fear of been caught lying
4. Vision- think bigger, chase your vision not the money
5. Build relationships rather than "networks". Takes 2-3 years.
6. Build a team: "If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." - Al Gore
7. Think long term. Overnight success is years in the making.
Tony's research on Happiness:
When you ask someone for their goals in life, and you don't accept their first answer, but keep asking, "Why?" Eventually, they say that they want to be happy. People are bad at predicting what will bring them sustained happiness. Well, it comes down to these things: perceived control of your future, perceived progress towards a goal, connectedness, and a sense of meaning.
Pleasure aka "Rock Star" Get to the next high.
Flow aka Engagement Time flies when you're having fun
Purpose aka Bigger than yourself Long lasting happiness
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