Every once in a great while, I come upon a book which I think is so inspiring that I feel like I should shout about it from the rooftops in the hopes that other people will read it and also be just as inspired. The book I’m talking about is called “Delivering Happiness” by Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh (pronounced ‘Shay’).
Part 2 of the book is where Tony begins to talk about the building of the Zappos culture – the thought that happy employees are what’s needed in order to run a good business and where he talks about Zappos’ 10 core values, of which the first is “Deliver WOW through service.”
What is WOW?
From the Zappos.com site, “To WOW, you must differentiate yourself, which means doing something a little unconventional and innovative. You must do something that’s above and beyond what’s expected. And whatever you do you must have an emotional impact on the receiver.”
In today’s market, where products are almost the same, how can a company differentiate itself and gain loyal customers? Here are four ways to get started:
1. Send your new customers a welcome letter
This is where you congratulate your new customer for making the purchase and then in detail, describe exactly what will happen next, as well as any action (if any) they need to take and when. It’s important to set expectations after the sale and you don’t want any misunderstandings to cause them to regret buying. You want your new customer to be happy because you’ve exceeded his expectations.
2. Follow up
Following up after each sale with a series of emails and the occasional phone call will let your new customers know how you care about them. An email newsletter is another great way to keep in touch with existing customers, and to let them know about new products and services they might be interested in.
3. Send some unexpected goodies
They don’t have to be expensive – perhaps a helpful article or checklist relevant to their purchase. Don’t try to sell anything when you send these. Everyone loves receiving unexpected gifts and this is a great way to keep customers coming back for more.
4. Talk about them to others
Write up a case study (with permission) and include it in your newsletter and/ or your blog. This provides a great showcase of your product or expertise as well as being a great promotion for your client.
These are just a few ways to quickly deliver WOW to your customers. If you want to deliver wow to your customers, check out these 5 Secrets to Great Customer Service.
What does WOW mean to you and how do you think that it could come to life in a business setting? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
P.S. Tony Hsieh and Zappos are now a part of Amazon
