How Zappos Built Their Business by Building Relationships

Because people are hungry for relationships, brands should give them that, first and foremost. Tony Hsieh, CEO of the online shoe and clothing giant Zappos, helped build a billion dollar company around this premise. His call center staff spends a longer than-average amount of time on the phone with customers with the goal of not making a sale, but building a relationship. He also has a no automation and no-overseas-call-center rule in place.

The result? A 75 percent repurchase rate through Zappos’ call centers, alone. “It’s important to identify all the vehicles that can drive you toward your goals,” Pachter says. “Test them in a way that allows you to have the perspective to make smart data-driven choices.”

If you’re looking for the ultimate definition of the importance of continued grassroots marketing, Stutts offers this thought: “Every business owner should design a strategy around this question, ‘What would happen if the only way we got new business was from our current client base?’ Build a strategy around that question, and you’ll never go out of business.”

This article appears in the new November/December 2018 issue of Connect magazine published by NextPage, which can be found online here. If you would like a free print subscription to Connect, please click here.

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