Hi Friends! I just got back from my Necker Island trip with Richard Branson… we raised over $447,000.00 for Virgin Unite!  In the airport I picked up a copy of this month’s Inc. Magazine and wanted to tell you about it:

Click This Banner Shop Clothes, Bags, Accessories… and of course shoes.
Excellent timing to get gifts for Dads & Grads!

More about Tony Hsieh and his key note presentation at the 2009 Rich Cleaner Conference & Trade Show:

Tony Hsieh is the CEO and Director of Zappos.com—the #1 footwear retailer on the web with over 1 Billion Dollars in gross merchandise sales last year.

But Zappos.com isn’t Tony’s first (or only) big success. A few years earlier, he started a business called LinkExchange. He calls it a “side business” that he started out of his apartment. We’ll take his word for it… but we don’t know too many “side businesses” that get sold to Microsoft for a whopping $265 million. But Tony’s done it.

And ever since coming onboard at Zappos.com, he’s doubled sales every year since 1999.

Here’s a look back at exactly how it played out:

1999 Sales: Almost nothing
2000 Sales: $ 1.6 million
2001 Sales: $ 8.6 million
2002 Sales: $ 32 million
2003 Sales: $ 70 million
2004 Sales: $184 million
2005 Sales: $370 million
2006 Sales: $597 million
2007 Sales: $800 million

What’s Tony’s secret? It’s one word… SERVICE!

A “WOW” Customer Experience… His goal is simple: Make his customers’ lives as easy as possible. That means no-hassle returns (he guarantees his stuff for 365 days) and free shipping (back & forth) on everything…

Here’s one example of just how serious Tony is about treating his customers like Gold:

Every new Zappos.com employee hired in the corporate office has to go through 4 WEEKS of Customer Loyalty training… That means the new employee spends 20 full days answering phones in the call center-before they ever actually begin the job they were hired to do.

For Tony, customer service isn’t just a department—it is the entire company.

Tony will share some of his most powerful secrets for keeping his customers coming back again and again. The very same ones he uses to keep Zappos.com way ahead of the competition and you’ll want to pay close attention and apply some of these amazing growth strategies to your business. The smartest people in the room (including all our speakers) will be hanging on every word Tony says.

Tony has an unmatched, unparalleled collection of business-building advice that is not only capable of adding millions of dollars in added profit to your company’s bottom-line… Tony’s sage advice can also transform your life into one of limitless fun and freedom!

Find out more about the 2009 Rich Cleaner Conference & Trade Show.

I was sitting here looking through Kekich’s Credos – 100 credos written by my good friend David Kekich.

One really stood out – number 14: “The primary purpose of business is to create and keep customers. Marketing and innovation produce results. All other business functions are costs. Prospecting and increasing the average value and frequency of sales are the bedrock of marketing and business.”

The first line is critical, especially in this tougher economy, “The primary purpose of business is to create and keep customers.” A lot of times business owners forget this. They forget how important it is to not only find new blood, but to KEEP them through always over-delivering in value.
I recently took a trip to Washington D.C. with Eunice, Rachelle and Daali for the Presidential Inauguration. What an incredible experience! While we were in D.C. I had the pleasure of hanging out with Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com. He is one of the most innovative entrepreneurs I’ve ever met, and he’s running one of the largest companies in the US right now.

Zappos.com sells everything from women’s and men’s shoes to clothing, bags, accessories, and brand name items. Tony Hsieh has mastered this Credo #14 on so many different levels. Watch the video below and hear our conversation about customer service and the client experience.

This is insight that every business needs to listen to, and implement.

Best,

Joe