I have been a Zappos customer since they started back in 1999. I was Wowed with my first and subsequent transactions with them. The other day I came across their core values. This explains everything.
The 10 Zappos Core Values:
- Deliver Wow through Service
- Be Passionate and Determined
- Embrace and Drive Change
- Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
- Do More with Less
- Pursue Growth and Learning
- Create Fun and a Little Weirdness
- Build Open and Honest Relationships with Communication
- Be Adventurous, Creative and Open-Minded
- Be Humble
Lets’ talk about living Wow and delivering Wow. Personally, when I am Wowed, everything changes for me. It happens at a cellular level. What Wows me? Music is usually guaranteed to Wow me. This morning it was Rattle and Hum by U2 in my car. Last week I revisited a long-time favorite Lose Yourself by Eminem. The beat in this song, (and coincidentally the opening verse about seizing and capturing a moment) are like popping a Wow pill for me. Another source of Wow is learning something new. When I am Wowed, I am inspired. When I am inspired this is what happens:
- I am happier
- I feel more like sharing and spreading the joy
- I smile more
- I am more helpful to others (see energized)
- I feel more energized
- I feel more social
How do you think the people around me are affected? You got it, it is infectious. When I feel good it increases my ability to make others feel good. I am more patient and compassionate. Things flow. Now, imagine how this concept translates in the workplace. Wowed employees are more likely to Wow their customers and coworkers. No wonder Zappos puts this first in their core values. You should too! Put it in your personal values. If you manage, teach or coach people, put it in your core values with them. If you own a company, make a New #1 in your list of core values. Do it!
You will need to get in touch with what Wows you first. Check in with yourself next time you feel energized, inspired, or unreasonably happy. Repeat the activity again to see if you get the same results. If you don’t know what Wows you, try something new. You might find it in a completely new activity. Studies show that novelty and challenge stimulate happiness. Test it out.
Once you start living Wow. Once you start leading with Wow. Once you company makes Wow important….. delivering Wow will happen. There will be nothing you can do to stop it, limit it, or hold it back.
Things you can do stimulate Wow in the workplace:
- Find out what Wows you and Live it.
- Ask your employees what Wows them
- Encourage them to live their Wow
- Ask your peers what Wows them
- Encourage your peers to live their Wow
- Do something every single day that makes your employees laugh or smile.
Things you can do to deliver Wow through Service:
- Smile when you are talking to customers, even if you don’t feel like it
- Before picking up the phone or meeting with a customer, ask yourself, how can I delight this customer?
- Wrap up customer interactions with, “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”
- Make a game out of finding one personal piece of information that connects you to your customer
- Make a followup call during the week to make sure a customer’s product is working the way they expect or if their issue was resolved to their satisfaction
What makes you Wow? How do you live Wow in your own life? What techniques do you use with your teams to encourage Wow in themselves so that they can deliver Wow to their customers? Share! I want to learn something new today!
