By Katie Coates Ageson, APR (Orange County Chapter)
No doubt about it, PRSA has hosted events that provided me with valuable information and insights over the years.
In April, I attended the Western District Conference hosted by the Las Vegas chapter at The Venetian Hotel Resort Casino.
If you haven’t ever attended this conference, you have really missed out! The Western District Conference is one of the best-priced events of its type that I have attended. Newport Beach (Orange County Chapter) in 2009, Palm Springs (Inland Empire Chapter) in 2010 and this year’s event, all offered amazing programs, headline speakers and great networking opportunities.
In my opinion, the stand-out speaker of the weekend was Donavon Roberson, then of Zappos, speaking about the company’s culture. Donavon was dynamic, concise, inspiring…
Here are some of the main points he made during his presentation:
Become a student of your customers’ needs. Figure out what your core business is. Your core business may not be as obvious as you think.
In Zappos’ case, you might look at the company and think “shoes.” But they look at it in a different way: Shoes = service and selection = culture and core values = emotional connection = delivering happiness.
How do they get 70 to 75% of their customers to become repeat customers? By feeling empathy for them. To fuel that empathy, they conduct sit-down qualitative interviews as well as surveys, and maintain a presence in the social space so they can listen to what their customers’ experiences are like.
Zappos ownership goes for the long term and ask themselves: What is our legacy? They empower their employees with the freedom to take responsibility to respond to their customers’ needs. If it takes 2-1/2 hours on the phone to find a customer the product she is looking for, so be it.
Donavon’s final point: Inspiration eats motivation for breakfast.
Here’s wishing you an inspired summer. Hope to see you at next year’s Western District Conference.
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