BUILDING BRANDS THAT MATTER, Alfred Lin of Zappos

When a corporation defines itself as an entity that "Delivers Happiness," you know you're going to experience something outside the norm. During the Wednesday afternoon breakout session, Zappos CFO/COO Alfred Lin explained, "Zappos is a service company that happens to sell clothing, shoes, handbags, eyewear, watches, and eventually a bunch of other stuff."

Lin went on to expalin that a committment to customer service, creating a personal connection and "wowing" the customer is what has built the Zappos brand. And he believes that this is something every company is capable of doing. He explained, "People may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but they will always remember exactly how you made them feel...It doesn't matter what your [company's] core values are, as long as you commit to them."

To follow the Zappos success model, companies must adhere to the following steps:
1) DECIDE if you're trying to build a long term sustainable brand
2) FIGURE OUT VALUES AND CULTURE sooner rather than later
3) COMMIT TO TRANSPARENCY within your company
4) DON'T CHASE THE PAPER, CHASE THE DREAM
5) BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, not networking. Be interested rather than trying to be interesting
6) BUILD YOUR TEAM; hire slowly and fire quickly
7) THINK LONG TERM; the key to this is repeat customers. Remember the importance of outstanding customer service, and the fact that there is no "get rich quick" formula.