How Zappos' Exceptional Customer Service Strategy Led to Success and an Acquisition by Amazon

In the world of throughput noise, alignment makes sense of chaos, Zappos Family of Companies aligns its team's goals with its mission to "Deliver WOW through service." by training its customer service representatives to go above and beyond for their customers.

With that kind of mission, you can expect high customer loyalty, word-of-mouth evangelism, and importantly reduced CAC which obviously translates to sales!

No wonder Zappos was snapped by a company with similar value, you guess right by Amazon in 2009 for $ 1.2 billion.

It is not easy, but it is indeed very important that business, their leaders, and their teams take time to reflect on their mission and operational alignment with their strategic goals as often as possible.

Aligning the team's goals with your organization's mission is very essential for success and brand differentiation!

Companies looking to succeed and differentiate themselves can take note of Zappos' customer-centric strategy.

Trackboard.app - A Strategy Development Platform

When we started building Trackboardapp by Kinetic (a strategy development platform) before the pandemic, we wanted to help bring efficiency, transparency, and speed to strategy development, mapping, and implementation . Now, I am most motivated by the fact that business leaders, institutions, and their employees are able to design and see their strategic goals implemented in real-time and the progress of their organization-wide mission from anywhere in the world on Trackboard. Fortunately, businesses have gone or/are going full remote or hybrid now, and naturally, adapting to a new change isn't always easy. Our foremost strategy consulting partner Ausso Leadership Academy led by Mr Austin Okere is doing fantastic work in easing customers on Trackboard by Kinetic digital transformation journey. It is surreal to see the leadership of publicly traded companies leading their organizational-wide digital transformation journey with the help of Trackboard. Like we always say, business le...

The B2B Advantage: The Significance of Partnerships in Launching trackboard.app

In B2B product development, partnerships are more than just beneficial; they're often the key to successful product launch. Our journey with Trackboard.app by Kinetic illuminated the profound importance of forging strong partnerships when launching a B2B product. Here are the essential lessons we've learned: 1. Access to New Markets: Partnerships open doors to new markets and customer segments. Collaborating with established entities provides access to their existing clientele and networks, giving your product a head start. 2. Industry Expertise: Partnering with organizations that have industry-specific expertise can be a game-changer. Their insights into the unique challenges and needs of your target market can guide your product's development. 3. Credibility and Trust: Established partners bring credibility and trust to your product. Their endorsement can significantly boost your reputation and validate your offering in the eyes of potential customers. It would have ...

My Journey to Building a Leading Strategy Execution Platform

As an engineer by training, my journey to building and leading a Strategy Execution platform has been fascinating and transformative. Throughout my college years, I immersed myself in the world of mechanical engineering, honing my technical skills and developing a deep understanding of complex systems. Little did I know that this foundation would serve as the launching pad for my future endeavors in the realm of strategy execution. My early career was dedicated to applying my engineering expertise to various projects, from designing innovative machines to optimizing production processes at Kia Motors. It was during this time that I first encountered the challenges organizations face when it comes to executing their strategic plans. I became increasingly intrigued by the gap between strategy formulation and its successful implementation. This gap often resulted in missed opportunities, unrealized potential, and, importantly, wasted human and capital resources. "It is estimated...

The Benefits of Strategic Mission Alignment for Organizations

I have been asked why organizations should take strategic mission alignment seriously. Here is my answer. Photo by Edz Norton Strategic mission alignment is a crucial aspect of organizational management. It involves aligning the organization's mission and goals with the actions and decisions of its employees. This alignment is vital because it ensures that everyone in the organization is working towards the same goals and objectives. This, in turn, can lead to several benefits for the organization, including increased productivity, improved efficiency, and tremendous success in achieving its strategic goals. Photo by Arjan de Jong One of the key benefits of strategic mission alignment is that it helps ensure that all employees work towards the same goals. It means increased collaboration and teamwork, directly or indirectly improving productivity and efficiency. Additionally, when employees work towards common goals, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged, leading to bett...

90% of strategy often fail, Why?

Yesterday, while dressing up my 3-year-old daughter Halona. I was slightly surprised when she asked me why the food was not working. To her, the food she eats ought to have given her everything to be as big and tall as her mum. I showed her the clothes she wore when she was a year old and asked her to try them on; they wouldn't fit (she was able to see the growth, a measure of success). I then assured her that she would be as big as Mama one day if she continued to eat good food and a balanced diet (strategy for growth). Come to think of it, most businesses are like Halona. Every business has a vision and mission. When organizations design strategies to implement their strategic goals, it's a no-brainer that they define a measure of success, usually for a quarter or a year (short to long-term strategic goals). Now imagine, what will happen to a business when they need to measure the effectiveness of its strategic plan without having efficient tools or processes to do it. It is...

Navigating Growth: A Strategic Evolution at Kinetic

When we embarked on the journey of creating Kinetic and developing the Trackboard.app, our vision was clear – to build a platform that truly catered to the needs of our customers. From the outset, we understood the importance of aligning our product with the real-world challenges faced by businesses. Our Minimum Viable Product (MVP) wasn't just a prototype; it was piloted with a paying customer. Initially, our goal was ambitious: to integrate program management, performance management, and talent management into one cohesive platform. However, the reality of being a bootstrapped company hit home, and we had to confront the luxury of time. Recognizing the need to prioritize and deliver value sooner, I engaged with potential customers and partners to identify where the pain points were most acute. To my surprise, and perhaps not-so-surprisingly, given my prior experience as a consultant, we uncovered a substantial gap in corporate strategy planning, programming, and execution. It was...

The Watering Can Principle: A Sustainable Approach to Startup Growth

Once upon a time, there was a young entrepreneur named Lily. She was passionate about creating innovative products that would improve people's lives. After years of planning and hard work, Lily finally launched her startup. Excited to see her dream come to fruition, Lily invested all her resources in marketing campaigns, hiring, and other initiatives. She wanted her business to proliferate, believing that more funding was the key. Photo by David Ballew on Unsplash But things didn't go as planned. Despite a strong start, Lily's business started to falter. Sales were slowing down, and she struggled to attract new customers. She soon realized that her approach to growth had been flawed. She had focused too much ...

Overcoming Challenges: How I Mastered Strategy Design

Welcome to Day 2 of our 30-day journey into the world of strategy execution. Today, I want to share with you my personal experiences and insights on how I overcame challenges and mastered the art of strategy design. Building upon the foundation of my engineering background, I discovered the power of strategic thinking and its impact on successful strategy execution. The Importance of Strategy Design: Strategy design lays the groundwork for effective execution. It involves crafting a clear vision, defining goals, and outlining the steps required to achieve them. However, designing a robust strategy has its challenges. It requires a deep understanding of the business landscape, anticipating future trends, and aligning resources to maximize outcomes. My Journey to Mastery: Early on in my career, I realized that strategy design was an area where I could make a significant impact. I delved into research, studied best practices, and sought mentorship from industry experts. Thi...

Strategy and Digital Transformation

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