Sublime

Most important, Carlson was listening to employees. After boarding a United flight, he would change into a cardigan sweater and then work the cabin of an airplane, asking pilots and flight attendants whether they were happy and what the airline could be doing better. Hearing any criticism or suggestion, he reached into his pocket for an index card

joked about it. As one of them said, “Look, they’re selling hamburgers and we’re selling filet mignon. How can you even compare it?” “I know what we’re selling,” I said. “I’m talking about how we sell it. Quality doesn’t necessarily mean luxury. It means

Mr. Ford’s remark to me back in 1912, “Give them any color they want so long as it is black,” epitomized the reasons for Model T’s success and its ultimate decline.

We understand, most of all, that when offering the best possible experience, we must still remind people that what they are purchasing is worth every penny.

The franchise system of distribution makes sense only if you have a group of sound, prosperous dealers as business associates. I have never been interested in business relationships that are not of benefit to all concerned. It is my belief that everyone should hold up his end of the relationship and be rewarded accordingly. The significance of the

As you might imagine, by doing this, CarMax has eliminated salespeople’s need to think about themselves (wanting a higher commission) over the consumer (finding the right vehicle based on need)—ultimately leading to dramatically more trust during the buying process because customers believe the company, and the salesperson, have their best interest