商务英语案例.docx

商务英语案例.docx

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商务英语案例

商务英语-案例

FacingBusinessChallengesatGateway2000

FromFarmBoytoBillionaire

Computers.Theoddsareslimyouwillsurvive,muchlessthrive,inthisindustry.Youhavetoguesswhatcustomerswillwantmorethanayearinadvance,eventhoughtechnologyischangingatanincrediblyfastpace.It'shardlyabusinessforcowboys-unlessyou'reTedWaitt.

Sonofafourth-generationcattlebroker,Waitt（currently34andworthanestimated$1.7billion）ridesherdoverGateway2000.TheytellstoriesaboutWaitt,andnotjustinSiouxCity,SouthDakota-Gateway'shomeland.Theytalkabouthowhebuiltafortunebytrustinghisinstinctsandmakinggutsycallsthatledtheindustry.Howheborrowed$10,000fromhisgrandmothertostartamail-ordercomputerbusiness,andhowheturnedatwo-man,farmhouseoperationintoaglobalgiant-inonlytenyears.Andtheytalkaboutthepony-tailedfarmboycladindeckshoesandapoloshirtwhoknewthatsomedayhewasgoingtorunhisowncompany.

ItallbeganwhileWaittwasworkingforalocalcomputerstore;hewasamazedbyhoweasyitwastosellcomputerequipmenttoacknowledgeablecomputerusersoverthephone.Soin1985Waitt（themarketer）teamedupwithhisbuddyMikeHammond（thetechnicalwhiz）,andthetwostartedasmallmail-ordercomputerbusinessoftheirown.WaittandHammondworkedlonghours-fromtheirupstairsofficeinWaitt'sfamilyfarmhouse.

Theirbigbreakcamein1987,whenTexasInstruments（TI）decidedtostopmanufacturingitsowncomputersandinsteadsellonlyindustry-standardIBM-compatiblepersonalcomputers（PCs）.Ofcourse,ownersofTIcomputerscouldtradeintheirequipmentfornewerIBM-compatiblecomputers,butfirsttheywouldhavetocoughup$3,500.WaittandHammondknewtheycouldprovidethesamecomputerequipmentTIwasoffering-andatamuchcheaperprice（$1,955）.Theydidthisbyfindingthebestdealsoncutting-edgecomputercomponents,andassemblingthecomponentstobuildtopqualitycustomPCs.Becauseallsalesweremade-to-orderandtransactedoverthephone,Gatewaycouldaffordtogivecustomersmorecomputerfortheirmoney-astrategyfromwhichthecompanyhasneverveered.

Withinthreeshortyears,thecompanywasshipping225PCsaday（eachoneinablack-and-whitecow-spottedbox）,andsalesreached$70million.By1993salestopped$1.7billion,andthecompanysolditsstocktotheinvestingpublic.InspiteofGateway'sspeedytriptothetop,thecompanywasatatreacherousintersection.Gatewaywasrunessentiallybyoneguy-TedWaitt-whoreliedonhisinstincts.Andthecompanywasgettingtoobigtodependononlyoneman'sjudgment.Inordertosurviveinthiscompetitiveindustry,Gatewaywouldhavetofindwaystoexpanditscustomerbaseandmanagethecompany'sgrowth.

IfyouwereTedWaitt,whatstepswouldyoutaketobeefupbusiness?

Wouldyoucompeteonprice,speed,quality,orinnovation?

Wouldyouconsiderothersalesapproachesbesidestelephoneselling?

MeetingBusinessChallengesatGateway2000

Relyingonhisinstincts,TedWaittmadeanumberofcriticalcallsthatputGatewayinthelead.Ofcourse,Waittwasnolongeraone-manshow.Beginningin1991,hebroughtinexperiencedexecutives（fromtopcompanieslikeDigitalEquipment,TexasInstruments,andIBM）tohelpmanagethecompany'sgrowth.TogethertheybroughtGatewaytonewheightswhilestickingwithitsefficient,bare-bonesassemblyoperation-noshowroom,littleinventory,andnoretailoutlets.Infact,Gateway'ssimpledirect-salesoperationallowsthecompanytocompeteonspeed,quality,andprice.

SpeedandqualityinmanufacturinggiveGatewaythebiggestadvantage.Notonlycanspeedandqualitywincustomers,buttheywintherightkindofcustomers-thosewhoarewillingtopayabitmoreforcomputerequipment.Gatewaymoveslikelightning:

Itgetsnewcomputersoutthedoorinahurry.Theyincludeallthelatesttechnology-liketop-qualitycolormonitors,thelatestoperatingsystemandsoftware,andthemostpowerfulcomputerchip.

Ofcourse,buyingacomputeroverthetelephoneandnotseeingtheequipmentuntilthetruckdeliversthecow-spottedboxestoyourdoorstepisnotforeveryone.Gatewayattractscomputer-savvybuyerswhoneedalotlesshand-holdingandarecomfortablepurchasingfromacatalogoranadvertisement.Here'showitworks:

Thecustomercallsinand,overthephone（orInternet）,designsacustom-configuredcomputersystemusingcutting-edgetechnology.Inaboutfivedays,thecustomsystemisbuiltandshipped.Becausethereisnoinventorytospeakof（computersaremade-to-order）,astechnologygetscheaper,Gatewaycancompeteonpricebychangingpricesdailyandpassingthesavingsontocustomers.

Relyingonwordofmouthandastrongadvertisingcampaign（about$90millionayear）,Gatewayrodeawaveofsuccessfueledbycomputerbuyershuntingforgoodequipmentatbargainprices.Gateway'ssuccess,however,didnotcomewithoutitsshareofgrowingpains.Gateway'sfirstportablelaptopcomputerwasadisaster.Failingtorecognizethatcustomershadtoseeandtouchtheproducttoappreciateitssmallersizeandcapabilities,Gatewayranintoawallbecausethecompany'scomputerswerenotsoldinretailstoreswherecustomerscouldexperiencetheproduct'sfeatures.Thislessonwouldnotbeforgotten.Othermishapsincludedsendingoutmachinesthatdidnotworkandbusyphonelinesthatkeptcustomerswaiting-sometimesforhours.Fortunately,Waittcorrectedtheseproblemsearlyonbyinstitutingvariousquality-controlmeasurestoincreasecustomersatisfaction.Andhiseffortspaidoff.By1996Gatewaywasshipping5,000to6,000computersdailyandsalesskyrocketedtoroughly$5billion.

ThatsameyearGatewaylaunchedaproductthatwaswayaheadofitstime.CalledDestination,itwasacomboPCand31-inchtelevisionsetwithawirelesskeyboard,amouse,andahome-theatersoundsystem.Learningfrompastmistakes,Waittknewhewouldhavetogettheproductinfrontofconsumerssothattheycouldseeitsfeatures.ThistimeGatewaycutdealswithretailstores.NonehadevercarriedGateway'sstuffbefore.

ButWaitt'sbiggestchallengehasbeentryingtocrackthecorporatemarket.WhereasGatewaysoldmostofitscomputerstoindividualusersandsmallbusinesses,rivalDellsetitssightsonthelucrativeFortune1000corporateaccountsandmadesomeexpensiveinvestments-like$22millioninresearchanddevelopment（Gatewayspentpracticallyzip）.Despitedoublingitssalesforce,Gatewaydiscoveredthatsellingcomputerstocorporatecustomerswasnotaneasytask.Firstofall,competitorslikeIBMandHewlett-Packard（HP）havelarge,well-trainedsalesandservicestaffswhohavebeendoingbusinesswithbigcompaniesforyears.Furthermore,IBMandHPproductscanbepurchasedattraditionalretailstores.

Still,relyingonacost-efficient,bare-bones,direct-saleoperationisGateway'sstrongholdinthiscutthroatindustry.Thecompanyhasnoplanstoalteritsfundamentalsellingstrategy."Ifyoucomeseeusinthenextcentury,we'llbebigger,better,andsmarter,butfundamentallywe'llbethesame,"notesWaitt.Thatis,Gatewaywillsticktowhatitdoesbest:

churningouthugevolumesofPCsthatareequippedwiththelatesttechnologyataffordable-butnotrockbottom-pricesandsellingthemtocustomersoverthephone.