Rahasia Bisnis Orang Cina April 14, 2008
Posted by jungkirbalik in resume buku.add a comment
RAHASIA BISNIS ORANG CINA
LUAR BIASA !@#%%^%^
Buku yang cukup menarik untuk dibaca dan memberikan inspirasi mengenai kerja keras dan sukses orang Cina dalam membangun kerajaan bisnisnya. Buku ini ditulis oleh ann Wan Seng, seorang rantau Cina yang tinggal di Malaysia. Buku ini memberikan banyak sekali rahasia bagaimana sebuah kesuksesan pedagang Cina dalam membangun kerajaan bisnisnya dimana semuanya dimulai dari “nol”.
Saya mencoba memberikan resensi atau resume buku ini. Semoga pembaca dapat menikmati resensi ini, terlebih mau mencoba membaca bukunya secara langsung. Harapan saya, resensi buku ini mampu menolong memberikan intisari kedasyatan sharing ilmu dari Ann Wan Seng. Semoga bermanfaat.
SILAHKAN MENIKMATI?!@#!@!$#$!
Kerja Keras merupakan symbol khusus bagi pedagang Cina. Mereka memulai bekerja dari pagi buta sampai larut malam. Tujuannya satu, yaitu memajukan usaha perdagangan mereka. Mereka tidak kenal putus asa, lelah, letih, pesimis, ataupun kata-kata negative lainnya. Buktinya adalah mereka memulai semuanya dari nol. Sebagian besar adalah orang rantau dari tanah Cina, dan merantau ke Negara lain. Mereka merantau hanya bermodalkan baju yang melekat di badannya. Kebanyakan dari orang Cina tersebut tidak memiliki pendidikan atau kepandaian. Yang membuat mereka kuat adalah keinginan untuk menghidupi keluarga dan diri mereka serta ingin meningkatkan derajat mereka. Oleh sebab itu, tidak ada pilihan lain selain bekerja lebih keras dibandingkan orang lain agar bisa melanjutkan hidupnya. Mereka rela menderita, lelah, sakit, demi memajukan usaha yang dirintisnya.
Perdagangan merupakan pekerjaan yang mereka anggap memiliki derajat tertinggi. Dengan berdagang, mereka dapat meningkatkan kemakmuran lebih dari pekerjaan yang lainnya. Selain itu, dengan berdagang akan mampu meningkatkan kemampuan, keterampilan, dan bakat yang mereka miliki. Berdagang menjadi symbol terpenting orang Cina. Mereka beranggapan bahwa bekerja di kantoran alias mendapatkan gaji merupakan pekerjaan kasta rendah yang berusaha mereka hindarkan.Beberapa prinsip orang Cina yang menjadikan mereka sebagai pedagang yang sukses serta memiliki kemakmuran yag tingg, antara lain:
- Agresif
- Jangan melepaskan peluang
- Berani mengambil resiko
- Tahan Banting
- Jangan menyerah pada nasib
- Semangat berjuang
Keenam prinsip diatas harus diterapkan dalam perdagangan. Sekedar pintar berdagang, tidak akan memberikan hasil maksimal. Harus didukung dengan keenam prinsip tersebut.
Sebagai seorang pedagang, orang Cina sangat pandai berinvestasi. Prinsip uang harus menghasilkan uang yang lebih banyak, akan membuat mereka melupakan pola hidup konsumtif. Laba yang mereka peroleh, akan mereka investasikan ke bidang lainnya. Orang Cina Rela menebalkan muka, menahan caci maki orang, dan hidup sederhana. Setiap sen yang diperoleh dari keringatnya sendiri digunakan dengan hati-hati.
Adapun tips-tips buku ini antara lain:
- Pedagang harus menunjukkan kejujuran dan keikhlasan selagi melaksakan perdagangan.
- Pedagang harus mewujudkan kepercayaan dan ikatan yang akrab dengan pelanggan, tidak peduli apakah dia pelanggan lama atau baru, pelanggan besar atau kecil.
- Pedagang harus melayani para pelanggannya dengan baik karena mereka adalah bagian penting dari perdagangan.
- Pedagang tidak boleh menuruti perasaan dan kehendak sendiri.
- Pedagang harus mengikuti permintaan dan keperluan pelanggan.
- Pedagang harus selalu bermuka manis dan kaya senyum
- Pedagang tidak boleh marah dan membentak pelanggan.
- Pedagang bukan tauke, karena bos yang sebenarnya adalah pelanggan.
- Pedagang tidak boleh sombong, angkuh dan congkak.
- Pedagang harus rajin bekerja dan mudah mengulurkan bantuan.
- Pedagang harus siap memberikan pelayanan tambahan dan dalam konteks perdagangan ritel, mengantar barang ke rumah pelanggan.
- Pedagang tidak boleh ragu-ragu menjawab segala pertanyaan orang banyak.
- Pedagang harus menunjukkan bahwa dia adalah orang yang serbatahu terutama dalam bidang yang berkaitan dengan perdagangannya.
- Pedagang harus memperhatikan apa yang terjadi di masyarakat dan isu terkini.
- Pedagang harus memiliki kepekaan yang tinggi dan rasa simpati yang mendalam pada pelanggannya.
- Pedagang harus menjadikan pelanggannya sahabat, bukan sebagai pembeli yang datang dan pergi.
- Pedagang tidak boleh pelit memberikan diskon, pujian dan penghargaan kepada pelanggan.
- Pedagang harus bangun pagi-pagi sekali dan membuka perdagangannya secepat mungkin.
- Pedagang harus memberikan pelayanan yang cepat, jangan membiarkan pelanggan menunggu.
- Pedagang harus mudah diajak bicara dan berunding.
- Pedagang tidak boleh bersikap suka berprasangka atau menghakimi para pelanggan.
- Pedagang harus selalu berpikiran terbuka dan positif.
- Pedagang tidak boleh reaktif dan terburu-buru.
- Pedagang harus menunjukkan ke pelanggan bahwa dia selalu sibuk
- Pedagang tidak boleh tidur sewaktu menjalankan tugas dagang.
- Pedagang harus berusaha menciptakan suasana ceria bukannya menimbulkan kebosanan.
- Pedagang harus memastikan tempatnya penuh dengan barang, jangan biarkan ada ruang kosong.
- Pedagang harus memberikan kebebasan kepada pelanggan untuk membuat pilihan.
- Pedagang jangan sekali-kali turut campur dan membuat keputusan untuk pelanggan, kecuali jika diminta.
- Pedagang harus membuat pelanggan merasa kehadiran mereka dielu-elukan.
- Pedagang tidak boleh berkata “tidak” kepada pelanggan.
- Pedagang harus berperan sebagai pedagang, bukannya orang yang suka mengumpat, berjudi dan minum arak.
- Pedagang harus belajar menggunakan uang dan meningkatkan kemahiran menabung.
- Pedagang harus selalu menyediakan uang receh sebagai uang kembalian bagi pelanggan.
- Pedagang tidak boleh menunjukkan kemewahannya di depan pelanggan karena image bukan datang dari perhiasan, melainkan pelayanan yang diberikan.
- Pedagang jangan sekali-kali makan di depan pelanggan karena dianggap perbuatan yang tidak sopan.
- Pedagang harus menempel pengumuman jika tempatnya ditutup untuk sementara waktu.
- Pedagang jangan mencari musuh karena tidak baik bagi perdagangan.
- Pedagang jangan terlalu suka dan kerap membicarakan mengenai keuntungan.
- Pedagang harus tahu membedakan keuntungan jangka pendek dan jangka panjang.
- Pedagang tidak boleh terlalu yakin harus waspada dan berjaga-jaga.
- Pedagang sebaiknya tidak menjadikan tempat perdagangan sebagai tempat tinggal untuk keluarga bertandang dan menumpang makan.
- Pedagang harus menyimpan cadangan dan stok barang supaya tidak terjadi kekurangan.
- Pedagang harus menepati janji dan menyelesaikan utang.
- Pedagang tidak akan rugi jika memberikan sedikit insentif kepada pelanggan dalam bentuk potongan harga, hadiah, atau menambah berat barang yang dibeli oleh mereka.
- Pedagang tidak boleh menipu karena kepercayaan menjadi dasar utama dalam perdagangan.
- Pedagang tidak boleh menyalahkan orang lain jika terjadi kerugian dan kecelakaan. Semua harus diterima dengan hati teguh.
- Pedagang harus mewujudkan situasi win-win antara dirinya dan pelanggan. Dengan begitu, hubungan mereka akan kekal dan perdagangan akan dapat bertahan.
COMPETITIVE STRATEGY April 14, 2008
Posted by jungkirbalik in Economics.1 comment so far
Competitive Strategy: The Basics a la Michael Porter
In his book, Competitive Strategy (Free Press: 1980), Michael Porter identifies three fundamental competitive strategies and lays out the required skills and resources, organizational elements and risks associated with each strategy. The table below is a shorthand way of referring to what Porter has to say.
|
Competitive Strategy |
Required Skills & Resources |
Organizational Elements |
Associated Risks |
|
Overall Cost Leadership |
Sustained capital investment and access to capital Process engineering skills Intensive supervision of labor Products designed for ease of manufacture Low-cost distribution system |
Tight cost control Frequent, detailed reports Structured organization and responsibilities Incentives based on meeting strict quantitative targets |
Technological change that nullifies past investments or learning Low-cost learning by industry newcomers or followers through imitation, or through their ability to invest in state-of-the-art facilities Inability to see required product or marketing change because of the attention placed on cost Inflation in costs that narrow the firm’s ability to maintain enough of a price differential to offset competitors’ brand images or other approaches to differentiation |
|
Differentiation |
Strong marketing abilities Product engineering Creative flair Strong capability in basic research Corporate reputation for quality or technological leadership Long tradition in the industry or unique combination of skills drawn from other businesses Strong cooperation from channels |
Strong coordination among functions in R&D, product development, and marketing Subjective measurement and incentives instead of quantitative measures Amenities to attract highly skilled labor, scientists, or creative people |
The cost differential between low-cost competitors and the differentiated firm becomes too great for differentiation to hold brand loyalty. Buyers thus sacrifice some of the features, services, or image possessed by the differentiated firm for large cost savings. Buyers’ need for the differentiating factor falls. This can occur as buyers become more sophisticated. Imitation narrows perceived differentiation, a common occurrence as industries mature. |
|
Focus |
Combination of the above policies directed at the particular strategic target |
Combination of the above policies directed at the particular strategic target |
The cost differential between broad-range competitors and the focused firm widens to eliminate the cost advantages of serving a narrow target or to offset the differentiation achieved by focus. The differences in desired products or services between the strategic target and the market as a whole narrows. Competitors find submarkets within the strategic target and outfocus the focuser. |
My work affords me the opportunity to study related topics. In this case, the topic is strategy. This is one of several occasional papers I prepared while head of Strategic Planning & Management Services at Educational Testing Service.
Objectives
Keep one ear open in almost any business environment and the term “strategy” is sure to crop up on a regular basis. Unfortunately, those using the term frequently fail to define the way in which they are using it. Nor do those hearing it bother to check to see how it is being used. As a result, conversations about strategy can become confusing.
There are at least three basic forms of strategy in the business world and it helps to keep them straight. The objectives of this brief paper are to clarify the general concept of strategy and draw attention to the importance of distinguishing among three forms of strategy: (1) strategy or “strategy in general,” (2) corporate strategy and (3) competitive strategy (Figure 1).
Figure 1 – Three Forms of Strategy
The Concept of Strategy
The many definitions of strategy found in the management literature fall into one of four categories: plan, pattern, position, and perspective. According to these views, strategy is:
- A plan, a “how,” a means of getting from here to there.
- A pattern in actions over time; for example, a company that regularly markets very expensive products is using a “high end” strategy.
- A position, that is, it reflects decisions to offer particular products or services in particular markets.
- A perspective, that is, a vision and direction, a view of what the company or organization is to become.
As a practical matter, strategy evolves over time as intentions accommodate reality. Thus, one starts with a given perspective, concludes that it calls for a certain position, and sets about achieving it by way of a carefully crafted plan. Over time, things change. A pattern of decisions and actions marks movement from starting point to goal. This pattern of decisions and actions is called “realized” or “emergent” strategy.
Strategy in General
Strategy, in general, refers to how a given objective will be achieved. Consequently, strategy in general is concerned with the relationships between ends and means, that is, between the results we seek and the resources at our disposal. Strategy and tactics are both concerned with formulating and then carrying out courses of action intended to attain particular objectives. For the most part, strategy is concerned with deploying the resources at your disposal whereas tactics is concerned with employing them. Together, strategy and tactics bridge the gap between ends and means (see Figure 2).
Figure 2 – “Bridging the Gap”
Although it is not my aim to draw definitive distinctions between strategy and tactics, it is next to impossible to say something about one without also saying something about the other. The table below summarizes some of the more important differences I’ve noted in my studies and observations of strategy and tactics.
|
Aspects |
Strategy |
Tactics |
|
Scale of the Objective |
Grand |
Limited |
|
Scope of the Action |
Broad and General |
Narrowly Focused |
|
Guidance Provided |
General and Ongoing |
Specific and Situational |
|
Degree of Flexibility |
Adaptable, but not hastily changed |
Fluid, quick to adjust and adapt in minor or major ways |
|
Timing in Relation to Action |
Before Action |
During Action |
|
Focus of Resource Utilization |
Deployment |
Employment |
Strategy and tactics are both terms that come to us from the military. Their use in business and other civilian enterprises has required little adaptation as far as strategy in general is concerned, however, corporate strategy and competitive strategy do represent significant departures from the military meaning of strategy.
Corporate versus Competitive Strategy
Corporate strategy defines the markets and the businesses in which a company will operate. Competitive or business strategy defines for a given business the basis on which it will compete. Corporate strategy is typically decided in the context of defining the company’s mission and vision, that is, saying what the company does, why it exists, and what it is intended to become. Competitive strategy hinges on a company’s capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses in relation to market characteristics and the corresponding capabilities, strengths, and weaknesses of its competitors. According to Michael Porter, a Harvard Business School professor and the reigning guru of competitive strategy, competition within an industry is driven by five basic factors:
- Threat of new entrants.
- Threat of substitute products or services.
- Bargaining power of suppliers.
- Bargaining power of buyers.
- Rivalry among existing firms.
Porter also indicates that, in response to these five factors, competitive strategy can take one of three generic forms: (1) focus, (2) differentiation and (3) cost leadership.
Other Factors Affecting Corporate and Competitive Strategy
Other writers on the subject of strategy point to several factors that can serve as the basis for formulating corporate and competitive strategy. These factors include:
|
Products-services offered |
Sales-marketing methods |
|
Users-customers served |
Distribution methods |
|
Market types and needs |
Natural resources |
|
Production capacity-capability |
Size/growth goals |
|
Technology |
Return/profit goals |
Recently, “value disciplines” have been suggested as the basis for settling on strategy (corporate or competitive). The three basic “value disciplines” are:
|
Operational Excellence |
Strategy is predicated on the production and delivery of products and services. The objective is to lead the industry in terms of price and convenience. |
|
Customer Intimacy |
Strategy is predicated on tailoring and shaping products and services to fit an increasingly fine definition of the customer. The objective is long-term customer loyalty and long-term customer profitability. |
|
Product Leadership |
Strategy is predicated on producing a continuous stream of state-of-the-art products and services. The objective is the quick commercialization of new ideas. |
Some Fundamental Questions
Regardless of the definition of strategy, or the many factors affecting the choice of corporate or competitive strategy, there are some fundamental questions to be asked and answered. These include the following:
|
Related to Mission & Vision |
|
|
Related to Strategy in General |
|
|
Related to Corporate Strategy |
|
|
Related to Competitive Strategy |
|
Summary
The preceding discussion asserts that strategy in general is concerned with how, with courses of action intended to achieve particular objectives. Corporate strategy is concerned with choices and commitments regarding markets, business and the very nature of the company itself. Competitive strategy is concerned with competitors and the basis of competition. These basic points are illustrated in Figure 3.
Figure 3 – Focal Points of Strategy
Recommended Reading
Much of the preceding discussion is drawn from many well-known sources. To list them all would entail inserting an extensive bibliography right about here. Instead, I’ve chosen to list what I consider some “essential” readings.
- Competitive Strategy (1986). Michael Porter. Harvard Business School Press.
- The Concept of Corporate Strategy, 2nd Edition (1980). Kenneth Andrews. Dow-Jones Irwin.
- “Customer Intimacy and Other Value Disciplines.” Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Harvard Business Review (Jan-Feb 1993).
- The Discipline of Market Leaders (1994). Michael Treacy and Fred Wiersema. Addison-Wesley.
- The Rise and Fall of Strategic Planning (1994). Henry Mintzberg. Basic Books.
- Strategy (1967). B. H. Liddell Hart. Basic Books.
- Strategy: Pure and Simple (1993). Michel Robert. McGraw-Hill.
- Top Management Strategy (1980). Benjamin Tregoe and John Zimmerman. Simon and Schuster.
- “What is Strategy?” Michael Porter. Harvard Business Review (Nov-Dec 1996).
