By Sid Chadwick
“…Bill, thank you. The world is a better place, Jobs told Gates after the Microsoft exec agreed to make a $150 million investment in Apple.”……Cover of Time Magazine
INTRODUCTION:
Our great industry…and your customer markets…are NOT…. a zero-sum game.
Steve Jobs and Bill Gates had to come to that personal understanding re. software and computers….and they did…..ahead of their industry….!
Some of you read the story of how… 20 years ago… Bill Gates loaned Steve Jobs -- $150 million – to save Apple – arguably… Microsoft’s top but desperate…struggling… competitor. (Banks wouldn’t touch Apple at the time. From and since that agreement, the valuations of those two companies – have “flipped”.)
That step, initiated by Steve Jobs at a critical moment in the life of Apple, lead to a unique working relationship between the two organizations – that all of us…really the entire world….have benefited.
My observation is that… most organizations… have capabilities – that not just their target customers and prospects – but also including…. nearby competitors – could sometimes use.
On a recent Peer Group Conference Call (we manage 4 Peer Groups), testimonials were heard re.:
- Suppliers working hard to become single-source suppliers to target customers.
- Multiple (including major national) competitors…buying more frequently… from multiple reporting Peer Group members.
- How several Peer Group members… were reporting the best December and January – ever….partly from competitors’ purchases………!
- How several Peer Group Members… are regularly sending-out “Blast Emails”… to key executives -- at competitors…re. their unusual capabilities – …even offering virtual educational sessions – to assist feeding their backlogs…!
SUMMARY:
Almost everyone…has something …knows something…I need to learn...and use...to improve our service… to those whom we serve….!
Market conditions are driving winners…and include:
- Radically shortened delivery times.
- Suppliers…not wanting to force a valued customer... to find another supplier.
- Buyers not waiting… or putting off…supplies and service they need.
- Customers needs changing….. constantly….!
- Through faster-changing market conditions and commercial needs… Suppliers learning to trust… Competitors….they need.
What would you do with an additional $10,000 to $50,000 of business – each month…?
What if Steve Jobs had not called Bill Gates....? (Steve Jobs genius... showed... in so much that he touched....!)
What competitor should you call.... that you haven't...?
“That (working relationship) has worked out very well,” says Gates…”In fact, every couple of years or so, there’s been something new that we’ve been able to do on their Mac… and it’s been a great business for us.”….What Happened When Microsoft Saved Apple
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