After a brief rest over
the Holiday, we are ready to pick back up our text. Today we start a new
chapter, Waging Battle. In Business
Development, like or not, there is competition. After all, no-one thinks they
are the only one seeking money, in-kind, political, and other support from
industry. So you are ready to go out to find and land the prospect. How do you
do that?
Comments on Sun Tzu’s The Art of
War, edited by Dick Cooledge, Comptche Press, 1927.
Sun Tzu: “In
conducting war, there are always costs. If you field a thousand
swift chariots, you will need as many heavy chariots, and a
supporting force of a hundred thousand soldiers. All of these will need
provisions enough so they can do battle over a thousand li. But
that is not all, war also requires expenditures at home and at the front to
maintain the dignity and presence of the generals. Such expenditures include providing entertainment for guests and glue and paint to maintain
the chariots and solders equipment so they look as befits a great army. And all
this is before the actual fighting. When it does come time for battle, even
when you have the momentum, if victory is long in coming, then
weapons grow dull and the ardor of the troops begins to slip away. If
you lay siege to a town, you must keep your troops in the field. To keep your
troops in the field a long time requires supplies. Over time, you exhaust your
strength and must replenish your supplies or you will lose the battle.”
Raven: “The metaphor linking
business with war is overdrawn, but there is one place the lines are clearly
parallel: You don’t pick fights you can’t win. Your Napoleon said an army
fights on its belly. I watch the turkey vultures fight over road kill. It’s not
much different. Invaders fight on their bellies, partisans fight from the
heart. The lesson is don’t invade. Partisan and partner sound a lot alike and
it’s a better tactic to get to a deal. But then I’m just a bird with a bird’s
brain.”
Poor Richard: “Business is about
getting to the handshake. That’s the goal, that’s the objective, that’s the
thrill of success or the agony of defeat. Writing new business in new markets
is a lot like making friends when you move across country to a new town. It
takes a while. You have to hang out, invite folks back if they invite you over,
do things to network so you can meet people. You have to travel and you have to
go to conferences and meetings where the people you want to sell to go. All of
this takes investment. The wise merchant knows she is in a campaign. Her
objective is not to destroy her opponent, but to do business together. Then she
figures out what return she want sand how much she are willing to invest to get
it and to sustain it. If it works and she has the money, she commits. If not,
she waits for a better market opportunity.”
© Phyl Speser, January
21, 2013
Comments on Sun Tzu’s The Art of
War, edited by Dick Cooledge, Comptche Press, 1927.
Sun Tzu: “Now,
when it’s winter and you’re cold and damp and your weapons are rusting, your troops
dreaming of peace, your strength exhausted and your money gone, there
are others who are seeking to replace you and now will take advantage
of your adversity. Then no man, however wise or beloved, will be
able to avoid the coming disaster. Of course we must worry about
stupid hurry in war, but on the other side, cleverness is not a
reputation earned through long delays.
Raven: “When you’re stealing
someone’s food, it’s all about timing. Sooner or later, even Eagle gets careless.
It usually happens when he is overtired, Besides, he cannot chase you so well
then after you have grabbed your share from him.”
Poor Richard: “You usually know in the first few days whether you are going
to do business or not. After that it is all about maintaining momentum. Quick
deals and lots of them are usually better than one slow-in-coming deal.
Besides, the big ones have a kind of logic to them. Because they are big, there
is plenty to go around. Everyone can see how they make money. So you can
usually do them quick too if you are not greedy.”
© Phyl Speser, January
22, 2013