Computing Success: How Dell Came Out On Top
Computing Success: How Dell Came Out On Top
Dell transformed a dorm room venture into one of the world’s largest billion dollar corporations. He became the youngest CEO in history to ever head a Fortune 500 company and he created a revolutionary new model for doing business in the information age. How did he do it?
He Had Focus: Dell isn’t the computer industry’s biggest innovator, but nor does it try to be. Dell knows what it is good at and what made it a success, and it has stuck to that formula. By cutting operating costs, eliminating the middleman, scrapping inventory and spending a minimal amount on research and development, Dell is the first to admit that it’s sole goal is to offer computers at the lowest possible price and leave the cost and risks of innovating to others.
He Prioritized the Customer: With little innovation of its own, Dell is often accused of being a one-trick pony. “No,” he replies. “We’re a two-trick pony. We satisfy customers and we make a profit.” From day one, Dell has made a point of studying his customers as opposed to his competitors, believing this would give him a greater competitive advantage. By focusing on product customization, customer needs and customer service, Dell has established his company as one of the most customer-centric in operation today.
He Delegated Authority: Dell might have started off on his own at 19 years old, but as the company grew, he knew his success would depend on the people he surrounded himself with. “There’s no such thing as a self-made success,” he says. “We are all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a leader has shown me again and again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships.” By giving his staff a high degree of responsibility and authority, Dell was ensuring his team had an equal amount of interest in seeing his company succeeded as he did.
He Was Flexible: “Swing for hits, not home runs,” says Dell. “Business is like baseball. If your competitor is batting 300 you want to bat 350 or 400. No-one’s batting 1000. So you can’t worry about it.” Dell wasn’t aiming to be perfect. But, he did want to stay on top of his competitors. By being aware of changing trends and being flexible enough to adapt to them, Dell was able to use those very changes to his advantage.
He Was Independent: Dell had everyone from his parents to industry experts telling him to ignore his dream and go back to school. There was no way a 19 year old with no innovative product of his own could break into the game, they said. But, Dell believed in what he was doing. He knew there was a demand that he could meet and he refused to listen to his critics until they were singing his praises.
You only need look at the name on the computer in front of you and chances are Dell’s success will quickly become apparent. Today, Dell Inc. revenue continues to grow at nearly 15% per year. Dell has not only set the bar for customized, low-cost computers, but by making his success seem so simple and straightforward, Dell has become one of the most fascinating and copied entrepreneurs in history.
Computing Success How Dell Came Out On Top
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To become a success, Dell says, “You just need a framework and a dream.”
Dell transformed a dorm room venture into one of the world’s largest billion dollar corporations. He became the youngest CEO in history to ever head a Fortune 500 company and he created a revolutionary new model for doing business in the information age. How did he do it?
He Had Focus: Dell isn’t the computer industry’s biggest innovator, but nor does it try to be. Dell knows what it is good at and what made it a success, and it has stuck to that formula. By cutting operating costs, eliminating the middleman, scrapping inventory and spending a minimal amount on research and development, Dell is the first to admit that it’s sole goal is to offer computers at the lowest possible price and leave the cost and risks of innovating to others.
He Prioritized the Customer: With little innovation of its own, Dell is often accused of being a one-trick pony. “No,” he replies. “We’re a two-trick pony. We satisfy customers and we make a profit.” From day one, Dell has made a point of studying his customers as opposed to his competitors, believing this would give him a greater competitive advantage. By focusing on product customization, customer needs and customer service, Dell has established his company as one of the most customer-centric in operation today.
He Delegated Authority: Dell might have started off on his own at 19 years old, but as the company grew, he knew his success would depend on the people he surrounded himself with. “There’s no such thing as a self-made success,” he says. “We are all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a leader has shown me again and again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships.” By giving his staff a high degree of responsibility and authority, Dell was ensuring his team had an equal amount of interest in seeing his company succeeded as he did.
He Was Flexible: “Swing for hits, not home runs,” says Dell. “Business is like baseball. If your competitor is batting 300 you want to bat 350 or 400. No-one’s batting 1000. So you can’t worry about it.” Dell wasn’t aiming to be perfect. But, he did want to stay on top of his competitors. By being aware of changing trends and being flexible enough to adapt to them, Dell was able to use those very changes to his advantage.
He Was Independent: Dell had everyone from his parents to industry experts telling him to ignore his dream and go back to school. There was no way a 19 year old with no innovative product of his own could break into the game, they said. But, Dell believed in what he was doing. He knew there was a demand that he could meet and he refused to listen to his critics until they were singing his praises.
You only need look at the name on the computer in front of you and chances are Dell’s success will quickly become apparent. Today, Dell Inc. revenue continues to grow at nearly 15% per year. Dell has not only set the bar for customized, low-cost computers, but by making his success seem so simple and straightforward, Dell has become one of the most fascinating and copied entrepreneurs in history.
Computing Success How Dell Came Out On Top
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helpful.... wanted to know about michael dell.... seems to be working great as yet.... thanks
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team culture consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. Dianne's contribution to the 2010 Pfeiffer Consulting Journal (an imprint of John Wiley and Sons Publishers) entitled TIGERS Hearted Teams is available in November 2009. Her new book TIGERS Among Us: 5 Winning Business Team Cultures And Why, Three Creeks Publishing will release in March 2010. To receive publishing discounts, subscribe to the free TigerTracks Newsletter here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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