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Blend subtlety and secrecy to keep the opponent confused so he knows neither where to attack or defend. |
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Southwest Airlines often waits until the last moment to announce plans to extend its routes to new markets so that competition has little time to prepare. |
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The importers of upscale champagne, Dom Perignon, use secrecy as a part of their strategy. One of their executives who refused to talk about how they market their product said, ''We don't want to talk about Dom Perignon. We want to maintain its mystique." |
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Getting information about what's happening in Iraq may be easier than finding out what's happening at Mars candy headquarters. |
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Secrecy about your own movements can be more threatening than overt action. Some manufacturers have a corporate policy of no public announcement preceding a new product introduction. Since the unknown often appears more threatening than the known, this secrecy becomes a powerful and threatening ally. Concerning corporate raider Rupert Murdoch, a Wall Street analyst said, "Part of Murdoch's strategy is to play his cards close to his vest. The magic is secrecy." |
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Secrecy protects your plans, while surprise confuses your opponent. In business, it is not essential that your opponent be taken unaware, but only that he becomes aware too late to react effectively. In that case, your opponent will probably announce that he "misread the market." |
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Even though your current position may be weak, you can do things to divert the enemy from your position. This kind of bluff is achieved by starting rumors that work to your advantage. |
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The objective of surprise is to obtain a psychological dominance that denies the initiative to your opponent. When surprise is achieved, the balance of power will often be decisively shifted and success achieved out of proportion to effort expended. |
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Speed is another essential component of surprise. Focus on rapid, hard-hitting thrusts aimed at your opponent's weakness. |
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