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Maneuver to Gain the Advantage |
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The longest way around can be the shortest route to success. |
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Major victories have been won by doing the impossible through the impassable. By figuring out how to do the impossible of getting a package from one office to another overnight, Federal Express founder Fred Smith maneuvered to a unique position in the market. And when competition began encroaching on FedEx's "overnight" turf, it redefined overnight to mean "before 10:30 a.m." At the same time, FedEx set up a tracking program so it could rapidly answer questions concerning the en route location of every package. By innovating this new system of early delivery and tracking, FedEx established difficult obstacles for competitors who wanted to achieve parity in service. FedEx has continued its maneuvers to provide services that give it an advantage. Now you can get your FedEx package delivered in many markets before 8 a.m. or on Sunday. As one wag said, "I use FedEx when I 'absolutely, positively' want my package to get there on time and the U.S. Post Office when I 'kind of, sort of' want timely delivery.'' |
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Maneuvering to find an advantage is important in every competitive situation. In the auto wars, the Germans did not attack the American cars head-on; they maneuvered to the lightly defended flank at the low end of the market with the Volkswagen and at the high end with BMW and Mercedes. The Japanese copied this tactic, first with brands at the low end and eventually at the high end with Accura, Infiniti, and Lexus. |
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Since the easiest routes are often the most heavily defended, the longest way around can indeed be the shortest way home. The courses of action which appear most advantageous usually contain the seeds of disadvantage. For example, if you take too long to get organized, you will probably arrive too late. However, if you are not organized, your efforts will be too fragmented to win. |
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The key to success is turning a circuitous route into a straight route for you alone. Move rapidly; the longer you are en route, the more difficult it may be to get your resources to the market before your competitor. |
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Extended warranties have been a successful maneuver to a position of product or service superiority for many organizations. Although this works only until your competitor establishes parity, it can be a preemptive maneuver to win customers. |
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