"I want to compete with IBM"
/kloc-When he was 0/8 years old, Michael went to the University of Texas in Austin. Like most freshmen, he needs to earn his own pocket money. At that time, the computer craze had just started on the university campus, and everyone was talking about personal computers. No one wants to buy it, but the products sold by dealers are very expensive. If people want computers that can meet their specific needs and are cheap, it will be very difficult. Why do dealers sell computers so expensive after adding a little extra function? Michael was confused at first, but then he suddenly understood. Why not buy it from the manufacturer and sell it directly to the user?
Michael admitted to his parents that he was in the computer industry, and they wanted to know how his lessons were. He said he wanted to quit school and start his own company.
"Why on earth did you do that?" His parents asked.
"compete with IBM." He gave a straight answer. Competing with IBM, the computer giant in the United States and even the world? Now his parents are really upset. But no matter what they said, Michael was unmoved. They finally reached a deal. He had to start his computer company during the summer vacation. If he fails, he must go back to school in September. Back in Austin, michael dell gave everything he had and founded Dell Computer Company. It was1May 3, 984, and he was only 19 years old.
Miraculous success
When his parents set a deadline for him, Michael made up his mind to stick to it and started a crazy sprint. He rented a one-room office by paying rent once a month and hired his first employee, a 28-year-old manager, to manage his finances. He grabbed an empty pizza box and drew a sketch of Dell's first advertisement on the back. A friend drew it on paper and sent it to the newspaper for publication.
Michael specializes in selling IBM personal computers directly to users and adding specific functions according to customer requirements. As soon as the order came, he purchased general parts everywhere and assembled every computer with special requirements. Sales in the first month reached $6,543,808+0,800, and in the second month it rose to $265,000. Michael hardly noticed that the new school year started again, because his career was booming, and he sold 1000 personal computers every month. He moved into a bigger place and hired more people.
Unlike other manufacturers, Michael provides customers with a "refund quality guarantee", that is, unqualified products can be fully refunded. He also realized that when a computer breaks down, customers always want to be able to repair it immediately. Therefore, Michael implemented the system of "the next day's home repair" for his products, and set up a 24-hour free telephone line for customers to talk directly with computer technicians. "My competitors first develop new products and then tell customers what they want and don't want, instead of figuring out what the market really needs before developing new products." Michael hit the nail on the head by pointing out the weaknesses of his competitors.
By the time he graduated from college, the annual sales of Dell computers had reached $70 million. Dell will no longer process and modify the products of other companies, and the stage of "borrowing chickens to lay eggs" has ended. Michael began to design, assemble and sell his own products. Dell has reached a new level, which is a miraculous success created by Michael.
Today, Dell Computer Company has opened subsidiaries in 65,438+06 countries, including Japan, with annual sales exceeding 2 billion dollars and more than 5,000 employees. Michael's personal wealth is between 250 million and 300 million dollars. Michael, his wife and daughter still lead a fairly ordinary life and are keen on public welfare undertakings. Michael also teaches business management courses to MBA students at his alma mater, the Graduate School of the University of Texas Business School. He is worried that the United States is losing its competitiveness and thinks that there are too many conformists now. He attributed his success to his parents' expectations of their children and asked them to study hard and work hard. According to his own experience, he reflected on the disadvantages of American education.
When there were only two people in one room in his company, Michael told his friends that his dream was to become the largest PC manufacturer in the world, and his friends said that he was whimsical. "Why do you want to be fifth, sixth and tenth?" He replied. His experience inspires us: Why not pursue your dreams? Strive to realize your dreams! If you have any good ideas, you can at least try.