2006年12月23日 星期六

看時事學英文》謀定後動

【經濟日報/朱文章(陸軍官校語言中心主任)】
1998年6月,友訊科技公司為籌措資金,舉辦全球投資說明會,會中投資者只對友訊大陸建廠進度,以及美、日ODM客戶感興趣,發問焦點都放在代工業務,相形之下,占營收高比重的D-Link品牌業務「乏人問津」。
當時投資人對於友訊發展自有品牌D-Link期期不以為然。他們認為,台灣廠商做品牌是不可能成功的,因為不論營收、知名度、市占率、人才、技術、資金等,都難與當時縱橫全球的美國品牌大廠思科及3Com相提並論。因此,有分析師直接以瞧不起的口氣向友訊董事長高次軒嗆聲(look down their nose at或peer down their nose at),認為台灣廠商打自有品牌根本行不通。對於彼等如此短視(cannot see beyond the end of his nose),高次軒慨嘆道:「這一趟籌資之旅,真是個難忘的回憶,給我很大的衝擊。」
例:"We tried to sell IBM our new technology, but they did not believe that such a small company could come up with such a big breakthrough. They basi-cally just looked down their noses at us." 「我們想把新技術賣給IBM,不過他們不相信我們能有這種突破水準,壓根兒把我們看扁了。」
"We tried to get him to approve the new investment, but he could not see beyond the end of his nose." 「我們想讓他批准這個投資案,不過他目光如豆,竟然沒有同意。」
使不上力 競爭無門
台灣經營代工業務成功的範例到處可見,自創品牌成功的卻絕無僅有,難道沒有內需市場的台灣海島型國家,注定只能做代工,無法自創品牌?面對高門檻的競爭態勢,業者不時有「使不上力」(on the outside, looking in)、競爭無門的感受,眼睜睜看著國際大廠稱霸市場,吃香喝辣(enjoy the lion's share)。
例:"We knew we had the manufacturing know-how to make a better product than the company we were in contract with, but we did not have a recognizable brand or distributors and marketing expertise. We were in fact, on the outside looking in." 「合作的廠商無法完全發揮我們的生產技術,來生產更好的產品。受限於品牌、通路和行銷能力,我們真的使不上力。」
"Those with the money and know-how already will get the lion's share. Those without do not get anything. This is what they say that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer." 「有資金技術者稱霸市場,其他人只好看他吃香喝辣。」
反覆思考 謹慎行事
1996年開始,友訊宿敵智邦全力衝刺ODM代工業務,營收成長速度與幅度明顯超越友訊,友訊措手不及(caught with your pants down),在既有堅持的D-Link品牌業務之外,也將代工業務列為發展方向之一。這種便宜行事之計(choose the path of least resistance),分散了品牌業務的力道,並延宕D-Link品牌稱霸全球市場的時程。
例:"My job was to get as much infor-mation as possible so that my boss would not be caught with her pants down." 「我的工作就是儘量蒐集資料讓老闆參考,免得她因狀況外而出糗。」
"We could have tried to market it our-selves, but instead we decided to sell the patent to a large company. I think we took the path of least resistance." 「當時我們應該把它推出市場的,不過我們卻選擇把這個專利賣給大公司,我覺得當時的想法太過草率。」
友訊發展代工業務,是對大環境氣氛的一種妥協,而智邦發展自有品牌SMC,也因此連年虧損,甚至拖累整體公司營運。這兩項受競爭對手影響做出的決策,就後來的結果來看,都算是失敗的。孫子軍爭篇:「懸權而動」,要人謀定而後動(Look before you leap.或fools rush in where angels fear to tread.),才不致出現意外,或不可收拾的結果。
例:"The branch manager badly wanted to buy a local rival, but the corporate HQ told him to look before he leaps." 「地區經理一心想併購當地競爭對手,總公司高層通知他謀定後動,不得魯莽。」
"The young manager wanted to pursue the deal at once,but the older manager told him to look at it more closely because fools rush in where angels fear to tread." 「年輕的經理一心想成交案子,資深經理要他三思而行,不要莽撞行事。」
【2006/12/17 經濟日報】

沒有留言: