Dreaming back to 1949, the great powers were there to deceive us

“What is the core competitiveness of TA company?”

When Hu Zhenhua heard this question, his mind was foggy. He and Qi Shuhuan had drunk a lot of wine at the banquet and were already feeling a little dizzy.

Now being asked by the man in front of her, she was even more confused.

The man's name was Zhang Jiashu, and he volunteered to be the CEO of TA Group.

Ever since Atlan went to Japan to take charge of the overall situation, the position of CEO of TA Group has actually been vacant. The daily work is actually handled by Zhuge Lin, who then reports to Hu Zhenhua in the form of a briefing.

TA Group implements the "feudal system", and each subsidiary is equivalent to a prince of different sizes. If the subsidiary manager performs well, he will be promoted and get a salary increase. If he performs poorly, he will be fired.

What the head office does is to create a favorable environment for each subsidiary, such as coordinating relations with local governments and obtaining more financial support for the subsidiaries.

In a nutshell, the head office controls the overall situation and never interferes in specific matters.

So it doesn’t matter whether the CEO position exists or not.

After drinking a bowl of hangover soup, Hu Zhenhua stood up in a pretentious manner, bowed with both hands, and asked respectfully,

"Please sir, teach me!"

Zhang Jiashu was actually very nervous. A person like Hu Zhenhua only appears once in hundreds of years.

TA company was established in early April, and in less than four months, it has grown into an absolute giant. Its size is so large that it is unmatched not only in the Asia-Pacific region, but also in the world.

It would be a bit like showing off one's knowledge in front of Hu Zhenhua to explain the management philosophy.

Zhang Jiashu was encouraged by Hu Zhenhua and gained more confidence. He said,

"To put it simply, the company's competitiveness lies in having what others don't, and being better than others. I investigated the company's products one by one and found that the company has almost no innovative products of its own; everything it offers is imitation."

Hu Zhenhua nodded.

The fact that Zhang Jiashu could see this shows that he had put in a lot of effort.

"That's one reason. Secondly, the company's focus is on production, while sales and channel building are lackluster."

"Third, from a global perspective, the company's presence is concentrated in economically underdeveloped regions like China and Japan. These markets have relatively low barriers to entry, and while this choice of market can certainly lead to significant short-term growth, it also presents hidden dangers. Low barriers to entry mean anyone can enter. Western capital has already begun to notice these value-draining areas in the East, and they will soon flock in droves."

"Fourthly, the company's rapid development has benefited from the strong support of the Americans. If one day their support ceases, what will happen to the company? As far as I know, Ambassador Situ received a recall order on July 7nd. The relationship between the two countries is worrying!"

After hearing this, Hu Zhenhua broke out in a cold sweat. He didn't expect that the unprepossessing man in front of him could see things so clearly.

TA's company may seem huge, but it is actually just a facade. If a wave comes, it may capsize.

Especially in Chongming Industrial Zone, the foreign trade route will soon be blocked, and the people have no purchasing power. What will happen to the more than 1 billion investment?

Hu Zhenhua sat up straight and asked,

"Mr. Zhang, what's your solution?"

Zhang Jiashu was silent for a moment, then said firmly,

"First, survive, then develop! TA's core advantage is low production costs! I think the company can approach this from two perspectives. First, establish sales channels in the West to absorb the company's massive production capacity. Second, manufacture for Western companies. The advantage of doing so is that it can reduce competition!"

When Hu Zhenhua heard the word "OEM", his brows twitched.

This is the dirtiest and most exhausting job, and you don't earn much! Millions of shirts are needed to buy one airplane.

In later generations, countless small countries became production bases for the West and became their targets for exploitation.

Hu Zhenhua rubbed his eyebrows and smiled.

"Mr. Zhang's words are insightful, but they do not qualify him to be the company's CEO."

Zhang Jiashu became nervous. He thought for a long time and asked,

"Chairman, what's your solution?"

Hu Zhenhua picked up the teacup and took a sip.

"This is the confidentiality of their company."

Old Hu paused and continued,

"Mr. Zhang, since you've come to offer your advice, I can't let you go back empty-handed. Regarding the four hidden dangers you just mentioned, I'll answer them one by one, as a token of my gratitude!"

“First, it’s not that the company doesn’t have innovative products; it just hasn’t been brought to market yet.”

"Second, the company has already established offices in the United States and Europe to prepare for establishing sales channels."

"Third, the regions where our company has expanded have already captured the vast majority of the market. Western companies that want to compete with us will have to pay a huge price!"

"Fourth, the American people will always support me. I'm sorry, I can't reveal the specific reasons."

Every word Hu Zhenhua said was like a heavy punch, hitting Zhang Jiashu's heart and suffocating him.

He spent a lot of time and energy investigating those four hidden dangers.

result……

Zhang Jiashu felt a little embarrassed, he stood up slowly,

"Chairman, goodbye!"

Hu Zhenhua watched his back as he left, his brain working rapidly. The teacup lid in his hand kept rubbing against the cup, making a crisp sound.

When Zhang Jiashu was about to cross the threshold, a voice came from behind.

"Mr. Zhang, if I ask you to go to Europe to build sales channels, how would you do it?"

Hearing this, Zhang Jiashu felt hopeful again. He turned around and said,

"Build nodes and expand gradually!"

This guy was well prepared. He pulled out a map from his bag. Hu Zhenhua could tell at a glance that it was a map of Europe. More than 20 places were clearly marked on it.

Moreover, these more than 20 places are connected to more places through lines, with densely packed fulcrums, numbering more than 200.

"Chairman, there are two sales methods: direct sales and distribution. The advantage of direct sales is that it's easier for the company to control, but the disadvantage is the high initial investment. The advantage of distribution is rapid expansion, but the disadvantage is that distributors may not share our commitment, and we have to give up most of our profits. I plan to directly control these 20 first-level nodes, and for the second-level nodes, depending on the situation, some will be directly controlled by the company, while others will be recruited by agents."

Hu Zhenhua nodded slightly. Zhang Jiashu's proposal was remarkable. The two sales methods he mentioned were the most common at present.

Among them, direct sales are divided into store direct sales and sales team direct sales.

When talking about direct selling, we have to mention another word: pyramid scheme.

Pyramid schemes originated in the United States. In 1945, Lee Mattinger and William Cussenberry, the founders of Nutrilite, created a unique sales plan in practice, the multi-level direct sales model, which is considered to be the prototype of modern pyramid schemes.

Simply put, salesperson A develops downline salesperson B, B develops downline salesperson C, C develops downline salesperson D...

A can obtain different levels of commission from this series of downline sales.

The original intention of this model was good, but later in the development process it was gradually exploited by some criminals and evolved into an illegal pyramid scheme with the purpose of fraud.

When Hu Zhenhua shared this model with Zhang Jiashu, the latter exclaimed in amazement.

The pyramid scheme model can be summed up in one word: viral spread!

While Zhang Jiashu was lost in thought, Hu Zhenhua summoned Zhuge Lin and whispered,

"Didn't I catch that little liar Peng Liang when I was hospitalized in Shanghai last time? He was sent to Japan, right? So, you tell him about this pyramid scheme..."

If there are products in pyramid schemes, there are many choices, such as Yili Shen, Turtle Essence Nutrient Solution, etc. If that doesn’t work, just make some sugar water and promote it, and it will still sell well!

At this moment, Peng Liang, who was thousands of miles away, sneezed for no reason.

He was carrying a briefcase and following a middle-aged man in a suit and tie. The middle-aged man was the manager of a Japanese company named Ichiro Ishii.

Peng Liang found him and pretended to be desperate, saying that he just wanted to have enough food to eat and didn't want any salary.

There are too many people like this in Japan, and Ichiro Ishii has no chance of accepting them. However, Peng Liang revealed a piece of information, saying that his brother is an executive of Shidao Real Estate, and as long as he finds him, he will leave.

Shidao Real Estate is a star company in Japan and a household name. Its shareholder list includes many well-known Western consortiums.

Ichiro Ishii immediately took Peng Liang in and brought him with him to various places.

Ishii Ichiro saw Peng Liang sneeze and asked with concern,

"Peng Sang, are you sick? Do you want to take some time off to rest?"

Peng Liang was very smart. He would go to Shidao Real Estate whenever he had time, pretending to look for his brother. This action made Ichiro Ishii trust him even more.

Peng Liang stood straight and said in unfamiliar Japanese.

"Mr. Ishii, thank you for your concern. I'm fine and can continue working!"

"Yoshi!"

If nothing unexpected happens, Peng Liang will start harvesting.

……

Zhang Jiashu finally figured it out, and at this moment, he admired Hu Zhenhua even more.

Pyramid schemes are more sophisticated than developing distributors.

Distributors can choose other products, but direct sellers cannot. If they give up, it means they are giving up all their downlines and everything has to start from scratch.

In fact, Hu Zhenhua was very satisfied with Zhang Jiashu and intended to hire him.

But, we also have to give him a warning.

If Hu Zhenhua fails to establish his authority during the first meeting, it will be difficult for him to control such a person in the future.

First impression is very important!

For example, in the film "Towards the Republic", when Guangxu met Yuan Shikai for the first time, he encouraged him and gave him an official title, so Yuan had no respect for the emperor at all.

However, Yuan was almost killed when he met Cixi for the first time!

This show of force made Yuan feel the majesty of Cixi, so while the old woman was still alive, Yuan did not dare to have any strange thoughts.

Hu Zhenhua looked at Zhang Jiashu with a smile and said,

"Mr. Zhang, if I appoint you as the manager of TA's European branch, responsible for developing sales channels, would you be willing to accept the appointment?"

Zhang Jiashu stood up immediately.

"Thank you for your appreciation, Chairman. I am willing to accept the appointment!"

Hu Zhenhua stood up and shook hands with him, smiling and said,

"Welcome! Please take a seat. Tell me how you plan to carry out your work."

Zhang Jiashu sorted out his thoughts and said,

"A first-level node consists of two main parts: one is a storage center, responsible for the collection and distribution of goods. The second part is a warehouse-style supermarket, which is our window for displaying goods. I will open a large number of direct sales stores near the first-level nodes."

Hu Zhenhua nodded slightly. The real work lies beyond poetry. For the normal operation of an enterprise, the establishment of a supply chain is crucial.

The fact that Zhang Jiashu can see this shows that he is a qualified professional manager.

Hu Zhenhua said calmly,

"Don't open a store yet. We're new here, we don't have any reputation, and our products don't have any significant advantages. Opening a store will most likely end in tragedy. What's more, the funds I can provide you are limited, so good steel must be used wisely."

Next, Hu Zhenhua shared with him the concept of a comprehensive shopping mall.

Comprehensive shopping malls in the modern sense began to appear in the 20s.

In 1956, the Southdale Mall in Minnesota, USA, was built. It was the first large-scale enclosed two-story shopping mall with sculptures and green plants inside, making it comfortable and pleasant, and accompanied by indoor music.

Southdale Mall was a joint venture between Dayton and Donaldson department stores, each occupying one end. Its success sparked a global boom in modern shopping mall construction that lasted for over 60 years.

Today's shopping malls are constantly enriching their business formats. In addition to traditional retail stores, they have also added various entertainment and leisure facilities such as children's play areas, gyms, beauty salons, theme restaurants, cinemas, KTVs, etc. to meet the diverse needs of consumers.

It took Zhang Jiashu a long time to digest the concept of a comprehensive shopping mall.

He kept deducing and analyzing the pros and cons in his mind.

"Chairman, a square like this is enough to become a local landmark!"

Hu Zhenhua opened his notebook and started drawing. With just a few lines, he outlined a shopping mall.

"Mr. Zhang, to become a landmark, it must incorporate the cultural elements of the country where it is located. For the design of the specific square, you can invite local designers. The Four Islands Real Estate in Japan held a design bidding and invited local residents to vote. This is a good idea, you can learn from it!"

"Yes! As long as we spread our name, attracting investment will be easy!"

Hu Zhenhua was very satisfied with his reaction and said with a smile,

"If I grant you 1 million yuan, can these 20 squares be built?"

Zhang Jiashu looked embarrassed.

"According to your plan, an average square would need to be at least 500 to square meters, or even more. With only million square meters, how can that be enough?"

Hu Zhenhua laughed.

"Some things can be averaged, but some things can't! Everything is difficult at the beginning. Once you build the first one, the rest can just be replicated. If I were in charge, with 1 million yuan, we could build 20, 30, or even more towers! Mr. Zhang, I'll give you plenty of time to think. You don't have to answer right now."

"Yes!"

Zhang Jiashu suddenly felt like a primary school student and became restrained.

Hu Zhenhua patted his shoulder.

"Just a reminder to use capital thinking!"

Old Hu turned around and instructed Zhuge Lin,

"Tell Wang Zhan to assign a group of financial personnel to accompany Zhang Jiashu to Europe."

"Yes!"

Hu Zhenhua turned his head to look at Zhang Jiashu, who was frowning, and said with a smile,

"This is an open-book exam. You can discuss it with your team or ask others for help!"

……