Andres Tarzia wrote:
> Even if you started a business in some area because you saw a niche which
> you could fulfill and you started defining your company internal structures
> and costs based on market studies, you could end up in the same situation.
> When everything was running nicely, something changes out there that makes
> your market studies obsolete. Damn!

This is the difference between big and small companies that are faster
in change things, with less managing to pester and create obstacles.
This is also why a person dedicated just to marketing planning and
strategies is very important in any company size. From centuries it is
being done in any war strategy - "preview situations and find out enemy
secrets", any chess player do it all the time, but most small companies
just think this is money spent without any sense. Planning is the key
for success, since you just go for the battle when you have all the
answers and no surprises are allowed.

> Now you SHOULD change your company to adapt it to the market. Hey, you!
> Change it! Today! Hello? It looks that changing a company is actually a very
> difficult task... Upper management usually likes the way that things are
> NOW. Especially if you are making good money NOW.

Again, if you play chess thinking 5 or 6 plays ahead, you change before
it is necessary.

> Crying and shouting about high prices and still buy from them is not a very
> clever plan... No manufacturer will lower their prices just because their
> customers are unhappy about them... but continue buying at those very same
> high prices.

If they play the game in the "action vs reaction" fashion, (and by this
way they are doomed), they will not pay any attention to people
shouting, but if they have plans and strategies, with marketing analysis
and customer satisfation goals, they will listen.  Customers complaining
about prices and still purchasing means that they don't have any other
choice... "today"... they need to be careful, because it means that the
customers are looking around in search for better offers.

You just don't ask for divorce at the first fight, but it is a strong
alert that something is not right, and it can ends up in divorce,
right?  and normaly when it happens, there is "another supplier"
involved... :)

Wagner.