Customer Reviews

Direct From Dell: Strategies That Revolutionized an Industry

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Someone once said that the definition of insanity is to continue to do the same thing but expect a different result.

Prior to Mike Dell's assault on the PC Industry in the the early 80's, all of the top PC players were pla ying the game called "follow the follower" nothing new or exciting , same old, same old.

Then Mike Dell comes along with better products and a better strategy.

I see that Dell made a clean sweep in the new issue of PC World with Dell products coming in first place in all categories listed I am not surprised. Dell products are the best. I have used various pc's from the packard bells to the Compaqs, nothingelse even comes close to Dell.

Perfect example of Dell's selling Direct strategy in action; eliminate the middle man and use the difference to develop better products and pass the savings on to the consumer. Obviously it has worked incredibly well.

I have my own business and found Mr. Dell's book refreshing and packed with simple, but useful strategies.

It is no wonder that Dell has turned the PC Industry on it's ear.

Read it, you'll benefit. Great book.

This book deserves 10 stars, not 5

I can understand the criticism of this book that perhaps Mike Dell should have gone more in depth about the dynamics of his company and industry. However, this being his first book that I know of I can understand why he choose to keep it short and simple, and to his credit.

A great peak into the mind of a business man and leader who in my opinion deserves to be mentioned in the same sentence with Henry Ford, Bill Gates, Lee Iacocca et al.

One part in particular that caught my attention was Chapter 7 where on page 95&96 he talks about his "Know The Net" initiative in order to familiarize his employees with the Internet.

I personally liked when he stated that: "Some might argue that if you give employees access to the World Wide Web, they will spend all their time surfing the Net. But that's like saying, We don't want to teach our people how to read because they might spend all their time reading."

Fabulous insight into Michael Dell's view of the Internet's future as a conduit for Economic Efficiency in business, school, and life.

Great piece of literature especially for beginning Business& Economics students. Peace :-)

Just as Henry Ford pioneered the automobile industry, so has Michael Dell pioneered the computer industry.

This book is a easy read, but highly informative. I also bought the tapes which I play in my car.

I have reread this book 4 times and I always come up with a new idea that is profitable to my business.

For a kid who enjoyed taking apart computers, Michael Dell has come a long way. In DIRECT FROM DELL he enthusiastically describes the development of his phenomenally successful business, Dell Computer Company. The book is a fascinating read for people who enjoy learning about "hypergrowth companies" and the personal computer industry. It's also interesting simply as an account of a businessman who possesses the exceptional ability of dealing with the rapidfire changes in technology and being able to build an organization whose employees thrive on change.

Dell provides examples and advice for start-up business owners on ways to handle change and the importance of constant communication with employees, customers, and suppliers. He offers some innovative ideas for encouraging employees to think outside the box and for suppliers to work as partners with the company for everyone's benefit.

Congratulations, Michael Dell, on your company's amazing success and your willingness to listen to the customer's needs over everything else.

Back in the 70's I worked with a successful sales and management professional who espoused the KISS Principle (Keep it simple and short)In reading some of the negative reviews, I can see that some people were expecting something out of HarvardBusiness School.What made Dell the incredible success story that it has become is doing the unusual, the new, the different.Going against the norm.And keeping it simple and short.When I was in the bookstore, someone told me that Mike Dell puts too much emphasis on people. Who do you suppose buys those computers? It's people.I like the fact that Mike Dell puts the customer first.Interesting that the Direct Model that Dell innovated with PCs was initiataly criticized and is now copied by the people who were his strongest critics.Is any wonder that Mr Dell is one of the most in demand speakers.Read and apply Mr. Dell's strategies. They will make you more successful in business and in life.And remember the KISS PRINCIPLE.

I've heard of people who were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, Mike Dell with born with the whole darn cutlery set!From selling his stamp collection at age 12 for a tithy profit, through exceeding his teachers salaries while selling newspapers in High School, starting the world's # 1 PC Company in his dorm room and in turn creating a stock that has grown 33,000% in the last five years. This man is absolutely incredible!!What is really interesting is that you would expect these accomplishments from a man well into his 50's or 60's. Mike is only in his 30's. The kid is just getting warmed up.Direct from Dell is a living testimony of the American Free Enterprise system in action.Mike Dell; the man who set his goals high and then surpassed them in record breaking time.This book is a great read. I also recommend Magic of Thinking Big and I believe that Mike Dell would recommend that book also.

Michael Dell is undoubtably one of the greatest success stories in modern times.This book is a testimony to what creativity and determination can accomplish.Everyone should read this book. It will make you better at whatever you do.Great book Mike. Thanks, we all needed this.

The negative reviewers likely found Dell's success too simple, too easy to be this good. Fact is, some of the most successful ideas are the simple ones. Dell's had his problems to be sure but the model of being Direct is as old as the hills only reinvented on a large scale by Michael Dell in modern times. If you can't learn from this book, then you simply can't learn or already know everything! It's a great book, a book I have given as a present several times. Well done Mr D!

To revolutionize a industry once is incredible. To do it twice is mindboggling. But to do it under the age of 30 is totally beyond comprehension.But wait, the best from Dell is yet to come.Like many of the other readers I found this book to be a easy read but still highly informative. If you are in business, you will find the strategies refreshing and powerful.Great book. Read it, but even more importantly, apply what you read. It really works.

Customer! Customer! Customer! Customer! Hats off to Michael Dell. I like his motto of doing the perceived impossible. Being a business major I enjoyed Direct from Dell. Being a biography of Michael Dell's life a person would tend to think that the book would be uninteresting (to put it nicely). I feel this is a dynamic book. Michael Dell has grown a multi-billion dollar company with an original investment of $1000. His strategy is a strategy that all business could find useful. He found out what customers wanted by listening to their input and gave it to them directly. He always believed that the middle man was not needed and he proved that from his first business venture of selling stamps. He is also a great motivator. He keeps his employees involved in the business by empowering them with the authority to make decisions. The breakdown of the company into smaller segments that concentrated on certain customers enabled Dell to focus on the needs of those customers. Selling computers on the Internet? Michael Dell brought the Internet to life by selling computers on the Internet - yet another successful perceived impossibility. Almost every move Dell made was a huge success. I would recommend this book to any one who deals in business or who enjoys a good success story. The business model created at Dell is a model that can be used in every industry. Congratulations to Michael Dell on making his mark as one of the greatest innovators who ever lived.