Wal-Mart is the largest chain store in the world, ranking fourth among the top 500 in the world, with more than 3,000 chain stores around the world. 1998, Wal-Mart's annual sales reached139.2 billion US dollars.
If you look at the history of the United States, you will find that among those who started from scratch and made great contributions to the American economy, there is an ordinary giant. He is the retail wizard-the founder of Wal-Mart, sam walton. Wal-Mart chain stores founded by Walton are now thriving in the United States, Central America and South America. From 65438 to 0985, the famous American financial magazine Forbes listed Walton as the richest man in the United States. 199 1 year, the Wal-Mart chain store with an annual turnover of $40 billion has become the largest retail enterprise in the world. Today, Wal-Mart ranks fourth among the top 500 companies in the world with annual sales revenue of $6,543.8+$039.2 billion. People say that Walton created not only a retail kingdom, but also a miracle. He realized the American Dream.
Walton's great career began in Newport, Arkansas in the south-central United States. 1945, he and his wife Helen spent $25,000 to buy a depressed grocery store that Ben Franklin joined. Within five years, this grocery store became the best franchise store in Arkansas and the largest grocery store in several nearby States. Unexpectedly, this first success did not last long because of Walton's negligence in housing leasing, but it showed his extraordinary talent in retail. Later, I suffered setbacks and made a comeback. With the wisdom and efforts of family and colleagues, Walton 5&; 10 store and Wharton discount mall form a retail kingdom.
Leading chain network
Building a chain is actually building a network. As the boss of Wal-Mart, Walton's biggest challenge is how to build a network and effectively control and direct the world's largest sales network.
The biggest difference between Walton and others is that he is never tired and seems to have inexhaustible energy. When a goal is achieved, I will immediately set a new goal for myself. His eyes are full of skill and self-confidence, and he has a keen sense and judgment of things around him. Perhaps that's what made him a retail tycoon. He likes challenges and competition, and always looks for the location of new stores or launches various innovative commodity promotion activities. Once these promotional activities are initiated by him, the promoted goods can always be robbed.
The Great Depression of the United States in the 1920s impacted the whole United States and the Walton family. Walton lived a year without a home. His family was poor, and he was forced to sell magazines from the age of seven or eight to raise tuition and subsidize his family. Perhaps it was this experience that gave Walton a deep understanding of the value of money. Until he became the richest man in America, he and his family still drove an old van to shop in Wal-Mart chain stores. He still adheres to the principle of cherishing every penny and leads an ordinary life with his family. He said: "We value every penny, because one of our service purposes is to help customers save money. Every time we save a dollar, we win the trust of our customers. " Saving money for customers and winning customers' favor with lower price and better service than competitors can be said to be the primary reason for the rapid expansion of Wal-Mart chain network. In the chain operation, the boss can't do everything by himself. Walton, a retail tycoon, always owes his success to his colleagues in the company. He believes that employees are the most important factor for the company's success. He said: "share profits with colleagues and treat them as partners. You will achieve more results together than you think. You should act like a leader who serves your partners." "If employees want to say hello to customers, they must say hello to customers first. This is the secret of enterprise success." He advocates team spirit and encourages employees to communicate with leaders and employees. Walton carried out these principles in the career he loved, injected innovative and enthusiastic work spirit into Wal-Mart chain stores, stimulated the enthusiasm and creativity of every employee, and made Wal-Mart's career lead all the way in the fierce competition.
Ten rules of success
At the end of his life, sam walton wrote his accumulated experience and insights in his 52-year retail career into Ten Rules of Successful Management, for the reference of colleagues who care about Wal-Mart and want to create a career:
The first rule: operate wholeheartedly and do your best than others. I overcame many personal shortcomings through my enthusiasm for work. If you love your job, you will do it as well as possible every day, and then everyone around you will be infected and have enthusiasm for your work.
The second rule: share profits with colleagues, treat them as partners, and colleagues will treat you as partners. The result of cooperation will depend on what you can imagine. You can still keep control of the company, but you should act like a leader who serves the partners.
Rule number three: It is not enough to motivate colleagues only by material stimulation. You must constantly put forward new ideas every day to motivate and challenge your colleagues. Set ambitious goals, encourage competition and record results. The prizes should be rich, and new ones will be introduced when the moves are old. Let the manager change his position and keep it challenging. Let everyone guess what your next move is, don't let them guess easily.
Rule number four: communicate with colleagues in everything. The more they know, the more they understand and the more they care. If they really care, nothing can stop them. If you don't trust them to know how things are going, they will know that you don't treat them as companions. Communication is power. If you give this power to your colleagues, your gains can not only offset the risk of leaking to your competitors, but also gain more benefits.
Rule 5: Appreciate colleagues' contributions to the company. We like to hear words of thanks often, especially after we have done something to be proud of. Nothing can replace a few timely and sincere words of thanks.
Rule 6: Celebrate your success, but if you fail, don't lose heart. Don't take things too seriously If you relax, the people around you will also relax. Be interesting and show your enthusiasm.
Rule 7: Listen to everyone in the company and try to make them speak freely. Colleagues who stand in the front line are the ones who really talk to customers. Only they know what happened. You better know what they know. This is the real meaning of total management. Decentralize power, but the situation can be achieved, so that employees can put forward good ideas.
The eighth rule: exceed customers and expectations, and customers will come again and again. Meet customers and requirements, add a little more, and let customers know that you appreciate them. Sincerely apologize to customers for doing something wrong, and don't make excuses. I wrote "Guaranteed Satisfaction" on the first Wal-Mart brand, and I still do. This really makes us different.
Rule 9: Keep the cost lower than your competitors. This is your competitive advantage. Long before Wal-Mart became the largest retailer in the United States, we had the lowest ratio of expenses to operating income among our peers for 25 years. If you manage effectively, you can still recover even if you make many mistakes. If you operate inefficiently, no matter how clever you are, you still can't do it well.
Rule 10: Go upstream, take a different road and give up traditional ideas. If everyone goes the same way, then you can find your advantage by choosing different directions. But many colleagues will tell you that you are going the wrong way, so be prepared in this respect. I've wanted to open a shop in a small town for many years, but everyone told me that a small town with a population of less than 50 thousand won't last long. However, it turns out that I am on the right path.
For a long time, Wal-Mart has followed Sam-Walton's business rules, put the interests of customers first, and regarded employees as the key to career success, and won the admiration and trust of consumers and peers.
Everything serves the users.
It is not uncommon for retailers to hang "customer first" in the most conspicuous place in their stores to show their operating principles. However, as early as nearly half a century ago, Wal-Mart regarded it as the cornerstone of career development.
An old employee who worked in Walton's cheap store since 1950 recalled: "Mr. Walton made us realize for the first time that the customer is always right." "Mr. Walton asked us to talk about their cows, chickens, pigs and their children with our customers, not because these topics are very important, but because our customers are the source of our income and profits. This point has been constantly emphasized in future operations. "
In the United States in the 1960s, the economy began to recover, and small grocery stores gradually failed to meet the requirements of small town residents who wanted to feel fashionable. They like shopping in big shopping malls and goods with good quality and low price. The strong demand of customers gives Wal-Mart the opportunity to stand and develop in these small towns, and eventually spread all over the United States and even the world. Wal-Mart's unchanging principle is to introduce low-priced goods every day, provide satisfactory service and convenient shopping conditions.
Walton always asks every purchaser to be firm when purchasing goods. He always warned them: "You are not bargaining for Wal-Mart stores, but bargaining for customers. We should strive for the best price for our customers. " The low price policy of Wal-Mart stores has saved billions of dollars for the residents of local towns.
Walton's Wal-Mart stores not only give customers concessions in price, but also provide customers with the most thoughtful service. He said: "We all work for customers. You may think you are working for your boss or manager, but in fact he is just like you. There is a big boss outside our organization, and that is the customer. " Once, a customer went to Wal-Mart to look for a special paint, but Wal-Mart was out of stock, so the manager of the paint department personally took the customer to the opposite paint shop to buy it, which made the customer and the owner of the paint shop grateful. Walton told employees, "Let's treat our customers with friendliness and enthusiasm, just like entertaining guests at home, and let them feel that we care about their needs all the time."
In addition, the secret of Wal-Mart's management lies in constantly understanding customers' needs, putting yourself in their shoes and providing maximum convenience for customers. Walton said, "What is the secret of our success? That is, we hope to exceed the needs of customers every day and every hour. If you imagine yourself as a customer, you will want everything to meet your requirements-complete variety, excellent quality, low price, warm and friendly service, convenient and flexible business hours, convenient parking conditions and so on. "
The enthusiasm of Wal-Mart employees, the quality of being kind to customers and the business strategy of creating value for customers in price have won the trust of customers. "The customer is always right." Mr. Walton's warning to his colleagues has been passed down to this day and has played an inestimable role in the prosperity of Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart full of vigor and vitality
"Sam can be regarded as the greatest entrepreneur of this century. The Wal-Mart corporate culture he established is the key to all success and is unparalleled. " -Harry Cunningham, founder of American Kmart chain store, commented on his competitor sam walton.
No matter you go to any Wal-Mart chain store in the world, you will feel a strong reversal. This is a long-standing corporate culture and the spirit of Wal-Mart-diligence, thrift, initiative and innovation. Because of this, every colleague in the company loves Wal-Mart and silently contributes to the cause of serving customers.
For a long time, Wal-Mart's corporate culture has closely United employees, who are full of vitality, unity and friendship. The following is Wal-Mart's unique refueling slogan, from which we can feel a strong sense of honor and responsibility.
Give me a w! Give me an m! We are Wal-Mart! Give me an a! Give me an a! Customer first Wal-Mart! Give me an l! Give me a break! Everyday Fair Price Wal-Mart! Let's stamp our feet! Give me a t! Wal-Mart! Wal-Mart!
Whoo!
Wal-Mart employees always strive to make life interesting and full of surprises. They often make crazy comments to attract the attention of colleagues and make customers and colleagues feel interesting. Sam walton is a typical representative. He promised that if the company's performance leaps, he will wear a grass skirt and a Hawaiian shirt and dance hula on Wall Street. At that time, the turnover of the company really exceeded his expectations, so he really danced a cheerful hula dance on Wall Street, the financial capital of the United States, which was exposed by the press at that time. The vice chairman of the company used to wear pink pantyhose and a golden wig and ride a white horse in downtown Bentville.
Although some people think that Wal-Mart has a group of crazy people, anyone who knows Wal-Mart culture will understand that the purpose of benefiting it is to encourage people to break the rigid and monotonous life and strive for innovation. "It's more interesting for work." This is sam walton's whistling philosophy.
Wal-Mart's branch in Fairbury, Nablus, California has a "precision shopping float training team" to participate in the local float parade. All the players are wearing Wal-Mart uniforms and pushing floats to change formation.
Through these interesting games, not only the employees and leaders of Wal-Mart are more intimate and interesting, but also the best means to promote the company and promote sales. The moustache culture of Wal-Mart stores was gradually formed when people developed in small towns. At that time, life in the town was quite boring, so Wal-Mart stores launched outdoor auctions, bands and circus performances to attract customers to shop. After the growth of the company, Wal-Mart still encourages people to create a happy atmosphere in the store and add joy to the community. Cultivate team consciousness, even if sometimes it has nothing to do with the promotion of goods.
A special "Saturday regular meeting"
Wal-Mart's "Saturday regular meeting" can best reflect its corporate culture. At 7: 30 every morning, nearly a thousand senior executives, branch managers and colleagues at all levels get together, and the president of the company takes the lead in shouting slogans. Then everyone speaks freely and brainstorms on the company's business philosophy and management strategy. Employees with outstanding performance will also be invited to the headquarters of Bentvilla to praise them in public. This Monday's morning meeting is regarded as the core of Wal-Mart's corporate culture. Everyone who attended the meeting was very happy and brought them closer together in a relaxed atmosphere. Communication is no longer difficult, and colleagues at all levels in the company have also learned the latest progress of branches and departments.
At the regular meeting on Saturday morning, participants usually spend some time teaching some seemingly impossible innovative ideas. People will not reject these ideas immediately, but will seriously think about how to make the impossible possible. Company manager Al Myers said: "The real value of Saturday morning meeting lies in its unpredictability."
On one occasion, the assistant manager of Onyantha branch in Alabama encountered an order problem and ordered round moon cakes four or five times more. In order to sell all the round moon cakes before they are broken, he came up with the idea of eating them. This idea not only enabled the assistant manager to achieve his goal, but also made up for his mistakes. Since then, Wal-Mart has held this competition in the parking lot of Onanta branch every year on the second Saturday of 10, attracting customers from many other States to attend and watch, and even the news media reported that Wal-Mart has become more famous.
Wal-Mart's annual shareholders' meeting is also lively and interesting, a bit like the enlarged meeting on Saturday morning. When Wal-Mart goes public, they will let Wall Street securities analysts and shareholders go boating in the stream or camp by the lake. Later, the Wal-Mart shareholders' meeting became the largest shareholders' meeting in the world, with about 10,000 people attending every year.
The unique corporate culture gives every employee a sense of family intimacy. Strive for the same goal, so that Wal-Mart can maintain its strong competitiveness and strong fighting spirit. The establishment of this corporate culture fully demonstrates the art of Walton's leadership network.
Training, regular training
Wal-Mart operators have realized the importance of talents to the success of enterprises through continuous exploration. If you want to develop, you must introduce education and training opportunities.
Wal-Mart regards how to cultivate talents, introduce talents and train and resettle existing talents as its primary task. Mr. Walton and his wife Helen established Walton College in the University of Arkansas, which gave some managers who had no chance to receive higher education in their early years a chance to learn and recharge. Wal-Mart makes training and development plans for employees, so that employees can better understand their job responsibilities and encourage them to meet the challenges at work.
The company conducts horizontal training and internship management training for qualified employees. Lateral training is a long-term plan. Wal-Mart attaches great importance to employees who have special performance in work attitude and ability, and they will be selected to participate in horizontal training. For example, cashiers will have the opportunity to participate in the training of cashier supervisors. In order to give employees with leadership potential the opportunity to join leadership positions, Wal-Mart has also set up management training courses, and qualified employees are sent to other departments for business and management training.
In addition, Wal-Mart has also strengthened communication between enterprises and employees through training. Training is not only a way for employees to improve, but also a way for employees to understand the company. Wal-Mart has set up a training library to give employees the opportunity to get to know journalists and other departments. After all employees enter Wal-Mart, after on-the-job training, employees will have more understanding and experience of the company's background, welfare system and rules and regulations. Walton, an outstanding leader, has always believed that employees are the driving force to promote the development of enterprises, and has taught this truth to the current and future operators of Wal-Mart and promoted it to Wal-Mart all over the world.
Some economists commented: "The process of developing chain stores is actually the process of establishing networks, integrating networks and controlling networks. In these three links, it is not difficult to build a network. The difficulty lies in how to integrate the network and make it a unified whole after the establishment of the network, so as to truly give play to the advantages of the chain, rather than being dragged down by the "chain" in their own way. The first step of Wal-Mart's success is to conquer consumers through low-priced goods and high-quality services, so as to continuously expand its scale and strengthen its scale advantage. The key step for Wal-Mart to become the largest retailer in the world is to complete the integration of the whole chain network. Through dynamic corporate culture and modern technology and equipment, we can offset two major problems that may occur due to excessive scale, namely high management cost or management loopholes, so that Wal-Mart headquarters can effectively control the whole network. The success of Wal-Mart is the success of management first, and then the success of management. "