I think I'm not a natural-born salesman, for sure, but If I have a product I really believe in, I can overcome some of the shyness and get through the things that aren't natural to me.
Phil KnightRead
At first, we couldn't be establishment, because we didn't have any money. We were guerrilla marketers, and we still are, a little bit. But, as we became No. 1 in our industry, we've had to modify our culture and become a bit more planned.
Interpretation
Success often requires adapting from unconventional methods to more structured approaches as one grows.
Phil Knight's quote reflects on the evolution of a company's marketing strategy from informal, unconventional tactics to more structured, planned approaches necessary for success in a competitive landscape. He emphasizes that even as one achieves prominence within their industry, the foundational guerrilla marketing tactics remain an essential part of their identity.
In practice
During a marketing conference, when discussing the evolution of brand strategies.
I think I'm not a natural-born salesman, for sure, but If I have a product I really believe in, I can overcome some of the shyness and get through the things that aren't natural to me.
No parent should have their child die before he or she does.
If there was no Bill Bowerman, there would have been no me. He had about as much of an impact on my life as any one person could have. He taught me about competition and ingrained it in me. He taught me not to praise ordinary performances.
We wanted Nike to be the world's best sports and fitness company. Once you say that, you have a focus. You don't end up making wing tips or sponsoring the next Rolling Stones world tour.
Running is a basic ingredient for your health, just as much as eating and sleeping, but going out for a run by yourself and taking a moment to think also creates a certain peace.
Dare to take chances, lest you leave your talent buried in the ground.
If advertisers spent the same amount of money on improving their products as they do on advertising then they wouldn't have to advertise them.
You say: "I'm a blue sky thinker." Investor thinks: "You have no business model, and you don't know how to ship."
Investment banking is not a business; it is a personal service where bankers work hand in hand with their clients. And it is a service that must not simply be about making bigger and bigger deals that reap rewards for only a small group of executives.
The most common cause of low prices is pessimism - some times pervasive, some times specific to a company or industry. We want to do business in such an environment, not because we like pessimism but because we like the prices it produces. It's optimism that is the enemy of the rational buyer.
Remember that, in the end, the customer doesn't know, or care, if you are small or large as an organization - she or he only focuses on the garment hanging on the rail in the store.
When you are making a decision about how best to serve your customers, your own experience is often a better guide than a more sophisticated analysis of the market.
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