THROUGH IT ALL,
KNOW WHAT THE OTHER GUY’S UP TO.
You’re better off if you know what the other guy—or woman—is up to.
This book is, frankly, for top executives and mid-level people, small businessmen, and professionals. And if your employees read it? Well, so much the better.
“You” here is many people.
Some of my most enterprising readers, by the way, won’t just be interested in computers for themselves or their companies. They’ll also see them as marketing opportunities involving the rest of the world.
Take Mike Bell, a Xerox executive. We talked about munytels—neighbor centers offering child care and other services for people “commuting” to the office via computer. And Mike had an idea. Why not franchise the munytels like McDonald’s hamburger stands? Maybe Xerox will start a Munytel Division.
The “other guy” principle also applies to small businessmen selling to the Xeroxes of this world. If you know how the data-processing people think in a large corporation, you may be more understanding if you’re having problems hooking up to a large customer’s computer.
Likewise, the “other guy” idea can help businessmen keep up with competitors and appreciate their own employees’ computer-related fears.
In short, this book is for people who want to survive—and make money—by listening.