Free, Perfect, and Now: Connecting to the Three Insatiable Customer Demands: A CEO's True Story [Paperback]

In a world where knowledge is king, the Web never sleeps, and competitive challenge increases exponentially, Robert Rodin shows you how to prepare for the three insatiable demands of today's customers: they want their product or service FREE, they want it PERFECT, and they want it NOW. No matter what business you're in, you have to find a way to respond -- or risk losing your customers to competitors who are discovering new ways to sell your product or service cheaper, better, and faster than you've ever imagined.
As the dynamic CEO of electronics distributor Marshall Industries, Rob Rodin engineered the astounding reinvention of his company, turning a conventionally successful $500 million business into a Web-enabled $2 billion competitive powerhouse. Free, Perfect, and Now tells the dramatic story of that transformation from the inside. Detailing the hard lessons learned in competitive battle, it offers a compelling new perspective on the most pressing issue facing businesspeople today: how to prepare a customer-focused corporation for a future you can't predict.Robert Rodinis the former CEO and president of Marshall Industries. He is presently founder, chairman, and CEO of eConnections, and creator of the world's number-one business-to-business Web site, providing services, management, and infrastructure to create supply chain solutions.Chapter One

The Customer Connection:

Addressing the Problem

Why Do They Call It an Idiot Light?

Do you lie awake at night, as I do, worrying that someone will come along tomorrow and eat your lunch?

In the electronic '90s, knowledge is king, the Web never sleeps, and competitive challenge increases exponentially. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. Dizzied by the frenetic pace of change and confused by overwhelming choices, too many managers react with too little too late -- then sit back and watch as their companies or their careers slowly wither.

Could this be you?