5、又是一块儿难啃的硬骨头

5、又是一块儿难啃的硬骨头

今年年初时，因为Nancy周全细致的市场分析，并准确无误地找到了新加坡市场的突破口，再加上Innovo及时增加了production line，赶上了生产进度，满足了新加坡市场突然增加的产品需求。经过各个部门的全力配合，适时地抓住这个难得的机会，东南亚市场局势突转，成绩辉煌。成绩的背后，Marketing Department和Sales Department的功劳最大，连美国总部都特别提名表扬了中国区的业绩。要知道，这样的情况在Innovo的发展史上是极其少有的。

Innovo中国区在全面打开它在东南亚的市场的同时，也有着其他忧虑：Australia市场在过去一年里的状况很disappointing（令人失望的），原本就不大的market share还在一路下滑。虽然公司现在在其他地区的市场发展越来越有起色，Australia市场的窘境还是让Innovo的领导层很是担心。于是VP召集Marketing Department和Sales Department一起开会，寻找问题的origin（根源）和应对策略。

公司内部一直以来对于Australia市场的重要性都有不同的意见，有人认为这个市场无论如何不能丢，但也有人觉得把精力放在其他地区所带来的收益会更大。Leo，the Director of Sales Department就觉得Australia市场无足轻重，不值得Innovo投入太多的关注和精力。如果要扳回局势，需要很大的advertisement（广告宣传）投入，而这超出了Innovo的年度预算。Marketing Department的Brown认为可以一改之前采用的使用agents（代理）的销售方式，Innovo需要对Australia市场亲自作调查。Nancy也提出了她的见解，讨论异常激烈。无论如何，VP都希望这次会议能够对Australia市场的状况有个准确的analyzing（分析）和positioning（定位）。

I'd like us to reach a decision today about Item One. The issue of falling sales in the Australian market. Brown will explain the background to this, and the present situation.

Thanks. Well, as you know, in Australia we've always problems. So that's how things are at the moment.

Thank you, Brown. Now, let's look at possible courses of action.

Could I just say something? The Australia market isn't as important to us as the South-East Asian orders. I was in Singapore last month, and learnt some pretty interesting things about the way things are moving out there.

Let's keep to the immediate subject, which is the Australian market.

Sorry to interrupt, but if we launch a new advertising campaign in Australia it will cost a fortune! You have said yourself that we haven't enough money to advertise on every television in Australia.

Let's not jump too far ahead at this stage.

My own feeling is this: in years of experience, in many different markets throughout the world, I've found that, when... and you know, if I could pass on my experience to the younger people here, I'd say that the only way to sell in Australia is to go there and see the market for yourself, instead of asking your agents to do it.

Sorry to interrupt you, Brown, but I'd like to know if the others agree. What do you think about this, Nancy?

I'm not too sure about this. My own feeling is that if we keep on doing like this, it would be a big loss to us.

I don't know why you don't ask me. I've been to Australia so many times recently.

Could you let Nancy finish? I'd like to have her view on this.

Well, I'd like to say that for the last two years we haven't had a stand at the Melbourne Trade Fair. I understand that the Fair has produced lots of contacts in the past.

That's an interesting point, Nancy. Let's summarize what we've said so far. Brown thinks that we depend on the agents too much, and Nancy suggests that the Trade Fair is important.

经过一番激烈的讨论，最终也没能达成agreement（共识），大家的看法各不相同，却都坚持己见。实在没有办法，Johnson只好宣布先散会，每个人回去之后都根据自己的观点和立场做一个detailed proposal（详细的提案），之后再分别向大家present，并再次开会进一步讨论，决定到底什么方案更加practical（实际）和feasible（可行）。看来这次Johnson是下了很大的决心要改变Australia市场的局势了。