Sun Tzu’s Advice On Business

One of the most often quoted figures in business today is not an economist, not a business strategist and certainly not a management guru. He was Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher and military strategist, who is best known for the book he wrote ‘The Art of War’. However, his philosophy and strategies for dealing with different people and situations are believed to have great relevance in business and even in life. In fact, in retail business and franchising, Sun Tzu’s statements matter even more.
For example, one Sun Tzu’s most famous advice to his generals was that in order to win a war, it was not sufficient to know the enemy, its strengths and its weaknesses but it was also important to know oneself, ones strengths and ones weaknesses. This is particularly true in business where there is competition in almost every sector and every part of the world.

This one piece of advice has so many dimensions to it that managers could use it to inspire, motivate and guide their staff in different ways. For example, many employees may put in many long hours at their office, hoping to rise up in the company as quickly as possible. However, there are going to be limitations. Do you have the mental and physical strength that it takes? While some managers manage to do a hundred different tasks and not feel a thing, not all are like that. In which case, they should learn to delegate the tasks so that the smooth functioning of the company is not affected. It is therefore very important that you have a good idea of your abilities and your limitations. You should try to take full advantage of your abilities and take steps so that despite your limitations, you realize the full potential of these abilities.

What about the competition? As Sun Tzu had said, it is important to know the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, in this case, the competitors. Understanding in what aspects their goods or services are better and in what aspects your goods and services are better will give you the benefit of targeting customers accordingly. You should try and see how you can dispel concerns over those aspects that your product lags behind in and fill the customer with confidence about your goods and services.

Of course, in business just as in war, you are not going to be fighting a single enemy. There may be attacks on different fronts. Similarly, you may have to face different competitors. You have to take the time to know what are the kinds of products and services they offer, what exactly is their target market and its relevance to your target market, their marketing strategy and how well their brand is received. All this information will not only help you know more about your business but will help you take important product designing and marketing decisions in the future. Keep Sun Tzu’s advice in mind and chart a careful course to victory in your war.