Dell's Founder Is Rethinking Direct Sales
Michael S. Dell, the chairman and chief executive of Dell, who built his business by selling direct to his customers, is now thinking about changing the way the company markets its computers.
"The direct model has been a revolution, but it is not a religion," Mr. Dell wrote in a memorandum sent on Wednesday to 80,000 Dell employees.
It is the first time that Mr. Dell or any other senior executive has publicly conceded that the business model that was crucial to the company's success could and should be altered. Until now, the company responded with an adamant no when Wall Street analysts or customers asked whether the company would consider other ways of selling.
While Mr. Dell's memo was short on specifics, he also told employees, "We will continue to improve our business model, and go beyond it, to give our customers what they need."
As Dell faced slower sales and increased competition, it experimented with minor......
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