But not lately. "The old model ran its course, now it’s time for a new course," says Smith. At 41, still bearlike and buttoned-up, he looks slightly grizzled, a man in a hurry. In barely ten months he has made dramatic changes, emphasizing flashier products and marketing, new Web sites to handle customer complaints and ideas and a bigger push to sell value-added services. There has even been a handful of acquisitions. Smith is slimming down, starting to cut 11% of its workforce on every level, a move that could save $700 million a year, says Christ White, a tech analyst at Swiss Bank.
Part II
Twice a month Debbe Henry visits the home of a stranger to look into the kitchen cabinets, laundry room and bathrooms. "We walk through the house and they’ll show me what products they’re using in the kitchen," says the new head of Unilever in Asia. "They’ll take me to their bathroom--show me what shampoos and toothpastes they’re using. After that we’ll sit down at the kitchen table and chat about the products. I have a ton of questions. Why did you pick the Unilever product over the competitor’s product? What would make you stay with the brand?"
Part III
When timeshare tycoon Nasau visits a newly constructed resort, he’s not just checking up on big cost overruns. He’s inspecting the furniture he pre-selected, the showerhead and flat-screen TV in each unit. He tests pillows by sleeping on them at home before picking the half-dozen that will end up on all beds. He reviews every expense, no matter how small, and recently questioned a bill for rental plants, including palm trees; now all timeshare units at Staris Resorts have silk flowers. "There is no democracy," says Nasau, who founded the resort 28 years ago. "I make all the decisions.
Chinese Translation:
但是最近，史密斯说：“我们一直实行旧的直销模式，现在该换一种新的模式了。”史密斯今年41岁，他的头发有些花白，但看起来还是体格粗壮，不善言谈，总是匆匆忙忙。在短短十个月中，他就做出了戏剧性的变革。他强调更华丽的产品和强有力的销售，专门组建了网站来处理客户投诉和建议，并加大推广增值服务的力度。同时还进行了几次并购。史密斯还开始裁员，把各等级员工分别裁减11%，据一位瑞士银行的技术分析师说，这项举措将使每年降低成本约七百万美元。
每个月戴比·亨利都要去不同的陌生人家里拜访两次，去调查橱柜、洗衣间和浴室。“我们走过整个房子，他们就会向我展示他们在厨房里用的洗涤产品。”这位新任的联合利华亚洲首席执行官说。“他们会带我去浴室，让我看他们用的香波和牙膏。然后，我们会坐在厨房的桌子旁聊聊这些产品。我会有很多的问题，比如，你为什么选择联合利华的产品？什么会使你一直用这种牌子？”
当分时房产大亨纳索去一处新建的度假村时，他并不仅仅是去调查超支的费用，而是去查验他为每个单元预先选好的家俱、沐浴头和液晶电视。他在挑选床上的全部6个枕头之前，先把它们放在家里试用。他审核所有的费用，不管多小，最近还查问过一张包括棕榈树的出租植物的帐单。现在所有斯特蕾斯度假村的每个单元内都有了丝制的假花。“这儿没有民主，”纳索说，“都是我说了算。”
