Praise for WHAT I LEARNED FROM SAM WALTON





"Michael Bergdahl's book presents unique insights into the staggering international success of Wal-Mart. Throughout the pages of this book, you can almost hear Sam Walton himself coaching and inspiring his legion of employees to greatness."


-Tracy Mullin, President and CEO, National Retail Federation





"Retailers, non-retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers will enjoy Bergdahl's insights into Wal-Mart's service culture and its leadership icon, Sam Walton."


-Roger J. Dow, Senior Vice President Global and Field SalesMarriott International, Inc.





Bergdahl outlines his competitive strategy with the acronym P.O.C.K.E.T.S.





P-Price: Don't try to compete on price; differentiate your product selection.





O-Operations: Break the retail "ready, shoot, aim" tactical orientation bydeveloping an actual strategy to compete.





C-Culture: Build a can-do culture with a strong sense of urgency. Communicate your values and beliefs over and over again to your employees.





K-Key Item Promotion/Product: Determine who you are and uniformly communicate your brand message to your entire team.





E-Expenses: Become obsessed about controlling costs.





T-Talent: Recruit constantly and hire people who have both experience and high potential.





S-Service: Never take your customer for granted. Empower your employees to make decisions involving customer concerns.