I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it.

寫在前面的話：

成功無數的道理根本不需要人家再細說，本文是很早的時候看到雅詩蘭黛成功範本的很好的分析之一，於是譯成中文，希望可以和大家分享，看現在的化妝品巨頭當年是怎樣一點一點一路走過來的。

有譯的不好的地方請見諒，英文版本在最後。

—————————————————————————————-

Estee Lauder，雅詩蘭黛，家喻戶曉的化妝品大亨。

在五十五多年過去之後，雅詩蘭黛在1998年被評為時代襍志上二十個最有影響力的商業天才中唯一的女性。 儘管這位商業天才在六年之後去世 ，她 一手創立的公司仍然享有巨大的成功，以6.4 億 的縂資產排名世界五百強公司内第 三百四十。

1908年出生于紐約皇后區的Josephine Esther Mentzer (雅詩蘭黛創始人)，和八個兄弟姐妹擠在小公寓裏，樓下便是父親所有的硬件店,父母分別是匈牙利和捷克的猶太人，和一般二代移民窘迫家庭的小孩子無異，爲了支撐九個小孩子的家庭，童年時候就常常需要在硬件店幫手。

也許就是小時候在爸爸硬件店幫手的經歷讓雅詩蘭黛得到了她最起初的商業啓蒙，她對於商業企業的發展有比同齡人更深的了解，然而也許就是這樣，陰差陽錯的是，一直到一戰打響之前，雅詩蘭黛的夢想與商業相差甚遠——她夢想做一名模特，浮華與虛名，甜言與花束和不盡的帥男的追求。

一戰之後，雅詩蘭黛的叔叔John Schotz搬來和他們同住，這實際上是雅詩蘭黛生命中的重要轉折點。因爲John Schotz就恰恰是研究保護皮膚的祕密武器為生的化學家，在雅詩蘭黛的後院建了一個迷你的化學實驗室之後，John Schotz實際上那個成爲了雅詩蘭黛的入行導師:我是在我叔叔身上認清我真正的事業取向的，她曾經這樣講過說，我那時候邊觀察邊學習。就這樣，Estee Lauder和John Schotz開始走向了他們研發皮膚保養品的道路。

現在的雅詩蘭黛已經轉移了自己的關注焦點，她 已經不再癡迷于好萊塢似的鎂光燈情節，相反，她更想要做一名科學家。她開始嘗試研究她叔叔的化妝品，嘗試著去改善它們。同時她又在叔叔的新公司裏面擔任銷售的職務 。後人可惜的是儅她遇見Joseph Lauder兩個人迅速結婚並搬去紐約的曼哈頓區，可以說 她的夢想暫時停滯了。但是實際上直到1993年她第一個孩子出世，她從未真正放棄自己的夢想：不斷地在自家的廚房内做各種不同的誓言，嘗試看究竟哪一種護膚品最好。值得慶幸的是，她的丈夫完全支持她的目標，兩個人更是一起買下一閒酒店以便于Estee Lauder更好的進行飾演，研發新的產品。1947年，兩個人終于決定成立正式的公司，也就是這個時候 Estee Lauder Inc正式成立了。

細數雅詩蘭黛企業巨大成功的幾大因素，雅詩蘭黛本人”never take ‘no’ as an answer”的原則是其中最具決定性的一個。

“如果你有目標，如果你真的想要成功，如果你決定了要做下去然後成爲另外一個雅詩藍大，你就必須努力工作，你就必須堅持到底，更重要的是你就必須堅信自己和你所做的事情”， 雅詩蘭黛曾這樣說。

如果說一個企業家具有真正的野心和可以狠的毫不留情到拒絕放棄不管是不是全世界都在懷疑不相信，雅詩蘭黛就是這樣一個人。自孩童時期就倔強的她，長大之後更是倔強到骨子裏面的女人，拒絕放棄一走了之，不管前路有多艱辛。她具有把野心轉換成既迷人又可盈利的銷售技巧的魔法， 而這恰恰是雅詩蘭黛成功最重要的因素。

“我的一生中沒有一天不在盡量的銷售中度過”，她曾經這樣敍述道，”If I believe in something, I sell it and I sell it hard.” 雅詩蘭黛對於她自己的產品有著百分之百不會動搖的信念。她相信說只要她有辦法能夠讓別人親自試一下她 瓶子中的美麗魔法，人民便會立即愛上它的產品。因此她從未害怕採用有創意的不尋常的方法去銷售她的產品，甚至”遊擊銷售法”也是她常用的方法之一。

有一件這樣的小事，雅詩蘭黛當時正在嘗試著與Galleries Lafayette，歐洲最大的百貨公司建立商業合作夥伴關係。如果能夠在Lafayette得到一家店鋪的位置，將會是雅詩蘭黛走向成功巨大的一步，這不僅僅是因為Lafayette絕好的商業位置(旗艦店位于法國巴黎)，更是因爲Lafayette以世界級的時尚是自己成功成爲上流社會的成熟精緻形象的縮影，而這與Estee Lauder公司想要的效果完全一致。

正是因爲雅詩蘭黛本人的堅持，使得她得以與Lafayette巴黎總部經理會晤，那一次的會議上，雅詩蘭黛使出她全部的迷人的銷售能力想要説服他說  雅詩蘭黛的美麗產品一定會使其公司的股票有所增值。然而天不遂人願，那位經理人最終也沒有被説服，他拒絕了雅詩蘭黛並請她即刻走人。這不久之後，雅詩蘭黛注意到在Lafayette百貨底層恰好有化妝品的展臺，於是立刻抓住時機做出一個看似不經意的舉動，她裝作不小心穿過人群並且將她一手研發的護膚露水灑在地上，既有護膚露水又可以作為香水的特徵，讓人們立刻注意到了這種優雅的味道並且開始急切的想要知道這是什麽在哪裏可以得到它。最後結束的時候，Lafayette的總部經理沒有任何辦法，只能讓步同意Estee Lauder進軍Lafayette。這之後，在極短的時閒内，Estee  Lauder的產品就在Lafayette的精美店鋪中取得了一席之地。

”我不是僅僅靠想或者單純存著我的願望就能夠達到那裏，我是真真切切的努力得來的 (I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it)” 雅詩蘭黛後來回憶道，”我是一個心中懷揣夢想的女人，我在追求夢想的道路上只單心單意不會其他。”　從她後來的事業發展道路看，不乏有人會擋在她前面，嘗試著阻撓她達成夢想，但雅詩蘭黛從來都不會讓別人得逞。她達成自己的夢想就靠執著的追求，靠拒絕盲目聽信他人，靠拒絕放棄，就是這樣Estee Lauder才得以成爲我們今天看到的模樣。

English Version:

After fifty plus years at the top of her game, Estee Lauder became the only woman on Time magazine’s 1998 list of the 20 most influential business geniuses of the century. Despite her death six years later, the company she founded continues to enjoy tremendous success. It was ranked 340th on the 2006 Fortune 500 list and currently earns over $6.4 billion in revenues.

Josephine Esther Mentzer was born in 1908 in the Corona section of Queen’s, New York. Her upbringing was a modest one; she lived with her eight brothers and sisters in the apartment above the hardware store that their father owned. Her parents, Max and Rose Schotz Mentzer, were of Jewish background and had recently immigrated from Hungary and Czechoslovakia, respectively. Much of the family’s time was spent in simply trying to make ends meet with most of the nine children helping out at the family’s hardware store below.

It was while working in this store that Lauder got her first taste of business. It was not the world of big business that Lauder would find herself in later, but her father’s hardware store did give her a better understanding of entrepreneurship and what it takes to be a successful retailer. Despite, or perhaps because of Lauder’s exposure to business at a young age, her childhood dreams actually took her as far away from business life as possible. Until World War I, Lauder had always wanted to be an actress, dreaming of her “name in lights, flowers, handsome men.”

After the War, Rose’s brother, Lauder’s uncle John Schotz, came to live with the family. This would prove to be a turning point in the young Lauder’s life. Schotz was a chemist who had devoted most of his life to creating “secret” skin-care products. After having built a mini laboratory in the family’s stable at the back of the house, Schotz took on the role of mentor to Lauder. “I recognized in my Uncle John my true path,” Lauder recalled. “I watched and learned.” Together, the two of them began working on creating special skin-care products.

Lauder had now switched her focus; no longer did she dream of the brilliant lights of Hollywood. Now, she wanted to be a scientist. She began working with her uncle’s mixtures and trying to modify and improve them. She also took on a key sales role for his new company, New Way Laboratories. But, her dreams were soon placed on hold when she met Joseph Lauder, a textile salesman. The two were married and soon relocated to Manhattan, New York.

Up until the time of the birth of her first child in 1933, Lauder’s professional dreams had never quite subsided and she continued to experiment with different concoctions in the kitchen of her own home. Her husband supported her goals and, together, the two purchased a converted restaurant in which Lauder could continue to try to create new potions. In 1947, the two finally decided to go official, and Estee Lauder Inc. was formed.

“If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to do it and become another Estee Lauder, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to stick to it and you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing,” said Lauder.

If ever there was an ambitious and relentless entrepreneur who refused to give up even in the face of tremendous doubt and uncertainty, Lauder was it. Stubborn even as a child, Lauder was a woman who refused to quit and walk away even when the going was tough. Her ability to convert her ambition into a charming and lucrative sales technique was one of the main components to Lauder’s success.

“I have never worked a day in my life without selling,” she said. “If I believe in something, I sell it and I sell it hard.” Lauder had an unwavering faith in the quality of her products. She felt that if only she could get it in the hands of others, they too would instantly fall in love with her ‘beauty in a jar’ solutions. Thus, she was not afraid to take unusual yet creative steps to make a sale and she came to be known for her often use of guerilla tactics to close a deal.
In one such case, Lauder was chasing an account with Galleries Lafayette, Europe’s largest department store, with its flagship store located in Paris, France. Landing Lafayette would be a huge step forward for Lauder, not only because of its excellent locations and the wide scope of its stores, but also because Lafayette epitomized the world of fashion and lent itself nicely to the high-class and sophisticated image that Lauder was trying to create for her company.

Due to her persistence, Lauder was able arrange a meeting with the head manager of the Paris store. She used all her charm and sales abilities to try and convince him that her line of beauty products would work perfectly with his store’s stock. Despite all her effort, the manager remained unconvinced. He turned Lauder’s request down and sent her on her way. Shortly after, Lauder noticed a demonstration taking place on the store floor and, immediately realizing the potential she made her way over to the crowd where she ‘accidentally’ spilled some of her Youth Dew on the floor. A bath oil that doubled as a perfume, the scent began wafting through the crowd, whose interests were quickly peaked. Everyone wanted to know what that fragrance was and where they could get their hands on it. In the end, the manager had no choice but to give in to Lauder’s demands and in relatively little time, her products were lining the shelves of Galleries Lafayette.
“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it,” said Lauder of her success. “I was a woman with a mission and single-minded in the pursuit of my dream.” Throughout her career, there were always people who were standing in her way and trying to hold her back from her goals, but Lauder never let them. She continued to chase her dreams and by doing so, by refusing to listen to others, and by refusing to give up, Lauder brought her company to the top.

“If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to do it and become another Estee Lauder, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to stick to it and you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing,” said Lauder.

If ever there was an ambitious and relentless entrepreneur who refused to give up even in the face of tremendous doubt and uncertainty, Lauder was it. Stubborn even as a child, Lauder was a woman who refused to quit and walk away even when the going was tough. Her ability to convert her ambition into a charming and lucrative sales technique was one of the main components to Lauder’s success.

“I have never worked a day in my life without selling,” she said. “If I believe in something, I sell it and I sell it hard.” Lauder had an unwavering faith in the quality of her products. She felt that if only she could get it in the hands of others, they too would instantly fall in love with her ‘beauty in a jar’ solutions. Thus, she was not afraid to take unusual yet creative steps to make a sale and she came to be known for her often use of guerilla tactics to close a deal.
In one such case, Lauder was chasing an account with Galleries Lafayette, Europe’s largest department store, with its flagship store located in Paris, France. Landing Lafayette would be a huge step forward for Lauder, not only because of its excellent locations and the wide scope of its stores, but also because Lafayette epitomized the world of fashion and lent itself nicely to the high-class and sophisticated image that Lauder was trying to create for her company.

Due to her persistence, Lauder was able arrange a meeting with the head manager of the Paris store. She used all her charm and sales abilities to try and convince him that her line of beauty products would work perfectly with his store’s stock. Despite all her effort, the manager remained unconvinced. He turned Lauder’s request down and sent her on her way. Shortly after, Lauder noticed a demonstration taking place on the store floor and, immediately realizing the potential she made her way over to the crowd where she ‘accidentally’ spilled some of her Youth Dew on the floor. A bath oil that doubled as a perfume, the scent began wafting through the crowd, whose interests were quickly peaked. Everyone wanted to know what that fragrance was and where they could get their hands on it. In the end, the manager had no choice but to give in to Lauder’s demands and in relatively little time, her products were lining the shelves of Galleries Lafayette.
“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it,” said Lauder of her success. “I was a woman with a mission and single-minded in the pursuit of my dream.” Throughout her career, there were always people who were standing in her way and trying to hold her back from her goals, but Lauder never let them. She continued to chase her dreams and by doing so, by refusing to listen to others, and by refusing to give up, Lauder brought her company to the top.

“If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to do it and become another Estee Lauder, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to stick to it and you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing,” said Lauder.

If ever there was an ambitious and relentless entrepreneur who refused to give up even in the face of tremendous doubt and uncertainty, Lauder was it. Stubborn even as a child, Lauder was a woman who refused to quit and walk away even when the going was tough. Her ability to convert her ambition into a charming and lucrative sales technique was one of the main components to Lauder’s success.

“I have never worked a day in my life without selling,” she said. “If I believe in something, I sell it and I sell it hard.” Lauder had an unwavering faith in the quality of her products. She felt that if only she could get it in the hands of others, they too would instantly fall in love with her ‘beauty in a jar’ solutions. Thus, she was not afraid to take unusual yet creative steps to make a sale and she came to be known for her often use of guerilla tactics to close a deal.
In one such case, Lauder was chasing an account with Galleries Lafayette, Europe’s largest department store, with its flagship store located in Paris, France. Landing Lafayette would be a huge step forward for Lauder, not only because of its excellent locations and the wide scope of its stores, but also because Lafayette epitomized the world of fashion and lent itself nicely to the high-class and sophisticated image that Lauder was trying to create for her company.

Due to her persistence, Lauder was able arrange a meeting with the head manager of the Paris store. She used all her charm and sales abilities to try and convince him that her line of beauty products would work perfectly with his store’s stock. Despite all her effort, the manager remained unconvinced. He turned Lauder’s request down and sent her on her way. Shortly after, Lauder noticed a demonstration taking place on the store floor and, immediately realizing the potential she made her way over to the crowd where she ‘accidentally’ spilled some of her Youth Dew on the floor. A bath oil that doubled as a perfume, the scent began wafting through the crowd, whose interests were quickly peaked. Everyone wanted to know what that fragrance was and where they could get their hands on it. In the end, the manager had no choice but to give in to Lauder’s demands and in relatively little time, her products were lining the shelves of Galleries Lafayette.
“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it,” said Lauder of her success. “I was a woman with a mission and single-minded in the pursuit of my dream.” Throughout her career, there were always people who were standing in her way and trying to hold her back from her goals, but Lauder never let them. She continued to chase her dreams and by doing so, by refusing to listen to others, and by refusing to give up, Lauder brought her company to the top.

“If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to do it and become another Estee Lauder, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to stick to it and you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing,” said Lauder.

If ever there was an ambitious and relentless entrepreneur who refused to give up even in the face of tremendous doubt and uncertainty, Lauder was it. Stubborn even as a child, Lauder was a woman who refused to quit and walk away even when the going was tough. Her ability to convert her ambition into a charming and lucrative sales technique was one of the main components to Lauder’s success.

“I have never worked a day in my life without selling,” she said. “If I believe in something, I sell it and I sell it hard.” Lauder had an unwavering faith in the quality of her products. She felt that if only she could get it in the hands of others, they too would instantly fall in love with her ‘beauty in a jar’ solutions. Thus, she was not afraid to take unusual yet creative steps to make a sale and she came to be known for her often use of guerilla tactics to close a deal.
In one such case, Lauder was chasing an account with Galleries Lafayette, Europe’s largest department store, with its flagship store located in Paris, France. Landing Lafayette would be a huge step forward for Lauder, not only because of its excellent locations and the wide scope of its stores, but also because Lafayette epitomized the world of fashion and lent itself nicely to the high-class and sophisticated image that Lauder was trying to create for her company.

Due to her persistence, Lauder was able arrange a meeting with the head manager of the Paris store. She used all her charm and sales abilities to try and convince him that her line of beauty products would work perfectly with his store’s stock. Despite all her effort, the manager remained unconvinced. He turned Lauder’s request down and sent her on her way. Shortly after, Lauder noticed a demonstration taking place on the store floor and, immediately realizing the potential she made her way over to the crowd where she ‘accidentally’ spilled some of her Youth Dew on the floor. A bath oil that doubled as a perfume, the scent began wafting through the crowd, whose interests were quickly peaked. Everyone wanted to know what that fragrance was and where they could get their hands on it. In the end, the manager had no choice but to give in to Lauder’s demands and in relatively little time, her products were lining the shelves of Galleries Lafayette.
“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it,” said Lauder of her success. “I was a woman with a mission and single-minded in the pursuit of my dream.” Throughout her career, there were always people who were standing in her way and trying to hold her back from her goals, but Lauder never let them. She continued to chase her dreams and by doing so, by refusing to listen to others, and by refusing to give up, Lauder brought her company to the top.

“If you have a goal, if you want to be successful, if you really want to do it and become another Estee Lauder, you’ve got to work hard, you’ve got to stick to it and you’ve got to believe in what you’re doing,”  said Lauder.

If ever there was an ambitious and relentless entrepreneur who refused to give up even in the face of tremendous doubt and uncertainty, Lauder was it. Stubborn even as a child, Lauder was a woman who refused to quit and walk away even when the going was tough. Her ability to convert her ambition into a charming and lucrative sales technique was one of the main components to Lauder’s success.

“I have never worked a day in my life without selling,” she said. “If I believe in something, I sell it and I sell it hard.” Lauder had an unwavering faith in the quality of her products. She felt that if only she could get it in the hands of others, they too would instantly fall in love with her ‘beauty in a jar’ solutions. Thus, she was not afraid to take unusual yet creative steps to make a sale and she came to be known for her often use of guerilla tactics to close a deal.

In one such case, Lauder was chasing an account with Galleries Lafayette, Europe’s largest department store, with its flagship store located in Paris, France. Landing Lafayette would be a huge step forward for Lauder, not only because of its excellent locations and the wide scope of its stores, but also because Lafayette epitomized the world of fashion and lent itself nicely to the high-class and sophisticated image that Lauder was trying to create for her company.

Due to her persistence, Lauder was able arrange a meeting with the head manager of the Paris store. She used all her charm and sales abilities to try and convince him that her line of beauty products would work perfectly with his store’s stock. Despite all her effort, the manager remained unconvinced. He turned Lauder’s request down and sent her on her way. Shortly after, Lauder noticed a demonstration taking place on the store floor and, immediately realizing the potential she made her way over to the crowd where she ‘accidentally’ spilled some of her Youth Dew on the floor. A bath oil that doubled as a perfume, the scent began wafting through the crowd, whose interests were quickly peaked. Everyone wanted to know what that fragrance was and where they could get their hands on it. In the end, the manager had no choice but to give in to Lauder’s demands and in relatively little time, her products were lining the shelves of Galleries Lafayette.

“I didn’t get there by wishing for it or hoping for it, but by working for it,” said Lauder of her success. “I was a woman with a mission and single-minded in the pursuit of my dream.” Throughout her career, there were always people who were standing in her way and trying to hold her back from her goals, but Lauder never let them. She continued to chase her dreams and by doing so, by refusing to listen to others, and by refusing to give up, Lauder brought her company to the top.