Ye Zhi listened quietly. Tang Jiatong had carefully researched the foreign market, from the promotional plan to the minute details of the website, all tailored to the preferences of overseas consumers.
"Very good, but there's still a very important issue," Ye Zhi said with a grave tone. "To foreign users, our website offers nothing distinctive compared to X Shopping."
Tang Jiatong showed a troubled expression, having indeed considered these issues. However, once in the foreign market, the power dynamic between X Shopping and Taoxun had shifted.
She spoke with some difficulty, "President Ye, X Shopping has been operating overseas for many years, and foreign users are already accustomed to their model. To penetrate this market, we can only try to emulate X Shopping's approach..."
"You've done well on this aspect," Ye Zhi said calmly. "However, if we are merely a replica of X Shopping, then under the same conditions, users will undoubtedly choose the familiar X Shopping, not us. Therefore, Taoxun Shopping must have unique features distinct from X Shopping in overseas markets, giving users a reason to choose us."
"But what kind of distinctive feature can help us snatch customers from X Shopping?" Feng Jie, standing nearby, frowned and began to ponder.
"Affordability," Ye Zhi replied. "It's unlikely we can grab market share from X Shopping using conventional methods. We might as well take a different approach and engage in a price war."
"But won't people abroad associate cheapness with poor quality and simply not try us?" Feng Jie asked, concerned.
Ye Zhi stated plainly, "There are also low-income groups abroad. If our products are cheaper and of better quality, why wouldn't those users choose us? Moreover, our T-Live's primary user base consists of teenagers, whose spending power is not high. Users drawn in by T-Live, of course, require us to consider their consumption levels."
Feng Jie nodded in agreement, but Tang Jiatong frowned. It wasn't that she hadn't considered this approach. It was just...
She expressed her concern, "President Ye, low prices are indeed a good way to seize market share. But if we initially focus on being cheap, it will be very difficult to pivot to a high-end market later."
Ye Zhi chuckled softly. The reason she chose Tang Jiatong for the overseas assignment was precisely because of her meticulous and steady approach, ensuring a solid foundation abroad. However, this also meant she was overly cautious and afraid of taking risks.
"Only after securing market share do we have the right to contend for these things. If we can't even capture market share, then what's the point of discussing low-end or high-end?" Ye Zhi said composedly. "Let's aim for the overseas sinking market and target low-income groups."
Tang Jiatong suddenly realized her previous line of thinking had been misguided. She had always set surpassing X Shopping as her goal, but competing with them on their established turf offered little chance of victory. If Taoxun couldn't even establish a foothold, then what about the future? To overtake them, they needed to carve out a new path and break X Shopping's monopoly.
"I understand, President Ye. The website's overall promotional plan will now lean towards high cost-effectiveness," Tang Jiatong said.
Ye Zhi mused, "Listen to this: low emotional intelligence: cheap; high emotional intelligence: cost-effective."
"Don't worry about the finances, go ahead and do it," Ye Zhi said. "In the initial phase, you don't need to focus too much on website profitability. Concentrate on new user registration and retention. It's crucial to help our users cultivate the habit of consuming on our website."
They then discussed further details, concluding the meeting. As everyone left the conference room, Feng Jie politely said, "President Ye, it's quite late. Shall I give you a ride home?"
"No need," Ye Zhi replied with a smile. "I just texted Qi Xuan, and he's already coming to pick me up."
Feng Jie: ... He shouldn't have said anything! If he hadn't spoken up, he wouldn't have been force-fed a mouthful of public affection.
"You and President Qi are truly affectionate," Feng Jie said politely.
"Of course~" Ye Zhi chirped. "Feng Jie, you're still single, aren't you? You're not getting any younger, and it's time to consider your personal life, not just focus on work all day."
Feng Jie: ... President Ye, if you can't say anything nice, it's better to keep quiet. There's no need to deliver such a heart-wrenching remark.
"I'll think about it, hehe..." Feng Jie forced a perfunctory smile. Seeing that he wasn't taking it to heart, Ye Zhi frowned. "Is it that company work is too busy, and on weekends, you just want to relax without having time for dates or anything?"
Feng Jie immediately became vigilant. Why was Ye Zhi suddenly so concerned about his personal romantic life, and even mentioning he was too busy? Could it be... With Ou Minghan caught, his role as a double agent was no longer needed. Was Ye Zhi planning to discard him after he had served his purpose? No, that's like calling himself out. It's like "killing the dog once the master is pleased"... no, that doesn't sound right either. Anyway, was she preparing to ditch him?
Feng Jie looked at Ye Zhi with a wronged expression. He decided that if Ye Zhi actually said those words, he would resolutely condemn this scummy woman... er, scummy boss!
Ye Zhi then seemed to have an idea and said with a frown, "Lack of time is also a significant issue. How about this? Let's reform the company, working four and a half days a week, giving us an extra half day of rest. What do you think?"
Feng Jie's mouth fell open in surprise; he almost couldn't process it. Wait, Ye Zhi wasn't trying to betray him. She was genuinely considering working hours and even offering a solution?
Feng Jie said emotionally, "President Ye, this is for my sake..."
"Bah!" Ye Zhi interrupted him speechlessly. "For my sake? You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want! The company is currently developing stably, and I think this is something we can try. That's why I'm asking for your opinion. If you keep overthinking, I'll exclude you from this company reform!"
Feng Jie: ... It's really unnecessary. Of course, Feng Jie was secretly delighted. Who wouldn't be happy to get an extra half-day off each week? Wasn't he just babbling incoherently with joy moments ago?
He asked solicitously, "President Ye, how about we issue a questionnaire within the company to ask for other employees' opinions?"
Ye Zhi said amusingly, "Is that necessary? It's not like the whole country is welcoming rising oil prices. Why are you going through such formalities? You prepare a specific plan, and next month we'll start a four-and-a-half-day work week trial across the entire company."
"Understood, President Ye!" Feng Jie responded with exceptional enthusiasm.
As they reached the ground floor, Qi Xuan was already waiting for Ye Zhi in his car. Upon seeing Qi Xuan, Feng Jie greeted him warmly before happily taking his leave.
"Taoxun's employees are truly different," Qi Xuan said with some bewilderment. "They seem so happy even when working overtime."