Business Quote by Michael E. Porter
““Fit is important because discrete activities often affect one another. A sophisticated sales force, for example, confers a greater advantage when the company’s product embodies premium technology and its marketing approach emphasizes customer assistance and support.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Competitive Strategy, Michael E. Porter, 1980
Fit means aligning all business activities so they reinforce each other, creating a stronger competitive advantage.
In simple terms: Align activities for stronger advantage.
Key Takeaway
Ensure all parts work together.
Themes
strategy
competition
integration
Mood
analytical
strategic
Type
business
management
When to use this quote
- product development
- marketing campaigns
- sales training
- customer support
Key Concepts
value chain
synergy
coherence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you measure the impact of alignment?
- What trade‑offs arise when adjusting one activity?
A Different Perspective
Fit can be costly and hard to maintain over time.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)