by Renie Cavallari on December 21, 2009
“Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got.” Janis Joplin
It never amazes me how Starbucks has managed to continue to innovate in the world of coffee, even when discretionary income is at an all time low. They start with 2 cups of happy people, followed by an extra heap of sugar and before you know it you just paid $4.00 for a grande iced mocha no whip latte. Is this insane?
What are you really buying? The Starbucks Experience. It starts and ends with “keep it simple”. Their stores are clean, their well-trained customer service people are friendly and competent; and, they always seem to have what you want. Rarely have I heard them say they are out of a product they offer.
They have managed to create simple and easy to buy ancillary revenues so they can improve their capture of your wallet share. You can go in for a vente iced tea and out you come with your new, very cool looking iced tea container along with a fruit and cheese plate and small bag of nuts. That’s how you capture customer wallet share. And who in their right mind buys a small bag of nuts for $2.50? You have to be nuts!
And if this isn’t enough they have created such a strong community, you actually like to hang at Starbucks. It’s smart thinking, because the longer you are in the store the more money you inevitably spend. The result is they take individuals who like to “drink special coffee” into a community of people who hang out, work and even catch up with friends.
So what can we learn and apply in the hospitality industry or your business?
1. Keep training and keep the training simple so you get people competent fast. They make for happier employees and there aren’t as many mistakes.
2. Look at your product and find ways to solve customer problems and make travel easier. For example, how about an easy grab-and-go lunch sold upon check out and be sure to make the packaging convenient to stick in a brief case or purse.
3. Don’t run out of your specials or their special preferences. Find a way to give customers what they want and how they want it. If you can’t deliver on it, don’t promote it.
4. Create a central and interesting meeting place for customers to hang and become a community. How can your lobby or restaurant be a place to work, make friends and buy coffee, iced tea and snacks? Add free internet and people will work there, drink more coffee and buy more food. Think wallet share.
Renie Cavallari is CEO and Chief Inspirational Officer for Aspire Marketing, an international training and consulting company positioning organizations to achieve optimum performance. Contact Renie at 602.392.0700 or visit www.aspiremarketing.com.
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by Renie Cavallari on December 7, 2009
It Happens with Small Strides
The more time I spend on this earth, the more I realize that it is the small strides that make the most difference. Many times we look for the big hits; those home runs that make the game “nail-biting exciting”. And yet for many people the need for home runs can set them back because the homers only come occasionally even for the best of home run hitters.
If you are waiting for the big hits, you will spend a lot of time wondering why you aren’t getting them which will set you up for more waiting, wondering and worrying. Negativity hurts small strides.
Think about it…
The best sales people understand that it is the daily target list planning; followed by their daily disciplined and varied contact approaches that builds their pipeline. I find it interesting that even those who are considered experts think that getting customers to buy happens in placing a few calls or leaving a few messages. The “no one calls me back” theme song seems to have made the top 10 list. It is a salesperson’s choice to work their never-ending target list along with ongoing and compelling approaches to staying in touch that builds customer rapport and gets customers to buy. Small strides add up.
Think about it…
The best leaders understand that it is through daily communication with their people that keeps the conversations flowing and real. It is not a monthly employee appreciation meeting or a fun, all-you-can-eat annual holiday party that synergizes people or gets performance to its best levels; it is the never ending efforts made each day by managers to engage, train and inspire employees which ultimately optimizes productivity and delivers results. Small strides add up.
Think about it…
The best customer service teams understand that truly caring about and listening to customers is the way to keep customers coming back and raving about you. It just isn’t that tricky and yet customer service levels are at an all time low. Managers who focus on coaching and training employees in a caring way understand that there are big dividends with this approach. Employees know that times are tough and working from the heart gets their heart’s beating. Small strides, just like heart beats, add up.
Think about it…
We all have more to do with less and top performers know that getting the right things done is what will allow them sustained success. They focus on what matters, make the right decisions effectively and look for what is working and what is not to establish what matters the most, next. Top performers have a process around getting the most important things done and they stick to the formula. They think strategically and move tactically never taking their eye off the ball (strategies). They understand that the right small strides add up.
Renie Cavallari is CEO and Chief Inspirational Officer for Aspire, an international training and consulting company positioning organizations to success even in difficult times. For more information on how to improve your management’s effectiveness contact Renie and Aspire Marketing at 602-392-0700.
