Grande, No Foam, Non-fat, 6 Pump,
Caramel, Extra Hot, Latte Macchiato
Frank Traditi
This is actually what I heard somebody order at a local famous-name-brand
coffee shop.
What has the world come to? In order to make it through the day, we have
to consume our morning beverage with no less than seven items? It's become
a competition. Who can order the most obscure and outrageous drink to impress
our fellow bean lovers and say it with grace and style.
Now, here's who I feel sorry for – and admire the most – the
people who have to make this concoction. They've got the drinks lined up
on the espresso machine like ducks in a shooting gallery. They pick each
one off the line. Then, have to remember, and get it right the first time,
each and every recipe that's fired into their corner. If not, there could
be hell to pay.
Why I am writing to you about the wild "morning blends" we hear
bantered about at the local coffee shop?
There are three reasons:
1. It's incredible that people can effortlessly rattle off this morning
drink mix, but find it almost impossible to succinctly tell you, in 30-seconds
or less, what they do for a living or about their business.
2. Observe the great lengths people will go to get what they want. They'll
drive, walk, or run great distances, in adverse conditions, to fulfill their
needs.
3. The "bean-tenders", or in other words, the people who make
these drinks, are role models.
As I heard this person, and many others in line, proclaim their drink orders,
they displayed a sense of pride and accomplishment when describing what
seems to be their own personal brand. They must have practiced this in front
of mirror several times in order to get it right in front of the crowd.
Isn't this what we should be doing when practicing what we tell people when
we're asked what we do for a living? That's our brand. It's what people
will remember when we talk to them about the benefits of our services or
when looking for a job. It's the 10-second introduction and your 30-second
commercial that keeps the conversation in play with a potential client or
networking partner.
If your favorite coffee drink recipe rolls off your tongue easier than your
professional introduction, you have some work to do. Your introduction needs
to be crisp, clear, and abundantly easy to understand. Easier than that
coffee drink order I heard.
People will go to the end of the earth to seek out something they want.
The translation here for your business – recognize that customers
or prospects may have come a great distance, both literally and figuratively,
to buy your services. They haven’t considered what you have to offer
up to this point. They’ve gone through significant pain to get to
a stage where they are now ready to buy. Make sure you recognize how far
they’ve come by providing unsurpassed service – so that they
always come back for more.
And finally, hat's off to the bean-tenders. They are the real reason people
keep coming back. They get it right the first time. They make it just the
way you want it. They are excellent listeners. Can you imagine listening
to all those drink orders all day long and getting every one of them right?
Take a lesson from these folks at the coffee machine. Listen very carefully
to your prospects and clients. Even if they give you confusing messages
or complex directions, you need to make sure you get it right the first
time and every time.
It's quite amazing what you can learn about marketing yourself just by working
on your laptop at the local coffee shop. Make it point in your business
and your professional life to make things simple, recognize how far your
clients have come, and give them exactly what they want.
As for me, I'll have the coffee of the day.
Copyright © 2006, Frank Traditi
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