S&MM SoundOff

More Than Average: Drink Your (socially conscious) Cuppa Joe

I stagger into work most mornings still reeling from the stench and repressed madness of New York's subway system. I'm craving my clean sheets and a few more hours of sleep, not e-mails, phone calls, research, and writing. Like my 108 million comrades nationwide, I require a mug of strong, hot coffee to shift my brain into working mode.

54 percent of Americans depended on a daily cup of joe in 2000; today, there's 56 percent of us who need the bean at least once a day, according to the National Coffee Association. And of those coffee lovers, a growing number are drinking quality speciality beverages from independent coffee shops, a certain ubiquitious multinational chain, supermarkets, and even street kiosks--to the tune of $11.05 billion in 2005, says the Specialty Coffee Association of America.

So who's taking advantage of my need for a delicious cup?

In Rwanda, one of the world's most destitute countries, impoverished coffee growers learned techniques for quality bean production, which their president, Paul Kagame, then personally marketed and sold to high-end American chains such as Starbucks and Green Mountain. According to this New York Times article, the country's coffee production has increased more than 5 percent annually despite lower prices following the 2000 coffee crash.

Rwandan farmers and bureaucrats, with help from the U.S. Agency for International Development, sniffed out a rising demand for expensive fancy java, invested $10 million in equipment and training, and then specifically promoted their product to a voracious American market.

American businesspeople continue to feed their efficiency-enhancing addictions, while third-world farmers improve their lives. I get a non-mucky eight ounces of antioxidant-rich, diabetes-reducing energy. Everybody wins.

For more productivity- and health-enhancing food tips, see this month's Road Warrior.

In Defense of Chains

Yesterday I got my coffee from Starbucks and my lunch from Subway. I feel guilty about it. There are so many small, great coffee shops and delis around where I work. But I chose to patronize two national brands  because I knew exactly what to expect from both.

Even my favorite independent delis aren’t as trustworthy as chains. The price of an iced coffee at the bodega around the corner fluctuates depending on the cashier. The salad quality at the nearby deli varies by who makes it—if my guy’s not there, I go somewhere else.

Chains offer stability. A latte at Starbucks tastes the same on Manhattan's west side as it does on the east side. And while that rationale may seem boring, when I have a craving for that specific coffee, I want to know it will come with extra foam.

Is your sales force as consistent as a Subway sandwich? While every sales associate should have his own personal style, studies show that companies benefit from uniformity. For more on the importance of a unified sales process, check out this article from our S&MM archives.

Dangling Wine & Cheese to Close a Deal

Recently, I attended a bridal showcase at a major hotel with my newly-engaged cousin. With my own wedding planned and just weeks away, I wasn’t interested in being bombarded with sales pitches from various wedding vendors.

However, after two glasses of wine and a few nibbles of cheese, I was prodding my cousin to sign on the dotted line for a photographer and DJ. Why? The presentation was fun, creative, and I was convinced they could provide a great service.

Do you know how to creatively close a deal? Take a couple tips from their playbook:

Get Face Time
Prospective customers aren’t going to beat a path to your door. Consider taking your products on the road to show off your goods and services. At this particular event, my cousin and I were lured by the complimentary wine and cheese reception.

Don’t Pounce
While downing glasses of wine, we mingled and casually looked at all of the photographers’ albums and viewed sample wedding videos. The salespeople were helpful in answering questions, but didn’t hover or aggressively pitch their packages to us.

Gimme a Beat
Add a fun element to your sales presentation to liven things up. As part of the bridal expo’s finale, several DJs came out and took turns spinning party classics that got the whole room in a celebratory mood. The DJs threw out Hawaiian leis, colorful guitar balloons, and maracas to all the prospective buyers or “party guests.” The next thing I know, I’m part of a Conga line. What I thought was going to be a boring sales pitch quickly turned into a party with a purpose.

Close the Deal
The expo’s emcee wrapped up the festivities with a quick reminder to book our favorite wedding vendors and a warm “thank you.” My cousin ended up booking a couple of services and we both went home very happy. I couldn't stop talking about it.

Did you or your company creatively pull off a sale? Tell us how you did it.

In the pages of S&MM, learn how creative deal making can solve thorny conflicts.

A Cup of Good Cheer

Each holiday season, you can bet you’ll be hearing the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Andy Williams. And just as Andy is a holiday favorite, so is Starbucks Christmas Blend coffee for me—in fact, some coffee hounds can hardly wait to get a cupful of that seasonal brew of choice.

Avid fans of Starbucks’ Christmas Blend (also called Holiday Blend) from previous years have even logged onto eBay in hopes of buying their favorite coffee blend online. Interestingly, many Starbucks fans believe that the company modifies its Christmas Blend just a little each year. Personally, I can’t tell the difference in the taste from one year to the next. Since coffee is a crop, I wouldn’t be surprised if the flavor is affected by weather, soil conditions, or other variables beyond Starbucks control.

Either way, I think it’s an interesting sales tactic: Offering a special version of your product for a limited time, and then tweak the formula each year. Consumers who love a particular item will stockpile the product out of fear it won’t be exactly the same next year. On the other hand, you may lose customers who prefer a consistent, high-quality product.

Is your company offering a special holiday version of a product or service to lure business? What are you doing to drum up holiday sales?

For more reading, check out S&MM’s sales strategy section.

Reeling in New Revenue

Who isn't wild about seafood? As much as I frequent Red Lobster, I'm surprised I don't already have my own reserved booth at the restaurant.

And now, you can read all about seafood in each issue of Wild Catch. You heard right! It's a new business-to-business magazine for the wild seafood industry. This new publication was created to provide retailers, restaurants, and sellers of seafood with information on the industry so they may in turn, effectively market wild-caught seafood to the consumer.

Publisher Peter Hurme discovered an untapped market -- the wild seafood industry –- and provided a niche product to reel in a money-making opportunity. What is your company doing to find new streams of revenue?

In the pages of S&MM, read how sales leaders are opening new avenues to growth. Plus, learn how to gain market share by connecting with a new customer base.