Tag Archives: Starbucks

10 Tips for Networking at Starbucks

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CafeI love coffee. I love strong, bold coffee. Starbucks is my cup of choice. I head over to my corner location every morning, rain, sleet, snow or shine. But, it’s not just about the coffee…

For me, it’s also about networking. As a small business owner, Starbucks has become an integral part of my workday. By spending a mere 10 minutes at Starbucks each morning, I’ve grown my business exponentially.

Here are 10 insider tips for making Starbucks your killer networking app:

  1. Choose well. Scope out various Starbucks locations to determine the best fit for what you want to accomplish. If you want to network with business owners, choose a location in an area close to (or enroute to) the types of companies you wish to do business with. Chances are, those business owners are making a coffee stop, too.
  2. Be consistent. Once you select your prime location, visit it consistently. When you become a regular, you’ll begin to develop relationships with other regulars.
  3. Scope out your prospects. Not unlike how we learn to observe and listen as we develop our social networking strategies, I recommend observing and listening to other Starbucks customers for a while. This will help you determine who the regulars are, who your first networking targets might be and how to approach them.
  4. Make your first move at the bar. Of course, I’m referring to the condiments bar. In the short time that it takes to add cream and sugar to your cup, you can break the ice with many an interesting prospect. “Coffee: my one and only vice” works well for me. You may only get a grunt or a “have a nice day” out of the prospect at first, but considering most people are rushing off to the office, that’s a great start.
  5. Repeat daily. Continue to “break the ice” with new prospects. Keep your pipeline full. With one such encounter daily, your pipeline will fill quickly.
  6. Move up. At a second encounter, move up to a simple “Good morning,” as a way to acknowledge that you and your prospect now have a relationship.
  7. Advance to a higher level. With a quickly filling pipeline, you’ll soon recognize opportunities to advance the conversation to an even higher level. By your third or fourth encounter, you can offer a handshake and introduce yourself. Before you know it, you’ll be exchanging business cards.
  8. Vary your arrival time. As stated earlier, when it comes to networking, consistency is key. But, it pays to vary your arrival time occasionally by +/- fifteen minutes. This will help to broaden your prospect pool and allow for more repeat encounters.
  9. Make friends with your barista. Busy though they may be in the morning, the baristas can be some of your strongest networking allies. They know most of their customers by name and therefore, can help you out in the rare instance that you forget a name or two from your growing group of prospects.
  10. Sit down. (This tip is for advanced networkers only.) Yes, I’m actually advocating that, rather than rushing off down the street with cup in hand, after leaving the condiment bar, you sit at a table and enjoy your coffee for 10 minutes. It’s a pretty simple habit to get into. Think of what 10 minutes of networking daily could do for your business. Pretty soon, you’ll be deducting your coffee costs as a true business expense!

7 Best Practices I Learned at Starbucks

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CafeI enjoy my morning coffee ritual for so many reasons. The obvious benefit is that wonderful jolt of caffeine that helps to jump-start my day.

Yesterday morning, as I was sitting at my usual Starbucks enjoying my tall dark roast for here, I thought about one of the other benefits to starting my day there: observing and learning from the constant flow of customers. Yesterday, however, I concentrated on observing the staff. At this particular Starbucks, the staff is phenomenal. They (and the coffee) keep me coming back.

Practices I observed include:

They listen. No matter how busy the store became, the listening never stopped. One customer seemed to be sharing a particularly long, drawn-out story with the cashier, even whipping out her phone to share a photo. The cashier seemed to hang on her every word, certainly making that customer’s day. Meanwhile, the baristas, busily concocting tall “this” and grande “that’s,” listened and chatted happily with customers waiting for their orders.

They speak the language of their customers. I observed that same cashier interacting with various customers. Her demeanor and vocabulary seemed to change, depending on which of her regular customers was in front of her at the moment. This savvy professional obviously knows the value of speaking the language of her customers.

They smile. All staff members smile – at their customers and at each other. A smile can go such a long way, especially first thing in the morning.

They work as a team. This particular crew is impressive, working seamlessly together as a tight-knit team in small quarters.

They never stand still. They work and move quickly and efficiently. Even when there was a momentary lull in the customer flow, I noted that no staff member stopped moving. Each person made good use of the short downtime by refreshing stock, replenishing ingredients, bagging up trash, etc.

They go the extra mile. At one point, yesterday, a customer inadvertently left her credit card behind. The cashier could have easily placed it behind the counter until the customer realized it was missing and returned to retrieve it. The cashier went the extra mile, however. When he realized what had happened, he raced out of the store into the parking lot, found the customer as she was about to speed away and, no doubt, made her day by returning her card immediately.

They know the power of “Thank You.” Along with a smile, those two powerful words were uttered every few seconds by cashiers, baristas and managers alike.

It amazes me what can be learned at Starbucks. These best practices should be universal, no matter what work we’re doing.

by Rebecca Cochran

Tunnel Vision Can Be a Good Thing

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Green logo used from 1987-2010, still being us...

Green logo used from 1987-2010, still being used as a secondary logo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Rebecca Cochran

OK, it’s confession time. I have been a loyal Starbucks customer for almost twenty years. Nearly every morning, I start my day with a “tall dark roast for here.” I usually enjoy it in a mug on site at whichever Starbucks location is closest to where my work (or weekend fun) takes me on any given day.

I happened to be out-of-town a few days last week and, as I was enjoying my “tall dark roast for here” at an out-of-town Starbucks location, I took some time to ponder as to exactly why I’ve remained a Starbucks customer so long. Surely, my morning “drink” is the most simple of all Starbucks orders. No matter where I am, it’s a “tall dark roast for here.” (Unfortunately, not all Starbucks locations stock “for here” mugs, I’ve discovered.) Despite all the fancy add-ins, add-ons, whips and what-have-you’s, my order is the same every morning – a “tall dark roast for here.”

What got me thinking last week is that Starbucks is a master at providing me a consistent, tall cup of dark roast coffee every morning. I’ve learned to ignore the majority of other Starbucks’ in-store offerings all these years. As a marketing professional myself, I admire Starbucks for being able to consistently cater to my one simple morning need: a “tall dark roast for here.”

I can’t think of any other retailer that has held my attention so consistently for so long. Despite all of Starbucks’ line extensions, prototypes, menu additions and subtractions, hits and misses, I find it very easy to make my way through the retail clutter each morning and order a simple “tall dark roast for here.”

Surely, Starbucks must have many customers just like me – customers who aren’t interested in a fancy brew – just a consistently good cup of coffee. Starbucks should be commended for this accomplishment. The company has never lost sight of its core product: a simple cup of coffee.

What do you think? Do you know of any other product or service provider as consistent as Starbucks is? Is there another product or service to which you’re as fiercely loyal as I am to Starbucks? I’d love to hear from you via the comment area below.

P.S. I am secretly proud that a “tall dark roast for here” is still my morning drink of choice. I enjoy starting the day simply. Bravo, Starbucks!