Higher Sales Follow Change in Product
September 12th, 2008
I stopped in to a coffee roaster to visit an old friend. He had previously been the director of coffee for a very large, well-known coffee roaster and retailer. He recently changed jobs and is now working for a very small, fairly new regional coffee roaster. We talked about many of the challenges he faces while trying to grow his business and I was struck by the many similarities between what we at Mont Blanc have gone through and what he is dealing with.
His challenges include finding the right people, growing sales, creating a brand identity in a crowded market place, needing to produce in volume to stay competitive, dealing with difficult customers and unreasonable requests, motivating the sales team — the list seemed endless.
Most businesses face similar challenges. It’s funny how sometimes we get so caught up in the whirlwind of work that we overlook simple solutions. My friend shared a story that really resonated.
He recounted being approached by a businessman who had heard about his coffee. The businessman wanted to try my friend’s coffee and possibly replace the espresso pods he used at the time. This café owner knew that his offering at the time wasn’t the best, but it was convenient. After a cupping, the businessman decided to dramatically improve what he served, despite the cost increase.
Knowing what his original volume was, my friend tracked his purchases and worked with him to help launch the program. Initially, the new customer simply repeated his pattern of ordering every four weeks. His first order was for 25 pounds. But soon there was a marked change. Three weeks later he placed another order for 25 pounds. Two weeks later he ordered another 25 pounds. And, my friend confided, he is now ordering 25 pounds every single week.
This businessman’s volume has increased 400 percent by doing nothing other than changing his low-grade espresso pods for a higher quality, fresher blend. All of the increase in business was strictly attributable to serving a higher quality, more consistent, better tasting drink.
Sometimes it isn’t easy to change suppliers. But it can be worth it.
Chocolatier Michael Szyliowicz is an innovator who crafts quality syrups in his Denver lab. Michael's adventurous spirit takes him around the globe in search of trends and best practices. He shares his musings, observations and experiences.
