Q. How did you determine
your company’s growth
strategy?
We looked at our market segment. We became a consulting
company because I realized
that just supplying people the
world’s best coffee was not
going to make them successful. We teach others how to be
successful in selling specialty
coffee. They all fit under what
it is that we do. While they
may be different, the reality is that all of them need to be
shown how to do better with
their sales.
We’ve set up interview
processes and other qualifications that people need to
pass in order to become our
customer because while
we’d like to be No. 2 in the
industry, that’s not a driving
factor. We would get there
better by having the world’s
best customers first, and we
need to do it one customer
at a time.
Q. Why is it important for
employees to understand
the brand?
You need to promote a consistent message, and everybody needs to know it within
your company because that’s
where it all starts.
Then it goes to your customers. We’ve had to turn
down a customer because
they weren’t right for us. It
doesn’t mean they’re a bad
person; they just weren’t
right for our brand.
When people understand
they’re not just supplying a
product or a service, they
come up with solutions for
us. And when your vendors
understand who you are and
what you do, they become
engaged with you.
You can’t do it all yourself.
You need everybody across
the board understanding and
living by your values. It’s
being really clear with what
it is we want to build. It gets
back to the clarity of what
we want.
Q. What one thing can
prevent a company from
growing?
Without a clear vision, even
good people will be going in
different directions. We want
everybody in the same boat,
rowing together in the same
direction.
It gets back to the vision
and where somebody wants
to go. For that to be fulfilled,
you have to have the right
people who can understand
that vision.
The vision encompasses
values.
HOW TO REACH: CrimsonCup, (888) 800-9224 or www.crimsoncup.com