Bob Phibbs, the Retail Doctor® blog at Retaildoc.com

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I recently read a blog post that the world doesn’t need what you have to sell; that the world can get by without it. And if they do, they’ll get it with or without you.

Well yes, I guess that is true to some extent.  But I think the world needs what you have to sell.

Take coffee for example; everyone knows it.  If they were to blind taste-test it, I’m sure 90 out of 90 people could tell you, “that’s coffee.”  But is it good coffee? Is it bad? Is it old? Is it to their liking?  All of that comes about by educating customers as you sell them.

For example, as a coffee drinker, do you know why the coffee you make at home doesn’t taste as good as the coffee you like at the big chains like Starbucks or Peets?  Here are a few facts:

Since coffee is 98% water, they use a reverse osmosis system which removes microorganisms, organic chemicals, and inorganic chemicals, producing very pure water.  Most people use tap water full of impurities and chemicals.

Since coffee loses 25% of its’ flavor within two weeks of roasting, they only use coffee roasted within days and keep it whole bean until just ready to brew.  They store it in airtight containers.  Many home users store their coffee either whole bean or ground in the refrigerator freezer where it can absorb flavors and the delicate oils can degrade.

Since the true flavor of coffee is produced by the oils which rise to the surface of the bean during roasting, the beans are ground which allows more surface for the oils to mix with the water.  Most home grinders slice and dice the beans which also builds up heat degrading the oils.

Since you only have one shot at getting the oils from the beans, they use water just off boil to flood the grounds and drain quickly which releases the oils but leaves the “graininess” of the beans behind.  Home brewers often recirculate the coffee back over the grounds which brings out the grainy flavor.

Since the beans are to be brewed for drip coffee, they grind the beans specifically for that brew method. Many consumers use a generic grind which can be too large letting the water go through too quickly for the oils to release or too small letting the coffee’s more bitter flavor come through.

Since the oils are what makes the coffee, they use a lot of coffee, about two tablespoons per 6 oz of coffee, that’s about a ¼ cup for a 12 oz mug.  Most people use half as much which results in a weak brew.

Most people use a cheap coffee maker which never gets the water hot enough and then keeps applying squirts of coffee over and over to the beans which gives a weak brew, more like dunking a tea bag than brewing the coffee.

Since coffee begins to break down after brewing,  chains throw out unused coffee on a regular schedule (usually within two hours) and they never put on a burner or reheat.  [Except in Canada where consultant Doron Levy posted about Tim Horton’s] Some people actually reheat coffee in the microwave.

Do you need all that information? Do you want all that information?

An Analytical personality probably will want all the nuanced details which make the coffee better.  A Driver personality could probably have a taste test with a cheap Krups $39 machine and a Capresso $219 machine with the salesperson demonstrating how the coffee tastes and let the customer decide.

The problem is 63% of the world, the Expressive personalities and the Amiable personalities, will be overwhelmed by much of that information and even the price tag.  They often settle because no one ever took the time to show and sell them the differences of what it takes to get as close to their favorite coffee house taste as possible.  So they settle for the $39 machine because Macy’s has a coupon, robbing themselves of the experience of a great cup of coffee in their home; especially if they are trying to save money by making it at home in the first place.

I used coffee in this example but it could just as easily be window coverings, flooring, cashmere sweaters, you name it.  Price doesn’t make something a good value – people do – sales people do.  Until you and your crew can understand and model that, you’ll be stuck with a race to the bottom cutting profits and crying the blues.

You want to succeed in 2010? Remember, the world needs what you have to sell!

To learn more about the various personalities and how they play out in your crew and customers, pre-order my new book, The Retail Doctor’s Guide to Growing Your Business (Wiley & Sons) shipping mid-April.

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