I have a neighbour called Jeff, and he is a well-known entrepreneur and coffee roaster in my home city. In fact he started one of my favourite cafés in Wellington called Café L’affare. This great café is only five minutes from my office; people that know me would argue that it’s actually my office. I have to admit that I visit it at least twice a day when I am home to get my daily hit.
In fact I been going there for 11 years on and off. Having experienced coffee in many places around the world, I am a little biased towards my coffee from Café L’affare.
Entrepreneur – The Godfather of Coffee
In a recent article in a weekend edition of our daily newspaper it talked about Jeff and I quote… “Jeff K is a maverick entrepreneur, coffee roaster and founder of the Cafe L’affare;” it goes on to say that he’s always been one for ideas.
It’s true, before he developed cafés, he drove the changes that lead to BYO (bring your own wine or beer) restaurants.
He’s imported spices, bottled sauce, developed a sausage, got coffee beans into supermarkets and, picked every trend from bran muffins to the pumpkin soup.
The Flat White
He also invented the flat white. What’s that you say? If you are not from Australia or New Zealand, a flat white is a coffee beverage, and is prepared by pouring steamed milk from the bottom of a steaming pitcher over a single or double shot of espresso. In New Zealand we like our flat whites with a double shot.
So Jeff is a real clever bugger. Whenever I get the chance to talk to him, I make sure I listen to what he has to say.
Chat over the Fence
We were having a chat over the fence a few weeks ago and we got talking about salespeople. We both agreed that many sales people sit behind a desk or computer, phone the client or receive an e-mail order, and then move on to the next one without actually leaving the office. Or they are call reluctant, afraid that a client might say no, making the clients mind up for them.
So I asked him “Jeff what do you think makes a good salesperson?”
His reply, “you go and call on the clients. It’s how you start a business. That’s how I started my business, and you never stop calling on them”
He’s right you know, you have to get out from behind the desk, behind the phone, and go and talk to you clients.
Jeff said when he first started his business that’s all he did, talked to the clients, took them samples, gave them lessons on how to make coffee, helped them fix their coffee machines. When he did all that , he spent time with them, got to know them, and they got to know him.
Next time he was in the neighbourhood or in the town or city, he would do exactly the same over and over and over again. After a while they would buy his coffee from him, and over time it was the only coffee they purchased.
Simple basic salesmanship – get out behind the desk and talk to your clients. They know what’s going on; they have the ear to the ground.
I take a lot of notice of Jeff, because he does not stand still. After he sold the Cafe L’affare some four years ago he bought a coffee machine company based in Italy. It’s called The Rocket (www.therocket.co.nz). To my American readers, if you buy one of these machines you’ll never drink filtered coffee again. I promise you.
Good selling
PHOTO CREDIT – yann.co.nz
