Why I Love Starbucks.

It's the typical hype cycle.

• A new product or service is introduced.
• It grows exponentially to take over an industry.
• Everyone loves it.
• Accordingly, they all can't stop talking about it.
• It goes viral and the media picks up on it.
• It gets bigger.
• Then people find that it will not solve ALL their problems.
• They begin to talk it down because it's 'in' to talk it down.
• The media picks up on it again, whips around 180° and begins to tear it down.
• Then at some point, it all levels/evens out.

Starbucks is at this point now — they rode the hype roller coaster over the past number of years. But I still love them. Why?

They fit perfectly into my business model. I run a 21st century business:

1. I have a home office where I coach.
2. I have a professional office in Stamford where I meet clients, hold workshops, and coach.
3. I'm regularly on the road to travel, meet new people, network, and bump into friends and colleagues.

Starbucks is perfect for #3. I have a special place to stop off and hook into my email and network (free wi-fi). Their products are consistent from store to store, so I always get my Venti Zen Green Tea (with only one teabag) for $2.07 (a deal). Their staff is always polite, engaging, and sometimes even fun to interact with. I meet clients in-person to go over their strategy for 2011 instead of dragging them down to my office. And I write my daily blog (as I am doing right now).

What does this mean to you? Well . . . Starbucks is a business entity that I love. In 2011, how can you position your business to make your clients LOVE you? Think about it:

• Do you deliver a consistent customer experience where you make your client feel comfortable? Do you develop a 'safe space' where they can grow, relax, expand, and grow their business or career?
• Do you provide a flexibility to allow them to personalize their experience?
• Do you offer various locations (physical and virtual) to allow them to use your products and services?
• Do you try new ideas, new products, new services?
• Do you have a loyalty/membership program to reward and retain your best customers?
• Do you have an upsell area to get your clients to buy more stuff?
• Do you partner with related industries to grow your business?

You might not like Starbucks and that's fine. That's not what this post is about (it's how I love Starbucks). But you can't argue that they have a compelling model that scared market leaders like McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts to mimic a lot of their offerings.

This year, what ideas can you steal from Starbucks and make them your own?