Starbucks

This morning I had coffee at my favorite Starbucks. Working in the financial planning world, i have to constantly go to my clients and i am at St. Louis University Hospital on Grand and Vista in the city more than anywhere. There is a small Starbucks stand directly on your left of the main hospital entrance and it is where all the Doc’s and nurses get their morning caffeine fix. Off to the left is a private area with 4 small table that is tucked away and ideal to conduct a 45 – 60 minute minute with one of my doctor clients. So here are the highlights of this Starbucks:
1. For some reason they think i am a Doctor or a hospital employee, so they give me a 20pct discount
2. Two energetic guys work this coffee stand. One guy pumps music from his IPOD which is actually pretty good. Last summer I was putting together a massive deal where I netted $ 25,000 and was doing to to the rhythm of «Crazy Game of Poker» by OAR and felt like I was in a ZONE. It was a song we loved in college, and it was just a cool moment. The other guy is kind of deaf and annoying, especially when he finished making a coffee and gives the old «BAM» right out of Emeril Lagasse’s book. I think its starting grow on me today, because I swear to god, I heard all 30 of his «BAM’s» today and started to chuckle and clued my prospective client in on this guy.
3. If you are meeting there and sitting in the seats nearby –especially in the summer — make sure you order an ICED Coffee. it is 15 degrees hotter in that little cubbyhole and you will sweat like you are in an interrogation if not. Nobody likes working with the fat sweaty guy people. I am stuck in the dark suit, shirt and tie so on a 95 degree June day, the last thing I need at 7am or 3pm is a steaming cup of java.
4. I position my client to face me, and then i can face out, where I am in direct view of all the Doctors coming down the escalator from the garage or walking in the main entrance. For a 7am meeting like today, I usually have 2 – 3 different Doctors clients of mine stop by and say hello. It is great to have this warm up a 1^st meeting with a prospective client, it completely changes the tone and warmth of the conversation.