Be Coveted: 3 Examples Outside of Consulting



Today we are going to talk about three examples of coveted positioning outside the world of consulting. We are going to step outside of the advice and service based business and to look at some business models from very established companies in order to appreciate what coveted looks like.

Disney World. Disney World knows what their “WOW” looks like. If you are going to be coveted and be special in the eyes of your clients then you have to deliver on “WOW”. You cannot do that if you don’t know what “WOW” looks like. Not only does Disney understand their best experience, but they are also fully committed to it across the park. Wherever you go, every employee has bought into delivering a “WOW” experience for you. The park is called the Happiest Place on Earth and they earn that title to the very best of their ability. What is very important to mention is that Disney World lives up to that “WOW” long after their founder Walt Disney has passed away. We know that coveted positioning and coveted thinking is engraved into this business because it lives way beyond the founder.

Starbucks. I can make this very plain by saying the following: Demi, Short, Tall, Grande, Venti and Trenta. If you know what those things are, you are a Starbucks customer. If you don’t know what those things are, then you are not a Starbucks customer. They are all sizes of coffee. You can’t walk into Starbucks and say you want a small, medium or large. They don’t have it. They have very specific sizes and precise names for each size. What does that mean in regards to being coveted? Their customer speaks the same language they do. They’ve created a very specific language just for the size of cups they have and their customers share that language. In your own business you should establish a language with your clients unique to your relationship. That’s part of what makes you special and coveted. You literally speak a special language and that creates a special bond between you and your clients.

McDonald’s. How does McDonald’s help us think about coveted positioning? Everywhere you go, McDonald’s serves the same thing, looks the same way and follows the same operation manual. They are the ultimate model of consistency and that consistency is the same worldwide. Anywhere you go in the world, McDonald’s looks like McDonald’s. The have completely invested in delivering a consistent offering in each and every location.

 

In regards to being coveted, they are the gold standard for a “fast food” restaurant. When we think about fast food, we think about McDonald’s. They are the premier example of what it means to be a quick serve, fast food restaurant. All of their competition looks at them to be the leader and tell them where the industry and marketplace is going. They view McDonald’s as the leader and if we’re talking about coveted positioning, being seen as a leader in the industry is certainly part of being coveted.

The point here is that we can use examples way outside of our primary business to appreciate what it means to be coveted because the fundamentals are the same everywhere. Your job as the leader of your consulting firm is to commit to the same fundamentals that lead to coveted positioning.

What are the fundamentals you have committed to in your business?  Post below.

1 Comment

  1. Terri Weinstein on April 3, 2014 at 12:47 am

    Creativity and innovation, Sources and Resources, Experience and education, unexpected use of materials, colors, specialties in architectural lighting and kitchen and bath design.

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