The explosion of personal wine tracking apps such as Vivino and Delectable have enabled the average consumer to have a quick and easy way to track and catalog what they enjoy. Those apps serve that function very well, both of them. But the problem comes when you, as a wine marketer (and being in the Read More…
Month: May 2016
Are you pulling down or pulling up?
You have a trusted group of followers, customers, clients, and associates. We all do. They call you when they need advice, they seek you out for options, they trust you with information. These people are the core of your business life. The insiders. Ask yourself a key question: when they communicate with you is it Read More…
The Dishwasher Salesman’s Trick
When wine reps present their wines to a buyer, they’re often (as in 99.999% of the time) presented from white to red, least expensive to most expensive. It’s what we’ve been taught to do. Successful dishwasher salespeople do the opposite. They find out what the customer wants first. Then they present an even better dishwasher than Read More…
Why people drink wine
Sometimes it’s to examine the terroir. Sometimes it’s to pair perfectly with a particular dish. Sometimes it’s because it was suggested to them by a friend, reviewer, or server. Sometimes it’s to celebrate a special occasion. But it’s always with the intention of having a good time. Don’t confuse the sometimes with the always. Wine Read More…
Above average is not the goal
To be above average only means you’re above the 51% threshold. To have a goal to be above average only means you understand how sad it would be to be below average. And often, when people use the term “above average” it’s referring to things that are either measured too simply, or things that can’t Read More…
Where is your focus?
The sales rep that is looking at a year long projection and goal, and has a plan to try to get there by December 31st, is going to sell wine in a much different way than a rep with a quota on a brand for a week or a month. A wine shop owner that Read More…
Momentum
The scientific formula for momentum says it all. Momentum = Mass x Velocity. In other words, you have a choice of how to grow. It’s multiplication, so if one metric stays the same, while the other grows, then greater momentum is the result. No matter where you are in the wine sales chain, the formula Read More…
How to (not) break into the hot new restaurant
It’s the place everybody is buzzing about. It’s the place to see and be seen. It’s the hot new place, and you have no wines on the list. What not to do: 1) Call and ask who the wine buyer is and then ask to speak to her. (She’s busy enough already.) 2) Show up Read More…