Earlier I wrote about how to get into unsold accounts (amongst other things). I said “Show up. Ask questions. Network. Show up. Ask questions. Network. Repeat. Repeat. Don’t stop. It takes work, it takes time, and there are no shortcuts.” A big part of showing up and doing the hard work is about the slow build. Read More…
Month: September 2016
Cheap is not an attribute
“We are the cheapest in town!” But at what cost? Being cheapest does not mean you are not delivering value (they are different things), and you are inviting comparisons to others. Being cheapest means your only measuring stick to determine if you’re doing the right thing is controlled by your competition. The moment somebody is cheaper Read More…
The hidden weight of email
Here’s something to think about: Email is a system built to pass the burden of response onto others. I send you an email. I expect a response. No response might mean (to me, the sender) that you don’t care about me, you’re lazy, you’re overworked and not doing anything to change that, that I’m a Read More…
Tiny, fast, nimble, and original
The rise of the number of wine distributors in major markets in the past five years has been stunning. Even in heavy handed and “old boy’s network” markets like Chicago, more and more micro-distributors are opening shop and succeeding. Not only succeeding, but making amazing inroads that are pissing off those that feel they “deserve Read More…
Monday Challenge: Your best customers
Welcome to the Monday Challenge! This week: Your best customers. Who are they, and why are they the best customers? This has nothing (or at least little) to do with money and sales. That’s the easy way out of the challenge. Rather, take ten minutes today to figure out who your best customers are. Base Read More…
Simple ideas for better restaurant wine service
It seems every restaurant’s wine service can be easily improved. With so much attention being paid to craft cocktails today, let’s take some of that energy and attention to detail and apply it to the wine program. Here’s a smattering of ideas that any restaurant or wine bar can use: Have all wines by the Read More…
I can’t do that
I don’t have the time. I don’t have the skill set. It’s out of my pay grade. I’m busy enough already. I don’t see how that would benefit me. I can’t do that. When you get in the habit of saying no, are you doing it for the right reasons, or are you making excuses? Read More…
Once it’s gone, it’s gone
There is only one thing you can’t replace in your life. Only one thing that gets spent continuously and no app, innovation, planning, savings, or checkbook can bring it back. And that’s yesterday. Time spent. Once time is gone, it’s gone. What happened yesterday can’t be changed. The only things that can change are today Read More…
Habits are for breaking
As a wine retailer, you lead people to the same wines, tell the same stories, and bring to work every day the same attitude. Time to break the habits. As a restauranteur, you carry forward the same energy to your team, you suggest the same wines on a regular basis, you train your staff the Read More…
Minimum needed knowledge
Is it better to know a lot about a few things, or a little about a lot of things? It depends on who you are and what you do. A server or bartender at a restaurant better know a little bit about all the wines by the glass. It’s an easy quiz to give them. Read More…
Monday challenge: Breaking from the normal
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers, something to give a concentrated nudge in a certain direction. This week: breaking from the normal. The normal is a staff training where you hold up a bottle and talk about it. The normal is the parade of sales reps waiting in line at the Read More…
How to be a Wine Leader
There are very few Wine Leaders out there. There are a ton of wine managers, and in the scope of this idea a wine manager is defined as somebody who controls, regulates, checks on, and makes happen the flow of wine through the commercial transactions of our business. Most wholesale reps, retail buyers, restaurant buyers, Read More…
What is you real goal?
What is your real goal in life? If you had to pick one goal, what would it be? To me, it’s simple: be happy. Happiness involves lots of factors, but since that is my core goal, I always work toward it. Some ways I move closer to my goal everyday: 1) I choose to not deal Read More…
Canoes vs. Speedboats
Both will get you there, but in two very different ways. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Both are fun, but not for everybody. Both have a purpose. You can’t combine a canoe and a speedboat. It doesn’t work that way. Yet some try to, fail miserably, then oddly try to do it again. Figure Read More…
Connect your wine to something bigger and greater
Of course you think the wine you’re selling tastes better than the competition. And guess what? That doesn’t really matter. Playing the game of “mine is better than that” is a fool’s game because the rules can change constantly (via personal opinions). Would you throw money on the table in Vegas if the rules constantly changed based Read More…
The easiest, fastest, and most effective restaurant staff wine training ever
Training the staff at a restaurant can be a lesson in frustration. First off, it’s like hearding cats, trying to get everybody organized. Then, if the sales rep is doing the any of wrong things, it will go overtime and the attendees will be bored or antsy. Want to do the easiest, fastest, and most Read More…
Monday Challenge: TMI
Every Monday I throw out a challenge to the readers. Something to think about during the week of wine work. This week: become conscious of TMI, too much information. Over-explaining and over-detailing a wine is all too common. I see it all the time when reps are trying to train the servers at a restaurant, and Read More…
Ideas, Connections, and Ownership (i.e. Throw away the box)
This one is for the wine wholesale reps out there, especially those feeling down or disenfranchised. With the rise of the gig economy and the proliferation of freelancers, certain aspects of the wine sales game have changed tremendously. Two things to ponder, plus one radical idea: You own your contacts and relationships. Your boss might disagree, but in my Read More…
Polo, Sailboats, and Top Level Wine
Briefly think about these three worlds: professional polo, recreational sailboat racing, and the upper crust of the wine world (I’m talking Grand Cru Burgundy, first growth Bordeaux, Cult California Cabernets). What do they have in common? They have a tiny audience. I’m not just talking about a small audience. This is not the 1%. This is Read More…
Percentage growth, Exponential growth, and a cool little math trick
“I’m going to help you grow your business 6% per year!” Okay, honestly, how many of us can do the math on that one? And what does it really mean in the end? If your business is bringing in $100,000 a year it’s relatively easy math for the next two or three cycles. $106K, then $113K or so, Read More…
Are you selling a commodity? Probably not.
Commodities are products that are driven first by price. Charles Shaw, i.e. Two Buck Chuck, is a commodity. Barefoot, YellowTail, Franzia box wines, Beringer White Zin, and many other wines such as those are commodities as well. Yes, they have brand recognition, but the driving force of the sale of those wines is first and Read More…
Quiz: What are you selling?
Really, what are you selling? Think about this. I’ll give you a hint: it’s not wine. Honestly. It’s also not service. It’s also not your expert advice. So what are you selling? You’re selling the emotion attached to the sale, not the final product. The product is secondary. You’re selling satisfaction. If you approach your day Read More…
Happy Labor Day 2016 … on your mark, get set …
We’ve reached the end of another summer and the SOND selling season is just about to kick off. Over half of the wine sold in the United States is sold in the upcoming four months. A couple of weeks ago I urged you to take your foot off the gas. Now it’s time to do Read More…